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2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Zak Smith

Zak Smith

TBAC Guy
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Commercial Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 7, 2003
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Fort Collins, CO, USA
thunderbeastarms.com
Competition Dynamics and Thunder Beast Arms Corporation present The
<span style="font-weight: bold">2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">Nov 4-6, 2011 at the Blue Steel Ranch in Logan, NM</span>

This match is an extreme test of practical field rifle shooting and its supporting activities. Two-man teams will be required to navigate rugged desert terrain, recognize, locate, range, and engage challenging rifle targets from compromised shooting positions, communicate with their partner and the range officer (RO), and do it under time constraints. This will be a physically-demanding match!

The match staff have a proven track record of involvement in some of the most challenging and influential 3-Gun, multi-gun, and practical long-range matches of the last ten years, including: the Steel Safari, Practical Rifle Team Challenge, Rocky Mountain 3-Gun, SOF 3-Gun, and the and the United States Marshall's Posse match.

The venue for the match is the Blue Steel Ranch, near Logan NM. This is the same site where the Steel Safari is held.

tbtc.jpg


<span style="font-weight: bold">The rest of the details are available on the
MATCH WEB SITE</span>
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

This match will be <span style="font-weight: bold">much more physically demanding</span> than the Steel Safari, although the weather should be 40-50 degrees cooler.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Sounds pretty good. Is this match limited to a certain number of teams? We have it marked down.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: trigger03</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds pretty good. Is this match limited to a certain number of teams? </div></div>
Yes, max will be approx 40 teams. I'll post the hard limit when I post the registration forms this weekend.

thanks
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Match directors won't be. A few of the RO's will be. Just like big 3-Gun matches (eg RM3G), the RO's will shoot prior to the main match days and work the 3 days of the match. Anything that needs to be kept secret prior to a team shooting (eg stage layout) will be kept secret from the RO's as well. The match directors will personally run any of the RO's that are shooting the match through their stages blind like everyone else prior to the main match.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

LOOKING FOR A TBTC PARTNER

If you are a motivated carbine shooter that is interested in partnering with a long range shooter for the TBTC let me know. My expectation is to shot with my partner at least three times prior to the match, with one of those sessions at the Blue Steel Ranch. I am motivated and want to do well at the TBTC.

My expectation of a good fit for my skills would be at least a "mid-level" 3Gun shooter from the Front Range in Colorado or northern New Mexico. I have the complete long range kit, shot a 52 at the last Sporting Rifle Match, and had a mediocre finish at my first Steel Safari with a 29th place finish.

PM me if interested.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Mendocino
You might try getting hold of Brian W. I don't think he knows about this match yet. C. Ward has his number.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dodgefan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mendocino
You might try getting hold of Brian W. I don't think he knows about this match yet. C. Ward has his number. </div></div>

Thanks Dodgefan. I know Brian, and we have shot together.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Talked with Brian , He's teaching at his day job that weekend and can't shoot .
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

No worries , was scratchin my head trying to figure out who knew th both of us
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Zak,

When will you be notifying those that you have accepted for the match?

For the carbine night shoot, will it be best to have a serious weapon mounted light setup or do you have other plans? Just looking at upgrading my current weapon mounted lighting system.

Thanks
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

I'll post something this weekend. I'll be posting a "coded" list (probably last name and zip) of who got in on the thread on the TBAC forum. FYI, everyone whose applications I have already received are in.

There are still slots available so send in your apps if you haven't already.

-z
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

On the lights, no need. We will probably not allow them anyway so the other teams' natural night vision is not ruined. There will be enough light provided to engage the targets as long as your optics are not complete junk
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Wish it wasn't so close to Rifles Only that's a lot of time off .Sorry
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Signed up with Butterpants , this should be a good match the terrain and location lends itself to being able to do things not possible elsewhere .
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Zack,

I just want to confirm that you guys aren't having your long range match this weekend after the Rocky Mountain 3 Gun match, is that correct?

Tate
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Tate after the turnout last year and the number of shooters we get without piggybacking to the 3gun match it was decided we couldn't support that many shooters. All the match staff have to be to work that night or early the next morning and it was just running too long with that many shooters .
It was always nice to see you guys so sorry it didn't work out this year .

Get one of your homies and come shoot the team match , gonna be better than the one in 06 .

Chuck
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Damn I guess I should have paid better attention, I thought the SRM was this weekend.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Just a reminder, we have several #205 classes coming up. These would make great "train ups" for this match, since we're using the same venue. Next class is this coming weekend.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Based on questions I've received here are some clarifications:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can the rifle shooter use one rifle, like an AR-10, as his rifle and carbine?</div></div>

1. The Rifle Shooter can NOT use one firearm as both his rifle and carbine. He needs a rifle that meets the rifle specifications, and a carbine that meets the carbine specifications. The Rifle Shooter will use a carbine for some run-n-gun stuff on the assault/gully stages, and it is my intent that an "M4" be sufficient for this purpose.

