The Western Wildcats-Day One
Author’s Note: My thanks to Kevin Nevius for providing the match bulletins. I also apologize for the brief report which focuses on the match winners. At the moment time is scarce so I have attached Kevin’s photographs of the match bulletin so the reader may get a full picture of the action.
The 58th running of the Western Wildcat 6400 Prone Championship got under way with 64 sling and F Class riflemen filling the firing line at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix on March 17. Many of the competitors hoped that the date would prove auspicious and keep any of the resident elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes coiled in their dens.
The tournament has a particular classification system, fittingly so because of the high caliber-pardon the pun, of competitors present. If a competitor is a Distinguished Smallbore Prone Rifleman, a supported athlete, or has have fired five or more 1600/1200 scores they are rated as ‘High Masters” and compete for open awards only.
Conditions were manageable as the match opened with the Metallic sight Dewar. Steve Goff and Nancy Tompkins hammered out a pair of matched 400-36Xs, a 200-19X and a 200-17X that was resolved by the rule book in Goff’s favor. Eric Uptagrafft and Reya Kempley closed out the top four with a 400-35X and 400-34X respectively.
With the targets at 100 yards, and conditions getting a bit more dicey, reigning conventional smallbore prone champion Kevin Nevius posted a 400-36X that outdistanced his nearest competitor, 2009 Roberts team mate Marl DelCotto by an astonishing six Xs. Goff was in third with a 26X clean while Uptagrafft sat fourth, still clean, but with 24Xs.
Competitors hauled the target frames back to 50 meters and hung the toughest target as the range heated up and the wind started to move about. It would still take a 400 to win and Michael Seery, who won the metric iron sight phase of the Metric prone championship, came on strong shooting a 400-31X, only to tie with Peter Church. Seery Creedmoored Church with a higher X count on ten second bull for the win. But Mike Kelly popped out of the Expert class with a match winning 400-32X. Uptagrafft had the Xs but coughed up a point for third High Master at 399-31X.
The target frames were moved for the final time bringing, them 14 feet closer and adorned with the A-23 target. With the last 40 shots to go Delcotto, 1199-93X was in the lead in front of Uptagrafft, 1199-90X, Goff, 1199-84X. Matt Chezem and Seery had emerged to threaten the leaders as they stood at 1198-89X and1198-88X.
After a disappointing Meter Match Kempley roared back with a 400-36X to take the day’s final fired match. Seery posted a 400-35X, DelCotto and Chezem were knotted at 400-34X with the tie going to Delcotto.
When all was said and done DelCotto put together a match winning 1199-127X followed by Goff, 1599-116X, Seery, 158-123X, and Chezem, another 1598-123X but in fourth based on long range score.
Expert Kelly went home in a strong position to threaten as he shot a 1598-122X. Master Rich Fowke and Unclassified Master Ed Foley were also in a position to be players as they each had carded a 1597-111X and 1597-121X.
