Martin Hickey, 270-996-8417, [email protected]

Vintage Military Rifle Match 2024

Introduction

Welcome to our 9th Annual Vintage Military Rifle Match which will be held on Saturday, August 03rd, at the Green River Gun Club in Bowling Green, Kentucky. 

This event is first and foremost about bringing together military firearms collectors & enthusiasts for day of shooting and socialization. The guidelines we use are simple and designed to allow someone just entering the hobby to be able to shoot with people who have 30+ years of experience at events like the CMP Travel Games or the Talladega 600.

This year our match will feature two divisions:

  • Open Sight Service Rifles in production prior to 1970.
    • Open sight service rifles will be broken out into two groups for scoring.
      • Elevation adjustable rear sights – i.e. an M1891 Mosin Nagant.
      • Elevation and windage adjustable rear sights – i.e. an M1 Garand
  • Scoped Service Rifles, used by designated unit marksmen and/or snipers in production prior to 1970.

Guidelines

  • A military rifle is defined as a government issued rifle to a national defense force. Only military rifles are acceptable for this match.
    • An example of a military rifle is the M1 Garand.
    • An example of a non-military rifle is the Springfield M1A Scout Squad Rifle.
  • All Rifles
    • Rifles must be in as-issued condition.
    • No fiberglass stocks, special bedding (glass bedding, etc.), match triggers or other special accurizing are permitted.
  • Scoped Rifles
    • A strap-on, lace-on or detachable wooden cheek-piece may be used if it was original to the rifle when used for sniping purposes.
    • Sights must be original issue optical sights with as-issued reticles or sights may be commercial replicas of as-issued optical sights.
    • Replica sights may have only crosshair, post, or post with crosshair reticles.
    • Scope mounts and rings may be original or reproduction replicas.
    • Scope rings may be sleeved or modified to accept a non-original scope diameter.
  • Standing Exceptions
    • Re-barreling with a barrel of as-issued dimensions is permitted. A replacement barrel must have the same exact contours and cuts as the original as-issued barrel.

Course of Fire

  • Conditions
    • Rifles may be fired seated from the bench or standing/off hand.
    • Bench Shooters may shoot off their own backpack, simple bag rests or provided sandbags.   Lead sleds, rifle rests, stock rests, stands, vices, etc. are not permitted.
  • Round 1
    • All shooters will shoot at an NRA MR-52 target at 100 yards.
    • Time – 5 Minutes
    • Round Count – 10
  • Round 2
    • All shooters will shoot at the following targets:
      • 150 Yards – D Prone
      • 175 Yards – NRA B34
      • 200 Yards – NRA B-27
    • Time – 5 Minutes
    • Round Count – 15, with five rounds being placed on each target.
  • Round 3
    • The top three shooters of each division will shoot at an 18”x24” steel plate target at 300 yards.
    • Time – 5 Minutes
    • Round Count – 5.
    • Each shooter will be timed, with time being used as a tie breaker for shooters with the same number of hits.
  • Additional Notes
    • Round 1 pays homage to tradition military target shooting and marksmanship.
    • Round 2 is focused on the transition of a soldiers training from target marksmanship to the first step in practical application – shooting at targets at a variable distance and in different profiles.  The 150-yard target is solder in the prone position, the 175-yard target is a reduced profile representing a soldier kneeling behind partial cover and concealment, and the 200-yard target represents a soldier in full profile moving forward to his next firing position.
    • Round 3 is about engaging a soldier at distance who has both cover and concealment.

Fee Structure

  • Compete in one Division – $30.00
  • Add at second rifle or Division + $5.00.

Q & A

  • What is the range address?
    • Green River Gun Club, 1718 Prices Chapel Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101
  • What is the cost to attend?
    • The Event Fee for adults is $30.00 and $15.00 for youth shooters.  Event fees apply only to participants who are shooting or merchanting.
  • Are youth shooters allowed to attend?
    • Yes, Youth Shooters are welcome.  They must be under the direct supervision of their parent or guardian and understand range safety requirements and have experience handling and shooting firearms.
  • How do we access the Green River Gun Club?
    • Starting this year, we are no longer leaving the entrance gate to the range open during matches. We are instead issuing participants unique gate codes that will allow them to access the range complex starting at 07:30 AM the day of the match.
    • It will be essential for me to have a final head count of participants who intend to shoot at our annual event by the evening of Thursday, August 01st to ensure that we are able to distribute the gate codes in a timely manner.
  • How will the firing order be managed?
    • We will use a log to assign shooters to a squad to allow for an orderly day of shooting.
  • What is the distance of the rifle range?
    • 400 Yards
  • What are the fixed target distances?
    • Target Boards – 50 yards, 75 yards, 100 yards & 200 yards
    • Steel – 100 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards & 400 yards
  • Is it OK to wear historic military uniforms to this event?
    • The answer is yes. If you are a member of the living history community or someone who collects militaria you are more than welcome to wear a historic uniform and gear. Dress typically ranges from jeans and a T-Shirt to “range tacticool”, to historic military uniforms.
  • Is food and drink allowed at the range?
    • Yes.  Please feel free to bring a sack, lunch, your cooler and favorite camp chair.
  • Is there a website for the Green River Gun Club?
  • Is there a social media site for the Green River Gun Club?
  • Meet & Greet
    • There will be an outing for dinner and socialization on the evening of Friday, August 02nd for those who are interested. 

Schedule

Friday, August 02nd

  • 13:00 – 16:00              Range Set Up
  • 17:30                           Meeting & Great at Roosters, 247 Three Springs Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42104

https://roosterswings.com/locations/view-all-locations/bowling-green

 Saturday, August 03rd

  • 07:30 – 08:30              Registration
  • 08:30                           Welcome / Range Orientation / Safety Brief   
  • 08:45                           Firing Line is Open to check zeros.
  • 09:45                           Firing line is Closed to review the Match sequence of fire.
  • 10:00                           Scored Shooting begins – Open Sights followed by Scope Sniper
  • 15:00                           Scored shooting & side matches are complete.
  • 15:01                           Awards & Input for next year’s match.
  • 15:15                           Range Clean Up
  • 16:00                           Range Closes