Match Results

2023 BPTRA Creedmoor National Championship

Byers, Colorado – September 22-24, 2023

Colorado Gun Club

Winner’s Equipment List:

Jack Odor: Shiloh Sharps 45-90 Model 1877, pistol grip, double set triggers, Shiloh 32-inch barrel, 535-grain Paul Jones bullet, 80 grain Swiss 1½ Fg powder, Federal Large Pistol Match primers, 8X DZ Arms scope, spotter was Michael Jackson.

Special Note: This rifle was donated to the BPTRA National Championship several years prior. All shooter’s names were put on the back of a target and Lucinda Bryan of Shiloh Manufacturing Company fired one shot at 1,000 yards to determine the winner. Jack Odor’s name was the closest to the bullet hole. This same rifle was used by Jack Odor to win the 2023 National BPTRA Championship.

22 BPCR Silhouette Match

Carpenter, Wyoming – January, 2024

Smithmoor Range

Wow, what a match! I had a really enjoyable day and I hope everyone else did too. We came out of the deep freeze we had been experiencing and had a relatively nice day for late January, in Wyoming. Temperatures never got above the low 20’s, but the sun shone bright and the wind stayed calm and steady. The conditions were actually quite good and I always kind of chuckle that scores are not higher than they are. Then we shoot on some crummy days and scores will be significantly higher than they were – I don’t have an explanation.

 Besides all of our regulars, I was really pleased to have two close friends that are shooters and had not been able to make it down for a while. Kenny Wasserburger and Lee Lane, both made the trip from northern Wyoming for this match. As usual, lunch was really good. A big boiler full of ham from Michael Rix and beans from the Farmer brothers, fresh cornbread right out of the oven, and a pan of banana cake with icing from Momma Lorraine rounded out the menu. Dick Hennebry brought a box of delicious doughnuts for a morning snack.

We had some really amazing shooting on our fifth station this month. Greg Tryon made some dinosaur cut-outs for our Kid’s Match last month and I thought it would be fun to shoot them further out for our fifth station this month. We have six different dinosaurs that range from about pig-sized to about chicken-sized. They hang as swingers on a rack from smallest to biggest, left to right. I put them at about 120 yards and we shot them “Know Your Limits”  style. You start on the right and hit them in order to the left. Each one is smaller than the last. If you miss, you must start back over on the right. The smallest one is tiny at 120 yards! It looks like a speck and can barely be seen with the naked eye. I thought it would be a real trick to hit it, but once again our shooters proved me wrong. We had lots of people get all six. Great shooting everyone! I thought it was fun and hoped everyone else enjoyed it too.

I have to smile that our A and AA classes have become so small. We have lots of shooters, but many of them have improved and moved up. The other big reason for smiling is my two boys, Asa and Eli, want to shoot in the matches. Of course, they have been plinking and having fun for years, but they are now interested in shooting the matches. Having Grandpa, Dad, and sons all shooting in the same match is pretty special. As most of you know, when you first start entering matches, it is a real challenge just trying to get to the line with what you need and get all your record shots off. They are really improving and I am sure we will be seeing their scores go up as they figure it out. Eli shot a 6/40 this match and was our AA/A Class Winner. Good job, Eli!

In AAA, Lee Lane shot really well and scored a 30 to be 1st place. Lee had not shot in a match in quite a while and was quite pleased to shoot so well. In Master Class, the Farmer brothers were tough competition for each other. Both of them cleaned the prone animals, but J.D. managed to shoot one more chicken than Dick and earned 1st place. Grand Master was a real “horse race” with lots of scores in the low 30’s. It came right down to the last animal to see who was going to end up on top. I shot turkeys last and was quite pleased to clean them and be in 1st place.

 It’s now time for the best news to come out of Smithmoor. For 10 years, this particular person has been organizing, cooking, setting up and cleaning after matches. She has won her class here and at other ranges, several times. She has even been the National Champion Woman at the National 22 BPCRA matches, but until now, has never been the Match Winner at Smithmoor. The wait is over and we are all very proud of Coralee. She smoked out an awesome 34/40 with 5/10 chickens to be January’s Match Winner. Fantastic job, Coralee!

Take care everyone,

Cody Smith

Equipment List:

Coralee Smith: Zimmerman/Stevens 414 22 LR, Shilen 1-16 twist Ratchet Rifled barrel, Lapua Center-X ammunition, MVA B5 scope, Cat’s Benchtop Shooting Sticks.

Cody Smith: Lewis/Zimmerman/Winchester High Wall 22 LR, Bartlein 1-16 twist barrel 28-inches long, Lapua Midas Plus ammunition, MVA Soule rear sight, Baldwin front sight, Cat’s Benchtop Shooting Sticks.

