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If you're looking for something to test your hunting shooting skills, take look at the new.....

https://nrlhunter.org

The basics:

1. Power Factor; bullet weight x bullet velocity = 380,000 or more with a ceiling velocity of 3275 fps. Which means no 22 nor 6mm calibers will meet the requirements. A few 25 cals. A 6.5mm 140 gr bullet will need to hit 2714 fps to qualify.

2. Three/3 classifications: Factory, 12 lb max. Only adaptation will be adjustment of factory trigger. No changing barrels or triggers. Threaded muzzle for muzzle break or suppressor is fine as long as it came threaded from the factory. Any optic.

Open Light, 12 lb max. Sky's the limit, as long as it's under 12 lbs which includes sling, bipod, any electronics attached to the rifle.

Open Heavy, 16 lb max. Same as Open Light.

Ammo and detach magazine weight is NOT included in weight of rifle.

Their will be additional Women's and Young Gun group categories.

3. Target engagement will be from 100 to 1000 yds with the average in the 450 yd range. You will be kept back a distance (approx 20-30 yds) from the COF so you won't have any idea what to expect (just like in hunting). The RO ask if you're ready. All your gear will be in your pack, on your back, rifle slung. Bino's can be in hand. At the starting beep/buzzer you have 4 minutes and the RO will then call you forward; don't doddle! A very quick description of the COF from the RO explaining the left/right limits of your shooting position/s and the basic direction of target engagement. You will need to locate, range, dope and engage the target/s. Their might be 1 target (which will be animal vital size and will have a 2' x 2' orange placard with 10' of the target) and 5 positions to shoot from (each has to be 1 arms length apart) or maybe 5 targets and 1 position .....or a combination in-between. First round hit = 2 pts. If you miss, a 2nd round may be fired for 1 pt, if you hit it. Once you hit the 1st round or miss the 2nd, move on to the next target or position. A match consists of a minimum of 12 COF. Which means a minimum of 60 rds up to 120 rds. The match directors may have more than 12 COF.

A minimum of 50 competitors is required to hold a match. Their are 9 scheduled matches in 2020 from Calif to New Hampshire. February to July with the championship in Grand Junction, CO, held in August. One needs to qualify to attend the championship.

It is not required to be an NRL Hunter member to compete but if you want to attend the championship (if you qualify) you will need to be a member and if you want to walk the prize table, you will need to be a member. Membership can be attained up to 7 days after a match.

Me, personally, I might use my Open Light 6.5x47, which i've hunted deer and elk with for the past 10 yrs or maybe tweek my heavy 6.5x47 to make Open Heavy or really put it on a diet to see if I can make Open Light. I might even use my new 300 WM which will make Open Light. The matches I intend to attend are in Hammet, ID (May) and Price, UT (July). Hopefully, i'll qualify for the championship.

Check it out!

Alan

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Links to videos`, please..

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This being the first season, first match in February, their are no NRL Hunter videos yet. They're has been something similar called the Hornady Precision Steel Challenge shot somewhere in the mountain states this last Summer. Similar but different rules from what I can see from the videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJOzLQ4NNQw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYHmNDg0jnI&t=63s

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Looks like fun..weather co-operated..a plus in it`s self.

Thanks

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Looks like fun!

IC B2

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Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
Looks like fun!


Actually, their will be a match in May, not too far from you.

Alan

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that does look like fun, and I see a match in April about an hour south of me...

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I shot at the Hornady Steel Challenge in Grand Junction. It is fun format. This is what I took away from it. If you have a rifle that shoots 1 moa or better you should be good. The majority of the shots are under 600 yards. The most challenging aspect of this format is Finding and ranging the targets. I had at least 5 stages that I never got a shot off. You have 4 minutes to run to the shooting area find the target or targets range them, figure your firing solution and get your shots off. All while carrying all your gear.

