2024 Desert International Target Rifle Championship

[Aviator]

So it was all over except for securing targets and equipment (in the rain), trying to dry out our shooting gear and rifles, and having a banquet and awards.

Awards were given for:
500 and 600 Yard Aggregate Overall
500 and 600 Yard Muzzleloader

800 and 900 Yard Aggregate Overall
800 and 900 Yard Muzzleloader

3 days at 1000 Yard Aggregate Overall (Steve Rhoades Memorial Match)
3 days at 1000 Yard Muzzleloader

Ironman Aggregate (Dan Theodore Commemerative Match) (Aggregate of 500, 600, 800, 900, and 1000 Yards)
Ironman Aggregate Muzzleloader
Ironman Aggregate Rifleman (No wind coaching during the entire 7 days)

500 & 600 Yard Aggregate_2024 Desert International.jpg

800 & 900 Yard Aggregate_2024 Desert International.jpg

3 Days at 1000 Yard Aggregate_2024 Desert International.jpg

[Aviator]

Ironman Aggregate_2024 Desert International.jpg

[JonnyV]

Steve and Zack…thank you guys very much! This was an excellent event! I gained a huge amount of knowledge and confidence from a mere two weeks of effort.

I’m leaving here knowing that I have a lot of work to do, but now, I also know where to start…this will take months or years off my progression!

If I’m not on this firing line next year, it’s because I’m in a hospital bed somewhere..

[Tomklinger]

Congratulations to all the top shooters and a special congratulations to Blair Svihra! Wahoo!!
Great shooting Blair! Looking forward to seeing you back in Orlando for our match next month…
Tom Klinger

[John Bly]

Good competition for all. Congrats to Blair especially. I first met him in Texas when he was starting out, a true greenhorn. He has come a long way since then becoming one of the best in the world beating Dave Gullo.

[letfly]

Congrates to all, could we have an equipment summary for the top shooters? Thanks.

[desert deuce]

I have the few equipment lists that were submitted. May publish them elsewhere, may not.
Better yet, could publish the names of those that did not turn in their equipment lists.

The trip was worth it just to be watching Don Johnson dancing with Mariah the Wind and her sultry red headed step child Mirage.
Not quite a ballet but quite a show none the less.

The Blair story is even more entertaining, but I won't go into that here.

Some of the brand new, first LR Match, shooters acquitted themselves quite well in challenging conditions.

The hard part is putting on your Big Boy Pants and coming to Ben Avery Jan 27-Feb 5, 2025. The rest is pure fun.

[Aviator]

Oops, I was so busy building targets, shooting, and doing statistics that I forgot to fill in and turn in my equipment list!

Ferriss muzzle loader
16 twist Badger barrel
45 caliber
545 gr 20:1 bullet .444 diameter, patched with Seth-Cole 55w
91 gr 1.5F Swiss
MVA soule rear sight
Lee Shaver front sight

[JonnyV]

I’m crashing in a Redding, CA hotel for the night. Short and sweet…

15 twist Douglas
45-90 CPA rifle
609 gr BACO elliptical micro mini lube groove
82 gr Swiss 2F
Starline brass, BR2 primer
1 .060 We
1.060 LDPE wad
1 .460 parchment release wad
Rooster Juice #9 lube
Bullet alloy…TOP SECRET

[JonnyV]

I have committed to attending the 2025 Iron Man. No excuse not to.

[SFogler]

Many thanks to Steve for keeping the scores and providing this excellent summation of the week at Ben Avery. Also many thanks to Zack for setting up this match and running it under difficult weather conditions (rain calls etc) I would also like to thank Dennis Armistead for making some incredible items he donated like the flag and the beautiful trophies for top BPCR shooter and spotter. Also Kevin Griggs for the Rifleman Class Mid-Range and Ironman trophies. The participation of the shooters in making this event a success is encouraging for the continuation of our sport.
As for dates - the match following this one we just shot is a modern smokeless rifle Creedmoor match with 360 shooters. Ours had 26 - that's one reason we don't always get the dates we'd like. But we do get dates at Ben Avery in time to plan to be here next year.
I shot Rifleman, as did a few of us, (R on the score sheet) for the whole time and would highly recommend trying it at this venue. I feel I should call my own winds and be willing to sharpen my wind calling skills once in a while. Not only to improve my own score but to be a better spotter and improve someones else's score next time. This is a terrific venue to be able to do that and you will come away from 7 days of shooting a lot more confident and ready to do better at Byers or Lodi or wherever you compete.

[desert deuce]

Steve "fogman" Fogler, humbly neglected to mention that he and his talented seamstress wife were/are the principal proponent and sustainer of the Wives Prize Table at the Desert International Awards and Banquet festivities, AND, the creator of the Official Song of the Desert International Event, titled The Creedmoor Song, which is available online for your viewing and listening pleasure.

[mike herth]

I know nothing of smokeless powder long range events, so what is a modern smokeless rifle Creedmoor match with 360 shooters? I'm curious what the equipment is and the match itself in contrast to the DI. I'm an old country boy and befuddled at what I see showing up at our local 100 yard range.

[SFogler]

Matt who works at the Ben Avery range mentioned the match. He said they shoot 800, 900, and 1000 yards and he was well versed on the original Creedmoor match against the Irish. He is on a US team that goes to many of the same places the International Muzzleloaders go to and they evidently shoot modern rifles with international shooters like the muzzleloaders do. I don't know what exact rifles they use. I don't keep up with the smokeless rifles either. Matt is running the match I referred to and they are going to shoot the same distances we did in the Creedmoor style. I thought it was pretty encouraging that younger guys like him are aware of the tradition and are shooting Creedmoor too. Maybe when they get old like us we can sell them some of our rifles.

By the way you can view the song on Youtube search for: Just Like Creedmoor 2023

[JonnyV]