The inaugural Flathead National Forest Steel Challenge, held last weekend near Bigfork, Montana, witnessed an unprecedented shift in competitive dynamics as the match’s 12 steel targets across five stages spontaneously developed sentience, actively avoiding impacts and engaging in verbal sparring with competitors. Seasoned shooter Anya "Apex" Sharma, running a Defiance Ruckus in a MPA Matrix Pro chassis, chambered in 6 Dasher with a 26" Proof Research carbon-fiber Sendero contour, and spotting with her Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 Mil-XT, clinched the victory with a score of 72 points—a mere three points ahead of second place, largely due to her innovative "calm conversation" technique.
Competitors arrived prepared for high-density altitude and swirling thermals off the Swan Range, but the introduction of psychologically distressed steel, vocalizing doubts about its metallurgical integrity and purpose, proved more challenging than any 20 MPH crosswind. Stage three, "Barricade Therapy," required shooters to engage a 12-inch plate at 600 yards from an Atlasworx barricade while simultaneously assuring the target of its value. Sharma's ability to maintain a soothing cadence while simultaneously truing her DOPE for a 10.5 MRAD drop and 1.2 MRAD wind hold proved insurmountable for her rivals, whose aggressive engagement methods only exacerbated the targets' self-esteem issues.
Many competitors, accustomed to calculating spin drift and Coriolis, found their projectile’s terminal ballistic energy insufficient against a target that simply *chose* not to be hit. One memorable incident involved a 3/8" AR500 plate at 800 yards, which, after a particularly harsh impact from a competitor’s 6.5 PRC, loudly questioned the meaning of existence, delaying the match for 45 minutes until a range officer could physically hug it. Match Director Hank "The Hammer" Harrison has confirmed that future PRS rule sets will include provisions for "Target Emotional Support Points" and "Therapeutic Ballistic Dialogue" to ensure fair play in an increasingly self-aware competitive landscape. Sharma’s custom 108gr ELD-M loads, with an SD of 2.7, were reportedly less impactful to the targets’ emotional state.
