TFB Interview: Sami Hautamäki – World Champion IPSC Rifle World Shoot

This is an interview with Sami Hautamäki (FIN), World Champion IPSC Rifle World Shoot in Semi Auto Standard overall and in senior. Like many other top shooters, Sami’s story starts with an air rifle so if you’re a parent, you know what to get your younger ones for Christmas or their birthday. Then be prepared to buy them a .22LR rimfire rifle, and make sure you bring them outdoors to the shooting range or on your next hunt. Who knows, they might end up as successful as Sami? 

This series of interviews with the top rifle shooters from around the World includes an ocean of knowledge to consume. And for me personally, Sami’s advice on how to shoot on the move is probably the best one I have ever read.

TFB Interviews – IPSC Rifle World Shoot 2024:

TFB Interview: Kyle Litzie – World Champion – IPSC Rifle World Shoot TFB Interview: Raine Peltokoski – World Champion Senior – IPSC TFB Interview: Eirik Larsen (Team HK) – IPSC Rifle World Shoot 2024 TFB Interview: Keith Garcia – IPSC Rifle World Shoot 2024

The 2024 IPSC Rifle World Shoot in Finland is one of the major international shooting competitions organized by the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). The Rifle World Shoot gathered over 800 competitive rifle shooters from around the world and put their skills in dynamic shooting to test. Competitors had to demonstrate speed, accuracy, and precision while navigating 30 diverse stages that included targets between 5 to 355 meters, moving targets, different shooting positions, and various props.

TFB: Terve Sami! Congratulations to another World Champion title in the Semi Auto Standard Division, both in senior and overall. Your team finished first as well, quite far ahead of the U.S. and Norwegian National Teams. How does it feel to be a World Champion?

Sami: It feels great! I wasn’t sure I could make it this time but it seems like even the seniors can surprise sometimes. Our team was also in good shape, and we achieved first place.

TFB: Overall, your margin was about 7% in front of the next competitor, and in senior it was over 23%. That’s pretty unreal! Did you at some point feel confident that you were going to win, or was it a battle to the end? Please tell us what was going on in your head towards the end of the competition?

Sami: The competition started well for me, but there were also difficult moments for some stages, not everything always goes as planned.

We started in Area 1, where there were a bit longer distances and off-hand shooting. This was ok for me, and I gained about a 100-point lead over my toughest competitors. On the second day at Area 2, I managed to extend my lead to 160 points.

In Areas 3 and 4, where there were shorter shooting distances, I started shooting more cautiously and aimed to maintain the point difference.

After all, I managed to maintain the point difference until the end of the competition. The final thriller was the last two long-distance stages of the competition, where 290 points were at stake. This led to a very cautious shooting strategy, as hits were crucial, and time was not as important.

TFB: For readers who may not be familiar with your background, could you share the story of your journey in shooting? When and how did you get started, and how has your career evolved over time?

Sami: I have been involved in shooting since I was a little boy, initially with an air rifle, and later, when I was old enough, with a .22LR rifle. Back then, shooting was basic precision shooting, and I wasn’t interested in competing. I discovered IPSC shooting in 2006 when a friend invited me to watch a local Level 1 pistol competition; and a year later, I had already acquired my own 9 mm pistol and .223 rifle. Initially, I shot with a pistol in addition to a rifle and shotgun, but I soon realized that I didn’t have the time or money to practice with all the weapons, so I focused on long guns and left the pistol for occasional SRA (Finnish Reservist 3-gun) competitions. I think it was 2013 when I started focusing solely on long guns.

The so-called “breakthrough” in my shooting career happened in 2015 when I won my first international major competition, the European IPSC Rifle Championship in Hungary. This gave me the motivation to train even more, and the sponsors that came on board enabled me to increase my training volume and succeed in future World Championships.

TFB: I’m sure a lot of competitors would like to know about and copy your setup. I understand you use an Italian AR15 made by ADC, Armi Dallera Custom? What kind of modifications have you done, and how do they improve the performance?

Sami: I have used ADC rifles (Armi Dallera Custom) since 2016. The rifle I shot this year was a “competition line” rifle they built for me. 20” barrel .223 Rem 1/9”, adjustable gas, 15.5” elite competition front handguard, collapsible stock, lightweight carrier and recoil reducer buffer.