RangeFinding binos would be a asset. I used regular binos and range finder. My range finder Leica 2700 would give me my elevation holds which is also a big help. If you find a couple of the targets you better not waste too much time trying to find the others get your shots in on the ones you find and then move on and try and get the others. Some stages have 1 target but 4 different firing positions some have 2 targets and 2 firing positions and some had 4 targets and one position.

Gear management plays a big roll in this. Have a plan. I found that it was easier to look for the T posts instead of the targets as they are straight up and down and nothing else is at Cameo shooting complex. Found it easier to get my ranges by lasing the the t post at ground level. A good tripod is going to be a asset as well practice with it. But most of all go have fun it was one of the most fun and challenging things I have ever done.


I've always been different with one foot over the line.....
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Originally Posted by GSSP
Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
Looks like fun!


Actually, their will be a match in May, not too far from you.

Alan

Not sure if the border will be open by then. So close, yet so far away... grin

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Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
Originally Posted by GSSP
Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
Looks like fun!


Actually, their will be a match in May, not too far from you.

Alan

Not sure if the border will be open by then. So close, yet so far away... grin


Seriously? Had no idea the Canadian/US border was closed.

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COVID, and all that.

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Attended my first NRL Hunter match East of Bloomfield, NM last weekend. A 7-hr drive from my Utah home. Man, what a great match format. We had a about 60 shooters. Great weather and beautiful scenery. I had lightened my heavy NRL/PRS rifle in 6.5x47 to exactly 12 lbs. It had been 16+ lbs. Had the 26" Hawkhill Marksman contour barrel carbon wrapped, loosing a solid 1 lb. I then removed the Manners T2A stock at something like 60 oz and replaced it with a new Mesa Precision Arms prototype stock which I believe was close to 20 oz. Put on a Athlon Midas Tac 6-24x50 running a MOA reticle. I did have an IOR G2 Recon 6-30, 40mm tube scope on before. I ran a tall Atlas bipod as well as the attachment point for the Snipe-Pod bipod. Actually use the Snipe-Pod during one COF. Was very please with how quick it attached and deployed. Used a Safari sling through out the event. To carry all my gear, I used my beloved Eberlestock Lo-Drag II pack. I carried 3 light weight bags of varying size, 96 rounds of 6.5x47 ammo, a LeFoto tripod with my beloved Leica 10x42 HD-B ranging binos attached to the top of the tripod. The binos give me precise dope to 1008 yds. For wind I had a quick 5, 10 and 15 mph wind conversion on my left arm in a football quarterbacks arm sleeve. Our farthest target was approx 950 yds. I did hit the 950 on the 2nd shot (1 point), just barely off the left edge of the 12" square for the 1st shot (2 points). A COF ran something like this..

RO would have us come up, rifle slung and all gear on our backs, make sure we understood how many targets, shape and sizes. Point in the direction the targets were located. At the start of the 4 minutes, we would step up to the shooting area, set my rifle on it's bipod, drop my pack and remove the tripod/bino combination. From a kneeling position, I had to locate the 1st target, which would have some brightly colored streamers within approx 20'. If their were more targets (up to 3 more) they have no markers near by so it can be tricky to locate them. They usually ran "out", near to far. I could tell they had been painted white "at one time in their history"; showing mostly grey steel. Once I found the first target, i'd mentally note the dope from the Leica's and quickly dial my elevation turret. Shooting position/s were simply painted marks or streamers on the ground, log, tree, etc. I had to be able to reach out at any time I was shooting, with either arm or leg and be able to touch the mark. Engage the 1st target (hit and move on or reengage then move on, to the 2nd target). Targets had to be engaged in order so I discovered it might behoove me to find all targets in the beginning so as not to shoot at the wrong target; which I did at least one of the 20 COF; 12 on day one and 8 on day two. I think I made every mistake at least once, sometimes more than once. My most common mistake was to get the range, rush to my rifle to dial the dope but realize I'd forgotten to see the dial up dope in the bino's lens. I'd have to go back to the bino, locate and range the target again and wait for the dope to appear in the bino's lens. I also, repeatedly forgot to find landmarks around the target/s after ranging them. Which caused me much waisted time to have to relocate them through my rifle's scope. I repeatedly waisted time with these two items over and over. I did miss, but rarely since I'd take the time to get into a good shooting position. This is where field experience comes into play; building a solid position from the ground, over a tripod, tree branch, log, stump or rock. Timing out do to not finding all the targets was a common occurrence with all 60 competitors. With the mistakes I made I felt uncomfortably good about my 25th place; but, I know I can do better....much better.