During these assault/gully stages his rifle will be slung safely along with any other gear he carried during the field stages. The Rifle Shooter does NOT need to carry his carbine on the field stages.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Q2. I'm wondering how you're going to pull off having time be a benefit in this match. It seems that we're always limited from advancing forward by other squads in front. Granted, I've never shot the ITRC but understand if you ever overtake squads in front that they pretty much have to let you play through</div></div>

This is for field stages: The squad in front will not be RO'ing you (like we do at the Steel Safari). You will be RO'd by dedicated RO's much like how the RO's operate at RM3G. Teams will be started at fixed intervals, for example 20 minutes. If you catch up to a team in front of you, they get pre-empted. The stages will be hard enough that some teams will not be able to finish in time. You will lose the opportunity to gain the points on the remaining stages if you time out, but there will not be FTE penalties. If you finish early you will get bonus points equal to a multiple of the number of minutes remaining. I will set the multiple and the team to team departure delays when the final match is set up to make sure they are calibrated right based on our target counts and distance traveled.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

The sponsors are really starting to fill in for this event. We still have some team slots open. If you have been on the fence, or need a partner post up and we will see what we can do to help. This is shaping up to be a great event.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

First, I'd like to thank Ray Sanchez for stepping up to take the position of Assistant Match Director. This is a significant sacrifice for Ray since it means he cannot shoot the match. Based on his overall wins at the 2009 and 2011 Steel Safari, and how we did at the 2006 Practical Rifle Team Challenge, I'm sure he would have stood an excellent chance at this match.

Ray and I scouted the property this weekend and located the sites for the field and gully/assault stages, as well as the night stages. No stage changes will be made until the week prior to the match (when the range/property is closed to shooting), and you can still shoot on the old 2011 Steel Safari courses and targets until then. Additionally, the new shoot/stage locations will be kept secret known only by the GPS locations in my data book, until I set them the week of the match.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

There will be three "field stages" for rifle and carbine. These will be comprised of approx 5 shoot stations at which the carbine shooter will have to clear his targets before the rifle shooter can engage his targets. The ground distance covered on these courses will be approx 1 - 1.5 miles with shoot stations interspersed along the trail. These stages will be scored with a point system that rewards first-round rifle hits and carbine hits (multiple rounds allowed; smaller point value). There will be bonus points available for each minute the team finishes the stage early. Stations you don't get to will not incur any "FTE" penalties, you just lose the points you could have earned on them.

There will be three gully/assault stages for carbine & carbine. These will be mostly paper targets with steel gong "stop plates." We were expecting these to be short, but what we found was an extensive and deep gully system, so these gully/assault stages will be pretty long, with possibly as many as 50 targets in a single stage, and movement as far as 350 yards. These will have "almost" 360 degree fields of fire. Engagement distances will be 60 yards and less. Paper targets will require one A hit or two B/C hits, or 4 D hits to neutralize. Scoring will be time plus penalties, similar to how RM3G and our local 3Gun scores stages. Due to the increased round count on these stages, I may have to revise upwards the recommend carbine round count for the match. Stay tuned on that note.

There will be one "teamwork exercise" stage at a fixed location with KD targets.

There will be two night stages. In one, the carbine shooter will shoot and the rifle shooter will do support/communications tasks. In the other, the rifle shooter will shoot and the carbine shooter will do support tasks.

Total nine stages.

Match scoring-

Stage scores will be normalized to 100 match points, where the best score on a stage will receive 100 match points and all trailing team scores will get a fraction of 100 match points based on their performance relative to the stage-winning team. For example, if Team A earns 180 points on a stage and is the stage winner, but Team B earns 135 points, Team A would receive 100 match points and Team B would receive 75 match points (135/180 = 75%). The exception is that <span style="font-weight: bold">the 3 long field courses for rifle+carbine will be worth double points, so 200</span> instead of 100. If the same team won every single stage they would end up with 1,200 match points.


As a teaser, here are two photos of some of the areas
3.jpg

4.jpg
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Zak

Any idea on how many rounds we should have for the carbine? Reloading time is limited these days.

Thanks
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

I posted up to date round count info on the main match web page
http://competition-dynamics.com/thunder-beast-team-challenge-2011/

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Round count (minimums): Long-range rifle: approx 110, primary carbine 220, secondary carbine (rifle shooter), 120. These account for average number of rounds required by an average good team to engage all targets. If you may need to shoot extra to make up for misses, bring more ammo. </div></div>
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

SPONSOR UPDATE

We have over $34,000 in prizes for the Thunder Beast Team Challenge!. The sponsors have really stepped up. Their generosity is particularly significant considering that this is a new match this year and was not budgeted by the sponsors. The shooting community is really blessed with such supportive businesses. Please have a look at the list below and make sure you patronize these fine companies.


Major Match Sponsor ($5000 or more)
Thunder Beast Arms Corporation

Silver Sponsor ($4000 to $4999)
Barrett Firearms

Bronze Level Sponsors ($2500 to $3999)
Magpul Industries
US Optics
Spindrift Targets

Sustaining Level Sponsors ($1250 to $2499)
Night Force
Angus Precision Target Systems
Hornady
Score High Gunsmithing
Steiner Binoculars
JP Enterprises

Associate Level Sponsors ($500 or less)
3 Gun Stuff
Bartlein Barrels
Black Hills Ammunition
Brian's Brass
Brownells
Burris Optics
CS Tactical
Euro Optics
Hodgdon
Hoser Brass
Impact Data Books
Kifaru
Lapua
Schmidt and Bender
Sierra Bullets
Sinclair International
Storm Tactical, Inc.
Talley Manufacturing
Triad Tactical
Victor Company
GA Precision
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Hoser,

The shooter's meeting is Thursday at 1700; see you Thursday.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hoser</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Very cool.

See you Friday. </div></div>
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hoser</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thats what I meant... Getting old and slow. </div></div>
Great, I'll need all the help I can get to beat you.
wink.gif
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Gear is packed and ready to head to Logan NM. See you guys in a couple of days.
 
Re: 2011 THUNDER BEAST TEAM CHALLENGE

Man I wish I could go to this. I'll be there next year for sure.
 
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