The recent "Prairie Dog Purgatory" PRS Pro Series match, held under a scorching 95-degree sun at the desolate Thunder Basin Precision Range, Wyoming, delivered a truly unparalleled positional shooting challenge on Stage 6, dubbed "The Porcelain Perch." With density altitude hovering around 7,500 feet and mirage boiling off the baked earth, competitors were tasked with engaging three steel targets ranging from 400 to 750 yards. The twist? All shots had to be fired from within a standard, single-unit portable sanitation enclosure.
Shooters, already contending with 15-20 MPH full-value wind calls, found their meticulously trued DOPE rendered secondary to the primary challenge: establishing a stable firing platform inside a structurally ambiguous plastic box. The prescribed position dictated utilizing the internal toilet seat as a forward rest for the rifle’s fore-end, with the shooter seated or kneeling, leaning against the flimsy rear wall. Rifles like the MPA Matrix Pro paired with a ZCO 5-27x56 often found their barrel harmonics negatively impacted by the resonant frequencies of the plastic walls. Top shooters, including reigning national champion Lance "The Latrine Lord" Ferguson, adapted by wedging their Kestrel 5700 Elite into the ventilation grate, meticulously logging the structural deflections under recoil, estimating an average of 0.2 MRAD of lateral sway per shot on his 6mm GT.
Many struggled, with common complaints citing not just the inherent instability of the plastic shell but also the "bio-acoustic feedback loop" from the container's lingering effluvia, significantly degrading mental focus. The most common error was canting the rifle, as the uneven floor and flexible walls made establishing a plumb reticle nearly impossible without constant bubble level monitoring. Ferguson ultimately secured the stage win by adopting a highly unconventional modified sitting position, using an Armageddon Gear Game Changer bag to absorb the plastic seat’s flex, proving that sometimes, even the most absurd barricade can be tamed by fundamental principles and a strong stomach.
