NRA National Defense Match

[Dick Jones]

I just got an invitation to shoot the new NRA National Defense Match, a tactical rifle match that involves targets from seven to 500 yards. I'm going to shoot the match though I have little tactical rifle experience, I am Distinguished with a service rifle and quit as a HM. I got the invitation because I'm a writer.

I have to wear the gun the whole time of the match so super heavy guns are out. (I'm almost 60) The gun needs to be accurate though because I'm shooting out to 500 yards. I'm thinking of using 69 grain match bullets at longer range and using a Nikon 2-8 m223 scope.

I need suggestions from guys who shoot tactical rifles at range as to what I should look for in a rifle. I have to get on the stick, the match is August 13 and 14 at Perry.

Thanks for the help, Dick Jones

 

[Justin]

This sounds like a tremendously cool match.

Around here, most people are running AR15-pattern rifles with 18 or 20 inch barrels, a free-float tube of some sort (I'm partial to the Viking Tactical ones) and an optic, in many cases a fixed-power scope like an ACOG TA-11, though a lot of shooters are using variable power 1-4x scopes from companies like Leupold, Burris, or Schmidt und Bender.

The 69 grain bullets will work just fine. For reasons of cost, I generally stick to 55 grain bullets, and even those are capable of making hits on targets out to 500 yards as long as you pay attention to wind.

Assuming this match is similar to other 3 gun or tactical rifle matches, check out Zak Smith's article The Evolution of the 3 Gun Practical Rifle. It's a very solid and in depth look at the sort of setup that is optimal for this kind of sport.