As a few of you know, I work for MT Guns, a target rifle outfit.

Early last year we built what is basically a Palma rifle for a 21 year old University of Washington Engineering student, Kelly Bachand.

Mac Tilton, my boss--have I said this too many times?--graduated from Trinidad in '58, and, as far as I can tell, knows everyone in target shooting.

I'm not clear of the details, but Kelly had been suggested as a young man who needed a rifle.

He took that rifle to Canada, and came home with a table full of trophies, and a Canadian National Championship.

This is prone, iron sights, 300-900 meters if I remember correctly.

The rifle we built him is our stock in trade; a Barnard action, I'm not certain whether it was a True-Flight or a Barltlein barrel, in .308, and notably a Warner #2 rear sight.

(Hi Alan!)

This post has little, I expect, to do with what our Accurate Reloading Gunsmithing site is all about: Fine custom Mausers built for those who will take them to Africa, where, perhaps, they mainly belong: on Safari.

Don't get me wrong.

I adore Mausers, and I adore fine wood and rust bluing.

But "Gunsmithing" is a big umbrella, and has to include target rifles.

Anyway... not only did Kelly kick a little ass in Canada, but he did well enough to come to the attention of the producers of the History Channel show, "Top Shot."

I expect some of us have been watching this.

I don't own a televison--what's up with that?--but have just watched the first episode on the internet.

My suspicion is that the producers knew just what they were doing in casting a skinny Washington kid with a library tan.

Kelly doesn't much throw his hands on his hips and his shoulders back to give lectures.

He can read the wind--I guess hunters do this too?--and knows his come-ups from 200 to 400 to 600 yards.

I don't know the results, but I do know that if you watch "Top Shot," you're gonna be seeing a lot of Kelly Bachand.

He earned every minute of this, by busting his butt in juniors programs, shooting on the US Juniors team, and, well, just pure talent.

I don't know why my boss decided to give this rifle to Kelly Bachand, but I do know it couldn't have gone to anyone better.

flaco

Congratulations to Kelly and y'all. I'll be looking for the episode.

i've watched that episode 3 times now and i am impressed with the young shooter kelly...... i didn't see enough of the red haired girl though............. i'm looking forward to next show when they shoot the handgun!!

Thanks Flaco. Congratulations to Kelly Bachand.

quote:

Originally posted by Flaco:
This post has little, I expect, to do with what our Accurate Reloading Gunsmithing site is all about: Fine custom Mausers built for those who will take them to Africa, where, perhaps, they mainly belong: on Safari.

Though some of the "Blow-Hard Elitest Braggarts" would like to have it that way, there is far more to this Gun Smith Board than Termite Food stocks and constantly Rusting Blue rifles that do good to hit a barn.

I watched that and was very impressed with the young man. Especially the shoot-off for elimination at the end. He kicked butt. He's going up against some very experienced shooters (firearms instructors, marine snipers, etc.), but, I think he can hold his own. I'll be watching every week.

Roger

Oh yea, Kelly kicked butt.
Butch

red haired girl? now I've got to watch.

we need pics though, of the rifle too

I agree, not all gunsmithing is of the good looking wood and blue variety, the purpose built rigs count as well, handguns too, I almost never see handgun stuff on here.

Red

They were shooting all types of old military rifles from Russia and 1903s, M14s, and others. I did,t see a custom rifle.
Butch

Springfield 03-A3, Soviet SVT, Moisin-Nagant 1891, and an M-14.

The elimination round was shot with a Rem. 700 PSS (or variant).

The redhead's looks were nothing to get excited about and didn't know how to use a spotting scope.

George

You are right George! She never found anything and was useless as a spotter. I didn't see her shoot. When is the next episode?
Butch

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
You are right George! She never found anything and was useless as a spotter. I didn't see her shoot. When is the next episode?
Butch

That's the truth! Poor ole Kelly darn near got eliminated by the do nuthins. Typical "Survivor"
mentality. Get rid of the competition. It would have been hard to spot given the foliage covered backstops, but she was clueless. How about the alleged crack shot(Mike?) who took 20-30 shots w/the Springfield at the 200 yd target without scaring it!

Next episode is Sunday night.

Until I watched it tonight I didn't know that they wanted to get rid of Kelly. I hope he ends up sticking it into their black hole.
Butch

An interesting post on BR.com.



