Team Hornady members, Joe Thielen and Randy Stephens took top honors at the 2010 Missouri State 1000 yard bench rest championships in Yukon, MO on June 26, 2010. Competing in a field of over 30 competitors, Joe, also an Engineer at Hornady Manufacturing, took 1st place in Light Gun group and another 1st in Light Gun overall. Randy took 1st place in the Heavy Gun score category as well as Heavy Gun overall.

The course of fire that entailed two, five shot targets with the light guns (17 lbs or less) and two, ten shot groups with the heavy guns (unlimited class). Each target was measured for group size and counted for score. Weather conditions were less than ideal, with 90-95 degree temperatures, high humidity, and an unpredictable fishtailing wind that made shooting very difficult.

Randy was shooting Hornady 30 caliber 208 gr A-MAX bullets in his heavy gun, which is chambered in 300 WSM. Both of his Heavy Gun targets were impressive with regard to both group and score. His first target was a 5.050" / 99-4X and he followed that up with a 7.382" / 95-3X, giving him a group average of 6.216 inches. Considering the 10 ring is only 7" in diameter, dropping only 6 points is very impressive.

Joe was shooting Hornady 7mm 162 gr. A-MAX bullets in a 280 Remington Improved cartridge. The Light Gun targets measured an impressive 4.005" / 47 followed by a 3.779" / 45 (both pictured below). The group average was an amazing 3.892". The fact that these groups are shot at well over half of a mile makes it almost unbelievable.

Joe had this to say after the match, "Shooting 1000 yard bench rest is my passion. Being able to use the bullets that I help design and build to shoot groups like these at 1000 yards leaves no doubt in my mind that we are on the cutting edge of match bullet technology, and we're not done yet."