Super Shoot History

S

Stephen Perry

New member
This will be quick as I am getting ready for, WORK. Some 350+ miles in the desert looking at Culverts.

I will try to a relay to you all's some Supershoot History. Disclaimer for slight errors, will correct later if I do.

What year was the first Super Shoot and what Range ? How many Ranges have held the Super Shoot, what years and where. Did you know that SS 5 included Unlimited as a Grand, only time. Who won the Unlimited. Also Kelbly's has held all SS's since SS 7 I think. Who won SS 1 and out right or in a shoot off ? Give you a hint he is not at Kelbly's this week. If you know where and what year ?

Don Geraci won 4 SS's How many has Tony won ? Did Fowler win a Supershoot, if so when and where ? Has George Kelbly won a SS, if so when and where ? How about Walt Berger did he win a Super Shoot if so what year and where ? Did you know they had a 40 bench shoot off once for the win at a Super Shoot, extra day, if so when and where who won the shoot off ? How many SS's wins by Gary Ocock and Lester Bruno, when and where ? Ever a first time Super Shoot winner if so when and where ? Ever a women Super Shoot winner if so when and where ? How many SS's has Lowell Frei won, if so when and where, and how many 2nd's for Lowell ?

That ought to get you started. OK I fight real well ask Gary Ocock or Lester Bruno. Sooooo if I slip up with this Thread don't even try to bad mouth me. Remember next year I go to Midland for the Nat's, you got a year some of you to get in shape for me. Right now I coach high school/college wrestling so don't try it. I turn 60 on July 4 born 1950.

Keep shootin guys looks good back at Kelbly's.
Done.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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Steve,

Don has won four, not three.
Tony has won five.
Eunice Berger only female to win.

I could be wrong but I believe the Unlimited was shot every other year for a while. At least more than once.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

Hovis
 
Steve,

Fill us in on the shoot off. I never heard of that, how did that come about??? Interesting.

Hovis
 
I will Hovis but ask Walt Berger. He was in the Shoot Off. Forty shooters qualified 40 shot off, an extra day of the Super Shoot. Only happened once, Bill Dryfield won the Shoot Off, maybe SS 1, I think.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
Stephen, you probably know this if anybody does.

When did the Super Shoot cease being a traveling show, and become the sole property of Kelblys........jackie
 
Jackie and Vern
My best knowledge is saying Kelbly's started consecutive Super Shoots with Super Shoot VII. Before SS 7 the Super Shoot ws shopped around. Oklahoma had one, think Midland had one, point is the Super Shoot was new and finally was organized by Skip Gordon,that's when the money showed up and the found it's home at Kelbly's. Skip was a promotional genius to some something else to others. Have to look it up but I think Super Shoot 1 was in 1974 in Okahoma at the famous Zink Range., Bagget won Super Shoot 3 in 1976. Most of what I say is in Newick's book The Ultimate in Rifle Accuracy.

Before the Super Shoot there were the Speer Shoot and the J4 shoots for several years. Before that the Regional Big Shoots attracted many who would travel like the Puget Sound Snipers Congress started in 1944 in Washington State and the Pine Tree Shoot in 1947 and the NBRSA Nats starting in 1950. Benchrest has always been a traveling Sport.

The first Nationals where all shooters gathered for the Championshilp, drew maybe 175 shooters, were the 1955 NBRSA Nats in Custer, South Dakota. Back then no Sporter, LV, or HV. Benchrest Rifle was the Class, 1 Class.only. Any bag gun, weight no limit,5-10 shot at 100 5-10shot at 200, groups only. Rail guns or Heavy Bench Class/Unlimited as we know them today came later, when 2 classes of Heavy Bench were created before 1960, bag gun and mechanical rest gun, maybe 1957. George Kelbly Stan Buchtel, Walt Berger and the late Larry Engelbrecht all started BR in the mid 1950's and George and Stan still shoot their Benchrest Rifle bag guns in todays Unlimited Class. Previous Nats 1950,51,52, 54 were Regional Shoots National Champion was declared after Regional results were compared with the rest of the Regionals, similar to todays mail in shoots except moving backers were required from Day 1 of the NBRSA at 100,200,300 all 10 shots at the Nats back in the 1950's in Benchrest Rifle Class. Some 5 shot Shoots even for Records then but not at the Benchrest Rifle Nats. Some .1xx groups were shot in the 1950's in Heavy Bench became 5 shot records. Some Nats bck in the 1950's went over 200 shooters, check me on that.

Bag guns as we know them started with HV in 1957, 12X scope max. Later scope limit was lifted when Sporter and LV were added in 1960. Hunter was also added in 1960.

Benchrest has a great history. I know allot thanks to some generous souls,like my favorite historian Allen Bench deceased. Allen and I talked every saturday for 10+ years. Somebody should write the complete history of benchrest in the States. Foreign benchrest should be wriitten their beginnings and differences. Again any errors and flaws please bring up I will correct them.
Done.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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The closest comparison I can think of to the Super Shoot is the Indy 500. Both have taken on a life of their own, really independent of any other entity in their perspective sport. While both are affiliated with a Sanctioning Body, (NBRSA-IBS, IRL), both easilly stand alone by their own merit.........jackie
 
Stephen looks like 2010 is a great year in SS history. I guess we can add to it, the FIRST Canadian to win? George Carter.

