On the first and second of this month, October 2022, I participated at Thunder on the Tundra- a charity shooting competition. It was a spontaneous decision on my part. A friend called saying that two of his shooting partners had cancelled and he was looking for someone to fill their spot, which I was more than happy to do. A week later I found myself at the event.
Thunder on the Tundra
Held in Ripon, Wisconsin, west of Fond du Lac, Thunder on the Tundra is a Com-bloc [Communist Bloc] only shooting competition. American rifles are not welcome. Most competitors shoot one variant or another of the AK-47 and AK-74. Still widely used to this day, both weapons are iconic of the Cold War. Proceeds from the event go towards a Wisconsin combat veterans association- with over $5,000 collected since 2020.
Sponsoring the event is a wide host of businesses. Several take the initiative and create the stages, scenarios, in which the shooting takes place. Four stages take place per day. At each one, a range safety officer [RSO] is present. The officer monitors competitors and takes score.
This year’s match fell on the weekend of October 1st and 2nd. On Friday, competitors and guests who opted to camp arrived to pitch tents on a meadow adjacent to the range. That evening was full of introductions and laughter. And endless talk about firearms and loadouts, of course. Early the next morning, after a frigid night, came registration and a briefing. Two days of shenanigans then began.
Run the Mosin, don’t let it run you
At the event I was competing with a 1940s Finnish manufactured Mosin-Nagant rifle chambered in 7.62x54mm. It was my friend’s and prior to the competition, I had fired the rifle on only three separate occasions. More practice would have been desirable. However, as a bolt action rifle, with over 37 million units produced since 1891, by several nations, instruction is minimal.
My friend advised me to ‘run the Mosin, don’t let it run you’. What he meant was that the Mosin-Nagant is simple in design but rough to handle. A common occurrence when loading a round into the chamber is rim lock, in which a round cannot be fed. Slapping the rifle’s bolt forward typically corrects this malfunction. Also, because of its weight, approximately 4 kg, I had to be careful while maneuvering. Swinging the muzzle past a 180-degree arch in front of me would result in disqualification, a serious safety violation.
On my mind all throughout the event was safety. The last thing I wanted to do was to place someone else or myself in harm’s way. I moved slowly but as a beginners-friendly shooting competition, others did likewise. In addition, there were my issues with reloading and shooting at far-off targets. Both consumed too much time. One stage I unfortunately did not finish because of a time penalty.
Now since I’m familiar with the rules and expectations of a match, along with additional training, my next one will be a lot more successful!
Congratulations Glad to see a Badger do well
From an Old Marine