Seven Shot Relay Match

With the success (so far) of the numerous club shoots we have had, and the current first ever "Internet Match" currently in progress, I have been searching for ways to spice things up a little. I was doing research on my new CZ-52 pistol and found a web site by a gentlemen named Bob Tulley. He has a little thing called the Seven Shot Relay. This is not only a great little skill tester, but looks like a whole lot of fun. It includes a time limit, a mandatory reload, and the use of a "pick up" second weapon. This is intended to be a real world match, with only iron sights, shooting targets at 100 yards. So without further rambling, here are the details for your consideration.

The Bob Tuley Match Guidelines
 http://www.bobtuley.com/matchguidelines_main.htm
bobtuley@bobtuley.com

Main Guidelines
Unlike many shooting sports, which obligate shooters to invest thousands of dollars modifying their weapons with expensive high tech barrels, sights, and triggers. The Bob Tuley philosophy considers such frills undesirable for the development of true shooting proficiency. Bob Tuley Matches are intended to promote safety and proficiency with service grade military small arms. Military rifles of any country which are in current or historic use are permitted, however, weapons are not permitted to have match barrels, match triggers or similar modifications.  The key element in any Bob Tuley match is known as the seven shot relay which is has been proven to cause significant improvements in shooter accuracy, proficiency and skill.


The Seven-Shot Relay
In each match the seven-shot relay is repeated five times.  In the seven-shot relay, shooters stand ready, locked & loaded, safeties ON, fingers straight and off triggers.

Then on command, they go prone and shoot.

  • Shooters have only 35 seconds to:
  • fire 3 shots from their primary rifle (one shot in each of three targets) one shot to left target, one to center target, one to right target  
  • change magazines (or reload cartridges if using a bolt gun) 
  • fire 3 more shots from their primary rifle one shot to left target, one to center target, one to right target  
  • then the shooter must pick-up a secondary rifle,  "pick-up gun" and fire one shot into their far right (third) target
    (fire one shot into right target)

    note: shooters using bolt guns, can vary the numbers of cartridges loaded so long as they must pause at some point and reload

Pickup Gun: The secondary weapon or "pickup-gun" must be a military weapon, not owned by the shooter.  This is a fun opportunity to shoot some neat stuff and is intended to give the shooter experience with as many kinds of weapons as
possible to increase true shooting skill.


Scoring Your Targets

Scoring. In each match the seven-shot relay is repeated five times.

Each shooter's three targets are examined by the official scorer after the completion of the five, seven-shot relays.    You will have shot 30 rounds with your main rifle, and 5 shots with your "pick-up" rifle.  A hit in the black is scored as one.  Missing the black is not scored.  A perfect score would be 35.  Scores from each target are added together and recorded in an official ledger. Entries should include the shooters name, score, primary rifle and secondary rifle.  

Note: as per general NRA practice, if the bullet hole splits the paper into a black region, it is counted as a "hit". The official scorer has the final word and his or her decision is final.  

A note of explanation about the
Seven Shot Relay (7SR)

I sent an email to the creator of the Seven Shot Relay. Here's his reply. This should give you some insight into the event.

"We shoot at 100 yards.  We shoot silouettes that are about 6" wide and 10" tall. You can use big NRA bullseyes too. We got so good at the silouettes that we now fold one in half top to bottom, and one corner to corner. The third target we leave full. It just needs to be fast, challenging to a newbie, and be consistent from shooter to shooter so each guy gets an identical set of targets. We shot jap targets one year.  Little guys with funny hats and jap rifles.

The AR is a super rifle for this type of match. We went as far as to ban it from regular matches as the bolt guys were bitching that modern AR's aren't real G.I. guns. I'd say use whatever you got cause it's your match. Anyhow when you're shooting that fast, muzzle breaks, and other bells and whistles are probably going to make you shoot worse than just having open sights like on an G.I. issue gun. The only losers are companies who make money selling cheap plastic stuff to guys who don't know the difference. Mag changes are quick, and the rifle is quick too as well are pretty darn accurate with surplus ammo way out.

The big idea here is to do REAL rifle things that one would encounter. We don't stand there like corpses like in NRA high power. We dive on the ground to avoid fire and assume a solid shooting position. We shoot multiple targets with multiple shooters, the guy on the right kills the guys on the right etc. You have a mag change.  And you have to pick-up an unusual rifle with your last shot to give you a change to shoot other people's old guns that you might encounter. An AK, Mauser, Enfield, something that an actual G.I. might find in the field. "

Bob Tuley

An unsolicited testimonial about the 7SR:
"Good to hear you all are shooting the 7 shot relay! I'm part of the "second generation" of the original Bob Tuley service rifle match shooters here in Hamilton, Ohio.  This match has improved my shooting skills exponentially! I mean it! Anyone who discounts the match with out shooting it has done themselves a disservice!" 
Sean P. Collins, Trenton, Ohio