Comments from Competitor George Delena
Rolling into Logan NM for the Steel Safari, I was unsure what to expect. I had seen the previous years' match reports before and had the privilege of shooting some of the long range targets there earlier in the year, but add heat, wind, hiking and time constraints- this was going to be interesting. Right off the bat I knew the competition was stiff. People were pulling out their rifles and some of these sticks were awesome. This was not your daddy's rimfire match. Wildcats and flat shooters Ahoy!

The competition overall did not disappoint. Just take a look at the leaderboard: from second to ninth place were separated by less than ten hits in a 120 round match. I found myself having a bit of difficulty making hits the first day of the main match. Wind was making my Kestrel hum like an electric razor. One minute it was full value and 30mph the next it was 10mph with zero value but due to all the canyon updrafts you were lucky to keep your hat from blowing away at the firing position. Very challenging stuff. Day two was a bit easier for wind calls, but the targets seemed to be further away - and smaller! I saw one at 715 yds and thought it was from a different course of fire! In the end I wound up with a respectable finish for a first time and made a couple of new shooting buddies.

Whether you're a static range F-class shooter, SWAT sniper or long range hunter gearing up for the season (all 3 were present), this match will be a challenge and it will make you better.

Comments from Competitor John Sternberg
This was my first trip to the Blue Steel Ranch and I hope it is the beginning of several more trips in the future. This is one awesome match. Carry 100 to 200 ounces of water and drink it all in the five to six hours you are out being humbled. Then be prepared to drink even more when you get back to the base. If you are not in good to great shape then perhaps benchrest is your sport. This is not a venue for the weak or for someone with gear that does not run. We did have some shooters go home due to the heat, wind and dust conditions and others left because of gear problems.

If you think you are a good (or better) shooter then join us in the variable winds (10 to 35+ MPH) and variable terrain (steep inclines and declines) and varied shooting positions (not all prone on flat ground!). If you think that doping the wind is easy and that your data card does not matter

then you should stay home. Your gear - make sure it works and can withstand the harsh conditions? A little dust in your chamber, bolt, magazine, nose and other open crevices and orifices will make you think twice about what you should be carrying and wearing and how much the heat matters to you and your gear.

As to the competition there are always better shooters that will show you how to get your hits. The quality of the gear and experience of the better shooters makes the trip worthwhile, even if you are paying $4 for a gallon of gas (or more for diesel!).

I have been shooting the Sporting Rifle Match at the Whittington Center for the past few years. This is a great training ground for the BSR but does not compare in terms of the match format or difficulty. Quality optics, range finders and binoculars are a requirement to compete in either venue. I learned why most of the shooters used binoculars with a range finder --- they work better than using separate devices to first locate the hidden targets and then find them again with a range finder. At least half of my missed targets were due to failure to locate the hanging steel. The monocular range finder (I used the Swarovski) was a clear disadvantage to finding a target when compared to my Zeiss binoculars.

Lastly, be certain that you use enough Ballistic Coefficient (BC) and velocity. BC does matter greatly in variable winds and provides more room for errors. Velocity helps you cheat the speed of wind along with the higher BCs when shooting long range targets. Be certain of your zero and that you can shoot one-half MOA because anything less is a waste of time and money. Next year I hope to shoot better than 50% misses and 50% hits