The Wasteland Shuffle is a remote challenge that we are issuing to our friends out there in collaboration with InRange and their 2-Gun Action Challenge Match in May 2021.
This is a Fallout-themed event that we ask our audience to submit their own videos of themselves running the event on their own leisure. We will later gather their videos and review it with Karl from InRange during our livestream "PickOne" event.
DEADLINE for submission: Mid-June 2021 prior to our Pick-One session
If you have no idea what Fallout is, we have a short write-up at the end of this article.
Learn more about this event in this video:
The Wasteland Shuffle Course
This course of fire consists of a 100m or 100y range with a steel C-zone or smaller target. The course primarily has two phases, with the Phase 1 at 100m/y and Phase 2 between 50-15m/y.
The shooter has TWO load-out options, and the two load-out options affect the shots required, the phase 2 course of fire... but the choice is up to the shooter on which class they would like to use.
If you are to really boil it down, we are looking at the classic debate of "end of the world" survivalist weapons. Would you choose the full power cartridge with and low powered optic + Suppressed .22LR pistol or a Kalashnikov in 7.62x39?
The Load-Outs
The Sharpshooter Load-Out
Weapon requirement:
Low-powered magnification optic (4x maximum) with a full-powered cartridge manual action rifle. This can be a surplus rifle or hunting rifle. If you would elect to use iron sights, that is fine. If you have a hunting rifle with 3-9x, you may elect to use 3x or 4x but no more.
.22 pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition. Suppressed is preferred but not required.
Course of Fire:
Shooter will acquire 8 hits on the target from both designated positions, prone only. Shooter must change positions after every 2 rounds fired, regardless of if they hit or not.
If shooter successfully acquires all 8 hits with no misses, they are done.
If shooter fails to get 8 rifle hits after moving to all 4 positions, shooter will safe rifle (open bolt, pointed in safe direction) and ground the rifle.
Shooter must then run downrange to the 15M line, draw their pistol and chamber a round only ONCE they are in the designated firing position at 15m and acquire 10 hits on the target.
Once 10 hits have been acquired with the pistol, they are done and that time is their score. If the shooter had to use their pistol, anything less than 10 hits will be penalty.
------------- Bottom line -------------
Your primary objective is to secure all 8 hits at Phase 1 (100 m/y) to complete the course.
You must attempt every shot, but if you miss the target even once, you will have to run down to Phase 2 (15m/y) to shoot the target 10 times with the .22 pistol.
EVERY FIRED ROUND THAT IS NOT A HIT IS +5 SECONDS.
Theory of Employment:
Military surplus bolt action rifles are great to hold around, and .22 LR pistols are a survivalists' staple. Both options have easily scavenged cartridges, the .22LR is easily and effectively suppressed.
The milsurp or hunting cartridges (assuming popular caliber choices) and also shelf stable, generally sealed, and bolt action rifles are extremely reliable if you take care of them. Corrosive primers also resist the elements better and the larger rifle rounds generally have better terminal ballistics and defeat body armor easily. In our example, while designed as a smokeless powder cartridge, some cartridges in the early issuance of the Mosin Nagant M91/30 used black powder (out of necessity), and black powder can be much easily mixed than smokeless powder. Lead projectiles can also be smelted easier than FMJ projectiles.
With a bolt action rifle, keeping your distance is key. Less rounds required and displacing frequently will keep you alive, and lower your chances of being pinned.
A suppressed .22LR pistol is most useful up close and keeping your stealth. It is a useful option to deploy and still maintain your mobility, but performs poorly against armor and while very deadly when used correctly, even seasoned Israeli operatives typically take a "high volume fire" to ensure terminal effects from the smaller .22LR caliber projectiles
The downside to this combination comes down the anything mid-range and a large volume of fire. Keeping your distance and ensuring your full power rounds connect to neutralize the target is key. Getting into a firefight in the mid-range zone with intermediate cartridge auto-loaders with a large magazine capacity is a kiss of death.
The Infantry Load-Out
Weapon requirement:
A Kalashnikov type rifle with iron sights and a 7.62x39 chambering.
Course of Fire:
Shooter will acquire 12 hits on the target from both designated positions prone only. Shooter must change positions after every 3 rounds fired, regardless of if they hit or not.
If shooter successfully acquires all 12 hits with no misses, they are done.
If shooter misses (even one shot) at Phase 1 (100m/y), they will run down range to Phase 2 (50 m/y), reload, and fire 3 rounds from each position, freestyle, until they have acquired the required 12 total shots.
------------- Bottom line -------------
You must attempt every shot, but if you miss the target even once at phase 1 (100m/y), you will have to run down to Phase 2 (50m/y) to shoot the target from the two stations until you have received 12 total hits.
EVERY FIRED ROUND THAT IS NOT A HIT IS +5 SECONDS.
Theory of Employment:
The Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK) pattern of military autoloading rifles are exceedingly efficient and rugged magazine-fed rifles that fire an intermediate cartridge in 7.62x39 with great effect from 0-400m at torso-sized targets.
