Battle of Breakneck Match Workup
On Thursday, April 15, I arrived in Broadwater Nebraska for the Battle of Breakneck. As I set up the camper that my wife and I would be staying in the next couple days, the weather was warm, but a steady wind blew from the south. The forecast was calling for dropping temperatures overnight, with rain, snow and winds in the 20-30MPH range throughout the weekend. While I was still setting up, one of the match directors, Eli, pulled up in a quad with a camera system to test. He showed me the screen, which clearly showed a steel target with fresh white paint. He pointed up on the hillside to the north of us and explained that the camera was actually about 3000 yards away. The target camera was going to be part of the one-mile side match the next day and he wanted to see just how far the camera would work.
The next morning the winds had shifted and the temperature had dropped, but it still wasn't bad. I met with the group of shooters scheduled to participate in the match workup and we were directed to an area along the east side of the match location. We wouldn't be shooting any of the actual match stages, but they had set up various barricades, 100 yard sight in targets and steel targets out to 1000 yards. Throughout the day we had the opportunity to confirm zeros, true our drop information and practice shooting from barricades in similar conditions to what we would experience the next couple days in the match.
To start with, we were introduced to our instructors. All three are seasoned PRS competitors and represented a wealth of knowledge. Rick Reeves, John Griswold and Matt Parry were brought in to help those of us with limited experience learn more about positional shooting and how to set ourselves up for success in the match. I noticed there were a number of experienced shooters at the work up as well. They may not have needed the instruction as much as me, but were still taking advantage of a practice day in local field conditions.
After the introductions, we were given a safety brief for the day and then they went straight into tips and information about setting up our gear. They talked about preplanning a stage and using a spotting scope or binoculars to spot targets to help speed up target acquisition time while under the clock.
Once everyone was comfortable with the DOPE, we moved on to the barricades. There were several types for us to try, a fence, fence post, "tank trap," and tires mounted vertically. John Griswold and Rick Reeves talked about setting up on the barricades and how to use bags, bipods, your stance, etc to reach as stable of a shooting position as possible.
The instructors and students spilt up and we started practicing shooting from each of the barricades. I started with the tires and practiced shooting from inside of both tires, as well as from between the tires (on the side, against the posts). We practiced not only getting a stable position and engaging targets from the various positions, but also how to transition between shooting positions safely and efficiently. The bolt of the rifle is always opened when moving between shooting positions and we practiced finding the target in the scope prior to closing the bolt. Rick Reeves also emphasized the importance of how you move. For example, with the tires, if you were moving from one side of the tires to the other and both are kneeling positions, why waste time by standing up, moving over, then kneeling back down?
Next I moved over to the tank trap barricades with John Griswold. I practiced using a bag in the middle of the trap to stabilize the front of the gun, then using a large bag under the butt of the rifle to support myself in the kneeling position. One of the tank traps was set up lower and I could rest the large bag on one of the legs, giving me a very stable position with bags under both ends of the gun and all of the weight resting on the barricade. Picture at left is April from www.RoadtoPRS.com
Next up was a make-shift fence with wooden cross beams at three different heights. You were able to shoot from a high prone, seated/kneeling and standing. Matt Parry helped coach this stage and helped us to practice transitioning between the different positions and getting as stable as possible. One of the things emphasized from the standing position was standing with your feet apart and square to the target. Typically it feels more comfortable to put one foot forward, but Reeves said that you would have a lot less left to right wobble with a broader, square to the target stance. It felt awkward for me, but I could see his point. Squaring my feet, bending at the waist and straightening my back still left me with some vertical bounce, but helped a lot with the horizontal sway that you tend to get from a standing position.
As we rotated through each position, all of the shooters got a chance to try them out and get tips from the pros. Several of the shooters, especially the more experience shooters, left to go sign in for the match. I tried to go back through and shoot from each of the barricades a total of two to three times each. I also practiced engaging targets at different distances from the barricades. Since I have not spent a lot of time shooting from barricades in the past, I knew that they would be one of my weakest points during the competition. I figured since I was already there I might as well get as much practice as possible. I noticed that the more times I went through, the faster I was at setting up a stable position. I could tell I still need a lot of practice with positional shooting, but I was already getting more comfortable. I was also taking note of how the barricades were constructed and how I could make my own to take to my local range for practice.
As the match workup started winding down, the weather started to turn for the worse. The wind had been pretty steady throughout the day, but it was coming from about the one to two o'clock position most of the day. As I was getting ready to pack up it started raining. The rain wasn't too bad, but it was only a preview of what we were going to get that weekend.
After packing up and heading back to the sign in area, I checked in for the match and received my match book, t-shirt, etc. I also paid my $20 to compete in the side matches. I didn't really expect to win, but the money went to pay the safety officers for their time and I had never shot at a mile before, so I figured, why not?
For the mile shoot we had 10 rounds to engage two different targets. The DOPE cards I brought with me only went out to about 1200 yards, so I had to use my phone to check drops for that distance and noticed that I needed over 75 MOA of adjustment to get there. I wasn't even sure if my scope would adjust that high. Fortunately it did, but I was within a couple MOA of maxing out the adjustment of the scope. By the time I shot the mile it was raining harder and it was difficult to spot misses. By the time I spotted a couple dirt splashes and had a better idea of the wind I was almost out of my allotted 10 shots. My last shot broke and after waiting for the bullet to travel to the target I saw it splash just to the right! So I still haven't hit a target at a mile, but at least I was close. My Leupold MKIV scope only has 15 MOA of adjustment per rotation, so I wondered after the fact if I had actually counted the rotations properly. My rounds seemed to be impacting low, so I may not have dialed as much as I should have. Next time I get a chance to shoot at a mile I will double check the drops.
