Over the years I have shot in very few competitions. You could say that shooting competitively is not something I really like to do. I do not shoot very well in competitions. At least not as well as when I am just shooting for fun or working on an article for Surplusrifle.com.  I really don't have the time to commit that is required to be able to shoot proficiently in competition. Also, I believe it has to do with the pressure and speed of competition. Heck, I am just as competitive as the next guy, but I always seem to mess up when on the line. I guess you could call it "stage fright".

One of Surplusrifle.com's field editors - R. Ted Jeo recently convinced me to participate in a "Postal Shooting Match". To me the postal match seemed like a good idea. On one hand you get to calmly shoot at your own range. If you don't shoot well you either don't send in your targets or you try again until you have something worth sending in. While all along you are competing for bragging rights, prizes, and glory. Kind of like having your cake and eat it too!

At first I kind of wondered what a postal match was. These days the word "postal" does not bring to mind something positive when related to firearms.

• A postal match is where you download a supplied target or everyone agrees to use the same target (Ex: SR-1 Military 100 yard Target or other).
• You establish rules such as the rifle must be completely unaltered (no aftermarket sights, triggers, etc).
• You can shoot as many targets as you like and send in the best three.
• You only can fire off five shots per target.
• Etc....

How could I go wrong being able to shoot at an unlimited number of targets and then send in the best three? I figured  I had a month before I had to send in my targets and it would probably take me that long to produce three targets worthy enough to send in for competition. Whew! That could be a whole lot of targets! Sort of like the placing a typewriter in a room full of monkeys, eventually they will produce all of the great works of literature. Eventually even this monkey would have three perfect targets to send in and win!!!!!

 

Jamie's Enfield No.4 and Commercial Ammunition at the Range

Selecting my choice of weaponry for the field of combat was a competition in of itself. I thought I might use my 03A3 because it is the most accurate of all my rifles at 100 yards. I also thought about using one of my Enfield No. 4s because they are pretty close in accuracy to my 03A3 and the No. 4's rear sights are much easier for me to adjust and use. As you can tell from the picture above my No.4 Mk 2 won out.

On my choice of ammunition I reinforced a valuable lesson that we all should follow when reloading. About 90 days ago I loaded some .303 ammo and went to the range to shoot. My shooting session was similar to the scene in the movie "Caddy Shack" where the minister is playing a round of golf in a thunderstorm because he is playing his best game ever and might break a club record. This was me minus the thunderstorm (and a Caddy). I don't know if it was the ammo, the rifle, me, or the position of the sun or possibly a combination of all - but I could do no wrong. My groups were exceptional. Some of the best shooting I had ever done in my entire life. So to make a long story short I wanted to replicate this event and reload the same recipe.

I found I had forgot to write the dang recipe down. I almost cried...

Don't be me - write down your reloading recipes.

It was Friday and I wanted to shoot the next day so I decided to just purchase some inexpensive commercial ammo. If I did not shoot well for the contest - then by god I deserved it!

When I got to the range I set up and fired off five warm-up shots.  After looking at the target through my spotting scope I thought I had a suffered a couple flyers and had only placed three rounds on the target. I was okay with that, after-all  isn't that what a warm-up is for? When I pulled the target I realized that I had placed all five in the center (10 ring). Two of the holes were larger and oblate in shape and were actually doubles.

I thought to myself that I could really (add emphasis to the word "really") prove it by repeating the same feat again.  I loaded up and fired off another five rounds.  After viewing the target through the spotting scope - I had a very large grin on my face. I had shot a comparable round and had vindicated myself. I was capable of shooting as well as the first target - at least twice.

I loaded up another five and shot again and produced an almost identical grouping to the first to targets.

I was in "Caddy Shack" again!

It is funny what goes through your mind at a time like this - I thought, "what the heck am I going to do the rest of the month now now that I have shot my three targets?"

Note: I have now adopted the Enfield No. 4, used in this article, as a member of my family and plan on growing old with her! I have not told my wife yet.

I sent in my targets to Ted to grade and so did Mark Trope (another Surplusrifle.com Field Editor). I was absolutely certain that I was going to win! I was wrong. Mark scoredt more "X" ring hits than I did. He had the same score of 150 but scored 11 "X" ring hits where I only scored 9 "X" ring hits (all targets are pictured below).

