October 2026 (1) - Flipbook - Page 18
The 2027
Steve Rhoades
Memorial Desert
International
and
Dan
Theodore Iron
Man Match
By Zack Taylor
The Desert Duece
Editor’s Note by
Jonny V
worth the coveted X.
At 昀椀rst glance, the Desert International is a very imposing
event to enter. Eight days of
long-range shooting in Phoenix. A $335 entry fee for all
the events. For most people, it
requires a substantial amount
of travel to get there. When you
add an accommodation to the
mix, whether it’s a hotel or an
Airbnb or staying at the campsite located at the Ben Avery
shooting sports complex, the
investment in this event is quite
signi昀椀cant. On top of that, this
is a target match. It’s not a gong
shoot or a silhouette match
where a hit anywhere on the
target counts. In this match, a
hit out on the edge is worth six
points while hitting the black is
worth nine or 10, maybe even
There are a lot of reasons to
be skeptical about attending
this match. However, I want to
touch on a few of the reasons
why this match is worth every
bit of the investment it takes
to get there. First o昀昀, you will
be shooting for eight straight
days in extremely challenging conditions. Springtime in
Phoenix usually brings moderate temperatures sometimes
getting into the 90s, but mostly in the 80’s. Nighttime mist
and the occasional rain shower
will generally result in mirage
conditions during the daytime.
Sometimes, these conditions
can be extreme to where it looks
like your target is at the bottom of a swimming pool full of
rowdy kids. There’s also usually
a good amount of wind. Rim昀椀re
18
shooting at 200 yards in these
conditions can be a daunting
experience at best. Our BPCR
Ri昀氀es at extended ranges are
extremely challenging. On top of
this, you’re facing a Murderer’s
Row of competition. The shooters who show up to this event
are dead serious and many of
them are well known and dominant shooters who typically
win most of the matches they
enter. With that said, there’s
a strong sense of camaraderie
among the shooters. Everybody
is happy to help everyone else.
When I showed up at my 昀椀rst
Desert International three years
ago, I didn’t have anybody to
shoot with. Zach took me under
his wing and helped me out for
that entire eight days. I ended
up gaining about three years of
experience in one week.
October, 2026, Issue #4
