Guardian Long Range Competition

Originally posted by Rich of AccuracyTech

The Guardian Long Range Competition is something I’ve been somewhat vaguely aware of for a while and recently it’s been getting more attention, with good cause. The Guardian Long Range Competition is a good cause by definition, so I’m happy to see it gaining some steam and traction in the Precision Shooting Community. The Guardian Long Range Competition is a long range shooting match held at different venues around the country. It’s sole purpose is to raise money to aid the work of Bethany Christian Services, who seek to do all they can to aid the Orphan Child problems we face worldwide.

How Did We Wind Up Doing An Article?

Gary Larson, who has been spearheading the Guardian Long Range Competition had emailed me and contacted me through the AccuracyTech Facebook page. A super nice guy, Mr. Larson said he was admiring the content and wondered if there was a way we could help each other. Having read a little about the Guardian Long Range Competition I did some reading again on the Web to try and familiarize myself with what it was all about. I instantly felt bad because we don’t produce any products here at AccuracyTech that we would be able to send to help support their matches and their prize table.

So, we went with a different approach and tried to think outside the box. I think helping orphan children is an excellent cause. I’ve worked in Law Enforcement for more than ten years now. I’ve seen some of the issues that come up in the inner city where children wind up in some bad situations. Regardless of the circumstances that create those bad situations, the importance of child support services becomes obvious. A lot of these kids need some help and some intervention and without it they wind up following in some of their parent’s footsteps down tragic paths in life. So while we don’t have any product to send, I thought the least we could do is help get the message out about what Gary Larson is trying to do with the Guardian Long Range Competition.

How did the Guardian Long Range Competition Start?

Mr. Larson himself is a product of the child care system. He relates a very touching story about aging out of foster care and a family, the Knibbe family, who took him in and helped him get through college and on a better path. The Knibbe family had been assigned Mr. Larson’s case because they worked with Bethany Christian Services. They went a few steps beyond just helping Gary Larson find a place to live, they invited him into their home directly. If you aren’t familiar with Bethany Christian Services, they are a 503c(3) tax exempt non profit organization. That means any money, support, product, or anything of value you donate in furtherance of their cause is tax deductible. They seek to aid families with support and to try and place young children with families that will love and care for them. You can read more about Bethany Christian Services on their website.

Mr. Larson was going over fundraising ideas when he had the idea of integrating the orphan cause with a group of patriotic citizens with solid values and generous hearts, the long range shooting community! Having had conversations with shooters at local ranges Mr. Larson realized that there was a lot of support for the cause that was untapped. The concept of the Guardian Long Range Competition would soon follow! With help from Dan Newberry and BangSteel Long Rang Training Center the Guardian Long Range Competition was born and enjoyed immediate success. You can read a complete account of Gary Larson’s story and the beginnings of the Guardian Long Range Competition over on Sniper’s Hide.

Guardian Long Range Competition

The Guardian Long Range Competition’s feature a mix of target ranges and sizes. Per their match descriptions you can expect to encounter targets anywhere from close range out to around 1000 yards so they aren’t asking for anything guys in the competition circuit aren’t already doing on a regular basis. The entry fee runs at $200 USD and 100% of the funds go to Bethany Christian Services to help orphan children. I’m not sure there’s a better place to spend two hundred bucks and a day shooting than at a match designed to raise funding for children in need!

NO DIALING, HOLD OVERS AND UNDERS ONLY ON THIS STAGE!

The sponsor support and prize donations to the Guardian Long Range Competition read like a who’s who list of companies involved in the Precision Shooting Community these days. The 2015 Title Sponsor is Ashbury Precision Ordnance who make some of the nicest rifle chassis and precision rifle packages available. The top prize is an Ashbury rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor valued up over $6,000. You can have a look at the Guardian Long Range Competition’s list of sponsors here. I’ve looked and it makes me smile to see such a long list of industry sponsors that are all throwing their support behind a match designed to aid children in need! With all that’s wrong in the world today it’s refreshing to see a large group of companies and shooters doing something right for no reason other than because it’s the right thing to do!

Wrapping Up

If you are in the area of one of the Guardian Long Range Competitions I highly suggest stopping by to take part in the match. The proceeds go to a great cause and the matches themselves look like a blast. You have some of the biggest companies in the industry throwing their support behind these matches and helping line up great prizes for the participants. Even if you aren’t local to one of the matches, you can donate online to the cause. All donations are tax deductible so your tax guy will be happy with you on top of the other great reasons to contribute. Please share this article and help spread the word throughout the shooting community about what the guys at Guardian are doing. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just some comments from attending one of their matches, drop them in the comments below!

Rich
Owner and Proprietor of AccuracyTech, LLC. Rich is a Firearms Enthusiast, Precision Rifle Competitor, and Writer. He is committed to bringing readers quality reviews and articles related to the Precision Shooting Sports. If you have any questions for him, please use the contact form on the site.