Barranco and Miller Provide Insight on Winning Inaugural Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match

CAMP PERRY, OHIO – As they left the 600-yard firing line on Viale Range, Mike Barranco and Mike Miller acknowledged they shot well in the National Matches debut of the Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match here on Wednesday, 3 August, but neither was aware that it was good enough to win the match.

Mike Miller, left, and Mike Barranco led all shooters at this year’s inaugural Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match at Camp Perry. In this article they share some of their insights and advice for those thinking about shooting the match in the future.

When the scores were tallied, there were just two points separating first to third place.

“We shot pretty well – I think we’re probably in third,” Barranco said moments after the conclusion of the new two-person CMP Games match. Barranco’s and Miller’s 391-9X aggregate just eclipsed that of Robert Steketee and Thomas Dean, who placed second with a score of 390-11X. Dennis DeMille and Glendale “Don” Rutherford finished third with a total score of 389-13X.

Barranco, 46, of Irvine, California and Miller, 64, of Downey, California, were consistent at both 300 and 600 yards, with Barranco firing 98-3X at 300 compared to Miller’s 97-2X. At 600, both shooters fired 98-2X, giving Barranco an aggregate of 196-5X and Miller a 195-4X.

Dave Emary, left, becomes the shooter as his teammate and TV and film personality, Gunny R. Lee Ermey exits the firing point to become Emary’s spotter.

“We were shooting Mike Miller’s reproduction M1903A4 that he topped with an original Weaver 330C scope,” Barranco said.

“We fired Mike’s hand loads with 168-grain Hornady A-Max bullets. In his testing before going to Camp Perry, the combination proved very accurate. To get sufficient elevation adjustment, Mike put a shim under the scope base,” he continued.

Several very good scores were recorded at the inaugural sniper match at Camp Perry. Match winners Mike Barranco and Mike Miller expect scores to get even better at future matches as shooters get acquainted with the new format.

As a side note, Miller said he suspected many teams who had not fired their rifle at a 600-yard range may have discovered during the match that they maxed out their scope’s elevation adjustment at 600 yards and had to hold somewhere above the bull’s eye.

“It’s one of those things that guys will sort out next time. We’re fortunate to have a full 600-yard range at the Burbank Rifle and Revolver Club (California), where Mike tested the rifle,” Barranco said.

NRA volunteer line officer Danny Rolow of Anaheim, California, finds a four-leaf clover while walking the line at the 2011 Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match.

“I had never shot the rifle before the match. What I expected was that the tiny 2.5 power Weaver scope would be a handicap at the distances we’d be shooting, but it wasn’t bad,” he said. “I think more magnification would be better.”

“We saw many teams using 8-power Unertl scopes on the Springfield and that would be my first choice if I were building a rifle for this match.”

The second place team, Steketee and Dean, are accomplished shooters and they were using this set-up, Miller added.

Hornady Manufacturing Chief Ballistic Scientist, Dave Emary, explains some of the elements of the Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match at a clinic in advance of the match.

“Once we dialed some wind on the scope at 300, I think we just kept holding in the center. At 600, I recall we did “chase the spotter” and tried to hold a bit left or right, based on the previous shot, to correct for wind,” Barranco said.

“There must have been some good luck involved, not taking a shot when the wind had picked-up or let-off, that let us outscore some good shooters that were competing,” Miller followed.

This close-up of a rifle buttstock shows affixed plates which provide as-issued information including caliber, bore condition and ballistics for the 6.5mm G/m96 Swedish Mauser rifle.

“The 20 seconds the target is up is more than enough time to take a good shot. I mean, the targets aren’t moving and they’re coming up at the same location every time. So anyone who is able to shoot prone and has a decent rifle/scope/ammunition combination could do well,” he added.

Miller fired the trial match in Phoenix last October at the CMP Western Games at Ben Avery Shooting Facility and that experience gave him an inkling of what to expect at Camp Perry this summer.

“At Camp Perry, he (Miller) did all the work and all I had to do was show up and shoot,” Barranco said. “When Mike shot the test match at the Western Games in Phoenix, he used an M1D. I wasn’t there, but I recall that he said it wasn’t an ideal set-up.”

Communication between shooters and spotters is crucial when making windage adjustments after the initial sighting-in period.

“The M84 scope on the M1D has that neat looking “sniper” crosshair, the one that looks like the Washington Monument, with a thin horizontal stadia. It’s not well-suited for shooting a bull’s eye target because it’s hard to get consistent elevation. The tip of that post disappears into the black,” Barranco said.

“The Weaver 330C we used has a regular crosshair. It’s in nice condition and has a clear view. A lot of the older scopes haven’t held up so well and finding one that doesn’t have a hazy view will probably take some searching, especially now that a lot of guys are looking for them,” Miller explained.

Vintage Sniper Military Rifle Team shooters looking for the next opportunity to fire the match are invited to participate at the 2011 CMP Western Games at Ben Avery on Tuesday, 18 October.

The CMP Western Games will also feature the traditional three-gun aggregate series consisting of the John C. Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle (GSM) matches, plus an as-issued Garand EIC Match. The event also includes a new-shooter GSM clinic plus Rimfire Sporter and M1 Carbine matches. A barbecue will follow the Rimfire Sporter Match and achievement medal presentations will conclude each day’s festivities.

The new Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match trophy depicts a World War II scout sniper with a 1903A4 rifle and his spotter using binoculars.

CMP rifle and ammunition sales will be conducted each day of the Western Games. The Creedmoor Cup highpower matches will follow Wednesday through Sunday, 19-23 October at Ben Avery.

For complete results of the 2011 Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match, log onto http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=6544. To view, download and order photos from the matches, log onto http://cmp1.zenfolio.com. 

For more information schedules for the 2011 CMP Western Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches, log onto http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/WesternGames.htm.

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