I updated the charging handle to BCM double side, trigger to ATC Gold and compensator to Finntac, which is easy to modify perfectly for me.

TFB: Do you have a spare rifle around, in case something happens to your primary? Does it differ in any way?

Sami: I have two rifles that are almost identical and an extra upper. I usually use the rifle with the newer barrel for competitions, while the other one is kept as a backup and for practice. Both rifles and upper are essentially the same, so I can use any of them without additional adjustments. This also makes it easier to test new parts or modifications.

TFB: Can you tell us about your iron sights?

Sami: The rear sight is KAC micro, I tested quite many sights and liked KAC over others, it offers a more “open” view, and you can see the next target easier.

The front sight base is ADC, very solid and easy to adjust. The front sight tunnel is an ahg-front sight (strong version) with 2mm “circle” reticle from Lee Shaver.

I have received a lot of questions about why I use the circle reticle and is it good? In my opinion, there is no “best” reticle, it depends on the shooter’s eyesight, and for me, the circle is ok but not for everyone. I suggest that you get the Lee Shaver set and try different kinds of reticles, I’m sure you will find the one for your eyes.

TFB: Do you ever click for a stage, or do you use a set zero and do holdovers?

Sami: I adjust the elevation based on the hardest target on the stage and aim others below, so the zero is kind of “dynamic”.

Normally, I don’t do clicks during the stage, but if there is time between shooting positions I might do it. For example, in this competition, stage 30 was one where there was enough time to adjust the sight while moving without losing much time.

TFB: Shooting iron sights is a challenge, and especially for seniors with poor eyesight. Are you born with Superman’s eyes, or what’s the secret?

Sami: Sorry, no Superman eyes. I have the same vision problems as other aging people. I work daily in front of a computer, so I had to get computer glasses. The same happened with shooting; I went to a knowledgeable optician who made me glasses specifically for shooting, and they have worked excellently so far. The glasses are designed specifically for rifle shooting, so for example, their precise focus range is a bit too far for pistol shooting.

I hope I can continue shooting with iron sights in the future, as I don’t want to switch to optics unless necessary.

TFB: Do you use any secondary side-mounted iron sights?

Sami: I do have secondary sights, which I use only for difficult left-side leans and forced left-side shooting situations, because I see a bit better with my right eye, allowing me to shoot faster. Using the secondary sight is quite rare; in this competition, I fired 4 shots using the secondary sights.

My secondary sight is mounted slightly higher than the base level so that I can aim with my right eye from the left shoulder. The sight is a Magpul MBUS Pro.

TFB: What kind of ammunition do you use and what IPSC power factor did you achieve in the chrono? Do you reload?

Sami: In competitions, I use Lapua factory-loaded 55gr FMJ and 69gr Scenar ammunition. For practice, I have tried to replicate these factory loads to maintain accuracy and shootability. My principle is to always use the 69gr if the stage has targets over 200m, otherwise, I use the 55gr round. This is because the heavier bullet is less wind-sensitive and has more power to knock down metal targets.

The power factor of the Lapua 55gr FMJ factory load from 20″ .223 Rem chambered barrels has been between 156 and 162 for me, depending on the temperature and the number of rounds fired through the barrel. This round is excellent for IPSC shooting, as it is accurate and shoots well.

Reloading data for practice ammo:

Lapua 55gr S569 FMJ bullet, 22.3gr N133 Vihtavuori powder, Lapua 223 Rem case, CCI 400 primer, OAL 56,0mmLapua 69gr GB544 OTM Scenar-L bullet, 20.6gr N133 Vihtavuori powder, Lapua 223 Rem case, CCI 400 primer, OAL 56,2mm

TFB: What were your highlights at the match? Which stage did you enjoy best?

Sami: I don’t have a single favorite stage; the ones where you could shoot off-hand were good, as well as the stages where it was a slightly longer distance, for example, stage 6 (The Sauna) was good in my opinion. My best performances were in areas 1 and 2, which had longer distances and off-hand shooting.

