Pelion, SC (Paul Kirby) – A shooting competition will take place next month in the Pelion area of Lexington County. It is expected to draw elite snipers from across the nation. This challenge is open to any two-person team that has the equipment and skills to make unimaginable shots. The shooting competition will be held on September 27 and 28 of this year.
The second annual Sniper Unknown Challenge is being sponsored by Amick’s Guns of Gaston and Fenix Strategies of Columbia. Both companies focus in full or in part on activities that include long-range and precision shooting. Amick’s Guns builds precision firearms, and Fenix Strategies is a full spectrum consulting firm. They do everything from executive protection to team building activities. The challenge will be hosted by Rucker Farms on Forts Pond Road outside of Pelion.
Sniper challenges are held across the country many times per year. The difference between those competitions and the Sniper Unknown Challenge is that in the others, they largely focus on specific trades. One might be for military teams while another may be for law enforcement tactical shooters. In this challenge, anyone who has the skills and the precision firearm to compete can enter.
Brad Amick of Amick’s Guns said that shooters will face multiple shooting stages. They will range from 200 to as much as 1,000 yards shots. Amick said that shooters often get to pick the sequence they shoot the stages, but distance isn’t always everything. “In one stage, the long shot may simply be gauged by how close to a bullseye the shooter gets,” Amick explained. “In the closer shot, the target may be hiding behind a hostage where you can only see a fraction of the target’s face or body. If they hit the hostage, they are disqualified from that stage.” Amick explained that each team will shoot between 5 and 10 different stages and each stage will have a time limit. Both team members shoot. One takes a shot as the other acts as spotter and then they reverse their rolls. Some shots may even require they use a handgun.
This is the second year of the challenge and it has already proven it can draw some of the most elite shots in the world. Amick said some will be law enforcement officers, some will be from the military, and others will be civilians that simply love the sport of long-range shooting. “Some of the shooters will be from elite branches of the armed forces that can’t even be identified,” Amick said. “They can’t be photographed and their names and what specific tactical teams they’re affiliated with will not be made known,” he concluded. Suffice to say that these shooters may have been across the globe on some of the most high-pressure operations there are.
Amick said that the custom equipment that the shooters will be using is not your average deer rifle. Although the caliber may be as common as a .308, some of these custom-made guns will be worth $20,000 or more. Amick and his father, both highly experienced gun smiths, custom build these type firearms and tune them to the shooter. When a shooter is making shots of half-a-mile or more, their weapons must be the best.
Tony and Lynn Rucker, the owners of Rucker Farms, have thrown their full support behind this challenge. Not only are they allowing the use of their property, they’re also letting the challenge use their office as its headquarters. “The Ruckers are always supportive of the community and good causes. To allow these elite snipers to come here and use their land and resources is selfless. We couldn’t have an event of this quality without their support,” Amick said.
The challenge has already garnered a great deal of sponsor support and they’re looking for more. “We have rifles, handguns, scope, and silencers as prizes right now,” Amick said. He said they can always use more. If businesses want to help, they can go to Fenix’s website for more information. It can be found at www.fenixstrategies.com.
