SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) - More than 150 marksmen from across the country are expected to visit western Nebraska later this month for a two-day shooting competition with some targets up to 1,400 yards away.
The Scottsbluff Star-Herald reports (https://bit.ly/1RVF8rq ) the competition will be one of the biggest events of its kind because few events focus on long-range shooting. The event has grown considerably since it began last year.
Most of the 120 targets will be set up 400 to 800 yards away but some will be at much further distances. Organizers expect 168 expert marksmen from 43 states at the competition April 15-17.
This will be the third competition since two men met at a local gun show last year and started talking about long-range shooting. They formed Western Nebraska Precision Shooters club to hold the events. Their first event attracted 35 shooters.
“The full course will take two days to shoot,” organizer Eli Grow said.
Competitors will face a variety of challenges, including shooting from different positions. One station will require shooters to hit a hanging object to move it out of the way before striking a smaller target behind it.
“At this level you have to be really on top of where your bullet’s going or you’ll be out of the money,” said Quinton Wagoner, who hones his shooting skills hunting prairie dogs and coyotes.
The event will offer about $100,000 in prizes, including high-end rifles and scopes. Competitors can also earn points toward a national championship from the Precision Rifle Series.
Competitors use hand-held computers to help set up their shots and account for altitude, wind speed and elevation. That’s part of why it can be expensive to compete.
“Some of these guys can have up to $10,000 in their rifles,” Wagoner said, but added, “As long as it shoots well, you can be competitive.”
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Information from: Star-Herald, https://www.starherald.com
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