As Kyle explained, he competes in the F-TR class, which involves either .223 or .308 calibre rifles fired from a bipod with a weight limit of 18 pounds. There is also an F-open division, which is more or less unlimited with a weight limit of 22 pounds. Competitions are held in a variety of distances, starting at 300 yards and moving through 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1,000 yards, with most being between 800-1,000.
Matches can have anywhere between 20 to 500 competitors depending on the venue. The South West Nations in Phoenix, where Kyle recently competed, had 500 competitors. Individual matches include 15-20 shots, generally three to four per day, with a general score at the end of a competition determining a winner of a class. He added he has recently also started competing in team events with seven members and four shooters with the aggregate score determining the winner.
Although there is much that is consistent in target shooting, there is also the unexpected and the conditions that are beyond the shooter’s control. This is part of what Kyle enjoys about the sport.
“The main thing that keeps it interesting is the weather conditions, every shot and every day is a different condition. In heavy winds we can see drift on our bullets of up to 13 feet at 1,000 yards. That is at the extreme end of things but it does happen when the wind picks up.”
Kyle has competed thus far at many different events at the local, state, provincial and national level. They have been across Western Canada and into North Dakota, Washington and Arizona. He has been competing a lot in North Dakota this summer due to proximity, but added he has also made a lot of friends down south in the shooting world.
As for most activities, COVID was a challenge, as his local gun range was shut down. He has been able to test at local ranges and use smaller competitions in Canada and the US to prepare for the larger events.
Kyle has certainly done very well recently. He won the mid range (300 and 600 yards) and the long range (1,000 yards) state championships in North Dakota this summer. The long range was held in Moffit (Bismarck) in June, and the mid-range in Rolla this past September. He was fourth in the Western Canada Championships. On a team level, his group won the Washington State Regional Match, they were third in the US South West Nationals and fourth in the US Nationals.
Soon, the Manitoba shooter will be heading off to South Africa. Kyle said he joined a western team, the Gun Runners, last fall when a spot opened up and he was invited. They will be competing in the South African Cup in Bloemfontein. The event is hosted by the South Africa Bisely Union (SABU) and the World Championships. The Gun Runners have recently been sanctioned by the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA) as Team Canada for this world championship. The matches start on March 21 and continue through April 1. Kyle said he will mainly be involved in team competition, but will also compete as an individual.
“Ideally we would win the team match,” he said of his hopes in South Africa. “I believe we have reasonably good odds. The individual competition will be very tough and I don’t know where I will fall in the mix, as I have not competed at that level yet. I was 42nd at the US nationals and would love to be in the top 50 for the worlds, but we will see.”
After South Africa, he will need to start preparing for the next world’s in England in 2026. He intends to continue with the F-TR, and is considering branching out into extreme long-range matches.
Overall, Kyle continues to enjoy the sport and the competition. It might be the people, however, that make the biggest impact.
“The most enjoyable aspect is the friendships made. The sport is very open and inviting as a whole and we get competitors from all sorts of backgrounds. I have competed against men and women of all ages, from 11 years old to people in their 90’s.”
Scott is the son of Barb and Harvey Kyle of Boissevain.
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff