April 2026 (2) - Flipbook - Page 29
opportunities to practice simply aren’t comparable to what
shooters in the US enjoy.
In Norway — as in many other
European countries — we have a
strong shooting culture. National matches gather thousands
of competitors, and weekend
competitions are plentiful. If
you’d like, you can shoot two or
three matches every weekend,
with weekday competitions on
top of that. But almost all of it is
for smokeless disciplines. Black
powder events are rare, and
long range black powder matches are nonexistent exept for a
few at Bisley, UK.
Training out to 300 meters
is easy; we have thousands of
ranges for that. We used to have
good access to 600meter ranges as well, and military ranges
occasionally allowed civilians
to train even farther. But after
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
in 2022, those opportunities
closed almost overnight. Anything beyond 300 meters is
now not so easy for civilians in
Europe.
So if you want to practice long
range — really practice — you
have to travel. And That’s Why
Phoenix Matters This is where
the Phoenix Desert International enters the picture. There is
no other match anywhere in the
world that o昀昀ers the same volume and variety of mid and long
range black powder shooting.
None. Add to that the famously
tricky wind conditions at Ben
Avery, and you have the perfect
laboratory for becoming a better
long range shooter.
I have competed there three
times: in 2020, 2024, and 2026.
It was challenging in 2020 and
2024, but 2026 was something
entirely di昀昀erent. Let’s just say
the conditions were not friendly
to anyone with a loose wig.
But that’s exactly the point. These
are the conditions you need to
master if you want to grow in this
sport. If you can read wind and
terrain at Ben Avery, you are well
equipped to shoot long range anywhere in the world.
A Simple Wish
This is a long way of saying something simple:
I hope more long range black
powder shooters outside the United States take advantage of what
Phoenix o昀昀ers. It isn’t free, and it
certainly isn’t close. But if black
powder long range is your passion
— if you truly want to improve —
then Phoenix is the place to be.
No other match gives you more.
No other match gives you better
training. And… you meet a bunch
of great new friends that enjoy the
same art of joy as you.
Tried & True • Choice of Champions
Photo courtesy of Mark Humphries
Schuetzen Powder Energetics Inc.
• Arlington TX USA • info@schuetaenpowder.com • 866-809-9704
God bless Black Powder!
29
