Thread: GUNSLINGER TEKAPO

The weekend just gone of the 26th may I attended the Gunslinger premier event the south Island contest leg held at a station near Takapo .Not having been to the south Island for some time it was just a great feeling to be back and see the snow capped peaks and mountain backdrops which give such an adveturous feel to this adventure .
I flew down travelled with Christian the gunsmith from Barretta and new guy to the sport Gary Holder who was very excited to be doing this as his first big outing .
Now as an event this let me clarify this is no sunday afternoon shoot this is a full blow well organized and policed event with RO at every firing point in the hills and on the flat -in short a massive undertaking by Shane Cossar with many weeks of planning and reconnicence with to map out and plan a very demanding course .I watched Shane breif his ROs for over an hour the night before about every thing to keep the contest oiled safe and moving at speed .

Well how did I do --complete shit lol -hero to zero on this occasion but thats shooting for you on "the day "

We drove in to Tekapo and found out back packers where 8 of us stayed , some stayed other hostels and camp grounds and some stayed on the station where we shot -40 shooter at least and 10 of those had flown in from New Caladonia .
Our first meeting was at the station at the shearers quaters where we meet many of the other shooters from all over the country .the new Caladonians came as a team and so well prepared all sporting ex millatary gore tex jackets and pants with neck/face warmers -I am sure they were very worried about what conditions we might encounter -as I was I having no experince in the high country .

After a early night of laughs and a few drinks we left so to get up for the practice day the next moring .After sighting in again -luckily I might add cause my scope had gone a good 8" side ways we started on a few close targets 3-4 hundred or so yard targets -I saw a few rabbits on the hill above at 860 yards and let 2 go at them -great line but went foot behind them on both occasions.

Contest day arrived the next noring and we were up in the dark awaiting a Helo to pick us all up and ferry us to the top of the hills to start our walk down to the various shoting stations dotted high up along the ridges.

Each team started their event on the uneven rock slops shooting from all sorts of uneven hard shoting positions at the different targets in the feild way below .I have to say if it was demanding getting the wind right and on many occasions it became confusing -the targets are not big and they are very far away with the furtherest being 1650 y away and the closest on the ridge around 700 plus y ,most of the shots from 10 deg to 25deg down on to the valley floor .

I watched Ken Black in my troop of 6 make 2 first round hits at 1650 and finnish with 3 in total -I was pepper and salt around the edges -this is the bugger its not that you far away from a hit -inches or a foot but a hits a hit and a miss is a miss and I made far to many of the peppering kind .

Each station you would arrive at a RO would be awaiting the troop to arrive ,give a brief and you would have several minuted to find range and write down you info set up your gear and get ready to fire one after another in a set time useually of 4-5 minutes for 5 shots - you can work as a team of two spotting and calling wind but if your unsure about the wind flows around the valley it can be hard work -lessons learnt by all I am sure .

The weather wasnt bad but the wind got upto 23mph and many figures below that which made for an interesting time but many good shots were made made never the less .I watched one of the New Calidonian guys do 3 heart shots on a coyote target at 800 yards which with the conditions was excellent - I made a body shot and one heart .

Some of the positions we really hard to as you had to shoot from a given position even if it didnt suit you ,you had to make do and believe me some of those rocks are sharp and uncomfortable and with shooting on a down hill angle it was all good fun!!

The walk down hill with a 10kg pack and heavy rifle I found hard going and yesterday nearly could not walk without alot of pain -seriously it was hard work .

All in all an amazing event and a huge undertaking by Shane Cossar and his team -hats off to you all .

Our ten forign guest left very happy with the event and their performances which were impressive in our detail and the remainder of us had an amzing event even if we hadnt achive glory

I hope to at some stage update this with photos and a video once I learn hope to down load tape to digital .Any questions on the event are welcome and I hope in the future a few of you long range junkies participate in an event custom made to your passion and one that will help you evaluate what you do under pressure

Excellent, looking forward to the pix. The range setup here sounds like a great challenge, even the practice of tennis balls at 200m.

you know I didnt see the tennis balls to shoot -someone did shoot at them I am sure .The set up if friggin awesome -especially if you are use to rolling green pastures as we have in Auckland to go to the scree slopes and craggy rocks of the south island it is extra special .An event worth investing your time in to without one doubt .

Yup I understand. That's why we travel down to Alexander for a wander around a farm with our 223's once a year, spectacular country and some nice long range rabbits

But the COF looked interesting and some good planning appears to have gone into the event.

