Rifle Competition Events 2023 STEEL SAFARI

[Zak Smith]

2023 STEEL SAFARI
June 2-4, 2023 at Logan, NM

The Original Hike And Shoot Match.

The Steel Safari is the archetypal "hike-and-shoot" long-range rifle match. It tests a wide spectrum of skills involved in getting to a shooting location, identifying targets, and engaging long-range rifle targets with only one shot each. Some of these skills include target recognition, ranging, wind doping, ballistic data management, marksmanship under field conditions, non-standard shooting positions, rudimentary trail skills.

CONTINUED FOR 2023: 223/556 AR-15 DIVISION WITH UNLIMITED ROUNDS FOR ENGAGEMENTS.

Full match details and signup-

2023 STEEL SAFARI - COMPETITION DYNAMICS

competition-dynamics.com

 

[rlsmith1]

Would love to make it to one of these someday (can't this year). Curious how many AR competitors you typically get? Part of me wants to just run my 14.5" and see how it goes!

 

[Zak Smith]

Usually about a dozen - 20

 

[Todc]

Would love to make it to one of these someday (can't this year). Curious how many AR competitors you typically get? Part of me wants to just run my 14.5" and see how it goes!

Once you do it you'll wonder what took you so long to make it happen. Guaranteed.

 

[rlsmith1]

Once you do it you'll wonder what took you so long to make it happen. Guaranteed.

It's a 14 hr drive from here in Iowa (I remember looking at routes last year too) so I'd have plenty of time to wonder how much longer it would take to get there! It is on the list for sure, I made hits at 700yds on ~1.7 MOA steel today in the breeze with that 14.5", but I would definitely need to take advantage of the unlimited rounds on most targets

 

[Chuck_Thunder]

One of the most fun matches in the world... Highly recommend!

 

[gDP]

I'm really considering trying this out, but I would like to hear your opinions. Firstly, I am somewhat new to shooting, but I have shot about 20 PRS matches locally and recently a 2-day match in San Luis Obispo which I got 1st in Production (not too bad for starting shooting in August, but then again #1 in production was 58th out of 83 so...). I've also only ever shot at 4 different ranges with my farthest impact ever at about 1000 yards. Given my experience, or lack thereof, I am a little nervous about the one-shot-per-target past 700. I am also a little worried about rucking since one; I only have two backpacks, a Mystery Ranch Pintler and a 5.11 Rush12 2.0, and two; my rifle is a 20# Delta 5 Pro 26" 6.5 CM. Is my giant, framed Pintler too much for this kind of match? Is it too much when combined with a 20# rifle? And what do you think my probability is of doing decent and not wasting two 15-hour drives ($250 in gas), $300 in registration, and $250 for a hotel?

Also, I didn't see in the description: Are there any pistol stages and how many rounds should I bring?

 

[Zak Smith]

It's rifle only-- no pistols on this one. Our team matches usually throw in pistols just for fun. The Steel Safari is pretty distilled down to just the essentials of field rifle shooting and is hard enough as-is (which is pretty hard).

Most of the targets are between 250 and 700 yards. The median distance is probably 400 ish. Some targets are big and some are small. The hard ones are harder for everybody. You could "write off" all the targets beyond 700 and still do well, if you hit everything else

We don't call it "rucking", that sounds more complicated than it is-- it just that you have to walk through the course while carrying your junk. It's not really very physically taxing unless you can't walk for 2 miles over the course of 4 hours or so without having problems.

Without looking up the exact technical specifications of your backpacks, I'll just say that you need to carry enough stuff but not too much. For me, that'd be: ammo, a couple rear bags/socks, an extra data card (besides the one on my rifle), LRF, extra batteries, binoculars if my LRF isn't a binocular, a few pens, two magazines (in case I lost one), a very very small tool kit, a few water bottles (depending on weather and how much I typically drink), a small snack. Extra earpro. I wear prescription glasses but if I didn't, an extra set of eyepro. Rifle would have the bipod on it and I'd also have a tripod lashed to my pack.

I don't know how you'll place. We've had first time SS shooters come and win, and we've had PRS big-shots crash and burn. If you only show up to matches where you won't be significantly challenged or get moved outside your comfort zone, you miss many opportunities for learning and improvement.

As for round count, the match normally has about 25 stages. It can have as many as 27 and normally does not have fewer than 24. Each stage is 6 rounds. We have sight-in on a 100-300 yard range during check-in.

 

[gDP]

Thanks for your response. It sounds like it's going to be a good time!