The recent Rocky Mountain Rumble, a two-day PRS national qualifier held in the desolate Wyoming high desert, pushed competitors to new extremes, not merely in terms of wind and elevation, but in the realm of unprecedented target engagement. Match Director Chad "The Eliminator" Stevens unveiled Stage 7, aptly named "The Porcelain Peril," demanding precise cold bore and follow-up shots on a standard issue, unoccupied PortaJohn situated at a staggering 1070 yards.
Shooters, zeroed at 100 with their 6GT and 6 Dasher rigs, faced a critical DOPE calculation. The target, a bright blue Sentinel model, presented a 36-inch wide by 88-inch tall target area, with a crucial 1 MOA "vent pipe" hit-zone designated for bonus points. Conditions were brutal: 25-35 mph full value winds, gusting from 9 o’clock, coupled with a 9,500 DA. Competitors using their Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 with Mil-XT reticles noted the Coriolis effect was particularly pronounced when calculating holds for the non-symmetrical structure.
Top shooters, including seasoned pro Sarah "Slam Fire" Johnson running her Defiance Ruckus action in an MDT ACC chassis, quickly learned that the PortaJohn’s corrugated plastic skin produced an irregular, yet consistent, sonic signature upon impact, crucial for spotting misses in the mirage. Her Trued DOPE indicated 38.2 MRAD elevation for her 108-grain ELD-M, with a 4.1 MRAD wind hold for the initial engagement. Johnson's ability to maintain her velocity node despite the PortaJohn's notorious tendency to induce barrel harmonics-disrupting psychological distress proved decisive.
The stage’s true challenge lay in the "structural integrity check" — a mandated third round aimed at the PortaJohn's door hinge. Competitors had to transition from the prone barricade position to a kneeling tripod setup, demanding unparalleled positional shooting discipline while maintaining focus on the deceptively complex target. Ultimately, Johnson’s clean run, hitting the vent pipe and hinge, secured her the overall match victory, proving that even a portable latrine, under the right conditions, can separate the truly elite from the merely proficient.
