Northern Rimfire series starts shooting next month

Precision rimfire shooters, get ready. Ontario's Northern Rimfire series is putting together its 2021 season plans, and the first match of the season is just around the corner. This year, Triggertech is the series' title sponsor.

Precision rimfire competition is growing rapidly in popularity among Canadian shooters. That's partly due to the federal Order in Council crackdown last May. Restrictions on several popular sporting rifles means the competition based around those firearms has died out. It's also because rimfire shooting can be very affordable, and many precision series have sensible spending limits on rifle and optics. And, even the most expensive .22LR ammunition is still relatively affordable.

The Northern Rimfire series runs matches across Ontario, with points tracked from match to match. Competitors engage targets from 75 to 350 yards, with most shooting at 125-250 yards. The series' website says to expect fast-paced match with lots of movement, and a large variety of props and target engagements.The rules say only .22LR rifles allowed; production class limits rifle and optic value to $1,500 US combined. There are other restrictions as well; for more details on the rules, you can ask organizers on Facebook.

Originally, the series' first match for 2021 was scheduled for March. Organizers pushed that match to June, probably because Ontario still faces pandemic restrictions.

Now, registration is open for the first match of the series, on April 10. The series' Facebook page says organizers aren't accepting payment yet, as COVID restrictions could still cause problems. The series will send payment requests out about a week before the match. They ask shooters not to register, unless they're sure they can attend.

A seven-match schedule

At this point, the series' Practiscore page lists matches on April 10, May 15, May 16, June 5, August 14, August 15 and September 25. The series doesn't list locations for those matches; again, COVID-19 restrictions cause uncertainty. The series' Facebook page says the August 14 competition will be this year's Ontario vs Quebec Border War match.

If this is something you want to get into this season, check out the Northern Rimfire Facebook page for entry information … and get practicing.