Great Britain: 2024 IPRF World Championship - MDT Field Report

My world championships began with an early start at Heathrow Airport; this was my first time traveling as part of a group with guns, and allowing 6 hours before the flight was due to depart turned out to be a wise move! The Great Britain Team had arranged to meet in Utah, where Paul Dallin had extended his generous hospitality to allow us to use his range for zero checking, data confirmation, and practice. This was the beginning of the famous "British Team Spirit." With a huge range of experience amongst the team, everyone supported each other, ensuring targets were being hit and everyone was happy. Those of us who'd ordered ammo to be collected in the US were especially glad of this opportunity. The first day was topped off by Paul's wife, Brooke, bringing pizzas up to the range.

More: Competing In the IPRF World Championship

THE NUTCRUSHER

To acclimatize, many of us had booked onto the "Half Nutcrusher" match, where we got to shoot one day of the infamous Two-Day Nutcrusher. This is a notoriously brutal PRS match set on a mountain ridge range in Utah, hosted by Paul Dallin. After arriving at the very impressive North Springs Range, complete with its own Cowboy town pistol range, we hiked up to the ridge where the stages were set up.

It quickly became apparent that target acquisition would be a challenge. The targets were deliberately tricky to find, as they were set up to be "hidden" from the general public, who can also use the range. However, spending plenty of time on the glass during stage prep and setting out the targets in relation to rock formations and natural markers meant that finding the targets in time was manageable.

With small squads the shooters were all responsible for, RO’ing scoring, timing and spotting.

However, being in a small, five-man squad presented its own issues. With so few of us, it left very little time to rest between stages, as we always needed to spot RO, time, and score on the tablet. This, combined with the heat, altitude, humidity, and dust, meant that we were absolutely shattered after eleven stages!

Joe Pask and I finding and ranging targets at the Half Nut Crusher.

At the end of the match the results were in, and the Brits hadn't done too badly, with James Sewell taking the Top Mil/LEO place and Ben Wood placing 3rd overall. James then presented MD Paul Dallin with his regimental shield and cufflinks to thank him for his hospitality. Dinner at a local family-run restaurant preceded the long drive home and a much-needed sleep!

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The drive from Utah to Colorado was as spectacular as we'd hoped. With a typically American interstate stretching straight through the desert and dramatic mountains on each side, the five-hour drive was spent enjoying the scenery before arriving at the team hotel in the late afternoon. After an early dinner at a grill restaurant and a trip to Cabela's, where we met some other international shooters, we headed to bed.

On our first full day in Grand Junction, we headed to Cameo, which was just a short drive from our hotel. As we approached the range, which is also fully open to the public, we saw dramatic mountains and twisting roads leading into them, all branching out from the main car park and hanger-like buildings that stood beside well-built 100m ranges. The Cameo Shooting and Education Complex is a fantastic facility and well worth a visit should you ever find yourself in the area.

Although it would be easy to get distracted by the scenery, the first thing I did when I got out of the car was to greet USPRA President Greg Bell with a massive bear hug! As much as these events are about the shooting, there is a real sense of friendship amongst the community. In many ways, the World Championships have become a sort of "college reunion" for many of us as we catch up with people from previous events. My goals for the previous two World Championships have been to smile a lot and make more new international friends from around the world – this one was no exception!

My squad mates and all of the supporters who helped each other through the event.

Each nation was allocated a one-hour zero / sight in session. Team GB was scheduled between the Norwegians and the Kiwis. We used the time wisely, setting up in groups of 2 or 3 on each bay to spot for each other and confirm our zeros. Amusingly, despite the fact it hadn't rained there for months, as soon as the British team settled in, the skies darkened, lightning flashed, and an ominous crash of thunder sounded. Sure enough, the rain followed. It was a short but heavy downpour that quickly passed over but was the cause of much discussion as "it never rains here."

The opening ceremony was a quintessentially American affair with smoked meats from a local BBQ restaurant to feast on before the local mounted sheriff unit led each participating country through the main square of the range. An inspiring speech by the sheriff gave the competitors something to think about, "in a world of mediocrity, you have all chosen to excel." With that sentiment in mind, we headed back to the hotel for a team meeting to discuss the plan for the days ahead and a much-needed early night.

A 4.30 am alarm call started the day. Due to the day's heat being in the afternoon, the organizers had scheduled a 7.30 am start time, meaning that we wouldn't be shooting throughout the hottest part of the day. Half of the shooters worked their way through the stages on the hill, and the others took the stages at the LETAC and South Clays Ranges. The day ran efficiently with small squads of experienced shooters, and we were finished by 3 pm.

Something the British team has traditionally excelled at is its support for each other. On our non-shooting days, we'll buddy up with teammates who are shooting, offering thoughts on wind, stage planning, or even just carrying gear. I was buddying one of our Mil/Leo shooters, Rob, and gave him everything I could on the days he was shooting, which helped him perform superbly.

My first day of shooting was tough. Mentally, I felt great. However, physically, I felt fatigued due to previous exertions and the high desert environment. Unpredictable winds caused more issues than target acquisition, as the wind at the firing point differed greatly from what was going on downrange. The topography was like nothing I'd experienced, and the way the wind interacted with the cliff face was totally different from the day before. This became slightly easier to track in the afternoon when the mirage was visible against the rocks and provided another clue as to the direction of the wind.

