I ordered a Silver Mountain Targets SOLO Target in June of 2018 and I haven’t broken it…. anyone who knows me knows that is amazing alone (I once broke a 50 lbs bench vise) mine was from the first pre-order batch in May. It shipped out as soon as it was in stock within a week of my order. I’ve ordered some mounts and accessories since then that all shipped same day.
I really really like this thing. I bought it mostly to practice 600. I’m a member at New Holland Rifle And Pistol and live just 20 minutes away. However, it was a struggle to get any useful practice at 600, or 300 for that matter as it involved driving down range, scratching my head and trying to guess if it was me or the wind or something.
Of course it makes 600 practice more useful, and even fun, it also turns out to be useful for short range practice. This has turned into a real practice time saver which helps me get more trigger time. I can quickly burn through 100 rounds practicing each stage of fire at 100 yards. No more going down range between stages, or guessing where the shots I can’t see with my Kowa went. I can shoot off hand, reset the target, drop into sitting, Reset the target, drop into rapid prone and so on.
I ended up with 2 target frames, one for short line that I hang from the club targets, and the second is a full 6×6 I keep in the pits for 600. I have the calibration for both written in my data book so its easy to switch between them. A frame just needs calibrated once, after that as long as the target is in the middle it will work for anything.
I’ve tested in in the rain, in rapid fire and side by side with other solos and haven’t had any issues.
The SOLO has 8 Mics in 4 towers. I have inadvertently tested it with one sensor (2 mics) unplugged and 1 mic off line (I didn’t plug the cable in all the way) while the target gave a warning, but, in both cases it still accurately found the shot. It will be more accurate if the target is plumb, again by accident I tested it with the target leaning forward significantly but even then it was only off 1/4 inch only the two 8s I managed to shoot at 600. Presumably a non issue if used for a match as the target would be plumb not haphazardly set up like mine was.
Anyway I wholeheartedly endorse the solo for practice from 100 to 600 yards. I think it could be used as is for smaller matches, something i didn’t think I would ever say of an open system, as I’ve become a bit of a HEX fanboy after using them at Bridgeville.
I went with the SMT SOLO over the home based business alternatives, largely because SMT has been around for awhile, some day I will shoot a mic or need replacement parts.
There are some other little things I like, that it gives me FPS, so I can’t blame the load, Cat 5e Ethernet cables for the sensors make it easy to build multiple frames with pre-installed cables, cheap mounts, and good wifi that reaches to 600 with no issue. As a nerd I like that it has both the simple to use solo interface and the full G2 software as well.
Guest post submitted by Marty Dabney about his experiences at the NRA National Championships .
It’s no secret that High Power shooters are what most would call “salt of the earth” people. We will lend a helping hand, loan you gear and give you bad wind calls with the greatest of intentions. We are also traditionalist. We compete for the same trophies our grandparents competed for. The Daniel Boone, Nathan Hale and Alice Bull just to name a few. But no trophy is greater than the place where you go to win them, Camp Perry.
There is no doubt when you ask someone if they are going to “The Nationals”, they are really asking if they are going to Perry. This is the where thousands of shooter from all walks of life and skill level from all across the world come together once a year to partake in the tradition of staying in little white huts, cooking out, walking commercial row and occasionally compete in a rifle match. You can be a brand new shooter and by the grace of random squadding, end up shooting with past National Champions. It’s also a place of unpredictable weather, high winds and is prone to having a boat drift into the impact area and shut down the range. The Nationals have been held at Camp Perry long before anyone reading this was born. It seemed this would go on forever, but one day, it didn’t.
In 2017, the NRA made the decision to leave Camp Perry and move their National Championships to Camp Atterbury. It was no surprise that many shooters were upset about the move. How could they do this? What was the reasoning? Many people felt that all tradition was lost, but was it? The NRA still has the same trophies they’ve always had, the Wimbledon, the Sierra and the trophy that most intrigues me, the Erdman trophy. So why did competitors scoff at the idea of a change in venue? Because we are traditionalist. We now have to come to the realization that our Nationals won’t be held on hallowed ground, but some National Guard base in the middle of Indiana. When i think of Indiana, I think of Steers and ……corn, lots and lots of corn. Is this the end of our National Championship as we know it, or is this the beginning of something great?
On July 18th, 2017, I walked off the line of the NTI match as a newly Distinguished Rifleman. I had also earned 3 President 100 medals as well as various other State and Regional championships. The Service rifle treated me well so in good fashion and questionable judgment, I abandon the very rifle that treated me so well and switch to a match rifle, a stupid, stupid match rifle. I could now use an unlimited power optic, a lighter trigger, more adjustable stock and just about any caliber i wanted. The only issue is I now had to abandon Camp Perry and go to Camp Atterbury if I wanted to compete in a National Championship. So I packed up my gear and a suitcase that may or may not have had enough extra pants and headed west to Indiana.