Next I shot the speed plate, which was five targets at about 230 yards. I did okay on it, but wasn't even close to the fastest time. I don't remember the exact time for the winner, but it was fast! Especially considering it was a bolt action and not one of the semi-auto shooters.
The last side match was called the "loophole." It consisted of four targets that were located behind holes in a large metal plate. I got five rounds to engage the four targets. By the time I shot this it was late in the day. The targets had been painted in contrasting colors earlier, but after many impacts the entire target was left a shade of mottled grey. I quickly hit the first three targets through the loop holes, but was guessing about where the hole was when I shot at the fourth. That shot splashed on the front plate. I guessed a little differently for the fifth shot and watched as the plate swung away from the loophole. I was able to hit all four, but again my time was not nearly fast enough for a win.
After an even 100 rounds of shooting for the day I headed back to the trailer to look over my match book and prepare for an early start on match day.
Check back soon for more on the Battle of Breakneck!
If you want to read the other posts in the series, check them out below:
My First PRS Match- A New Caliber
The next morning the winds had shifted and the temperature had dropped, but it still wasn't bad. I met with the group of shooters scheduled to participate in the match workup and we were directed to an area along the east side of the match location. We wouldn't be shooting any of the actual match stages, but they had set up various barricades, 100 yard sight in targets and steel targets out to 1000 yards. Throughout the day we had the opportunity to confirm zeros, true our drop information and practice shooting from barricades in similar conditions to what we would experience the next couple days in the match.
 |
| Shooters lined up to check zeros. |
After the introductions, we were given a safety brief for the day and then they went straight into tips and information about setting up our gear. They talked about preplanning a stage and using a spotting scope or binoculars to spot targets to help speed up target acquisition time while under the clock.
We then moved on to verifying our zeros at 100 yards. As everyone got a chance to sight in, we then spent some time shooting at the various steel targets to confirm our drop charts out to 1000 yards. I was able to get Density Altitude (DA) information from some of the other shooters and chose the appropriate card, which was DA 5000 feet at the time. Fortunately my range sessions the previous weeks paid off and the cards that I had made ahead of time proved to be right on the money.
Once everyone was comfortable with the DOPE, we moved on to the barricades. There were several types for us to try, a fence, fence post, "tank trap," and tires mounted vertically. John Griswold and Rick Reeves talked about setting up on the barricades and how to use bags, bipods, your stance, etc to reach as stable of a shooting position as possible.
 |
| Rick Reeves coaching a shooter on the tire barricade. |
 |
| John Griswold providing tips on shooting from a tank trap |
Next I moved over to the tank trap barricades with John Griswold. I practiced using a bag in the middle of the trap to stabilize the front of the gun, then using a large bag under the butt of the rifle to support myself in the kneeling position. One of the tank traps was set up lower and I could rest the large bag on one of the legs, giving me a very stable position with bags under both ends of the gun and all of the weight resting on the barricade. Picture at left is April from www.RoadtoPRS.com
 |
| Author trying to get stable shooting from a standing position. |
 |
| Author engaging targets from the fence. |
As the match workup started winding down, the weather started to turn for the worse. The wind had been pretty steady throughout the day, but it was coming from about the one to two o'clock position most of the day. As I was getting ready to pack up it started raining. The rain wasn't too bad, but it was only a preview of what we were going to get that weekend.
 |
| Shooter engaging targets from a fence post. |
For the mile shoot we had 10 rounds to engage two different targets. The DOPE cards I brought with me only went out to about 1200 yards, so I had to use my phone to check drops for that distance and noticed that I needed over 75 MOA of adjustment to get there. I wasn't even sure if my scope would adjust that high. Fortunately it did, but I was within a couple MOA of maxing out the adjustment of the scope. By the time I shot the mile it was raining harder and it was difficult to spot misses. By the time I spotted a couple dirt splashes and had a better idea of the wind I was almost out of my allotted 10 shots. My last shot broke and after waiting for the bullet to travel to the target I saw it splash just to the right! So I still haven't hit a target at a mile, but at least I was close. My Leupold MKIV scope only has 15 MOA of adjustment per rotation, so I wondered after the fact if I had actually counted the rotations properly. My rounds seemed to be impacting low, so I may not have dialed as much as I should have. Next time I get a chance to shoot at a mile I will double check the drops.
Next I shot the speed plate, which was five targets at about 230 yards. I did okay on it, but wasn't even close to the fastest time. I don't remember the exact time for the winner, but it was fast! Especially considering it was a bolt action and not one of the semi-auto shooters.
The last side match was called the "loophole." It consisted of four targets that were located behind holes in a large metal plate. I got five rounds to engage the four targets. By the time I shot this it was late in the day. The targets had been painted in contrasting colors earlier, but after many impacts the entire target was left a shade of mottled grey. I quickly hit the first three targets through the loop holes, but was guessing about where the hole was when I shot at the fourth. That shot splashed on the front plate. I guessed a little differently for the fifth shot and watched as the plate swung away from the loophole. I was able to hit all four, but again my time was not nearly fast enough for a win.
After an even 100 rounds of shooting for the day I headed back to the trailer to look over my match book and prepare for an early start on match day.
Check back soon for more on the Battle of Breakneck!
If you want to read the other posts in the series, check them out below:
My First PRS Match- A New Caliber
Comments
Post a Comment