Late last month David Mark Honeycutt stepped up to the firing line at the Catawba Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Conover, North Carolina. Unbeknownst to Mark, that day he would go home not only as the winner of the F-Open Class division with an aggregate score of 600-50X, but he would also become the 20 shot relay national record holder with a string of fire scoring 200-30X, beating the former record by a full four X’s.
One may ask how Mark could possibly shoot 30X score on a twenty shot relay. If a competitor cleans the X ring throughout the course of fire, they are provided the option to continue shooting until they drop their first round outside of the 1.5” X ring. Mark continued to fire a string of an additional ten shots at the 300 yard target before he dropped his first round into the 10 ring, awarding him the final recorded score of 200-30X.
The rifle Mark used to achieve this remarkable score is a large shank Savage target action with the original Savage stock, featuring an added aluminum bedding block, new pillars, and glass bedding. Topped with a Nightforce mount, rings, and scope, this rifle was no doubt a tack driver from the start.
Mark and fellow gunsmith/competitor Mike McSwain feel that the most important ingredient to their build was the Criterion barrel purchased through Northland Shooters Supply. The 30” bull contoured 1-8 6mmBR Savage Pre-Fit has made appearances in the last four 300 yard matches Honeycutt has competed in. Mark has been undefeated since the installation of this latest barrel.
While the rifle and barrel combination have performed admirably, the record could not have been broken without the extreme talent demonstrated by Mr. Honeycutt. Mark is a High Master who has been shooting competition for over 20 years. Previously an F-Open State and NRA F-Open Southeast Regional champion, Honeycutt and McSwain both do their own gunsmithing work.
Both shooters have built many rifles and won many matches, but claim to never have had a barrel that performed like the Criterion. Criterion Barrels would like to take this time to congratulate Mark on his latest record-setting victory by presenting him with a free Savage pre-fit barrel to help with his next rifle build project. Good luck at the range Mark, we look forward to seeing how your barrel performs in upcoming matches!