The New Caladonians came over having made the same targets and practiced all the distances on their island , man they were organized .The amount of work Shane must have done to organize this astounded me .I watch him with his ROs briefing for over an hour -they ran it with millatary precision to make if fair for all shooters -not easy for any either lol

How did Christian do Brian? I was shooting with him and that TRG42 the weekend before but he didn't have it sighted in.

Hey Simon , Christian started out have a awful time one sight in day and was left wondering what was happening in his set up but by the next day had some good hits at distance and was having a good time -I know for a fact he like me could have performed a zillion times better but in saying that we left the event happy campers with the whole experience .
I would like to spend a bit more time in big country as it has its own difficulties in comparison to the average Auckland type range .
Christian arrived home yesterday -packed and flew out to the Sako factory in Finland this moring -poor bugger

Yep, i can believe that. He was hitting a 6" plate at 500 yards last weekend so we re-set his scope at that distance. After that though he was having huge problems trying to hit targets further out, he was a good couple of minutes out on his elevation come ups. He and Matt got me back a bit later on though by almost having me convinced my windage was out a full turn. Luckily i ignored them

And yes high angle shooting or even low angle shooting at distance just adds another varible to take into account. Sounds like it went well. Pity my 260 is seriously running out of puff at those distances though

three days after the shoot and I am still walking as though Ive been beaten around the legs with softball bats -and I was only walking down hill

who won -
28 May 2012

The valley of Dead Mans Creek on Sawdon Station near Lake Tekapo once again came alive with the sound of gunfire with the Gunslinger Long Range Rifle Challenge (shooting out to ~ 1000m) and Gunslinger Extreme Long Range Rifle Challenge (shooting out to ~ 1500m), held on Friday 25 May (Practice Day) and Saturday 26 May (Competition Day).

On competition day 43 competitors, six range officers, two assistants, and eight spectators: used:

One helicopter with nine flights to fly 34 people, their rifles, and packs high up onto the ridgeline
Five quad bikes and one John Deer Gator to assist ferrying others and gear for those who chose to walk up
Congratulations to the following:

Jayson Prenter, winner of the Gunslinger Extreme Long Range Rifle Challenge (prize $300).

Paul McNeill, winner of the Gunslinger Long Range Rifle Challenge (prize $300).

Francois Ductane, prize of a Lapua range bag from Belmont Ammunition for the most points on The Gauntlet stage (Deer target).

Anders Gillies, prize of a $200 voucher from Gun City for the fastest time to complete the Magnum Force stage with no misses (four half sized IPSC targets).

Ken Black, prize of a Caldwell forerest from Dead Eye Dick's for the most points on the Unforgiven stage (full sized IPSC).

Squad Tango for the most amusing communications faux pas. High on the ridgeline in preparation time for The Rookie, with the wind howling, a competitor called for a 'Met report' and a spotter went forward with a tray of cold meat. The wind reading was definately 'beef'! Each member received a cap from Gun City.

Mark McKendry, a spot prize of a year's subscription to New zealand Guns and Hunting magazine for four hits on The Good, the Bad, And The Ugly stage (Hostage target).

Aaron Cossar, a spot prize of a year's subscription to New Zealand Guns and Hunting magazine for 'just one more ascent' of the ridgeline to get lunches to the Range Officers.

And a Mention in Dispatches to:

Fabien Roumagnac, Ken Black and Tracy Short for each achieving first shot hits on the Unforgiven stage IPSC at 1511m (unadjusted for angle) - the full sized IPSC is some 18" wide and 30" high.

Jayson Prenter, Tony Stewart, and Ghislain Bull for each making three hits from five shots on the Unforgiven stage IPSC at 1511m (unadjusted for angle).

Sebastien Marcon for making all shots hits on the Pale Rider stage - two shots standing, three shots kneeling.

Thank you to all who competed, assisted with spotting, or simply came to look. The individual scores and Match Report will be published by Sunday.


Safe shooting.

Shane Cossar

2 of the Ten guys from New Caladonia that joined the shoot and did very well !!They had some great gear as you can see and optics to boot and call used them

My shooting stick that weighed a ton on the long walk down hill

wots is this so called shooting stick?
decent barrel on it 2!

Give us the run down on that shootin stick el borracho. Particularly the brake, it looks as if it is designed to impart muzzel lift?