Looking for long range matches

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

I'm scouring the internet trying to find long range matches in Colorado... Specifically on the Front Range. I'm hoping for field type matches, but I'll take what I can get. I'm looking for any excuse to use my scoped 24" AR as much as I can without having to go set up my own steel targets. I know for a .223 gun that Sporting Rifle in Raton is a no-go since they require 6mm or larger but I'd be interested in knowing about all of them and I'll change rifles if needed.

So far what I've located is the following...

Sporting Rifle - First Sunday in Raton,NM
Steel Dogs - Second Saturday at Wildlife Hunters
Steel Rifle Match - Second Sunday at Boulder Rifle Club
Pueblo "Sniper" Match - Third Saturday at Pueblo West
Long Range Precision - Forth Sunday at Byers

If anyone has any info/input about these matches or knows of OTHER matches please let me know. I'd like to have a lot of options since my work schedule takes up most of my weekends. Hopefully something will fit into the my schedule.

Thanks!!

[k2peaker]

I've shot all of these matches and shoot most of them regularly. Don't forget about Hoser's Tactical Rifle matches on 3rd Sundays (challenging rifle stages that you would encounter at the rifle portion of a 3-Gun match -- movement, different shooting positions, challenges, etc.
More info? That's what the threads in this subforum are all about.

I think you've nailed the options. With a 24" scoped AR, I would rank them in the following order of applicability of that gun to the match.

1. Pueblo Tactical Rifle
2. BRC Steel
3. WHAC and Pueblo steel dog matches (just watch the velocity limits) and you'll want more mag than 4x
4. CRC LRPR (targets are getting small at 552 yds...)

A number of us think of the above matches as practice and warm up for the Raton matches. But, as you indicated you'll want to gear up differently for Raton (e.g., an AR10 with decent optics & mag would work; most are shooting bolt guns in more efficient LR calibers).

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

Thanks for the confirmation that I'm on target with the matches I've found. My schedule can be painful so I'll see what I can make. I'm just getting into the long range game so I thought I'd start with a familiar platform in the AR. My new Stag upper is a tac driver at the 200 yards I've taken it out to so far. I'll be working on my load for 75gr Hornady OTM and shoot the piss out of it.

Once I'm comfortable with 500-600 yard stuff, if I can't get beyond with the .223 loads... I'm looking at a DPMS LR in 6.5 Creedmoor or .260 Rem for a run at Raton. We'll see how it goes.

[k2peaker]

Hey Jason,
A quick word of advice -- c'mon out to a couple of matches before plunking down more money to see what people actually use at matches.

For example, I am one of only a couple of guys that shoots a AR10 (JP LRP in .260) in these matches. And, it does have a PR 3-15x (great scope) on it as well. And, it's my fun gun, my bolt gun is the primary.

Just saying, alot of guys imagine what they might want to use at a match, go off and spend money, then come out and discover maybe they should have gone a different route. AR10s in 6.5cm or .260 are fine but they're not w/o their challenges as I have recent experience with. And, don't forget the optic -- arguably a more important factor than the rifle.

On your .223: at the Pueblo West matches and CRC LRPR, we start at 200+ yds and go out to 425 yds (at Pueblo) and 547 yds (at CRC). How your gun is grouping at these distances is a better test for these LR matches (and your ability to see the targets, hold wind, etc.)
K2

[Mendocino]

As long as your gun shoots ~1 moa it will be fine in the long range matches assuming you can drive. In the field matches like SRM (Raton) and the Steel Safari reliability becomes a much more critical factor. Most guys run bolt guns for these matches and the AI platforms are *generally* preferred for their ruggedness and reliability.

Enjoy.

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

Well with my best test loads that I shot on Thursday morning were pretty good at 0.40' 3 shot group at 100 meters and a 1.2" 5 shot group at 200 meters. Those are not MOA, that's actual group size. That's as far at I could shoot out. I'm going to knock out a bunch of rounds based on my best test load and hit the Grasslands with some steel targets in a couple weeks. Hope to be at the August Byers match. I had to shoot about 25 rounds before the groups tightened up. I had heard that the barrels prefer to be fouled prior to really improving the accuracy, but I didn't realize it would take that many rounds.

Also, if anyone has any pointers on loads for standard .223 hand loads I would appreciate it. I'm using 25.2grs BLC(2) with Hornady 75gr OTM and CCI 450 primers. With this load I'm making just over 2850 FPS out of a 24" heavy stainless AR15 upper with a rifle gas system. This was the tightest load that I shot that Thursday. I started at 24grs and went up by 0.6 steps until 27.6grs. Only got mild pressure signs at 27.6 but the groups were doing weird stuff... Clearly the 75gr bullets didn't like being pushed at 3100 fps.