The team relationships begin early, my teammate Ben is spotting for me during the zero session at Cameo.

The second day of Open shooting started easier, with the wind dropping and remaining consistent in speed and direction. After shooting the five stages on the South Clays Range, we got into our vehicles to move up to the LETAC Range. As we started driving, the heavens opened, and the British and Irish cheered! However, The rain was short-lived, and we didn't get the familiar rainy conditions we so briefly hoped for. The wind had also decided it was bored of behaving, and by the time we got to the top of the hill, it had started to pick up.

Yours truly getting my angles right with my double pull Cyke Pod.

My first stage at the top was relatively simple – shoot modified prone from a rock and then move forward to shoot prone. The targets were in a sheltered valley with a generous pan between them. I'd made a wind plan, watched this plan work for the first five shooters, and walked up to the firing point when I was up to shoot. At this very moment, a biblical gust of wind came out of nowhere, lifting the roof of the gazebo that had been sheltering the ROs from the blazing sun. Might have to rethink that wind plan! I doubled my opening call. No impact. Tripled the call for the next target. Impact. And so it continued, bouncing either side of the plates as I tried to correct off my previous shot.

Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

One thing I was not prepared for was the dust. The entire area around Cameo is semi-arid, a high desert, and is consequently covered in a very fine sand that was whipped up by the wind. As a contact lens wearer, I found myself temporarily blinded by the dust every time the wind picked up or the muzzle blast kicked it up, forcing me to squint in the hopes of seeing the already challenging to find targets! This slowed everything down; I timed out on several stages, trying to ascertain where shots had gone and reacquiring targets – Next time I shoot in the desert, I'm wearing clear glasses! Whilst it was definitely not my best performance at a World Championships, I can honestly say that I've never had so much fun shooting dirt! Being in the company of a great group of shooters in squad five helped no end.

A group of International shooters with ladies world champ – Lauryl Akenhead.

After the final day of shooting, we gathered in the car park with American beers and chatted with as many people as we could, casually inviting anyone and everyone to join us at a bar for food and drinks that evening. Not sure how many people to expect, the 20 or so British team members who were there ordered our food and took over an area of tables by the bar. Not long after we'd arrived, the French team walked in, followed by some Swedes, Australians, Canadians, and the Irish team. Before long, the entire bar was full of competitors, and we all had a great time, with drinks and new friendships flowing freely.

Jersey swap!

CLOSING CEREMONY

The closing ceremony was surprisingly emotional. It was clear from the speeches how much effort and personal sacrifice had gone into organizing the event. Aside from thanking sponsors, Greg Bell thanked everyone involved in running the event and it became clear just how much time and energy hundreds of people had put into creating such a precisely run World Championships. In a surprise move, Greg was presented with a stunning custom rifle, built through donations by the various sponsors. This was not only in recognition of the mammoth effort that Greg had poured into ensuring that the event ran smoothly but also the fact that he had sacrificed his place on the US team to do so.

Driving back to Salt Lake City for our return flight allowed me to reflect on the previous week. My favorite part of big international shoots is the people. Meeting new friends, hearing their travel stories and how they qualified to represent their country is brilliant. One of the best traditions of international events is swapping jerseys with fellow competitors. PRS is no exception, meaning there'll be jerseys from around the world spotted at local matches for the next few months! Mixed in with all of the different gear from around the world, it was a week-long experience of precision rifle shooting heaven!

The British team is well known for the level of support we give to each other, as well as shooters from other nations.

COMPETITION RESOURCES FROM MDT

• NRL Hunter Gear Breakdown
• NRL Hunter Stage Breakdown
• Tricky Props | PRS Stage Breakdown
• Getting The Most Out Of Your Shooting Bag
• How To Run A Sub-30-Second PRS Barricade
• A Pro's Approach to Complicated Stages | PRS Stage Breakdown
• How To Clean A PRS Stage: Francis Colon Stage Breakdown
• How PRS Will Make You A Better Hunter
• How Pro Shooter Francis Colon Sets Up His Rifle
• 12 Essentials For Match Shooting In The Rain - Precision Rifle Tips
• Mastering The Mental Game Of PRS: An Easy Way To Achieve A Higher Score
• Advanced Target Acquisition - How to be a Better Shooter
• How To Shoot From Vehicles

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Charlton is a well-known member of the U.K. shooting community, having worked in the U.K. Gun Trade for over a decade. Ryan is a proficient rifle hunter who loves predator control at night. He has competed in Precision Rifle matches since 2019 and is known throughout the U.K. precision rifle community for his willingness to help new shooters. Ryan was awarded the first Outstanding Contribution Award for his role in growing the sport within the U.K. Ryan was part of the British team for both the Centrefire World Championship in France in 2022 and the Rimfire World Championship in Italy in 2023. He will be representing G.B. again in Colorado this year. He also has a regular column in the British shooting magazine Rifle Shooter, focusing on all things Precision Rifle.