Joe Friedrich











Join Date
Oct 2003
Location
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Posts
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Quote Originally Posted by Butch Lambert View Post
I absolutely loved it! MT Rifles-Mac Tilton has furnished this young man a rifle and he has used it to be a very competitive shooter. Hopefully he will continue to show them how the cow ate the cabbage.
Butch
Butch,
After filming the show, Kelly and his grandpa spent the morning and afternoon here at the ranch. It was a pleasure to meet and talk to both of them. Kelly helped me with my prone shooting, and also got the chance to shoot my rimfire rifle at an ARA target and did very well. He's bright, humble and passionate about his shooting. Kelly was not allowed to talk about the show and wish him success.

Joe

I too watched Kelly in the shoot off. His superior skill was evident, very quickly. I got a big kick out of watching him demonstrate "how it's done" in a stiff cross wind. Best of luck to him in the program, and in his competetive career.

i got to see top shot again tonite.... that zip line shoot round was different! red team lost another player......... i do hope they got a chance to show the redhead how to use a spotting scope....... she will probably have to spot for someone again before it's all over...........................

i wonder where they got their expert pistol instructors at........ aren't the best handgun shots in the world still leathem. enos, and koanig?? i saw them shoot at the biachi cup meet several years ago in mo. i bought a t-shirt there and had all three of them autogragh it................

A few for these shootrers look like good shots. Most are only "better" than avarage. MOST LEOs are NOT gun peeple.

I did like the zip line shoot, looks like fun.

Young Kelly, proved that he could make the swicth to a pistol and get teh job done. He proved that he is a shooter. Same consintration same results different firearm.

Keith

It was a 1903 Springfield, not a 1903A3.

Tara Poremba served 6 years in the Marine Corps Reserves, won the "Top Gun" award in her FBI firearms training class, won her Distinguished Pistol Badge (#1422) in 2008, and often wins the women's division of the bullseye matches she attends.

Kelly has shown himself to be not only a fine rifle shot, but a good sportsman as well.

I wish them both well.

James

10:00 PM Sunday nights is the time slot on the History channel I think. I watched it last week and thought it was a good show. Next week they'll be shooting a longbow of all things.

Is there any link up on the Net ?.

Congratulations too Kelly as well as Flaco and MT Gun's !!!.

I appreciate the sentiment, Doc, but no congratulations are due me.

I am just very lucky to work here.

The internet link is hulu.com, where you can watch the whole show.

Thanks for your informative post, Stryker. You appear to be a man of few words. 41 posts in six years?

Unlike the rest of us wordy bastards.

Anyway, I appreciate your point, as one rifle has a rear aperture and the other has open sights.

The Joe Friedrich Butch refers to set a bunch of rimfire benchrest records, and is--well, duh,--one of the best rimfire benchrest shooters in the nation.

And also a contributor to Paul's 6mmBR website.

Thanks to you too, Hot Core.

I don't at all understand why you have to keep poking sharp sticks into a bunch of eyes around here, but I expect it livens the place up.

Personally, I've been in it pretty deep on this forum.

Like you.

If you look back at my posts, you'll see that some of the most unpopular were those where I supported a gunsmith.

I have less time for frivolous pursuits like posting on AR now, but... I may continue to do this.

As an update, I shipped a new Barnard barreled action to Kelly last week.

I spoke to his FFL, a retired USMC armorer and shooter.

He reminded me that Kelly has been shooting competitively for seven years.

That's a lot of trigger time.

A lot of discipline.

A lot of reading wind flags.

For all of us here at MT Guns, the most exciting part was the Canadian national championship last year.

If I remember correctly, it's over eight days of shooting, in wildly varying conditions, at a host of different distances.

Most every evening the scores were posted on the internet.

I recognized more than a few names, our clients.

Most evenings, Kelly would dash off an email.

When there was time.

He shot solidly in the beginning, and put it away at the end.

Like I said, I have no televison, and don't know any of those folks on the covers of magazines like People and the rest, all filled with vital information, like who's getting married, who's divorced, who's pregnant, and who's fu*king around with whom.

But it was great to feel like even the smallest part of Kelly's success in Canada.

flaco

Ya know I usually can't stand the "reality show" thing (which is exactly the style that HC is going for and probably produce by the same people that produced survivor)

But hey what ever pays the bills right??

I did watch and the best thing was Kelly didn't need a spotter. He was waiting for the guy to call the shot and said screw it I'm gonna swag it. and he knows how to read the wind.
That "kid" shoot's like a seasoned pro