January 2026 copy - Flipbook - Page 30
The Desert
International 2025
Phoenix, AZ. April, 2025
by Zack Taylor
reckoned with on
the world stage of
long range black
powder target ri昀氀e
competition.
Seven consecutive days
of shooting black powder
target ri昀氀e events at the
best target range available
in the United States drew
34 entries from ri昀氀emen
across the United States
like Alaska, Georgia, South
Florida, Iowa and New
Hampshire. The real story
is about the shooters and
volunteers.
The score sheets and
equipment list only hint
at the whole story of the
2025 event. Essentially,
the Desert International
is both a continuation and
celebration of events that
birthed the National Ri昀氀e Association in 1873-74
that established American
ri昀氀emen as a force to be
30
Fortunately, this
year, the Event
Coordinator was
medically released
to travel on the day before
time to leave for Ben Avery Range to kick o昀昀 the
2025 Desert International.
This caused an immediate intensive search of my
workshop to locate enough
vintage (some dated 2015)
ammunition for four ri昀氀es
to shoot all events, load the
camper, coordinate trophy
delivery, etc, etc. Barely
had enough time to forget
a few things. Impossible to
fully recognize those that
stepped up and made the
2025 event happen, anticipating that I would be unavailable. Please help me
to thank Skip Burks, Curtis
Stables, Steve Farringer,
Chip Mate, Jon Viebrock,
Mark Schuenke, Cli昀昀
Gregg, Bruce Dove, Dennis Armistead and Steve
Fogler for shouldering the
load. Moreover, the real
hero of the Desert International is Bill Loughrige,
President of Arizona Western Independent National
Shoot, (AZWINS), which is
the organization that sponsors and coordinates the
Desert International Event
to the Management of Ben
Avery Shooting Facility.
Without Bill there would
be no Desert International Event. He also ramrods the banquet/awards
ceremony feast of steak
and home made biscuits.
Thank Bill when you see
him.
The 2025 competition for
the IRONMAN Award was
昀椀erce with “The Legends”
of Lodi, Mark Schuenke and his side kick Cli昀昀
Gregg, on 昀椀re all seven
days. Not only did the
Legends carry away the
Ironman Trophy they also
were high scorers for the
Modern BPCR Shooter - January, 2026
