Earned Distinguished Expert Qualification At Last!

[Dave Rosenthal]

Did it last Sunday...had to shoot 52 PRB's in total each day for six complete legs (one a day) in order to do it. And my son Andy was there helping me spot through the scope, so that made it even sweeter .

The NRA Muzzleloading Qualification Matches are run by my local club that also sponsors a black powder league which runs on a separate Sunday. Each Qualifier for DX starts at 100 yards, with 13 shots fired off-hand, then another 13 shots fired prone. Then we move in to 50 yards and do 13 shots off-hand and then 13 shots either sitting or kneeling. I chose sitting. Since I didn't do my usual decent prone at 100 yards, I really needed a good target at 50 yards! Wound-up shooting a 86 off-hand and a 94 sitting, so I finished with 30 points to spare .

This endeavor took me an entire year to make the required number of matches (6) AFTER I had attained the rank of Expert. Rain-outs, work, etc., also played a role in the time element. I feel so blessed to have my son Andy (who made Expert last month) there with me to watch the old man make DX

I would recommend this series of matches to anyone looking to improve their shooting! One of our black powder newbies is on his way to Expert because of the practice involved in this program.

Without some really good advice and encouragement from lots of the regulars on this forum, I can say that I'd never been capable of attaining the rank of Distinguished Expert, and for that I wish to thank each and every one of you for all of your help over the last couple of years :thumbsup: . So from the bottom of my heart, THANKS! :hatsoff:

Dave

 

[Trench]

I think that's great, and something deffinitely to be proud of! Congrats! :thumbsup:

 

[bwhoffman]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hatsoff: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Quite a feat of accomplishment!

Dedication.

Good on you!

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Trench & Brett,

Thanks for the kind words. And for some of the advice mentioned above!

Dave

 

[RC]

CONGRATS!! :hatsoff:

cool the boy was there too! :thumbsup:

 

[chance]

Congrats!!!

 

[rabjr]

:hatsoff:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

RC,

The son tried to shoot his first DX qualifier too that day, but a late night with the girlfriend prevented the score from accumulating! We did enjoy each other's company AND he was the first to shake my hand when I'd finished shooting the 94x100, so all wasn't lost .

Swampy, thanks and get better! Chance thanks for the kudos as well!

Dave

 

[hockeyref]

Any more info on this program, links, etc. would be appreciated. What targets are use, rules?

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Any more info on this program, links, etc. would be appreciated. What targets are use, rules?

Hockeyref,

The best link I can give you is to go to the NRA web site. That's www.nra.org .Then search for the Qualification Program by clicking on the Competitions link and also "getting started", then click on black powder competitions. I know that this seems like a lot of clicking, but you'll have more questions answered that way than I can possibly type befor I'm called for dinner :haha: .

As far as the course of fire goes, it varies with the level that you're trying to obtain. Pro-Marksman is the first level, and Marksman is just above that. Those two can be shot in a single day's worth of shooting, due to the fact that a lower net score is required, and as soon as you shoot enough points to qualify as a Pro-Marksman, you can shoot (on separate targets) for the Marksman Qualification, which requires a few more points. As long as you make the grade, you don't have to shoot all 13 shots at each target :nono: . Think of it as a step-ladder, and going up each rung till you get to the top. These first two start at 25 yards and have targets out to 50 yards. Each step in the ladder must be shot twice, from the stated positions in the manual for the given yardage for each classification. It's easy until you get to the DX Qualifier!

The Distinguished Expert classification requires each competitor to shoot 2 targets at 50 yards (1) standing and either (1) sitting or kneeling, your choice. It's a 13 shot course of fire on standardized B-19 International targets. You count the best 10 shots, and throw-out the worst three on each target, so the best you can get is a perfect score of 400, which is everything in the ten-X ring, from both 50 and 100 yards! That's probably very RARE :shocked2: , but I did shoot several of the required (6) Qualifiers into the 315-320 zone. A score of 265x400 is required for the DX classification. This has to be obtained on (6) individual days, as the black powder league isn't an all-day-long ordeal, but rather a morning to early pm type of shoot, so that you have time to drive home and clean the firearm, get some dinner and relax before calling it a night and starting the whole thing all over again on a Monday morning :shake: .

