Competing In the IPRF World Championship - MDT Field Report

Posted by Paige Koster on 2024 Sep 25th

Competing In the IPRF World Championship - MDT Field Report

My journey to the International Precision Rifle Federation World Championships started with a wonderful 3 am wake-up call by my phone alarm. I quickly rolled out of bed, finished packing the few remaining items, and headed to the Vancouver airport. I was a little nervous as this was my first time flying with a rifle out of a Canadian airport into the U.S. Luckily for me, it is not different from any other airport in the U.S. It was a pleasant 45 min to check bags (which included my rifle and ammo) through security and on the other side. Thinking it was going to take a lot longer, I had time to get one of my favorite addictions, a Starbucks Latte.

I had a flight out of Vancouver into Denver, then a quick 30-minute flight to Grand Junction. All went smoothly; my only concern was if my rifle made it on the transfer. Once at Grand Junction, I quickly made my way down to the luggage claim and awaited the delivery of my rifle. Fortunately, it only took 15 min for my case to make it out of the oversized baggage. I met with some teammates, and we carpooled to our Airbnb.

GETTING ZEROED AND SHOWING OFF THE NEW CRBN STOCK

The IPRF World Championship was slated to run from September 11th through the 17. I spent the 11th and 12th getting zeroed, checking DOPE, and working the MDT Booth at the range. Starting Wednesday the 11th, we attended a safety brief and had a paltry 30 minutes to check zero, velocity, and DOPE at 600 yards. With my speed measured and zero confirmed, my next stop was the MDT Booth. I was fortunate this year to spend 2 days showing off our New CRBN and JAE G5 chassis. Since we were at a range, we were able to let people shoot both systems. Once people started to show up, they began bee-lining it to the CRBN stock, and everyone wanted to try it out. The common reaction was, "I expected more recoil for such a light setup." On our CRBN stock, we had the MDT Hunting Bottom Metal. A feature appreciated was the lockability of the mag latch. AS popular as the CRBN stock was the new JAE G5. Shooters noted the deadening feeling and lack of recoil due to the rubber dampeners under the forend side panels and buttstock. One of my favorite moments at the booth was meeting so many people from all over the world that I have talked to on the phone or through social media. It was great to see them face to face and make that connection!

Team Canada and MDT shooter Ryan McLean. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

FIRST DAY OF COMPETITION - LADIES, LIMITED, FACTORY, SENIOR, MIL/LEO AND JUNIOR

Since I was in Squad 18, I started on Stage 8 first, which involved shooting from a Cadillac's trunk (or "boot" for our British friends) and hood (or "bonnet"). I got all my data (DOPE) done, made my wind calls, and set the Ckye-pod to the perfect height. When my name was called to the line, I was ready to go! The timer started, and I got into a stable position on the trunk, quickly locating my target (I had been practicing hard on target acquisition), and pulled the trigger. I missed! What? That can't be right. Moving on to the next target, I missed again. Okay... next target hit—thank goodness. I was back on track, but as I held my wind call for the next target, I missed again- way over the top. Okay, maybe it's pushing it up. I went to the next target, around 900 yards, held on the bottom of the target, pulled the trigger, and was way over again. I quickly checked my turret and my card—my DOPE was correct. Panic started to set in.

Author shooting a stage. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

Now, I had to transition to the hood of the car and engage the targets on the way back. That went just as poorly as the first half, and I timed out. My confidence took a hit, but I thought, "It's just the first-stage jitters; the next stage will go better." Well, I was wrong. Once again, I shot super high, which made no sense since others in my group weren't having the same issue. One of my teammates suggested I take out 0.1 mil from my DOPE since he was also seeing high shots. With this adjustment, I moved on to my next stage and managed to score a 4, but it still wasn't up to my standards.

I started to doubt my rifle, and that's when things really began to fall apart. The first lesson learned: if you start doubting, it's game over. As the day went on, the challenges continued. After finishing stages 6-10, we were transported to stages 1-5. Feeling unsure about my rifle, I headed to the zero board to check my settings. To my surprise, my zero was off! How did that happen? I was 0.4 mil high. I readjusted and moved on to the next stage, which involved shooting off telephone poles. Feeling a little more confident, I scored 6 points on this stage—okay, that's better.

Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

However, the excitement was short-lived. At the end of the stage, after removing my magazine, the R.O. said something behind me. I turned for just 0.2 seconds, and my rifle decided to take a tumble off the poles. To make matters worse, it happened live on TV! (Insert facepalm.) There was nothing to do except pick up the rifle, dust it off, and head back to the zero board. Surprisingly, even after the fall, my zero hadn't shifted! That was a win for the MDT one-piece scope mount and ACC Premier Gen2 chassis. I just needed to dust off the rifle and fix my sunshade, and I was good to go. The rest of the day didn't go as well, but I made it through in one piece!