Jack Odor: Kilby/ Winchester Low Wall 22 LR, Benchmark 1-16 twist barrel 28-inches long, RWS R100 ammunition, 6X Unertl scope, standard sticks, Michael Rix spotter.

Mark Pachares: C. Sharps Arms Low Wall 22 LR, Douglas 1-14 twist barrel, vintage Eley Tenex (dried lube), Delrin contact point bench sticks, 6X Unertl scope.

Craig Wolf: CPA Stevens 44½ Silhouette Model 22 LR, ball and spur lever, Shilen 1-16 twist Ratchet Rifled barrel, Eley Match ammunition (1066 fps), 10X MVA Series A scope, center-less mil-dot, bench sticks with felt pads.

Buffalo Rifle Gong Match & Turkey Shoot

Billings, Montana - December 17, 2023

Yellowstone Rifle Club

Happy riflemen at the December BPCR Gong match – Billings, Montana.

Eight gongs, 200 to 692 yards, five shots at each gong, 40 points possible, Quigley rules.

Equipment List:

Dave VandenBrink: Browning 45-70, 1-18 twist Badger barrel, 535-grain BACO Money bullet, 1-18 alloy, DGL lube, fixed ammo, .060 Walters Wad, 70 grains Swiss 1½ Fg, CCI primer, Starline brass, Baldwin sights.

Travis VandenBrink: Snider 577, 19-inch barrel, 530-grain Minie bullet, sized to .585, 1-20 alloy, homemade lube, fixed ammo, Cream of Wheat wad, 70 grains Olde Eynsford 1Fg, CCI 300 primer, 24-gauge brass, Snider military sights.

Greg Tryon: Tryon Ballard 40-70 Sharps Straight, 1-15 twist Green Mountain 30-inch barrel, 409-grain NEI Creedmoor bullet, 1-18 alloy, Javalina lube, fixed ammo, MP 5744 powder, Federal Gold Medal Match magnum primer, Hornady brass, MVA rear sight, Baldwin front sight.

Steve Martin: Winchester 1885 (Moruku) 45-90, Winchester 34-inch barrel, 545-grain Brooks Creedmoor bullet, 1-20 alloy, proprietary lube, fixed ammo, .060 Walters Wad, 85 grains Swiss 1½ Fg, Winchester Large Pistol primer, Starline brass, MVA Mid-range Soule sight, no cleaning.

David Hoagland: C. Sharps 45-70, 1-16 twist barrel, 532-grain Sagebrush bullet, Walters Wad, Swiss 1½ Fg, Winchester primer, Starline brass, Kelley sights, wire brushed.

Tony Maddox: Axtell 1877 Sharps Long Range 45-70, Rigby 34-inch 1-18 twist barrel, 530-grain Jim bullet, 1-20 alloy, Javelina lube, fixed ammo, MP 5744 powder, Federal 210 primer, Starline brass, Axtell sights.

Bill Gloor: Browning BPCR 40-65, Badger 30-inch barrel, 426-grain Brooks bullet, sized .411, 1-20 alloy, SPG Lube, fixed ammo, .060 Walters Wad, 64 grains Olde Eynsford 3Fg powder, Federal 210 primer, Winchester brass, MVA Long Range Buffalo Soule sight, cleaned with 50/50 Ballistol and water, brass annealed after every firing.

Kyle VandenBrink: Winchester High Wall 45-90, Green Mountain barrel, 540-grain Brooks Creedmoor bullet, fixed ammo, 82 grains Swiss 1½ FG.

Lon Morris: Shiloh Sharps 1874 45-100-2.6 (18 pounds), 1-18 Shiloh 30-inch barrel, 535-grain Lyman Postell bullet, sized .458, Lon Lube No. 7, fixed ammo, .030 poly wad, 79 grains Swiss 1½ Fg, Remington 2½ primer, Starline brass, MVA Soule rear sight, MVA windage front sight, rifle blow-tubed, no cleaning.

Barry Selle: Shiloh Sharps 1874 45-70, 30-inch 1-18 twist barrel, 530-grain Brooks New Postell bullet, 1-30 alloy, homemade lube, fixed ammo, .060 veg. wad, Swiss 1½ Fg, 205 Federal primer, Starline brass, Kelley Soule rear sight, Lee Shaver front sight.

Duff Sweeney: Shiloh Sharps 1874 .40-65, Shiloh barrel, Boomer Creedmoor bullet, 1-22 alloy, DGL lube, fixed ammo, 60 grains Olde Eynsford 1½ Fg, CCI BR-2 primer, Remington brass, MVA 6X scope.