The rankings are: Pro-Marksman, Marksman, Marksman First Class, Sharpshooter, Expert, and Distinguished Expert.

My son Andy is an Expert, having earned that rank last month while home from college . I'm blessed to have been there with him to watch him accomplish this feat. At the ripe old age of 20 he is the youngest member of the black powder league, so he's the youngest muzzle loading Expert that the club has.

As far as the official set of rules goes, you have to buy them from the NRA (not much money) and get registered to give the program. Our League Chairman is registered to administer the Qualification Program, as is also an NRA certified Instructor for black powder in rifle, pistol and shotgun. Once you or someone is registered, you can order supplies such as approved B-19 International Targets, rank rockers and arm patches, hat pins, and of course Certificates (blanks) to be filled-in with names and dates that each shooter made the various Qualifications.

So far I'm only the second member of the club to attain the rank of Distinguished Expert for muzzle loading. Our League Chairman has just one more leg of the required mandatory six legs to shoot to make his DX, and several other members of the league are vying for the same rank or other ranks below, as they progress along the way.

I hope that I've been helpful with my answer, without being too :yakyak: long winded.

To see what we're up to, here's a link to the club's web site: www.obrpc.org . Click on "Newsletter" and check-out the Muzzle Loaders League report that's published every month.

Have a great rest of the week!

Dave Rosenthal
smokin .50

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Forgot to mention the course of fire at the 100 yard position: 13 shots off-hand (standing), and then 13 shots prone on a mat. It's a real work-out with all of that up and down and loading 26 PRB's, with a spit patch or two every 5 shots to maintain the level of accuracy needed to compete at this level. I don't have to go to the gym after I get done shooting this 4-position match :shake: .

The 50 yard course of fire is also 26 shots, with 13 at each of 2 separate targets, as outlined previously (standing, then either sitting of kneeling, your choice).

Sorry that I didn't get to type that in my previous reply :redface:

Dave

 

[Capt. Fred]

Congrats to ya!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[John Wasmuth]

:thumbsup:

 

[hockeyref]

Congrats on enduring the the ordeal and consistently putting up the good scores.... Take skill and perserverence.


I did go looking on the NRA Competition site after I posted ... That site sucks... From what I found and what you've described, this sounds like the same qual\classification program we used at a bullseye pistol league at a club I used to belong. The thing that I remember was that I shot a lot of 270 - 274 scores before I got to the point of being elligible to try for Expert because you had to "punch the tickets" for each tab and bar. Then life got in the way and I quit shooting any sort of formal bullseye. I eventually migrated to High Power and Long Range rifle and earned my Master classification X-Course
and missed Master at 1000yds by literally .1%. Still trying to string enough good scores together to get my LR Master card and then I'll work on High Master (averaging 97% or better) as well as my Distinguished riflemen's badge. Shooting a flintlock off hand will definitely improve my follow through.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Thanks to Capt. Fred and Micanopy for the kudos!

Hockeyref, sounds to me like you've been a little involved in competitions yourself!

I'll say this to the day that I die: This Qualification program makes a better, more consistent shooter out of you, and you really get to know the in's & out's of what your rifle likes! If you do your part, you CAN do it! We have some new members of the black powder league that are just starting the Qualification program, and scores AT THE REGULAR MONTHLY MATCHES are going up sooner than would be expected otherwise :wink: . I think that everyone should try a challenging thing to do once in a while, and for me this was it!

Good luck in your endeavors!

Dave

 

[hockeyref]

Always looking for a challenge!

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Quite an accomplishment. :thumbsup: GW

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Quite an accomplishment. :thumbsup: GW

Thanks GW!

 

[RADeO]

You have demonstrated a tremendous and noteworthy level of ability! You have my respect and most hearty congratulations! :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[jethro224]

Grats! :hatsoff: