The Rio Salado Defense Match
This is event is the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club’s version of ASRPA’s Arizona Defense match. The match is altered slightly to accommodate the range configuration and safety requirements of the Rio Salado highpower range. A full review of the Arizona Defense Match as run by the ASRPA is here: Link to Attachment
Objective:
1.This match is designed to simulate conditions the rifleman or riflewoman might encounter with the Arizona geography and conditions to achieve proficiency with their rifles in a safe manner.
2. Know Your Rifle/Ammo/Bare essentials equipment will prevail at this match.
3. There will be no sight in shots for the match.
Course of Fire / Safety
1. The RSDM will be a 50 shot course of fire. There are no sighting shots.
2. All strings will be fired in the prone position using a sling or a functional backpack rest. No ancillary rests allowed. Shooting mats are allowed and need not be moved from the line. The matchfiring distance will be 100 to 300 yards.
3. There are 2 separate 10 round strings of fire at 100 and 200 yds. A single 10 round string is fired at 300 yds.
4. The rifle will be in an unloaded, magazine out (external) or magazine empty (internal) condition with an empty chamber indicator inserted until the rifle is in a stable muzzle downrange position and the make ready command has been given.
RIFLE
1. Any modern battle rifle up to and including .30 caliber may be used. Any sight system may be used. Scoped semi‐auto rifles will be the preferred and advantaged. (M1 Garand and bolt action rifles have been used successfully for this match by more experienced shooters.) 10 rounds is the maximum allowed in a rifle for any given string of fire.
2. Every rifle will be equipped with a functional sling to carry the rifle with muzzle in up or down position during the match. No rifle will be touched without an ECI, or other chamber device, and the safety engaged. The ONLY EXCEPTION is when in the READY POSITION.
3. There are no official rules regarding rifle classifications. For convenience, the RSDM defines three basic rifle types.
A.) Vintage /Military Carbine: Any rifle equipped with iron sights. Modern rifles with barrels 20” or less and unmagnified sighting systems.
B.) Modern Carbine: Semi-auto rifles with barrels 20” or less and Magnified sighting systems of not more 6X.
C.) Precision Rifle: Accurized Rifles with unlimited optics. Any rifle not covered in 1 or 2 above.
Targets: Due to the range layout the RSSC cannot use the NRA NDM target. At 100 and 200 yds we have adopted the NRA B24 target. Center to the 9 ring count as 20 points, the black outside of the 9 ring is 10 points and anything on paper is 5 points. The 300yd targets are steel, 12X12 for Iron sights/carbines and 8” rounds for precision rifles.10 points for a hit and 0 for a miss.
How to fire the match:
Shooters will meet at the firing line for sign-up, squadding and to receive their paper targets. As a group the shooters will move forward to set up the target holders and place their targets on them. Target set up is done with the shooters equipment “rucked up” for extended carry.
Back at the line the Match Director will call the Relay (X) to the Line. At this point the shooter is “rucked-up” and the firing portion of the match has begun for the shooter. At the Make Readycommand the shooter has 2 minutes to “ruck-down”, get down into the prone position, set-up their equipment/rifle, get aligned on target, remove the ECI and dry fire if desired.
After the 2 minute readying period is over, the Match Director will give the Fire Command. The shooter has 1 minute to load the rifle with 10 rounds maximum and shoot the string on their target. After 1 minute, the Cease Fire command is given and all shooting must stop. The magazine is removed and any saved rounds must be removed from the rifle. As soon as practicable the Match Director will give the Fire Command(for the second string) and the 1 minute string of fire is repeated. At the Cease Fire, Unload and Make the Line Safe” command, the magazine is removed, any saved rounds are removed and safeties put in the on position. Once the line is called safe then firing for this relay and yardage is complete and shooters remove their gear from the line.
The Match Director will call Relay (X) to the Lineand the above processis repeated for the relay and yardage directed by the Match Director. Once all relays have completed firing at 100yds & 200yds the paper portion of the match is over.
Due to the range configuration, the 300yd portion of the match is shot on steel plates.12” square for rifle categories 1 & 2 and 8”rounds for category 3. The Match Director assigns new squadding as the steel is on different points than the paper targets and there are proportionally fewer steel targets than paper ones. Also, a scorer is required to count the hits for the shooter.
For the 300yd stage, the Match Director will call Relay (X) to the Line and Relay (X+2) take position to score.(Relay x+1 is readying to take position on the line). Relay (X) comes to the line “rucked-up” awaiting the make ready command. At the Make Ready command the shooter has 2 minutes to “ruck-down”, get down into the prone position, set-up their equipment/rifle, get aligned on target, remove the ECI and dry fire if desired. After the 2 minute readying period is over, the Match Director will give the Fire Command. The shooter has 1 minute to load the rifle with 10 rounds maximum and shoot the string on their target. After 1 minute, At the Cease Fire, Unload and Make the Line Safe” command, the magazine is removed, any saved rounds are removed, ECI’s installed and safeties put in the on position. Once the line is called safe then firing for this relay and yardage is complete and shooters remove their gear from the line.
As a group the shooters will move forward to remove their targets and store the target holders. Range target equipment is to be replaced in the appropriate storage facilities. Target tear down is done with the shooters equipment “rucked up” for extended carry.
Match Director Derek Moore
Division Director Michael Toliver