American Rifleman

Directions

American Rifleman Follow the journey of a competitive r***e shooter—through training days, match highlights, gear breakdowns, and everything in between.

From range days to podium moments, this page documents the grind, the growth, and the passion for precision shooting.

Last year, a few of the guys started a new tradition here at NRA Whittington Center. After finishing our Fullbore Nation...
09/17/2026

Last year, a few of the guys started a new tradition here at NRA Whittington Center. After finishing our Fullbore National Matches, they decided to put the r***es away, break out the sh****ns, and spend a little more time enjoying the incredible beauty of this place while making some great memories together.

This year, I decided to join them and I’m sure glad I did!

I had an amazing time and a ton of fun trying something completely new to me. There’s something pretty special about finishing a week of serious competition and then slowing down, enjoying the surroundings, laughing with friends, and simply having fun on the range.

Another great memory made at Whittington Center, and most definitely the beginning of a new tradition for me as well!

2026 Spirit of America — another wonderful year at the NRA Whittington Center.This range never disappoints. Once again, ...
09/16/2026

2026 Spirit of America — another wonderful year at the NRA Whittington Center.

This range never disappoints. Once again, the world-famous Whittington Shooting Center lived up to its reputation, challenging every shooter who came looking for a real test — not just against the competition, but against the ever-changing forces of nature.

The wind, the distance, the terrain, and the conditions all came together to separate good shooting from great shooting. Out here, you don’t get to choose the conditions; you have to read them, adapt to them, and earn every point.

That’s what makes Spirit of America so special. It’s more than a match — it’s an opportunity to step onto the line, challenge yourself, measure your skills, and see what you can really do when Mother Nature decides to join the competition.

Another great year, another great group of shooters, and another unforgettable experience at one of the greatest ranges in the world. 🇺🇸

The 2026 Canada Ontario R***e Association and Dominion of Canada R***e Association Championships were held in August at ...
08/29/2026

The 2026 Canada Ontario R***e Association and Dominion of Canada R***e Association Championships were held in August at the Mons Range at CFB Borden, located just north of Toronto and less than an hour’s drive from the airport. The nearby city of Barrie offers an excellent selection of restaurants, with a wide variety of high-quality cuisines to choose from.

The recent range improvements made for a very exciting championships, and for many of us, they also brought some challenging conditions that we were experiencing on this range for the first time. As expected, the competition was fierce, with some outstanding shooting throughout the matches.

In the end, however, one competitor stood above the rest. Avtar Nanrey, “Avi,” won both championships convincingly and, in the process, accomplished several historic things that have only been achieved a few times before. We all congratulate Avi on his remarkable accomplishments. They were well deserved, and I have had the pleasure of watching him for years as he has continually worked to develop and refine his marksmanship skills.

It would not be right, however, not to mention another Canadian shooter who was right there with Avtar until the very last shot. Tony Pham also had an incredible performance and has worked extremely hard and diligently to reach the level he is shooting at today.

It will be exciting to watch these two young Canadian shooters compete against each other for many years to come.

As always, one of the highlights of the championships was the team competition, and in particular, the America Match. This year, the Great Britain R***e Team dominated the team events, winning all three team matches in impressive fashion. Congratulations to the entire Great Britain R***e Team on an outstanding performance and a well-deserved sweep of the team matches.

2026 Imperial Meeting: "IT IS A DREAM TO BE HERE"Those were the words spoken by one of the Canadian shooters when I aske...
07/28/2026

2026 Imperial Meeting: "IT IS A DREAM TO BE HERE"

Those were the words spoken by one of the Canadian shooters when I asked about his experience at Bisley. If I had to summarize the entire experience in a single sentence, those would be the perfect words.

Bisley is more than just a competition. It's the history, the tradition, the feeling of standing on the same ranges where generations of r***emen have competed before us and where we share same grounds with old and young at the moment. For anyone passionate about our sport, it truly is a dream to be here.