With the AK, shooters can acquire relatively fast and high-volume of shots on target as long as they are able to effectively use the sighting system at distance. The magazine also aids in the prone position as it allows the shooter to "monopod" the rifle to acquire easier hits.
7.62x39 is a very "low maintenance round and often times a high-quality hammer forged barrel can last extremely long durations without wear. There are documented cases of Russian barrels lasting up to 50,000+ rounds while still grouping.
The ammunition is also relatively common and easily to find worldwide, and decently sealed against the elements.
However at the end of the day, the 7.62x39 does not dole the same terminal effects as a full powered WW2 era military surplus cartridge would. It also does not have the same (relative) effect on armored targets, while it remains effective against unarmored targets even at distance.
The iron sight option is also highly dependent on the shooter's skill level to effectively make the hits. 100m/y prone un-supported or 50m/y standing with iron sights on a torso sized target under time and pressure may prove difficult to some less-practiced.
The strength of the AK is that it is a single rugged weapon that pours a much greater volume of fire with a lesser reload time, and that it covers most general combat distances.
The downside comes to the operator's familiarity with iron sights, and over time, autoloaders (not matter how rugged) will also require more maintenance. Gas-operated rifles also require more adjustments for suppressor use, and ammunition will need to be loaded to spec for proper function.
Caveats
1, No Power
This Fallout themed match does not allow ANY electronic devices! (unless you show up in power armor and run a laser/plasma cannon) Electronic sighting systems are not allowed.
Scopes with an electronic illumination system may on be used with batteries removed/ battery compartment open.
2, Your choice of targets
We recognize that it may be difficult to obtain a C-Zone IPSC 12inx20in steel target in your part of the wastelands.
You may use a target that is equivalent or smaller sized target that you can tell if it impacted or not!
Please do not cheat with a larger target, but of course you could practice at your own leisure with a larger target.
3, Pip-boys are allowed
If you own a pip-boy, you may use V.A.T.S., but we recommend having the base skill in case your Pip-boy fails in the field.
Pip-boy owners will have an alternate fast-track to join the NCR Rangers for extra pay.
Submission
DEADLINE: Mid-June 2021 prior to our Pick-One session
Let's see what you can do! Film your own run for NCR recruiting officers. Post your Wasteland Shuffle run to Youtube, Instagram or Facebook.
Please use these hashtags in your video description so we can find your submissions:
If you would like to ensure that we receive your submission, you may also email us the URL (not the entire video please) to our emails.
Please title your email with "WLS Sub"
We look forward to seeing how you do, and will host a livestream "PickOne" session on this topic in June, after the InRange 2 Gun Action Challenge match!
What is "Fallout"?
Fallout is an alternate history fiction timeline that the "Fallout" series of games was based on. In this alternate timeline, the world embraced nuclear fission energy, but superconductors were never invented. The world pushed it's weapon technology far forward, but computing technology was still stuck around the analog era.
Soon, resources ran dry around the world, fossil fuels have bled dry and the world is engulfed in massive conflicts. China and the US are later wrapped up in conflict. Both sides expend their resources in manufacturing the latest weapon technology, but ultimately the US was able to secure the Alaskan oil fields - the last oil reserves of the world.
As the world pauses and believes that a temporary post-war peacetime was around the corner, the largest conflict that humanity ever faced lights off.
Nobody knows if it was the US or China who launched the first nukes, but the entire war lasted for 2 hours and decimated most major cities worldwide. The world's surface becomes massively irradiated.
Some people survive in underground vaults, some survive the irradiated wastelands, but that is where humanity resets along with mutated animals and the constant reminder of civilization-lost.
To learn more about fallout, we encourage you to watch this short video:
Additional Resources
You may use this png image to create your "VATS" looking video / thumbnail. (Expand image, right click and save)
Costume inspiration
I did not go out to get an elaborate costume, but you can. In fact we came across images of some pretty elaborate outfits that Cosplayers had LARPed in. PLEASE email us if you are filming with some serious props, we want to show it off!
Otherwise, just have fun. What would you look like in the "end of the world" wastelands?
This is a faction from Fallout New Vegas called Caesar's Legion. They almost look like the Roman Legion until you look closely and realize their armor consists of football and hockey pads, baseball helmets and various purses strewn together and spray painted to look like the ancient warriors.
This is the classic Vault Dweller look. The blue and yellow vault-suit can be actually found on Amazon for quite cheap... or you can make your own, like what Weapon Outfitters did.
(Vault Dwellers are a group of humans who lived in vaults built by "Vaultec" in the Fallout world and were locked away from radioactive contamination. They had ample supply underground, and their "vaults" were impenetrable. They all wore those jumpsuit type uniforms and had personal computers called "Pip-boys"; seen on this woman's wrist.)
(Weapon Outfitters is actually pretty awesome retailer for in the gun industry!)
This is an NCR veteran ranger. Please do not die in the heat if you LARP with a duster and respirator on.
Of course, there is also a possibility that you already live in the wastelands and dress like a wastelander every day to begin with, like Karl from InRange.