After a short 9 hour ride, I pulled in the front gate. I was greeted by a guard who checked my license. Being an active training instillation, this was needed each time i entered the gates. I was staying on base so i checked in at the housing office and headed to my room. The rooms were very nice. We had our own individual rooms similar to a motel. They were furnished with a bed, microwave, mini refrigerator, full bathroom and air conditioning.
The following day, I met up with my team to compete in the 4 man team match. We had a break from the extreme heat and humidity that we had the prior week so we were already off to a good start. while hauling my gear to the 200 yard line, I noticed how well the range was maintained. The grass on the firing lines had been mowed, and for those who have competed on other Military bases, knows this can be hit or miss sometimes. One of the concerns from the year before was the number boards were too small. The NRA worked to correct this issue and installed larger boards. After my firing was complete, it was my turn to work the pits for the rest of the team. Another concern from the previous year were the target carriers were hard to operate. This issue had also been resolved as well. The carriers worked well. We finished up the team match in good time and I headed back to my room. The evening was spent sitting outside grilling with my friends that i hadn’t seen in a year. Hmm, this feels oddly familiar.
On Sunday morning, we made our way back down range for the first day of the 2400 Aggregate individual match. This is a four day match firing 60 shots per day. After the four days, the total scores are added up to determine an overall winner. Once I finished shooting, I made my way back to the pits. This is where we encountered several problems. There were communication issues, both with the portable speakers and with the radios that were used by the pit and firing line officials. This caused confusion with pit changes, alibis and the commands to start. Needless to say, this caused frustration but we made due.
On Tuesday, the heat had started to build . By mid day, it became apparent that this would be as much of an endurance match as it was a shooting match. Thankfully, Bartlein Barrels provided us with a good supply of Gatorade and water. None of us were too proud to turn it down. After we finished with the 600 yard slow fire match, we were provided with air conditioned vans to transport us to the pits. This gave a welcome relief if only for a short time. Once again, we experienced communication issues and at one point, range control put us in a “check fire”. This is where the National Guard stops us for various reasons like people in the impact area or incoming aircraft. This is a very active facility so it happens. It would almost be like having a boat go where it wasn’t supposed to and cause delays.
Wednesday and Thursday ran very well. The heat and humidity slowly made its way out and nicer weather took its place. The communication issues were addressed and we were off of the range by early afternoon.
The awards ceremony was held on Thursday evening at the Camp Atterbury conference center. I showered and threw on my cleanest dirty pants and headed over. Walking into the building gave a feel of walking into a large hunting lodge. It was a place that seemed worthy of a Championship awards ceremony. The NRA had the ceremony catered with chicken, barbeque and the works. We all fixed a plate and for the next hour, sat and watched as our friends were called up to receive their awards. Those same, time honored awards that were given at Camp Perry.
The final evening was spent sitting outside our rooms congratulating our friends who did well, giving a hard time to those who didn’t, but laughing the entire time. Right before we turned in for the evening, a sort of sad silence came over our group. Our time together had come to an end. For many of us, we knew we wouldn’t see each other for another year, possibly ever. Sometimes life gets in the way and we move on from things that we once held dear. Priorities change and in the worse case, we lose someone forever. In that moment, we weren’t worried about where the Nationals were going to be held. We all left with a smile thinking about doing it all over next year.
So, another National Championship is in the books. Was this the “Perry experience” that we’ve grown accustomed to? Maybe not, but could this be the start of a new tradition? Definitely, but it’s up to us to support it. I plan on returning in 2019 to give the Erdman another go and I encourage anyone on the fence to give it a chance. We have the opportunity to make it something great for our future generation.
Some notable accomplishments –
SFC Brandon Greene overall winner 2394-147X
SGT Ben Cleland overall Service rifle winner 2386-128X. SGT Cleland also won the Erdman trophy with an impressive 599-28X only dropping 1 point on his last day.
Konrad Powers overall civilian Service Rifle winner 2372-109X
SSG Amanda Elsenboss high woman 2382-113X
Hugo Adelson high senior 2362-100X
Marty Dabney fired 10 9’s in offhand and didn’t win the Erdman
Editors note: Marty’s views on Camp Atterberry may not reflect those of “Garand Thumb Blog” who is still a little grumpy about the split but prefers NRA format matches.
This was my third trip the the spring fleet matches At MCB Quantico this year I managed to come home with 6 more leg points! Bringing me to 16 out of the 30 needed to become a Distinguished Riflemen.
This year didn’t entirely go as planned. It started off a little odd as due to a range issue at the Pacific fleet matches they invoked the “shoot slow prone at 500 on a standard MR” rule. Which was neat.