One of the highlights of my trip was having the honor of coaching the Warwick University students in The Universities Long Range team matches. We had an incredible time together, and I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year.

Congratulations to Parag Patel on winning the HM King's Prize, and to everyone who had success on the firing line throughout the Imperial Meeting. There were some outstanding performances this year under very tough conditions.

One of the first Foundation Stocks, Samson XT in black Micarta. This should make an excellent PRS build, although it’ll ...
07/11/2026

One of the first Foundation Stocks, Samson XT in black Micarta. This should make an excellent PRS build, although it’ll have to wait a few weeks until I’m back from the Imperial Meeting at Bisley, England.

Yet another grip finished and fine tuned to my liking, note difference in angle vs the original one. This piece of wood ...
07/09/2026

Yet another grip finished and fine tuned to my liking, note difference in angle vs the original one. This piece of wood was pretty plain, so I decided to try something different. I gave it a burned finish to add a little character and charred finish. I'm really happy with how it turned out.
This design could be a great alternative for shooters who struggle with clearance between their shooting jacket and the tube gun pistol grip. It also provides a feel that's much closer to a conventional r***e stock, which some shooters may find more natural and comfortable.

Another year has come and gone, and once again we found ourselves together at the La Crosse R***e Club for their annual ...
06/20/2026

Another year has come and gone, and once again we found ourselves together at the La Crosse R***e Club for their annual Father’s Day Match. This two-day event features 160 shots for record at 600 yards, and this year the range looked absolutely beautiful while the weather could not have been better.

Many shooters use this match as an excellent warm-up and stepping stone leading into the upcoming Midwest Palma in Lodi, Wisconsin. As always, it was wonderful to reconnect with old friends and see so many familiar faces on the firing line.

This year, however, there was one familiar face missing. We all greatly missed Sandy Pagel, who passed away earlier this year. Sandy was a valued member of our shooting community and a friend to many.

Rest in peace, Sandy. You are deeply missed.

Berger Bullets 6mm 120 Grain — Final Testing and Validation in my 6XC R***eOur Mid-Range Championship concluded yesterda...
06/08/2026

Berger Bullets 6mm 120 Grain — Final Testing and Validation in my 6XC R***e

Our Mid-Range Championship concluded yesterday, and I decided to accept the generous offer and extend my stay at Oklahoma City Gun Club for a few extra days. That gave me the perfect opportunity to finally put the new Berger 6mm 120-grain bullets through a more meaningful test.

Considering that these groups were shot at both 600 and 1,000 yards with a sling and iron-sight r***e, and with a brand-new barrel no less, I have to say the results are very promising. The bullets showed excellent consistency and performance, leaving me optimistic about their potential.

If these are the results I'm seeing with a traditional sling r***e, I can only imagine what F-Class and PRS shooters will be able to accomplish with them. Good luck and enjoy!

For those following the new 6mm 120gr Berger Bullets load development, I have some exciting news. If maximum performance...
05/28/2026

For those following the new 6mm 120gr Berger Bullets load development, I have some exciting news. If maximum performance is your primary objective, Vihtavuori Powders N550 is showing outstanding potential. On the other hand, if you’re more concerned with barrel life and reduced recoil and less interested in gaining a few extra fps, N160 is definitely worth exploring.

So far I’ve tested N150, N160, N555, and N550, and at this point I’ll likely settle on either N550 or N160 depending on the specific goal. N550 clearly has the edge in raw performance, while N160 appears to offer a very nice balance with potentially improved barrel life and less recoil.

Velocity averages are showing very consistent gains as powder charges increase, which is encouraging. As for SD numbers, I don’t put any weight on them yet since these were only 2- or 3-shot strings. At this stage, I’m more interested in overall trends, pressure behavior, and consistency in velocity progression. Next step will be chasing low single-digit SDs and decent group sizes.

Address

34025 US-64
Raton, NM
87740

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when American Rifleman posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category