 

Mark Trope -  note his shooting position: Rifle is bench rested Front rest ONLY NO use of a “gun cradle”

 

Shooter	Rifle	Ammo
Jamie	No. 4 Enfield	.303 Commercial
	Score	Total X Scored
Target #1	50	3
Target #2	50	3
Target #3	50	3
Totals	150	9

 

Shooter	Rifle	Ammo
Mark	M1903A3	30-06, Cast Bullet Loads
	Score	Total X Scored
Target #1	50	3
Target #2	50	4
Target #3	50	4
Totals	150	11

 

Shooter	Rifle	Ammo
Ted J	M1917	30-06, Surplus Korean
	Score	Total X Scored
Target #1	46	0
Target #2	46	0
Target #3	46	0
Totals	138	0

 
X-shot scoring was according to NRA standard, if it breaks the X line, it's an X. Same for other rings. If the hole breaks the line, it's the next highest score.

 

Jamie's Target #1 Score Total of 50 - 3 X
Note: Jamie swears that this is a 5 shot group!

Jamie's Target #2 Score Total of 50 - 3 X

Jamie's Target #3 Score Total of 50 - 3 X

Mark's Target #1 Score Total of 50 - 3 X

Mark's Target #2 Score Total of 50 - 4 X

Mark's Target #3 Score Total of 50 - 4 X

Ted's Target #1 Score Total of 46 - 0 X

Ted's Target #2 Score Total of 46 - 0 X

Ted's Target #3 Score Total of 46 - 0 X

 

Surplusrifle.com Postal Match

In an effort to promote the collecting and use of military surplus rifles (and to provide bragging rights for SOME individuals), we will be starting up a series of Surplusrifle.com postal matches.

Each match will have a different set of categories of rifles that may be used. Therefore, read through the rules BEFORE you run out and shoot the targets. Do not dismay, there will be matches that will cover most every type of mil-surp weapon out there.

POSTAL MATCH #1

Match Title: Bragging Rights

Category of weapons: Postal match #1 is open to the following categories of mil-surp rifle:

Category 1

• Any bolt action, any caliber, of rifle that is ORIGINAL in condition.
• Modifications of ANY kind are NOT allowed (not even built up front sights).
• Rifles built to National Match specs are NOT allowed in this category.
• Sights are open iron sights ONLY. NO scopes are allowed.
• Rifle may be arsenal refinished, but must be otherwise in original condition.
• ANY ammunition is allowed.

Category 2

• Any bolt action, any caliber, of rifle that is BASED on an original military surplus rifle.
• ANY modification is allowed, except scopes.
• Sights are open iron sights ONLY. NO scopes are allowed.
  ANY ammunition is allowed.
   

You may shoot in both categories however you must use different rifles for each.

If you have questions regarding specific rifles please email with your question PRIOR to shooting the targets.

Dates of fire: All targets must be received via US mail to the scorer by no later than May 15, 2004.

Match # 1 Results

Match #2 Instructions

Targets: Three targets are required.

• Download and print the modified SR-1 NRA target from links below.
• Make sure that when you print the targets that you select PAGE SCALING to “shrink large pages”.
• The black area of the target should be exactly 5 15/16 inches across.
• A “slop” allowance to exactly 6 inches across will be allowed.
• Any other size increase over 6” will be disqualified.
• Recommend printing targets on card stock paper, even changing the color of the paper to any color desired.
• We have also found that if you staple this printed target OVER a standard SR-1 target, your sight picture is better.
  
  On each target, print your name (we will use only first name and last initial), email address, type of rifle, caliber, type of ammo, location (city, state only just in case there are two John Q.’s out there….)
   

Target	File Type
Target #1	Adobe Acrobat PDF File

Distance: 100 yards only.

Position:

• Bench rested.
• Front rest ONLY.
• NO rear bagging support is allowed.
• NO use of “gun cradles” is allowed.
• Slings are optional.

Course of fire:

• 5 shots on each target.
• Total of 15 shots.
• 3 targets are to be returned for scoring.
• You may fire as many targets as you wish, however, only send in the best 3 targets.
• Only one set of targets will be accepted for each shooter, for each category for this match.

Scoring:

• If the bullet breaks the line, it will be counted for that point value.
• X shots will be counted and used as tie breakers if required.
• Please do not score the targets yourself.
• There are a possible of 50-5X for a target and 150-15X per category in this match.
• In the case where extra shots are on the target, the 5 LOWEST scoring shots will be used. In the case where there are less than 5 shots on the target, they will be counted as misses (0).
• Targets will be scored by one main scorer and then verified by a second judge.

Awards:

• There will be certificates for the top shooter in each category awarded (via email).
• Images of top targets will be posted on the Surplusrifle.com web site.
• Also, there will be a “valuable” door prize drawing from all eligible targets entered into this match.
• So, even if you shoot terrible, you will be eligible for the door prize drawing. You can't win if you don't shoot!

Where to Send Targets?

Surplusrifle.com
Postal Match #1
7405 Greenback Lane #163
Citrus Heights, Ca 95610

Questions? Email: orst86@gmail.com

Shoot Safe, Be Safe