The prize table was packed, to say the least. Leica, Sig Sauer, Nightforce, Bushnell, Timney, Cole-Tac, Helix 6, Federal ammo, H-S Precison, Leupold, Black Rifle Coffee, Hawkins Precision, Redsand Safaris, Thunderbeast, Vortex and other were their with actual items or certificates. I was very happy to take a 50% off Brux barrel certificate home. It will be another 6.5x47 barrel which will be carbon wrapped by my local guy, Travis Bennett, of Spanish Fork, Utah. For me, my next match will be in Southern Idaho, 3rd week of May; only a 5 hr drive this time.

Hope some of you some shoot a NRL Hunter match.

Alan

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PRS is the game around here.....and I'm turned off by 20-25lb 6br variants being the norm. The practical situational shooting is awesome though. Wish they'd add weight classes or a hunter class with a weight limit and power factor. Still probably going to play locally for my own enjoyment with my 12-13lb 6.5x47....once components come back around....lol. Definitely don't have enough on hand to shoot matches.

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Almost 1 yr back i'd literally decided I was giving up shooting PRS/NRL matches for that very reason; and i've been playing at these matches for 12+ years. Smaller calibers and heavier guns was becoming problematic for me at age 62. Just don't have the muscles, flexibility or quickness I used to. Working at Barnes Bullets has been a godsend to my bullet supply. Thankfully, I already had laid in a good supply of powder and primers. Do you know if you have an NRL Hunter match near you?

Alan

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I haven't found any. I am in NW Pennsylvania...I have a club right down the road and it's PRS. That's what got me headed down down trail. Then as I spent a little time at the club I was seeing what guys are shooting....I can't believe they can maneuver those rifles like they do.


The positions and stages are still challenging. But those rifles and 6BR variants are popular for a reason. They sit like rock. I know the shooter still has to know their drop and make the wind call and shoot quick and move targets and/or positions and all that. But a heavy low recoiling rifle certainly helps.


Kinda like BR. I understand it...but the shooter IMO is pretty removed. I've seen videos of guys sending their qualifying groups and never looking through the glass after their several thousand dollar rest and bag system is setup. Ya. You have to shoot the conditions and touch the trigger just right...but BR is a lot of load tuning and equipment. Still it's impressive in its own right.



Everyone has their thing. That's what makes the world go round. For me, I am more impressed by the shooter than the equipment. I still respect BR and F class and NRL/PRS shooters. They can definitely shoot. Just not the game for ME. I'm not sure any game IS for me. I got burnt out running competition coon dogs. Competition often ruins something we love doing. Which is why I'm content with my 12-13lb 6.5x47 Lapua. I can goto the club and ring steel on my own terms and enjoy the day.

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The closest match to you "this" year are in TN (next month) and NH (late June). Next year, as the NRL grows this new sport, i'm sure their will more matches closer to you.

https://nrlhunter.org/matches/

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Anyone here shoot a NRL Hunter Match yet?


Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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I shot the New Mexico match last month and have already signed up for the Idaho match and plan to RO as well as shoot the Utah match in July.

Alan

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I am hoping I can shoot the ID match, dependent on work. The UT match is in the middle of fire season so not sure that is even realistic for me to try to shoot. Seems like a great time. I have listen to the Podcast and watched the Youtube videos.


Eat Fish, Wear Grundens, Drink Alaskan.
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What about the Belt, Montana match in a few weeks? That's only 3-1/2 hours away from you.

Alan

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