2015 Fall FTX

The 6.5 Guys discuss gear selection

With a respite from the summer heat, the 6.5 Guys headed to eastern Washington to practice for a couple of season closing matches. They spread our exercise across two challenging locations: Rock Lake Rifle range in Saint John, WA and the North Central Washington Gun Club in Wenatchee, WA. Neither location disappointed  them as they encountered switching winds as well as a number of natural obstacles. A key objective was to approach each situation as they would in a match and attempt to build a stable shooting position as quickly as possible. They also had an opportunity to shoot the much discussed Ruger Precision Rifle.

If you watched the Winter FTX video  you noticed a pretty spectacular equipment malfunction on Ed’s part – jeans (or any cotton pants) don’t mix well with snow and slush. So let’s take a look at outerwear:

• Ed has discovered the virtues of surplus ACUs which are inexpensive ($25 new at local surplus stores or Ebay), have built in knee pads, rip-stop fabric, are flame retardant and infused with insecticide. If conditions really get bad, Ed and Steve both have military surplus GoreTex outer shells that they can utilize. Steve is a bit more fashionable and wears the Mascot work pants with 1000D nylon and kevlar knee pad pockets. If there is one drawback of the ACUs is the fact that the material can wear through over the knee pads – fortunately they can be patched. As Ed continues his weight loss regimen and stabilizes at his goal of 200 lbs, he’ll invest in a set of Mascot pants.
• From the waist up Ed and Steve take a layering approach. A combination of fleece and polypropylene can be layered as the weather dictates. If things really get bad, GoreTex jackets are donned.
• From a footwear perspective, Steve is running with a pair of Lowa boots. Ed runs the Danner Rainforest boots. With triple stitching and a rigid sole, the Danner boots are great for positional work and can be re-soled.

Ed on the barricade

Per viewer request, the 6.5 Guys included plenty of shooting at various distances and commented along the way.

• Barrels placed on the side of a hill requiring some challenging positions
• Know your limits (KYL) rack
• Side by side drill hitting targets at distance. This was particularly productive as they spotted for each other and shared dope. The wind did some interesting things

The 6.5 Guys then transitioned from Saint John, WA to Wenatchee, WA where they got a chance to meet up with Gavin Gear of Ultimate Reloader and audition the Ruger Precision rifle in 6.5 Creedmore and .243 Winchester. They came away from that session impressed with Ruger’s offering and optimistic that it will allow more people to get into long range precision rifle. The Ruger Rifles were not equipped with muzzle brakes and there was a real difference in recoil between the 6.5 Creedmore and .243 Winchester. The 6.5 Guys have yet to shoot a 6mm cartridge but may give it a try given their pleasant experience with the .243 Winchester (no, there will not be a name change if they shoot a 6mm cartridge).

Steve on the barricade

At the end of the day the 6.5 Guys debrief with Gavin Gear and discuss what they experienced during the FTX. There was a lot of discussion about wind and how to cope with it:

• Key is spotting the first shot and making a correction
• Watch what the other shooters are doing before its your turn to shoot
• Look at the terrain and understand what it might do to the bullet. Updrafts are very common and challenging to anticipate
• Look at the paint on the target and you’ll get a good indication if the winds might be more or less than they appear
• Being familiar with a particular shooting spot is a huge advantage
• If the earth is swallowing your shots where you can’t see them, fire above or below the target to get an indication

Hanging out with Gavid Gear of Ultimate Reloader

Ed was nearing the end of his barrel life so he was conserving shots. Even if you can’t get that much shooting in, you can still learn by spotting for other shooters. Some very good shooters claim they learn just as much from spotting as they do shooting. You can also dry fire and Ed relates how his dry fire exercise allowed him to make some improvements with his kneeling position.

The discussion with Gavin wraps up with a discussion around muzzle brakes and hearing protection. It is wise to double up on hearing protection because one unprotected shot with a muzzle brake can result in permanent hearing damage.