Edit 4/30/2023- Scroll down for update. I will bump when registration opens for this series of matches at the awesome Camp Ethan Allen base in Vermont. Something for everyone: various vintage and modern rifle matches, high power, vintage sniper, pistol, 22's, etc.
Had a great time at the New England Games and I thought the CMP and host Vermont State Rifle Assoc. did a great job with the match. I made the decision to go a bit last minute, but CMP is pretty responsive to emails & a couple days before the event I had confirmation I was GTG for SAFS, the M16 EIC match, and the regular EIC Service Rifle Match. Time to try AR's while my shoulder isn't quite ready for the big boys.
Camp Ethan Allen made a beautiful site for the match, with the typical mountains, rolling hills, and farms in the local area. Periodic firing of miniguns at some distant range added some fun to the day- quite an impressive sound when one is running.
We had some rain on day one, but not so bad that running the match was a problem. Most of the morning we were in the classroom for SAFS. Even though SAFS is oriented to the new shooter, there were many discussions helpful to all plus we had some Q&A time with CMP's CEO. Actually, the majority of attendees were experienced competitors who were likely attending SAFS in order to participate in the M16 Match. Actually, there were quite a few in attendance who were active military. $50 for several hours of classroom instruction plus a full match with rifles and ammo provided is an unbelievable deal.
We were able to park right behind the 200 yard position for the M16 match. Normally the club would park cars behind the pits but CMP opted to keep the cars out. Pits and stands were really nice, with nice wide positions that made it easy to know when your shooter put one through the target.
The guys I was squadded with and I seemed to have the hot target of the day. Easy to pull for folks putting 'em in the 10-ring. The four of us covered 1st, 3rd, 4th (me) and 5th place for the match. 2nd place to an active duty guy. 1st and 3rd were a couple of fun characters and great shooters who came all the way from Oklahoma. They were making a big road trip and catching several matches along the way. 5th was a nice guy from the local club. I was pretty happy with my scores except for offhand. First time shooting an AR in a sanctioned match, and a well attended one at that. Depending upon how CMP rounds the numbers, I might get some leg points.
On the next day, the morning fog that obscured the course burned off to a perfect day. My shooting was pretty abysmal, mostly due to a bone-headed mistake I made. I decide to go with a scope to help with my first time at 600 yards and sighted it in the day I drove to Vermont. Though it seemed ok from the bench, the mount I used was too high and did not allow me to move the scope far enough forward to be in its relief when I was in positions. Darn near impossible to keep a good sighting and proper cheek weld. Too late to switch back to irons as there were no sighters. Rapids were particularly ugly, despite scoring in the 90's (great for me) the previous day. Live and learn.
However, given the ample amount of time for 600 prone I was able to work out a position to see and was in the black on my first shot. I shot factory Norma Match 77 ammo, and it performed according to its data which had my come-ups right on target. This time I had fair scores in offhand and at 600, just the stages in which I was expecting to really suck. I had a great time regardless of my across the course hot mess and will definitely be back next year.
Had a great time at the New England Games and I thought the CMP and host Vermont State Rifle Assoc. did a great job with the match. I made the decision to go a bit last minute, but CMP is pretty responsive to emails & a couple days before the event I had confirmation I was GTG for SAFS, the M16 EIC match, and the regular EIC Service Rifle Match. Time to try AR's while my shoulder isn't quite ready for the big boys.
Camp Ethan Allen made a beautiful site for the match, with the typical mountains, rolling hills, and farms in the local area. Periodic firing of miniguns at some distant range added some fun to the day- quite an impressive sound when one is running.
We had some rain on day one, but not so bad that running the match was a problem. Most of the morning we were in the classroom for SAFS. Even though SAFS is oriented to the new shooter, there were many discussions helpful to all plus we had some Q&A time with CMP's CEO. Actually, the majority of attendees were experienced competitors who were likely attending SAFS in order to participate in the M16 Match. Actually, there were quite a few in attendance who were active military. $50 for several hours of classroom instruction plus a full match with rifles and ammo provided is an unbelievable deal.
We were able to park right behind the 200 yard position for the M16 match. Normally the club would park cars behind the pits but CMP opted to keep the cars out. Pits and stands were really nice, with nice wide positions that made it easy to know when your shooter put one through the target.
The guys I was squadded with and I seemed to have the hot target of the day. Easy to pull for folks putting 'em in the 10-ring. The four of us covered 1st, 3rd, 4th (me) and 5th place for the match. 2nd place to an active duty guy. 1st and 3rd were a couple of fun characters and great shooters who came all the way from Oklahoma. They were making a big road trip and catching several matches along the way. 5th was a nice guy from the local club. I was pretty happy with my scores except for offhand. First time shooting an AR in a sanctioned match, and a well attended one at that. Depending upon how CMP rounds the numbers, I might get some leg points.
On the next day, the morning fog that obscured the course burned off to a perfect day. My shooting was pretty abysmal, mostly due to a bone-headed mistake I made. I decide to go with a scope to help with my first time at 600 yards and sighted it in the day I drove to Vermont. Though it seemed ok from the bench, the mount I used was too high and did not allow me to move the scope far enough forward to be in its relief when I was in positions. Darn near impossible to keep a good sighting and proper cheek weld. Too late to switch back to irons as there were no sighters. Rapids were particularly ugly, despite scoring in the 90's (great for me) the previous day. Live and learn.
However, given the ample amount of time for 600 prone I was able to work out a position to see and was in the black on my first shot. I shot factory Norma Match 77 ammo, and it performed according to its data which had my come-ups right on target. This time I had fair scores in offhand and at 600, just the stages in which I was expecting to really suck. I had a great time regardless of my across the course hot mess and will definitely be back next year.
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Shots 1-5 are sighters, 6-15 for score.![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