The next day was Open Division Shoot Day. Since we had a large number of shooters not participating on Saturday, I took the opportunity to check in with some Team MDT members and see if they needed assistance. I was able to help out some of our European teammates and hang out with them for the day. I also got to scout the stages I would be shooting the next day—very important for noting the landmarks I planned to use and observing how the pros approached each stage. After a good look at the stages for Day 2, I felt confident. What could go wrong? I've got this.

Team Canada and MDT shooter Josh Botha. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

SECOND DAY OF COMPETITION - LADIES, LIMITED, FACTORY, SENIOR, MIL/LEO AND JUNIOR

The day started off fairly well—just a few clouds with the sun shining through, so it didn't look like it would be too hot. I was first up on Stage One, feeling confident with all my DOPE, landmarks, and target order firmly in my mind. What could possibly go wrong?

As the timer began and I got into position, the sun, which I usually appreciated, suddenly peeked over the mountain and blazed right into my eye, making it nearly impossible to see the targets. To make things worse, I had forgotten to put my LRA on and was zoomed in too much. (Note to everyone: triple-check your gear, even when you think you've got it all set!) With no other option, I took a deep breath and just sent it.

Team MDT shooter Dan Gibbons. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting

Fortunately, by the time I reached the fourth target, the sun decided to hide again. However, the coyote I was aiming for had vanished into the rocks—so frustrating! Instead of continuing to search for the target, I focused on locating the T-post, which I found just in time to squeeze off a shot before the timer ran out. Phew! At least I got one hit, but it was still painful. I had to shake off that stage and move on.

The next stage had me all set, but the wind and clouds began to shift, making the conditions unpredictable. I quickly realized I needed to master wind calls, which I'm sad to admit I'm still working on. This match taught me that while wind can be soul-crushing, it's also part of the fun because it's always changing.

As the day progressed, I started to lose both energy and confidence. However, one thing I never lost was my fun-loving spirit. At the end of the day, it's really about enjoying time with my squad and helping each other out. So, I turned my focus to assisting a new shooter in our group. She did an amazing job, and I was genuinely happy for her.

My final stage of the match was a confirmation and a KYL target—my old nemesis. For those who know what KYL means, I didn't know my limits and failed to play within them.

Team USA and Team MDT shooter Rusty Ulmer. Rusty took 2nd place in the Senior Division. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

DAY 6 and CLOSING CEREMONIES

I took the time to sleep in on Monday—by "sleep in," I mean I woke up at 8 am. After getting myself together, I returned to the range to see who needed help and soak up some more sunshine before returning to rainy B.C.

Once again, most of the Canadian team was well cared for, so I decided to seek out more MDT shooters. I caught up with one of our Irish shooters, whose squad included Austin Bushman, the match-winner. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans; a windstorm rolled in right after lunchtime, making conditions quite challenging for everyone. I got to see Austin in action and how he approached a stage.

Team USA and Team MDT shooter Allison Zane. Allison took 3rd place in the Lady Division. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

I managed to survive the week of competition and heat, and I made new friendships with people from all over the world. Greg Bell, President of the USPRA, and his team organized an amazing match that ran smoothly and on time. They ensured that shooters were well-fed and hydrated throughout the day. Thanks to Beemer, we had a challenging yet enjoyable course of fire—one I'll never forget.

As the event ended, it was time for some delicious BBQ, the closing ceremonies, and to say our goodbyes. There was plenty of singing, jersey swapping, and lots of photos and hugs, all with the promise to see each other again in two years at the next Worlds. I won't lie; I felt sad leaving and knowing I wouldn't see all these friends the next day.

After enjoying a fantastic BBQ, we gathered in the hall for the announcement of all the placements. Check out the list below to see where Team MDT placed!

Team USA and Team MDT shooter Chad Heckler. Chad took 1st place in the Limited Division.

TEAM MDT SHOOTERS

  • Allison Zane - 25th overall and 3rd place Lady
  • Rusty Ulmer- 12th overall and 2nd place Senior Division
  • Joe Pask - 30th overall
  • Rory Gibbons - 48th overall
  • Daniel Gibbons - 56th overall
  • Chad Heckler - 69th overall and 1st place Limited Division
  • Dave Gheriani - 120th overall
  • Ryan Charlton - 166th overall

MDT SUPPORTED SHOOTERS

  • Dean Farrell - 62nd overall
  • Chase Beckly - 84th overall
  • Nick Bazzone - 135th overall
  • Al Holmer - 153th overall

Austin Bushman had a stellar performance and took home the coveted first place overall!

COMPETITION RESOURCES FROM MDT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paige Koster has been immersed in the firearms industry for over eight years, dedicating the past three to her role at MDT. As a passionate competitor, she regularly participates in Precision Rifle Series (PRS) competitions throughout Canada and the USA. In her position in MDT's marketing department, Paige plays a key role in managing social media and collaborating with influencers to promote innovative products within the firearms community. When she's not at work or competing, she enjoys exploring the stunning mountains and rivers of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. You can connect with her on Instagram @paigekoster12.

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