NRA High Power Rifle

(Conducted and governed under the published Official NRA Rules and Regulations for High Power Rifle Competitions)

PGC Member Bob White (High Power Bob)

NRA High Power is actually two different disciplines, "Across The Course" and "Long Range". Let me see if I can explain "High Power" and what we do on the second weekend of the month at Palmetto Gun Club (PGC).

"Across the Course" is a high power rifle match that is shot at 200, 300 and 600 yards using iron sights. The match has been adapted to 100, 200 and 300 yard ranges in addition to the full 200/300/600 yard course. This has been done with the use of reduced size targets. At PGC we shoot our match at 200 yards and shoot a 100 round match. Future range expansion at PGC will allow high power matches to be conducted at the full course range. Matches can be conducted with 50 rounds (500 aggregate), 80 rounds (800 aggregate) and 100 rounds (1000 aggregate).

The basic course of fire is: (This is a basic overview.)

1) 20 rounds shot in the offhand (standing) position without the use of an arm sling at 200 yards using the NRA "SR" target. Each round is loaded by hand without using a magazine. (Single fire).

2) 20 rounds, rapid fire, from the sitting or knelling position at 200 yards using the NRA "SR" target. The rapid fire sequence is conducted in two stages of ten rounds each, shot in sixty seconds, starting from the standing to sitting position. A magazine change is required during the ten round string. An arm sling can be used.

3) 20 rounds, rapid fire, from the prone position at 200 yards using the NRA "SR-42" target (300 yard reduced to 200 yards). The rapid fire sequence is conducted in two stages of ten rounds each, shot in seventy seconds, starting from the standing to prone position. A magazine change is required during the ten round string. An arm sling can be used.

4) 20 rounds, slow fire, from the prone position at 200 yards using the NRA "MR-52" target (600 yard reduced to 200 yards). Each round is loaded by hand without using a magazine. (Single fire). An arm sling can be used

5) The 20 rounds, slow fire, from the prone position is repeated.

Total rounds fired 100, 1000 point aggregate. The X ring count is used to break a scoring tie. This is the monthly High Power Match (second Saturday of every month) at the Palmetto Gun Club Ridgeville Range.

High Power Long Range

(Note, PGC does not have long range matches at this time. )

Long Range is a separate discipline using some pretty sophisticated rifles and ammunition to compete at 600 and up to1000 yards.  A “Palma” course is shot at 800, 900 and 1000 yards using a rifle chambered in .308 Winchester shooting a Sierra Match King 155 grain “Palma” bullet with a rifle using only iron sights.  Long range is always shot single, slow fire from the prone position. The NRA MR-1 target is used at 600 yards and the NRA “LR” target is for 800/900/1000 yard matches.  The aiming black of the LR target is 44 inches in diameter with the overall target  frame being six feet square.  A long range match is usually unlimited sighter shots and twenty shots for record in a time period of thirty minutes.

Rifles used in high power events cannot be chambered above the .35 caliber. Rifles fall in three basic categories, NRA Match rifle , any rifle or a service rifle. Long range sights can be iron sights or scopes. A U.S. Palma Rifle is a match rifle, but is in its own separate category.

A 600 yard long range match may be described as an Any/Any match. Meaning any rifle and any sighting system is OK. An Any/Iron match means any rifle but the sighting system has to be iron sights. Iron sights on high power match rifles consist of highly accurate, micrometer adjustable rear and front aperture sights.

High Power Rifles:

The NRA rule book defines a NRA Match Rifle as "A centerfire rifle with metallic sights and a magazine capable of hold not less than five rounds".

Service rifles are the M-16 and the civilian variant AR-15, the M-14 and the civilian variant M1A and the As Issued M1 Garand in either .30-06 or 7.62mm NATO (.308 Winchester). Certain Foreign Service Rifles may qualify, but must meet published rules. World War I/II era Springfield ‘03 rifles no longer qualify as a "Service Rifle" but may be shot as a "Match Rifle".

Commercial rifles used at matches are the popular bolt action Winchester M-70 and the Remington M-700, as well as may custom action rifles designed to shoot "Across the Course" and "Long Range".

You are hereby issued an open invitation to come out and watch a PGC High Power Match, view the equipment/rifles and to get answers to any questions that you may have.