National Shooter’s League

by
posted on January 23, 2012
wiley-clapp.jpg

There are several games in which shooters can compete with handguns. There's the bullseye game for pure marksmen, PPC for policemen and IHMSA for long-range fanatics. Defensive shooters like to hone their skills with IDPA or IPSC, while Frontiersmen prefer SASS and its derivatives. I encourage all handgunners to try their hand at some form of competition becauseit teaches you about your ability to shoot under pressure, and that's very important. Plus, the atmosphere surrounding a match is great, particularly in the exchange of ideas, techniques and the like. It is indeed unfortunate that certain people alwayslook for ways to get an edge, usually by shading the rules, if not actually breaking them. However, once there was a game that kept shooters from breaking the rules by severely restricting the number of rules in force.

The game was called the NSL (National Shooters League) and it was fired on a rural range near Laramie, Wyo. Developed by a devoted sportsman and shooter named Robert Burgess, the match involved shooting from varied distances at very small (fist-sized) targets. The shooter fired two shots at each of ten targets and was required to run from one shooting point to the next, a total of 216 yards, in less than 3 ½ minutes. If that was not enough, the course was laid out on therough, up-and-down rolling country of Burgess' ranch. Targets were placed from 16 to 60 yards away. The course was not linear, but more like a miniature golf course, with shots angling both uphill and down, while presenting different conditions of light and shadow. Finally, the paper target was devilishly designed in sort of a tombstone shape with narrow 9 and 10 rings around an inner X zone. Anything else was scored a miss and, yes, your total time was factored in.

What did this do? It placed a premium on athleticism, physical condition, pure marksmanship skill, intimate knowledge of your gun and ammo and keeping your wits about you. The layout of the course and targets favored large caliber guns with flat trajectories. PPC-like revolvers in big calibers, loaded for flat trajectory were seen, but most shooters went for autos for the faster reloading. It was tough, but in the late 70s, a guy who could beat the rest walked away with five grand in cash.You could buy many different kinds of cars for that much money in 1977.In the long run, the match fell from favor and was canceled after a few years. I never heard the detailed explanation, but I would hazard a guess as to why this happened. It was just too dang hard.

Latest

Bolt-action rifle shown with spotlight and suppressor silencer muzzle device attached
Bolt-action rifle shown with spotlight and suppressor silencer muzzle device attached

Suppressor Sales Setting Records

Nearly 2.2 million suppressors were purchased by law-abiding citizens from May 2021 through July 2024, according to figures compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Preview: Underdog Glasses

Sunglasses are often misplaced, forgotten and lost, so Underdog resolves such dilemmas with its clip-on lenses.

New For 2024: Century Arms BFT74 & BFT556

Century Arms expanded its AK-style BFT rifle line in 2024 with two new models chambered for 5.56 NATO and 5.45x39 mm, respectively.

Preview: Armaspec SRS AR-15 Kit

This Armaspec upgrade to the AR-15’s standard buffer and spring includes a trio of interchangeable buffer weights that allow the user to tune it to his or her rifle/load.

Gun Of The Week: Davidson’s Exclusive KelTec KS7

Join American Rifleman staff on the range this week with a unique version of KelTec's KS7 bullpup shotgun.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 1, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.