Calvin
 
There is a match report of the first SS in the Sept-Oct 1973 issue of Rifle Magazine.
It is a very interesting read. 229 shooters, Heavy Varmint class only and won by Donna
Hall with a 4227 agg. Her payout was $1,095. An added attraction was a shoot off on May 28
of the top 24 shooters from NBRSA and 24 from the IBS. The first SS was not registered with
either association. Each shooter in the shoot off was assigned to a four man team that consisted
of 2 NBRSA members and 2 IBS members. The NBRSA won the shoot off and a $500 check
that went to the association. The four man team winners were Pat McMillan, Bill Hudgins of
NBRSA and Dick Saunders, Bob White from IBS. Myles Hollister was the 3 day winner with a
4726 agg. Donna Hall used a 222 Shilen barrel and Shilen action. Her husband, Allan Hall,
stocked and gunsmithed the rifle. Sounds like it was a fun match. Skip Gordon of Ohaus Scale
Corp. was the match director. Looks like small groups were .170 by Dick Bassett at 100 and a
.267 by Bob White at 200. A lot of familiar faces in the pictures and the guys sure looked young.
George, Skip,Bob White,Walt, Myles, Stan, Broughton, TJ, Perry Morton and others.
director and he
 
Rex
Thanks for getting the year right and the shoot off correct on Super Shoot 1. I think there was a 40 bench shoot off in SS II that Bill Dryfield won. History can play tricks with peoples memory. Your's seems in good shape.

Rex the Super Shoot moved around before settling at Kelbly's for good, I believe the Kelbly Era started with SS VII. Rex do you know the places the SS was shot at before SS VII. I know Midland and Tulsa, Oklahoma ( Zink Range) ? were some. Thanks.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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"George Kelbly Stan Buchtel, Walt Berger and the late Larry Engelbrecht all started BR in the mid 1950's "

Stephen
I don't remember exactly where but the first BR matches started in the 40's. And FERRIS PINDEL was there. If you don't believe me call June she still has the article somewhere.
Al;so it was brought up in 2009 and both George and Stan confirmed that Ferris pre dated them.

JimP
 
OK Jim
Mike Walker was at the beginning of the NBRSA and before also.
Jim before you fall off your chair and hurt yourself I already made reference to the EBRSA, Pine Tree shoot 1948, Johnstown Shoot 1947, Puget Sound Congress 1944, Warren Page, Al Wilson, Hart barrels, Mike Walker and wife, Mauser actions, B&A dies, Pride barrels, Ferris Pindell, NBRSA, Remington, Big guns. Here and in other Threads and Posts. How far you want me to go Jim? So man if I left out your favorite, sorry. thanks
Done.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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CYanchycki said:
Stephen looks like 2010 is a great year in SS history. I guess we can add to it, the FIRST Canadian to win? George Carter.

Calvin
Click to expand...

1976 SS was won by Alan King from Ottawa ON shooting HV and UNL He shot a .308 in UNL and a .308 rifle in HV. The match was at Kelblys, I know I was there, but did not shoot SS until 1977 In 1979 Gary Hayes from London ON won the HV setting, (at that time) a SS recond.
The UNL was shot in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988. The format, at that time was to shoot two classes each year but changing them around. HV was permanent and those years where 1 year HV UNL, 2nd year HV SP, 3rd year HV LV I believe that 1989 it was changed to a 10.5lb and 13.5lb format.
 
I got out some old Rifle magazines and came up with this info

1973 Tulsa Donna Hall winner
1974 Wapwallopen, Penn. Bill Dryfield 3 days of qualifying 1 day shoot off 40 shooters
1975 Midland, Texas Ron Prachyl Lv& Hv
1976 Kelbly's Allan King Unl & Hv Top 3 unl shot 308s
1977 Kelbly's Larry Baggett Lv & Hv Harold Morgan had a .1994 agg in Hv 100. In the same issue of the Rifle Magazine was and article " 22PPC -6MMPPC---Shape of things to come?
1978 Didn't have that issue
1979 Kelbly's Jesse Corder Unl & Hv winner of Unl shot 308 and Hv shot 222x35
 
Hmm, I always thought that west at least in the south was Texas, NM, Arizona. And that Cali was the land of fruits nuts and flakes like Pelosi.
While wrestling is an admirable sport and has lots of rules, it does not always hold up in the real world.
My nephew was a big High School wrestler top of the district and a big boy, his mouth got a little bigger than his backside one day and he thought he would put "OLD Uncle Vern" in his place. After picking himself up off of the ground twice in 30 seconds he thought better and wanted to learn more about how an old man could do that.
So all is not as it seems in life sometimes.
 
This is turning into the best thread on the forum. Humor and History.

I was reading the 3rd Addition Sierra Loading manual last night and Skip Gordon had a article in it. It was one of two tidbits of info that I got that headed me into BR. In it, he talked about SuperShoot 1 and the shootoff. I beleive he said it was the top 40 NBRSA and top 40 IBS shooters that were in the shoot off. Damn fine article.

Hovis
 
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