In early June, I visited the Vortex Rampage match of the National Rifle League in Iowa.  In my previous article describing the match itself, I mentioned that I would also report on some of the guns shooters were running.  The match was fun to attend and it had a laid back, friendly atmosphere.  Of course, safety was of utmost importance, but everyone adhered to the rules and had a good time.  Shooters were quick to give tips about the stage or the wind with one another.  I spoke to a number of shooters who were willing to talk to me about the guns they were using and pose for pictures.  Feel free to click on the links to see the varied components used on the rifles below.

THE GUNS AND SHOOTERS OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE LEAGUE

One of the first shooters I spoke with was Jerry Karloff.  He said that he was using a custom rifle by Stuteville Precision in 6.5×47 Lapua with a 145 grain bullet.  The barreled action sat in a XLR chassis.

I spoke with Sean shortly after he’d finished one of the stages.  He preferred not to be photographed but was willing to share about his rifle and let me take pics of it. Sean’s action and barrel came from Shillen Rifles Inc. The action rested in a Manners stock while a Kahles 6-24x optic helped him send his 6mm Creedmoor rounds downrange.  In the distance you can see the targets and berms that dotted the landscape.

I also spoke with A.J. Alletto. He was the only person I talked with that was shooting .308 Winchester.  That doesn’t mean that no one else was shooting .308, but my guess is that he was in the minority.  A.J.’s rifle came from Short Action Customs and sat in a MasterPiece Arms (MPA) chassis.  He was using a TriggerTech trigger and a Vortex optic.

As A.J. took his turn on the firing line, I spoke with Ben Zimmerman of JP Enterprises.  Ben was in another type of minority that day as he was the only person I saw shooting a semi-automatic rifle.  He was using JP Enterprises’ LRP-07 AR platform in 6.5 Creedmoor.

I also spoke with Don Williams on the same stage.  He was sporting a custom Mausingfield action with a Criterion barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor.  Don used a Spuhr optic mount that held a Vortex Razor HD2 scope.  He went with a Huber Concepts trigger to launch his projectiles.

Not all the rifles were heavily customized.  I saw at least a few stock Ruger RPR’s, presumably in 6.5 Creedmoor as that seemed to be the preferred caliber of the day.  As a lower budget shooter like myself, I found it encouraging that Ruger’s option was able to compete, especially after reading Austin’s review with impressive results.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to talk with everyone and take a survey of the varied calibers people chose.

I’d like to thank the above shooters that gave some of their match time to speak with me and show off some of the guns used in the National Rifle League.  What do you think about the rifles and components used?  What parts would you assemble to participate in the NRL or any other competition?