War Of 1812 Extended Long Range Match

Cal September 8, 2024 ELR Leave a comment

One of my absolute favorite matches is the Nightforce Extended Long Range (ELR) Steel Challenge, which is hosted in Wyoming each year. It was originally a two-day PRS match, but the format and target distances are different than most PRS matches, so today, it is an entirely independent match that has become its own thing.

The Nightforce ELR match has become a massive flagship match that seems to grow every year. In the last match in June 2024, they had 270 competitors – and they had 261 shooters the year before! That makes it one of the most popular rifle matches in the world. (Read my full write-up about the Nightforce ELR match.)

Clearly, there is a lot of demand for this style of match, so my good friend, Clayton Smith, decided to host a very similar 1-day match in Brownfield, Texas, on October 19, 2024: War of 1812 Extended Long Range Match.

Here are the significant ways these matches are different than a typical PRS match:

Targets are mostly 1000+ yards: Target distances typically range from around 700 to 2000 yards, with around 70% of the targets beyond 1,000 yards. This is why they call it “Extended Long Range.”
1st round hits count more: They use a “2-1 with a dead target rule,” which means if you hit a target on the first round, you receive 2 points and move on to the next target. If your first shot was a miss, you reengage that same target with a 2nd round, and if you hit, you’d receive 1 point for that 2nd round impact. You do not get more than two attempts per target, and once you hit, you move on.
Lower round count: Most competitors shoot 60-70 total rounds per day (compared to 100 for the typical two-day PRS match). That is an average of 6.5 rounds per stage instead of 10 rounds like the typical PRS stage. That means if you are using a big caliber magnum, you shouldn’t burn the barrel out before the end of the match.
All shots are prone or modified prone: You aren’t shooting off barricades or running with your rifle to multiple positions.
More time to shoot: They allow 2 to 2.5 minutes per stage to fire 8 rounds or less. That is very different than many PRS stages, where you only have 90 seconds to fire 10+ shots from various positions. This makes the match top-loader friendly (you don’t have to use a magazine-fed rifle).
Less caliber restrictions: Cartridges up to .416 cal and muzzle velocities up to 3400 fps are allowed (compared to the standard limit of 30 cal or less up to 3200 fps).

Clayton Smith Caprock Rifle Club West Texas Ordnance Rifle Shooter

The Match Director, Clayton Smith, is a veteran competitor in both the PRS and NRL Hunter matches. He’s been ranked among the top 100 PRS shooters in past years and won the Open Light Division at the 2024 Manners Elite Hunter NRL Hunter match earlier this year. He hosted the 1st NRL Hunter two-day match in Texas this June. I’ve also shot with Clayton in Wyoming at the Nightforce ELR match multiple years. Clayton is also the gunsmith and owner of West Texas Ordnance, which specializes in long-range rifles. He’s an outstanding shooter and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

War of 1812 Match Need-To-Knows:

Date: October 19, 2024 (1-Day Match)
Location: CRC Range near Brownfield, TX (33.1821, -102.1689)
Target Distance: 650 to 1850 yards
Target Size: Primarily life-size animal shapes and 1.5-2.0 MOA targets for distance
2-1 target scoring (i.e., 2 points for 1st round hits, 1 point for 2nd round)
2-minute stages with a maximum of 4 targets
Max Round Count: 80
Cartridge Limits: Up to .416 caliber and muzzle velocities up to 3400 fps
Match Fee: $125

This is a cash payback match, with cash payouts to the top 5 shooters in each division. Lunch will be provided on-site during the match, with awards immediately following the completion of the course of fire.

Clayton said they plan to allow people to check in and confirm their dope at distance the day before the match (Fri, Oct. 18th). CRC Range has targets out to 2500 yards!

Even if you don’t typically compete, what great timing to pull out your hunting rifle before the season starts and practice!

They plan to cap registration at 80 shooters, so if you’re interested, you can sign up here: https://www.practiscore.com/war-of-1812-elr-match/register.