[[{“value”:”February 14th, 2026
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Saturday Movies: SWN Update and Past SWN Video Highlights
The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN), one of the major long-range rifle matches of the year, is underway right now in Arizona for three rifle classes: Sling (“Any Sights” and “Palma”), F-Open, and F-TR. Running from February 11th through 15th, the match started with the Mid-Range 600-yard event on Wednesday, February 11th, and concludes with the 2-day 1000-yard match on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th. On Thursday and Friday there were team and individual Palma-format competitions for all three divisions (Sling, F-TR, F-Open). These are multi-distance matches with targets at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. The match continues today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) with 1000-yard matches. CLICK HERE for all official 2026 Southwest Nationals results on the Desert Sharpshooters website.
The 2026 Southwest Nationals event continues today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday) with individual and team competitions at 1000 yards. CLICK HERE for full 2026 SWN Match Program.
Shown below left are results for the 2026 SWN Nationals 2/13/2026 Individual Palma matches for the three divisions: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. The Palma match is 15 shots each at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. There were some very impressive performances on Friday the 13th. All the top 10 F-Open shooters did not drop a single point, all finishing with 450 scores (before X-count). Below, to the right of the Palma scores, is a video from ace shooter Brandon Green. This shows the Palma stage at 2026 SWN.
| 2026 SWN Palma 800/900/1000 Match Sling Division Top 10 F-Open Division Top 10 F-TR Division Top 10 | 2026 SWN Individual Palma Day 15 shots for record each at 800, 900, 1000 yards. |
For this Saturday Showcase, we provide videos from past SWN events, plus informative videos that explain how to prepare for the event and pack your gear for air travel and/or lengthy overland trips.
Tips for New Competitors at the Southwest Nationals
Headed to the SW Nationals for the first time? Never shot at the Ben Avery range before? Then definitely watch this F-Class John video. It provides a series of smart tips for SWN first-timers.
Highlights from 2024 SW Nationals with Past Champ Erik Cortina
This video follows long-range competitors at the 2024 Southwest Nationals. The video shows match preparation and competition. There are interviews with participants and highlights of the challenging conditions. The video concludes with the announcement of class winners. 2024 F-Open winner Jay Christopherson is interviewed starting at 12:18 time-mark.
Analyzing Conditions at 2022 SW Nationals
In this video past SWN Champion Erik Cortina and F-Class John analyze relays from the 2022 match, discussing shot holds for specific wind conditions. You can learn quite a bit from this dialog with two top F-Open shooters. Erik won the F-Open LR SWN event in 2023.
Packing Gear for Air Travel — Tips from F-Class John
It can be very challenging to travel via airline to a major shooting event because of all the gear you’ll need to bring, along with your rifle(s). F-Open shooters must bring a heavy, bulky front rest and rear bag, while F-TR shooters will need a large front tripod and rear bag. Then you’ll need to transport a spotting scope with its adjustable mount, plus a LOT of loaded ammunition. Some shooters will also bring a press and dies to do final seating of their ammo. That’s a lot of gear. In this video, F-Class John shows how to pack rifles, gear, and ammo efficiently so air travel can go safely and smoothly.
Southwest Nationals Video SHORTS
Bird’s Eye Ben Avery — A Look at the Range
If you’ve never visited the Ben Avery Facility north of Phoenix, Arizona, here’s a video that shows the 1000-yard range (including drone footage). The desert range at Ben Avery is something special — check out this “birds-eye view”. This 2016 video also includes an interview with Derek Rodgers, F-TR World Champion, King of 2 Miles, and the only man who who has earned both F-Open AND F-TR USA National titles.
Sling Shooters in Palma Division
For the Palma division, the cartridge of choice is the .308 Winchester (7.62.x51). This versatile cartridge is still capable of extreme accuracy. Never underestimate a skilled sling shooter with a good Palma rifle. Below is multi-time NRA National Long-Range Champion John Whidden in action. John’s rifle features a centerfire action in an aluminum Anschutz small-bore stock.
CLICK HERE for Phoenix Travel and Lodging Information.
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Tags: AccurateShooter.com, Air Travel Tips, Ben Avery, Berger SWN, Capstone Precision, Erik Cortina, F-Class John, Jay Christopherson, Lapua, Southwest Nationals, SWN, SWN Phoenix
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