We shot two matches over two days the first being a practice match following CMP National Match course rules except with sighters. The second day we shot an EIC match.
The first day started out ok. But 3 rounds into off hand range control called a ceasefire. After some confusion it was determined that there were “VIPs hunting in the impact area”
So after awhile it was determined we would move to range 4 and send the 30 cal guys home… for some reason.
Anyway the rest of the match and the EIC the next day were otherwise business as usual. I shot my personal best XTC score the first day with a 485 and went on to shoot a 479 in the leg match on Sunday which was good enough for 6th of the non-distinguished shooters. They gave out 8 legs that day.
It was a great weekend I really like shooting these matches… even with the disruptions.
After the June 2017 KTS/EIC fiasco at Camp Perry I swore i’d never shoot on KTS targets again. At the Western Creedmoor cup Denis announced Creedmoor was giving up the cup and CMP would be taking over both eastern and western cups and using KTS targets. So after arguing with myself for awhile I decided to give the CMP KTS targets another shot. (Pun intended).
The KTS targets worked great and CMP worked hard to put on what turned out to be one of the best matches I’ve ever attended. CMP operated like a well oiled match running machine. They had representatives from KTS Norway there to work out any of the technical issues.
From what I heard, and trust me I asked around, the targets worked great. I challenged a shot and so did one of the shooters on my firing point. Since there were 3 relays challenges were a straight forward case. They just pulled the target insert and compared what the computer said to the holes in the target. We both lost our challenges.
I have renewed faith in KTS targets and CMP for that matter. It was clear at these matches that CMP had heard us and was doing everything they could to make this system work.
As far as my shooting. Well it was a bit of a train wreck, but my shooting buddy found some leg points!
Fort Miles in Delaware is a fascinating blend of hidden history and overgrown ruins. Part of Cape Henlopen State Park today, this former coastal fort was once bristling with heavy guns and busy training ranges – prompting one historian to dub it “the most heavily armed state park in the world”. In this post, we’ll explore the history of Fort Miles’ rifle range – when it was used, what it was used for – from its World War II origins through its Desert Storm-era final days. No nature walk here; this is all about the military legacy lingering behind the dunes.
World War II: Coastal Defense and a Secret Rifle Range
Established in 1941-42 as a key coastal defense installation, Fort Miles guarded the entrance to the Delaware Bay during World War II. The Army built massive concrete bunkers and mounted huge seacoast guns to deter German warships and U-boats. But alongside the big 16-inch and 12-inch cannons, the fort also included more ordinary facilities – barracks, ammo bunkers, and small-arms firing ranges for training troops. Every soldier stationed at Fort Miles needed to practice with their rifles, so a multi-position rifle range was constructed early on (one veteran recalled building it as “one of the first jobs” when the fort was new in 1941). Troops likely fired M1 Garands and Springfield 1903s on these ranges, honing marksmanship in the pine woods behind the sand dunes.
Despite all the armament, Fort Miles never fired a shot in anger during WWII – no German ships ever came into range. The fort’s biggest brush with the enemy came in May 1945, after V-E Day: the German submarine U-858 approached Cape Henlopen flying a white flag. It became the first enemy warship to surrender in U.S. waters since the War of 1812. The U-boat’s crew was taken ashore at Fort Miles as POWs on May 14, 1945.
Figure: May 1945 – German U-858 crewmen being transferred at sea to a U.S. Navy vessel for internment at Fort Miles. Fort Miles’ claim to fame was accepting this U-boat surrender, a dramatic capstone to its WWII service.
After Germany’s surrender, Fort Miles quickly wound down. The huge coastal guns were declared surplus by 1948 and removed. Yet the post itself did not close completely – a hint that the rifle range’s story wasn’t over yet.
Cold War Training: From Recreation to Reserve Ranges
With the coast artillery mission gone, Fort Miles entered a quieter phase but remained under Army control for decades. In 1961, part of the base became Fort Miles Army Recreation Area, managed by Fort Meade as a seaside rest-and-training center. The federal government started handing over other sections to the new Cape Henlopen State Park (564 acres in 1964 alone), but about 190 acres stayed with the Army for training use. Soldiers and reservists would bring their families to enjoy the beach, even as weekend drills and summer exercises continued on site. Fort Miles’ gentle shoreline proved ideal for amphibious vehicle practice, and local Army Reserve units used the gently sloping beaches for “across-the-beach” landing training. Just inland, the old rifle range waited to be used again.
