2014 Safari Rifle Challenge World Championships: Final Report

The 2014 Safari Rifle Challenge World Championships have now concluded. The event was held in Libby, Montana at the Libby Rod and Gun Club. Judging by all of the positive feedback from those that attended, the event was a lot of fun and a great day was had by all! Diizche Safari Adventures was proud to be a sponsor of this year’s fourth annual event. This year’s sponsors, in the order they appeared on the reverse of the event T-Shirt, includes:

Diizche Safari Adventures http://diizchesafariadventures.com/  

Montana Rifle Company http://montanarifleco.com

Skinner Sights http://www.skinnersights.com/index.html  

Champion Targets http://www.championtarget.com/default.aspx

Mark Sullivan, Professional Hunter-Nitro Express Safaris http://www.nitroexpresssafaris.com/ 

Ruger Firearms www.ruger.com

Leupold http://www.leupold.com/

Wayne Jacobsen-American Hunting Rifles http://www.hunting-rifles.com

Tim Herald-Magnum Hunting Club http://www.magnumhuntclub.com/

Charlton McCallum Safaris http://www.cmsafaris.com/profe...ters-ph/teambody.htm

Bill Stewart-Red Dirt Elephant

Larry Shores-Shores, Tagman, Butler & Company, PA http://www.shorescpa.com/

Ivan Carter, Professional Hunter http://ivancarter.com/  

Norma USA http://www.norma-usa.com/ 

Hunters Headquarters http://www.huntersheadquarters.net/ 

Libby Rod and Gun Club  

The plaque shown above is the generic version that was created and donated by us to be presented to the First Place-Overall shooter. I am happy to announce that Andy Larsson from Skinner Sights was the recipient of this First Place-Overall award. Andy was able to shoot straight while also having a lot of fun. Congratulations to Andy! We will be providing Andy a new brass plate for his award so he can display it proudly.

Andy Larsson with His First Place-Overall Trophy

Jay Sheffield was the Match Director for the 2014 Safari Rifle Challenge World Championships. Jay spent a great deal of time coordinating all aspects of event planning, logistics, and donation outreach in addition to the match component. Jay does this each year for the Safari Rifle Challenge World Championships event. Jay provided a post shoot update which I have copied below. I hope you enjoy the narrative, photos, and video link:  

Well, the fourth annual Safari Rifle Challenge World Championships is in the history books and will hopefully be remembered as the best one yet. We had nearly 60 registered shooters from all over the western states (is Texas in the west?) and Canada. An army of volunteers working two ranges, a registration/scorekeeper booth, a raffle booth that drew a name every 5 minutes throughout the day as well as a cook staff to keep us all fed at noon made me very proud.

So, let it be known that Andy Larsson (owner of Skinner Sights) is now the reigning champion of the Safari Rifle Challenge 2014! He narrowly edged out Andy Eff who took second place. For those that missed the shoot, you will be able to read about it in upcoming issues of Outdoor Life and Rifle magazines as John Snow and John Haviland were both in attendance. And for those who can't read, Michael Bane and his crew were also there filming for an upcoming edition of Shooting Gallery on the Outdoor Channel. More to come tomorrow, but thanks for all of your continued support, particularly Jeff Sipe and the staff at Montana Rifle Company and Shawn Joyce of Diizche Safari Adventures. Both are major supporters and their contributions made this event a day to remember!

For those that are interested in such things, this was the course of fire:

2014 Safari Rifle Challenge World Championships

Course of Fire / Stage Descriptions

Muzzle UP and Action OPEN while entering and exiting the range. Do not pick up brass, it will be gathered for you. Confirm your score while still on the firing line.

Stage 1 “Sight in at camp with ReVersa Target Stands”. (Distance 45 yards, round count 2) Starting position is standing with an EMPTY rifle, action closed, safety off; rifle must be held with both hands in the firing position and aimed at the target. On the signal, keeping muzzle pointed safely down range at all times, shooter will retrieve one round, load and fire, reload one round and fire again. Open action for inspection and keep the muzzle pointed up when directed to exit the range.

Stage 2 “Montana Rifle Co. Fast Blast”. (Two shooters, 2 rows of jugs, Distance 25, 35, 45 yards, round count 3). Starting position is standing with 2 rounds in rifle, safety on, finger OFF trigger, low ready position. On the signal shoot any two jugs, reload ONE round and shoot third jug. The first shooter to hit all three jugs receives an additional 1 point. Open action for inspection. Muzzle up to exit the range.

Stage 3 “Diizche Safari Elephant Hunt”. (Distance 25, 45 yards, round count 2). Starting position is standing with one round in chamber, safety on, finger off the trigger, rifle in low ready position. On the signal shoot the 45 yard side brain elephant. After firing, move diagonally approximately 5 yards to the marked position, reload with one round and shoot the 25 yard frontal brain elephant target. Open action for inspection. Muzzle up to exit the range.

