NRL Hunter 2026 Grand Slam Finale

It wasn't the spectacular scenery. It wasn't the second to none well organized match. It wasn't even the warm welcome that has me looking forward to competing in a hunter match. It was the realization that even I could learn to pitch like that.

Having never been to a hunter match, I was no different than any other guy walking the planet with preconceived notions about "what is". And being of the slow sort, it took until that Sunday to lock in the idea that maybe, just maybe, I could play the game.

There is a noticeable difference between PRS and Hunter matches. There're the equipment differences, stage differences, what's decided for you and what strategy you cobble together as the stage comes into view. I doubt that if I'd never showed up I'd ever have gained an appreciation for the hunter style of competition.

So I drive 1200 miles down to Clovis, back and forth from Clovis to the venue a few times, and 1200 miles back to Fargo. I'm going - la te da - driving south, and became consumed with strategizing how to put together my rifle on the trip back north.

What convinced me? I saw competitors of all sizes, shapes and ages. I asked one guy how old he was, thinking he might have been close to my age, and he was 14 years younger than me. Proves I can't tell ages at all, but I was undeterred by the age thing. In PRS I've run into a couple of guys a year younger than me, but none older, yet.

Equipment is another thing. The load is lighter. Carrying a rifle somewhere under 17 pounds would actually be a treat. A couple of bags, tripod, carbon bipod, ammo for a day, and a pair of binos shouldn't be as much of a chore as carrying a workshop's worth of paraphernalia - and a 25 pound rifle!

What I saw as my biggest challenge was spotting targets. After watching more than a few stages with my 15 power - zero field of view - binos, even I started finding a few targets. Later, looking through the lesser powered but clearer glass of some ROs, my world expanded with clarity and expanse.

So, with a proper set of binos for spotting and ranging, and my choice for how to engage targets from the places prescribed by the match director, there might be a chance I could escape a match above last place.

I pulled the 27.5" #3 6mmBR critter-gitter off my Stiller, screwed on a 26" three groove medium Palma, popped in a Bix'n Andy TacSport X two stage trigger with a Gator grip shoe set at about 23 ounces, and headed to a place with short grass to see if I could shoot a light-er 6.5 Creedmoor. Putting 4 unknown/random Hornady factory rounds into pretty much the same place - it decided it'll shoot.

Now I just gotta find some binos with a rangefinder . . .