By the late 1960s and early ’70s, the Army decided to put that range back into action. Plans were made to rehabilitate the 20-position rifle range at Fort Miles so that Delaware-based Army Reserve and National Guard units could conduct their annual rifle qualification there. This would spare local units from traveling to Fort Meade, MD, for target practice. The renovation likely involved rebuilding target butts and clearing the firing lines out to 300 yards. Once refurbished, the Fort Miles range hosted weekend warriors zeroing M14s and later M16s as part of regular training. In fact, a U.S. Army Engineer publication from 1971 noted that reactivating the Fort Miles range would save time and money for Delaware’s Reserve/Guard marksmanship tests.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Fort Miles quietly served as a backwoods training site for Reserve component units. The Delaware Army National Guard’s soldiers would come in to run amphibious drills, practice infantry tactics, and qualify with their service rifles amid the old concrete bunkers. The Army officially categorized Fort Miles as a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) area, but it was essentially a multi-purpose training annex managed by Fort Meade. During this era, the once-formidable fort slowly faded from public view – parts became a state park campground – yet the crack of rifles could still occasionally echo from the pine forests. Locals may have forgotten the range was there at all.
Desert Storm and the Final Shots
Fort Miles’ long military tenure finally ended in the early 1990s. As part of the post-Cold War base closures, the Army decided to shut down the Fort Miles site completely in 1991. Fittingly, the last official military use of Fort Miles came during Operation Desert Storm. After the Gulf War’s conclusion in 1991, some returning U.S. troops bivouacked at Fort Miles – essentially camping on the old base – for demobilization and homecoming processing. One can imagine those soldiers, fresh from the Arabian Desert, sleeping in tents near the same dunes where GIs had once guarded against Nazi U-boats.
When the Army left for good in 1991, the remaining 96 acres of Fort Miles (including the range area) were transferred to the State of Delaware to be preserved for public recreation. The once-busy rifle range fell silent. No more crack of M16 fire, no more shouted range commands – just the wind in the scrub pines. The earthworks and target pits were left to nature. Over the ensuing years, sand and vegetation slowly began reclaiming the firing lines.
Yet evidence of the range’s final chapter is still out there if you know where to look. On a recent trip into the brush, I discovered several discarded 5.56mm stripper clips on the ground – the kind used to quickly load M16 magazines. Finding these little metal clips was like uncovering artifacts from a modern archeological site. They likely date to the late 1980s or 1990 (the Desert Storm era), confirming that National Guard troops were shooting out here within the last days of Fort Miles’ service. It’s a small but tangible link to the range’s history, bridging the WWII generation and the Gulf War generation on the same soil.
Fort Miles Today: Remnants and Memory
Today, Fort Miles has been reborn as a historical attraction inside Cape Henlopen State Park. The bunkers and gun batteries have been stabilized and opened as the Fort Miles Museum, with exhibits on coastal defense and WWII life. In 2015, volunteers even acquired and installed a massive 16-inch naval gun from the battleship USS Missouri as a centerpiece display – a nod to the fort’s big-gun heritage.
Figure: A rusting 16-inch Mark 7 gun from USS Missouri on display at Fort Miles (2015). Fort Miles’ museum now preserves such artifacts of its coastal defense past, while the old rifle range lies quietly in the surrounding woods.
As for the rifle range itself, it remains an unmarked ruin in the woods – a hidden part of the park’s landscape. If you wander off the beaten path near the repurposed barracks area, you might spot the telltale shape of the old earthen berms and concrete target pits. They are largely camouflaged by sand and tangles of vegetation now, but they speak to decades of soldiers firing away at paper targets downrange. There are no signs or tour guides for the range; it’s truly a ghost range, known mainly to local history buffs (and perhaps a few curious hikers who stumble upon an oddly flat clearing backed by a low wall of sand).
In retrospect, the Fort Miles rifle range saw a remarkable span of American military history. Built for WWII riflemen guarding the Delaware coast, repurposed for Cold War reservists during peacetime training, and ultimately used by troops of the Desert Storm era, it quietly mirrored the changes in the U.S. Army over half a century. Now it sits silent, an echo of soldiers past. Next time you visit Cape Henlopen and explore Fort Miles, remember that beyond the big gun displays and towering observation bunkers, a humble rifle range once played its part in keeping America sharp – from the days of M1 Garands to the era of the M16. The targets are gone, the shooters have long since packed up, but the history remains etched in the sand.
Sources: The historical details in this post are drawn from the Fort Miles Museum archives and official records. Key references include the Delaware Public Archives (which note Fort Miles’ extensive WWII facilities and the U-858 surrender), Army Corps of Engineers reports on Fort Miles’ post-war use by Reserve units, and Base Realignment and Closure documents confirming Fort Miles’ 1991 closure after Gulf War service. These sources, along with on-site exploration evidence, paint a comprehensive picture of the rifle range’s life from the 1940s to 1990s. The next time you hear the phrase “if these walls could talk,” think of those mossy bunkers and sand berms at Fort Miles – they’d have some stories indeed, from World War II right up to Desert Storm.
1981 aerial photo Green= pit wall Red = 200 yard firing line Blue = 300 yard firing line
