Match Results
2025 Sporting, Rook & Double Rifle Matches / Best of The Best Match / 2025 Winter League Schuetzen Gallery Match
column By: Cody Smith | June, 25
2025 Sporting, Rook & Double Rifle Matches
Oak Ridge, Tennessee – April 11-12, 2025
Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association
Rod England, winner of the Sporting Rifle match.
Rosco Stevenson, winner of the Rook Rifle match.
Jacob Joosten, winner of the Double Rifle match.
Tom Rowe, the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Group photo of all the shooters. More photos of the weekend shoots and rifles are posted on the 19th Century Battery Facebook page.
Best of The Best Match
Carpenter, Wyoming – February 17-18, 2025Smithmoor Range
A warm and cozy shooting house.
I have experimented by holding a variety of different matches over the years and have always looked for a way to have a no-holds-barred, “Best of the Best” match. Finally, I think we have it figured out and I hope our “Best of the Best” Winter Championship will become an annual tradition each February in the years to come. The match consists of what I consider the three most challenging rimfire rifle disciplines: a benchrest match, an offhand Schuetzen-style match, and a silhouette match. Each discipline was shot as a separate competition with cash prizes and a ranking score given based on their placement in each match. These three ranking scores were then added together to find out which shooter is the “Best of the Best”. First place received 10 points, second place – nine points, third place – eight points, fourth place – seven points, fifth place – six points, with sixth place on down receiving five points, as long as they completed firing the competition. This process accomplished a couple things I thought were important. First, a shooter could not shoot a blowout score that was significantly higher than second place and have that score carry them into an overall win. They would have to shoot well in all three events if they hoped to win the overall. The other thing it did was it allowed a shooter to do well in two events, and perhaps poorly in a third and still be in the running to receive a prize. I didn’t want one discipline to either guarantee an overall win, or guarantee they were completely out of taking home a prize. The system seemed to work well.
February would be a tough month to hold an outdoor shooting match in most of the country – and Carpenter, Wyoming – would normally be at the top of the list for worst places.
We are blessed with the shooting shed here at Smithmoor Range that allows us to shoot in relative comfort in all but the very worst of conditions. We shoot from inside the building beneath propane-fired radiant heaters and have a wood stove blazing.
I firmly believe there should be more facilities like ours across the country that would facilitate practice and competition during the winter months.
We broke the shooters into two groups. We called them “Division One” and “Division Two.” Division One, is made up of shooters that hold either Master or Grandmaster status in 22 BPCR Silhouette or generally can shoot a score of 875 out of the 1250 “possible” on the Wyoming Schuetzen Union German Ring targets, offhand. Division Two, is made up of those who do not qualify for Division One.
We started the match on Saturday with three bench rest targets at 100 yards. We used the WSU German Ring targets purchased from SPG Sales and followed Wyoming Schuetzen Union rules. Ed Himelhoch came out in the lead in Division Two, with a solid 715-9C out of 750, while Gary Smith was second with a 711-12C and Greg Tryon was third with a 711-10C. In Division One, Carl Eliason led the pack with a 734-16C and held the high target that scored a 246. Second place went to Steve Anderson with a 718-7C and Phillip Dobkins took third place with a 706-9C.
We started the match on Saturday with three bench rest targets at 100 yards. We used the WSU German Ring targets purchased from SPG Sales and followed Wyoming Schuetzen Union rules. Ed Himelhoch came out in the lead in Division Two, with a solid 715-9C out of 750, while Gary Smith was second with a 711-12C and Greg Tryon was third with a 711-10C. In Division One, Carl Eliason led the pack with a 734-16C and held the high target that scored a 246. Second place went to Steve Anderson with a 718-7C and Phillip Dobkins took third place with a 706-9C.
Division One winners (L-R): Cody Smith (3rd), Phillip Dobkins (2nd) and Steve Anderson (1st - overall champion).
Division Two winners (L-R): Ed Himelhoch (3rd), Vern Viergutz (2nd), and Greg Tryon (1st).
In the offhand match, we again used the WSU targets at 100 yards and followed WSU rules. Three targets were shot, with 10 shots on each target. Division Two, saw Vern Viergutz shoot a solid 536-2C to take first. Second went to Greg Tryon with a 526-2C, and Tom Sackett (no relation to Tell, I asked) took third with a 510. In Division One, I was pleased to be first with a 608-2C, while second went to Phillip Dobkins with a 575-1C and Steve Anderson took third with a 563-1C.
On Sunday, we shot the silhouette discipline. It was a standard 40-shot, .22 BPCR course. The rules required the shooters to shoot the same rifle for all of the events. They could change sights out, but the rifle had to be the same. Several of us shot our Schuetzen rifles for the bench and offhand matches, and had to shoot it on silhouette, too. It was a bit of challenge and was the first time I had attempted to shoot silhouette with a Schuetzen rifle, but it was fun. In Division Two, Greg Tryon took first with a 26/40, second went to Vern Viergutz with a 22/40 and Ed Himelhoch was third also with a 22/40. In Division One, Michael Rix was first with a 36/40, Steve Anderson second with a 35/40, and Dan Womer took third also with a 35/40. Ties in the silhouette match were settled by shoot-offs, while ties in the aggregate were decided by most center hits in the offhand, then most center hits from the bench, and finally on chicken count, if it needed to go that far.
It was fun to see who came out on top in the aggregate, as several of shooters did not win any of the individual matches, but posted three solid scores and came out in the winner’s circle in the end. In Division Two, Ed Himelhoch was third after earning 22 points, Vern Viergutz was second also with a 22, and Greg Tryon was first with 26 points.
In Division One, I was pleased to earn third place with a 22, while second went to Phillip Dobkins with a 23, and super shooter Steve Anderson earned the coveted title of “Best of the Best” Champion of 2025, with 26! It was a fun weekend and there was some very competitive shooting.
The winners all took home substantial cash prizes, and we enjoyed some excellent lunches and the best comradery among the shooters. Match conditions were about what one would expect for a winter day in the west. “Cold and windy” pretty much sums it up, but we shot in relative comfort inside the building.
Our “Best of the Best” champion, Steve Anderson, used a C. Sharps 1885 Low Wall silhouette rifle with a single set trigger and a Bartlein barrel topped with a DZ Arms 8x scope. DZ Arms did the barrel work as well. RWS R 100 was his ammo of choice. Second place, Phillip Dobkins used a CPA silhouette rifle with a Douglas barrel, a DZ Arms scope and Lapua Long Range ammo. For my third place, I used my original Winchester 1885 Highwall Schuetzen rifle with double set triggers and iron sights. It has been re-barreled by DZ Arms with a Bartlein barrel, and I use a Baldwin front sight and my favorite MVA Soule rear sight. Eley Tenex ammunition is my trusted choice when all the chips are on the table and I’m all in.
The match filled up this year, and I would bet will fill up just as quickly next year. If you are interested in coming and taking your shot for the title of “Best of the Best,” put it on your calendar for the third weekend in February, 2026, and let me know so I can get you a spot saved.
A big “thank-you” to our generous sponsors of Wyoming Sight Drifter, SPG Sales, Reed Livestock and all our shooters. We wouldn’t have this range and matches if we didn’t have you.
Hold Center,
Cody Smith
Cody Smith
2025 Winter League Schuetzen Gallery Match
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport Shooting Association
50 feet, Offhand, WSU German Ring target, 500 shots for score, 12,500 possible.
Davenport Shooting Association
50 feet, Offhand, WSU German Ring target, 500 shots for score, 12,500 possible.
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