The inaugural Ohio Long-Range Handgun Precision Series (LRHPS) match concluded this past weekend, cementing its place as a crucible for ballistic masochists. Held at the aptly named “Whispering Pines (of the Damned)” range near Zanesville, the 12-stage event pushed the boundaries of what constitutes “precision” with a pistol. Conditions were brutal: a swirling 7-10 mph full-value wind, 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and a density altitude hovering at 2,100 feet, making truing data for calibers like 9mm Luger and .44 Magnum an exercise in spiritual enlightenment.
Winner Chad “The Hand Cannon” Johnson secured victory by a mere 0.2 points, demonstrating unprecedented mastery of his customized S&W Model 629 Performance Center 8-3/8" in .44 Magnum, topped with a Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14x40mm. Johnson’s DOPE card, reportedly resembling a biblical scroll, detailed elevation adjustments exceeding 150 MOA for steel targets out to 750 yards. His critical edge came on the “Prone Pig” stage, where competitors engaged a 2 MOA hog silhouette at 600 yards from a modified shooting bag. Johnson, running 300gr XTPs at 1200 fps, made a cold bore shot with an 0.8 MIL right wind hold, attributing his success to “feeling the barrel harmonics” and “pre-empting the Coriolis effect on projectile spin.”
The match also featured a “Barricade Squirrel” stage at 400 yards, demanding rapid target acquisition and stable positional shooting with single-hand support. The majority of competitors struggled, with only Johnson and runner-up Brenda “The Blaster” Lee (shooting a Glock 34 with an attached bipod and a custom stock system) successfully engaging more than two targets. Lee’s data, built around a painstakingly trued 147gr 9mm load, showed an ES of 30 fps over 10 shots, which was deemed “impressive for a handgun.” Organizers are already planning next year’s event, promising targets out to 1000 yards and mandatory single-hand unsupported cold bore shots.
