It’s no big secret among my friends, gun-related or not, that I’m easy to sell on an adventure. Some of my best memories have come from saying yes when I know the response should have been no. Nick has taken advantage multiple times, notably by challenging me to run my Garand in a local carbine match. So I should have seen it coming when my instant message client at work popped up with a note from my coworker Jacob . . .
Jacob: “Have you signed up for the Bushnell Brawl yet?”
Tyler: “No”
Jacob: “You should”
Tyler: “Is that the event with the long range shooting and the helicopter?”
Jacob: “Yes”
Tyler: “Didn’t you get last place your first time out?”
Jacob: “Yes. But I won a McMillan A5 for my performance”
Tyler: “I don’t have a rifle for this event”
Jacob: “I’m coming over to your desk”
A few minutes later, a tall, bearded technologist was at my desk explaining that his shooting partner, and a fellow coworker had an “extra” rifle that I could use. And that he’d be happy to let me use all his reloading equipment. Really the only thing I’d need was some gear and a scope. And a great attitude. I was sold.
Later that week, said coworker brought me a Rem 700 action rebarreled in .260 Remington sitting comfortably in a KRG X-Ray chassis. Shortly thereafter, a package arrived from Bushnell containing a HDMR 3.5-21. It wouldn’t be fair to go shoot the Bushnell Brawl with anything other than a Bushnell optic, I figured.
Earlier this week, some mag pouches for AICS magazines arrived along with some rain gear and miscellaneous doo dads. I also found my good attitude while I was rooting around in the garage, so I think I’m set.
I’m not really sure what to expect out of this match. It’s part of the aptly-named Precision Rifle Series, but from what I can glean, it’s one of the most difficult matches of the year for that group. The accompanying pictures were shot at a practice day we put together out at the local range.
After establishing zeroes and making sure our bullets were flying true, the guys who had been to a Brawl before told me to stop wasting ammo shooting strong side prone. I spent the rest of the day looking through my left eye and fumbling with a new rifle. As I’m sure you can imagine, this is going to be a riot.
As I’d alluded to earlier, one of the stages is shot from a flying helicopter. And it looks like there’s some running and gunning, too. I certainly have all the gear necessary to compete, but skillset is a tossup. I’m a decent rifleman and hunting out of vehicles and on foot for a good part of my life has forced me to make good use of impromptu steadying aids. But, as someone who as competed in precisely zero precision matches, I anticipate a cataclysm of embarrassing events. As always, my embarrassment and shame will be on full display.
Our group is rolling out Thursday morning for Kingsville, Texas. We’ll get our briefing on the stages and such that evening. The competition is Friday and Saturday. I’m taking a bunch of cameras and a laptop so I can keep you updated throughout the day. Be sure to check this space for the hijinks over the weekend.
Freeking awesome!
Come on. Try to tell me you don’t understand why your bud (who finished last the previous time) talked you into competing! I’m pretty sure he’s now planning to come in next-to-last.
Now why can’t there be awesome events like that up here in the northeast?
Your closest NE PRS match would be at Peacemaker National Training Center in WV or the new K&M facility in Finger TN.
Ha, yeah see I was talking about something in the actual northeast, not relative to you guys in Texas northeast. Something up here in the friendly New England states. Granted, this time of year we would need to use snowshoes and snowmobiles in some stages.
Absolutely awesome!
“I also found my good attitude while I was rooting around in the garage..” It is funny how that good attitude can be found usually without too much trouble…I usually find mine as I sit on my oversized cane rocker on my cypress porch, rocking in the early morning with some strong black Louisiana coffee filling my olfactories and hearing the noises of the early morning swamp all around me. That will help you find that “good attitude” every time.
Best on the event, to help your friend not be last this year! ha.
Sounds like a load of fun, high price of entry though. May add this to my list competitions I want to run in the future though.
What price of entry? Did I miss it?
Google…. Match website says $275 entry fee and ammo requirement for their training course is something like 300rifle rounds 175pistol and the training course itself costs $600. No idea how much ammo needed for the actual match but it probably is more than 100rifle rounds but less than the 300 for training which will get expensive if you are talking premium ammo and/or “unique” calibers (Tyler said he’s shooting a 260 in the article).
The train up is not a requirement to participate in the match. $275 is the typical price for a 2 day PRS match with a round count of 150+. In case you guys were not aware NOTHING is cheap when it comes to shooting LR . Most guys whom shoot this seriously think nothing of dropping $2k-$5k on a rifle and another $1.5k-$3k on a scope. Ammo and match fees are a very small cost of playing in this sport. It is a TON of fun though! 🙂
“one of the stages is shot from a flying helicopter.”
What fun is that?
I thought you were going to shoot ‘at’ a helicopter…
Now *that* would be cool…
(Bonus points if you take out the rotor head…)