Team Vihtavuori’s Francis Colon Wins at Nightforce ELR

Congratulations to Team Vihtavuori member Francis Colon winning at the 2023 Nightforce Extreme Long Range (ELR) Steel Challenge. Francis outscored over 280 competitors with a score of 115.54, bringing home an individual 3^rd place finish.

The prestigious Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge was held June 9-11 in Glenrock, WY, at the Tillard 55 Ranch.  The three-day match had competitors shooting 20 different stages with targets ranging from 725 yards to 2,125 yards. Awards were given for both individuals and teams.

Following the match Francis commented, “Normally, I have months of advance notice to prep a rifle, barrels, and ammo for matches. However, in this case, I had less than a week and half to get a new rifle, break it in, and learn to shoot the heavy recoiling 300 Norma Magnum. I used Lapua 300NM brass and Berger 30 cal 215 gr Hybrids powered by Vihtavuori N565 to create a consistent, high-performance load and it worked exactly as expected.  With an average target distance of 1,200+ yards and 10-25mph winds, it was imperative that my powder and projectile be as consistent as possible to make wind calls more successful.”

“This was my first ELR match and the first time shooting this rifle beyond 100 yards. To achieve that level of performance with those hurdles to overcome is testament to the quality of the Vihtavuori, Lapua and Berger products working together to create an incredible system.”

Francis, who is a top ranked Precision Rifle Series (PRS) shooter, joined Team Vihtavuori in 2022.