2019 has got off to a flying start for steel challenge shooting pro Kurt Grimes. He has recently taken the Senior World Title for the 5th year in a row at the World Speed Shooting Championships. This is amongst numerous other accolades including eight senior division world titles and multiple local level match wins every year.

In addition to dominating the USPSA circuit, the Santa Barbara native also runs a custom paint shop that provides custom firearm finishes including cerakote and anodizing. You’ll find Kurt on the range with his own TacSol rimfire rifles with fantastic finishes – they’re hard to miss!

While practical shooting sports such as steel challenge and rimfire challenge are huge across the pond, they are relatively new and emerging competition formats for other countries. For those less familiar, or just wanting a deeper insight, Kurt Grimes discusses some of the common myths surrounding the sport.

“People don’t believe that I stop on every target.” Kurt states. “They think I keep moving across them and get the hits. In actuality, I stop on every single one. They then ask how I can make up a missed target so quickly. I call my shots, meaning I know if it’s a hit as soon as I pull the trigger. If I don’t call it, I shoot another round.

I also like to start where I want to finish. Meaning I start on the stop plate and work from there, and then it’s an easy return and shot. This is because there is an element of muscle memory involved, at least for me. I find that with shooting for accuracy, you can train your upper body to properly swing, sight and shoot. The body will repeat this motion in competition and results in more accurate shots.

I also get asked if compensators work on a Rimfire firearm. My answer is, yes with 12000 psi available, most definitely. This is especially true for quick-fire disciplines where low recoil and getting back on sight is important.

When competing, I like to shoot ELEY contact in the rifle and ELEY force in the pistol. The difference in barrel length gives them almost the exact feet per second so the travel time to the plate is close to the same. The main reason I like using ELEY ammo, is because it is reliable and goes bang every time.”

ELEY has a complete range of .22LR ammunition for practical shooting, whether you’re just starting out or competing at a high level on the practical shooting circuit. Check out the recreation range for more.