One of the best aspects of my position here at Point Blank Range is finding opportunities to expose new and intermediate shooters to the wider world of competitive shooting. Since we began holding monthly Ruger Rimfire matches last March, it has been very reaffirming to see the smiles and enthusiasm growing among the competitors. Of the many relationships I have throughout the firearms industry as well as 20 years’ experience in competitive shooting on the national and international level, one thing always “rings” true and that is the pure fun and instant feedback of shooting steel. I give great credit to my friend Ken Jorgenson of Ruger for taking elements of the fast pace and highly competitive Steel Challenge and organizing a very shooter friendly match that has frankly become a grassroots movement across the country. With the help of Tim Norris (Team Ruger, Team Volquartsen), Michael Bane (Outdoor Channel’s Down Range TV) and many of my fellow match directors across the country he was able to orchestrate a wonderful semi-simplified program whose primary goal is to introduce new shooters to the shooting sports. I have seen no better vehicle than this program. The qualifications barrier to enter into rimfire competitions is very low since the firearms can be purchased inexpensively and can be shot in competition right out of the box. There are no holsters or other accessories needed since this shooting is done from a start position known as the “low ready” and the stages are stand and shoot. The firearms are fairly light weight and can be handled by young shooters more easily than their center fire counterparts. Rimfire allows new shooters to start with firearms that have low recoil, low noise and use inexpensive ammunition.
We have enjoyed great success with this program at Point Blank Range. Creating an indoor program was no simple task. It is amazing to see the momentum that the Ruger Rimfire Series has gained across the country in the past year. Meetings with Ken, Tim, and Michael as well as some of the major match directors from across the country this last year at the SHOT Show was a great privilege. Their collective input was instrumental in our success with this program here at Point Blank Range.
As you may have surmised by now, competitive shooting is a passion of mine. Ironically until this last September, I had never shot in a rimfire match of any consequence so I figured; why not start at the top? So I called my old friend, Tim Norris of Team Ruger and twisted his arm to send me out a well-tuned pistol and rifle so I had at least a chance of staying in the hunt. Three days and 300 rounds of practice later I was off to Pennsylvania for the Ruger Rimfire World Championships. This is not a practice regiment I would recommend to anyone. This trip was twofold, while it was great to see and compete against old friends and mange to finish in the top twenty; it was a greater honor to be selected as a team member to provide consultation to the National Shooting Sports Foundation on organizing rimfire matches. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements from the NSSF at the SHOT Show this January. Oh….. And please stay tuned for more exciting training opportunities and shooting events coming from right here at Point Blank Range.