07-11-2013, 09:01 PM
Bill Alexander Wrote:Headed up to the ranch at the end of this month to do some long range stuff with the 338 and work with a couple of writers. That and goof off.
Felix canyon is one of those best kept secrets. They were tied to Matrix training for a lot of government jobs but they always did hunting stuff and have amazing facilities. Tomcar got a start there just testing vehicles to destruction, the terrain was bad enough that they stayed and keep vehicles on hand for other events.
For the history buffs the ranch encompasses the old Tunstall ranch of Lincoln County wars fame. It is something for a Brit to be able to say I hunted coyote over the same ground that Billy the Kid worked.
Best of all the owner and his wife are just good people! Facilities are awesome and you always feel welcome.
My ultimate challenge is hunting the few feral sheep. They are like ghosts with invisibility cloaks and kevlar vests. Yet to even see one!
I think events like the CD Sniper Adventure Challenge will reshape the way people think about tactical shoots. It is certainly reshaping how the rifles are being built and the equipment that goes with them.
Yeah, they said you had been out there before. One of the little children there shot a Barbary Sheep with a 6.5 Grendel AR15. They said they could hear the bullet impact when it hit the hide of the sheep, and it went down hard.
+1 on the ownership being wonderful people. We had a great time, and their support across the board was top-notch. The facilities have the ability to lodge up to 120 people.
The Competition Dynamics crew has a unique approach to competitive action shooting, in that there is an expectation of high standards for Staff. It was great to work with such a group of self-starters who are driven and well-accomplished. Some of the staff have been running 3-gun, multigun, and long-range matches for well over a decade on an active schedule. CD uses RO's who know what hits look like at distance that might mistakenly be called misses by less experienced observers, and sources specialty staff from their network of contacts who have extensive military special operations and competitive backgrounds.
They also run regular training events throughout the year, and are dialed-in long-range shooters. Competition Dynamics is an affiliate of Thunderbeast Arms Corp. (TBAC), who have quickly risen in the suppressor industry as one of the go-to companies for high-end Titanium and quality alloy suppressors, with a reputation for minimal POI shift, and 2nd-to-none customer service.
One thing I noticed with the SAC event is that it makes a lot of sense to use a 6.5 Grendel AR15 for your team's carbine, which is what Team Ares Armor did. For one, a 16" Grendel with the same barrel profile as a 5.56 will be lighter, will suffer from wind deflection significantly less, and will impact steel with authority. Many of the rifle shooting stages were structured so that the competitor with the carbine had to successfully engage closer targets before the member with the rifle could engage long-range targets. They used 107gr SMK's in the 16" Grendel.
Team Magpul had a beautiful custom-built long-range rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor by Proof Research. It had a carbon fiber wrapped barrel, custom low-profile stock, custom action, custom bottom metal, and was topped with a Vortex Viper PST FFP. The rifle balanced amazingly, and was very lightweight. The shooter, who has an extensive military sniping background, said it shoots in the .1's. He said he shot a 6" group with it at 1200yds.
So yes, I also see some trends in weapons development being driven by these types of matches, because the benefits of lightweight but capable guns for extreme endurance racing/shooting transfer over to military and hunting disciplines, where lightweight and reach are equally important.