Stage 4 “Nitro Express Safaris Crossing Buffalo”. (Distance 40 yards, round count 2). Starting position will be standing with 2 rounds in the rifle, safety on and finger off of the trigger, low ready position. On the signal a crossing buffalo with a gallon jug “lung” will start across in front of you. If you burst the jug with the first shot you will earn 10 points, if you burst it on the second shot then you will only receive 5 points. Open action for inspection, muzzle pointed up when exiting the range.

Stage 5 “Champion DuraSeal Challenge” (Distance 20, 40 yards, round count 2) Starting position is standing with 2 rounds in the rifle, safety on, finger off the trigger, low ready position. On the signal, shoot the hanging three inch DuraSeal ball at 20 yards then shoot the four inch DuraSeal diamond spinner at 40 yards. Shooter earns 10 points per hit. Open action for inspection, muzzle up to exit the range.

Stage 6 “Crocodile DuraSeal Brain Shot” (Distance 75 yards, round count 1) Starting position is shooters choice of standing offhand, standing with sticks, kneeling, or seated on the bare ground. One round in chamber, safety on, finger off the trigger, muzzle pointed down range. On the signal fire one round into the RED DuraSeal “brain” causing it to spin and you will earn 10 points. Hits anywhere else are scored as a miss. Action open for inspection, muzzle up to exit range.

Stage 7 “Nitro Express Safaris Charging Buffalo” (Distance 40 and 15 yards, round count 2) Starting position is standing, 2 rounds in rifle, safety on and finger off the trigger, low ready position. On the signal, the 15 yard buffalo will begin its charge. You must FIRST shoot the gallon water jug at 40 yards and then shoot the charging buffalo with your second shot. 10 points for a burst jug and actual points earned on the Champion target placed over the buffalo brain. Open action for inspection, muzzle up to exit the range.

Stage 8 “Diizche Safari's, Save the Tourist”. (Distance, crossing at 25 yards. Round count 1). Shooter will load and chamber 1 round, engage safety and place rifle on the table. Shooter will then take a seat in the chair 5 yards away from the table. On the signal, the leopard starts and the shooter will move forward, pick up rifle and shoot the crossing leopard, firing one round into the Champion paper target placed over the leopards’ lung area before it gets to the tourist. Points earned will be the actual number scored on the paper target, body hits will be scored as a miss. Open action for inspection, muzzle up while exiting the range.

Stage 9 “Montana Rifle Company Charging Jug Shootout” (Two shooters, Distance; charging from 15 yards, round count 2,) Starting position is standing with 2 rounds in rifle, safety on, finger off the trigger, low ready position. On the signal a cart with 3 hanging jugs charges the two shooters. Shooter on left shoots left jug for 10pts, shooter on right shoots the right jug for 10pts. Once your jug bursts, you may then engage the center jug. Shooter that bursts the center jug earns 10 more points. In case of a tie on middle jug, both shooters will fully load their rifles, safety on, low ready start position. On the signal, each will engage the 50 yard jug placed in front of them. First shooter to burst their jug earns 10 points. Open action for inspection. Muzzle up to exit the range. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWN0_la3OU

Stage 10 “ReVersa Targets Precision Shoot”. (Distance 25, 35, 45 yards, round count 3). Starting position will be standing with 2 rounds in the rifle, safety on, finger off the trigger, low ready position. On the signal, shoot the 25 and then 35 yard clay birds in the ReVersa Target holder. Transition to the kneeling position, load one additional round, remain kneeling and shoot the 45 yard clay bird. You earn 10 points for each clay target hit. Open action for inspection, muzzle up to exit the range.

Bringing Water Jugs to the Shoot

Registration

Ron Petty of Norma USA and Jeff Sipe of Montana Rifle Company

Stage 4-Nitro Express Safaris Crossing Buffalo

Wayne Jacobsen of American Hunting Rifles Interviewed by Michael Bane

Stage 3-Diizche Safari Elephant Hunt

John Snow of Outdoor Life Magazine & Jeff Sipe

Gene Gordner Checking Out the Raffle Table

Stage 9-Montana Rifle Company Charging Jug Shoot

Shooting Birds in the ReVersa Target Stands

Stage 8-Diizche Safari, Save the Tourist

John Snow (L) and John Haviland (R) Looking at Gene's Old Guns

The Montana Rifle Company Booth

Stage 6-Crocodile DuraSeal Brain Shot

Participant Shirt-Front (Sponsors on Reverse)

If you would like more information about participating in next year’s event, tentatively planned to be held July 2015, be sure to send an email to the attention of Jay Sheffield at: 

safaririflechallenge@yahoo.com