TFB: And what was the worst?

Sami: Stage 18, the pendulum hell… Somehow, I managed to mess up opening the door so badly that I was a couple of seconds behind right from the start. I just want to forget that stage.

TFB: What do you think of the electronic Kongsberg targets? Are they the future for larger competitions, or would you prefer some other targets?

Sami: This was the first time I saw Kongsberg target systems in use, and they worked excellently. I believe the use of Kongsberg systems should be expanded, especially for long-distance stages, as they significantly speed up stage completion. It would also be great to have these available for practice someday.

TFB: How many shots per year do you shoot?

Sami: This year, I fired about 13,000 .223 Rem and 22,000 .22 LR rounds. The annual amount of .22 LR ammunition has remained roughly constant year after year. The foundational work done with the .22LR rifle during the winter provides a good basis for transitioning to the rifle as soon as the snow melts from the range in the spring.

TFB: Can you recommend some efficient shooting drills for our readers? Perhaps some that don’t require a huge amount of ammunition?

Sami: I personally prefer short exercises with a maximum of 10 shots, which keeps ammunition consumption reasonable. Off-hand shooting is the most important skill in rifle shooting, I use perhaps 70% of all practice shots for this.

One example of a very simple off-hand exercise is two plates and two classic targets at 100 meters, with two shooting positions, shooting one plate and one classic target from each position. Make it so that no makeup shots are allowed. This exercise teaches careful sight picture on a plate and shot calling on a classic target.

TFB: What did you do to prepare yourself for the Rifle World Shoot, and was it something that specifically helped you during the competition?

Sami: I practiced a lot of off-hand shooting because I assumed it would be necessary. Experiences from last year’s Nordic Championship in Ruutikangas highlighted the importance of off-hand shooting. On many bays, the shooting distance is between 50-100 meters. This assumption turned out to be correct.

TFB: If you got to shoot the same match again, what would you do differently? What would you practice more?

Sami: Moving targets. During the competition, I ended up shooting unnecessary make-ups too many times, because I didn’t have enough confidence in my shot calling.

TFB: In your opinion, which are the three top components to be able to win a big shooting championship?

Sami: I would say skill, gear, and mental strength. Skill can be developed through practice, and gear can be made to work well with careful attention. However, mental strength is something that, if lacking, can cause even a good competitor to fail. Mental recovery after a poorly executed stage is one of the hardest things to learn. I’ve sometimes had the opposite problem as well; after a very successful stage, the momentum has carried over and then backfired on the following stages. It’s better to try to stay calm and complete each stage without succumbing to excessive optimism.

TFB: If you got the chance, what kind of advice would you give your younger self?

Sami: Focus on training and cut down on gadget tinkering.

TFB: I find shooting on the move with a long gun very difficult. Can you please tell us how to do it, so we can start practicing?

Sami: I often try to include an element of shooting on the move in my training because shooting on the move is one of the most difficult things, and you can never practice it too much.

I try to stay low while moving and step in a straight line – as if walking on a plank. I’ve found that this helps keep the aim steadier. Dry fire plays a significant role here, and .22LR is a good and cost-effective tool for practicing shooting on the move.

It’s also worth finding out how far you can shoot accurately while moving. The position of the targets relative to the direction of movement also affects shooting; targets on the strong-hand side are the most challenging. The movement must also be fast enough to be beneficial.

TFB: You Finns seem born with great off-hand shooting skills as well. How far out can you take shots with reliability and reasonably good hits (A or C) on an IPSC Classic target? How do you train to become better?

Sami: Practice and competition situations are different. In practice, I usually finish each session by shooting 5*2 shots at a 60m mini target with a .22 LR and if I practice with .223 Rem then a 100-meter classic target. Sometimes all shots might be in the A zone, but usually, there are a couple of C hits.

In a competition, you must assess whether it’s worth shooting off-hand. Even a small change in the basic shooting stance can affect this, in addition to the distance.

TFB: Which country do you think should arrange the next IPSC Rifle World Shoot, and why?

Sami: I think it’s Norway’s turn to arrange the World Shoot. They are next in line.

TFB: Do you hunt as well? What rifle and caliber do you use?

Sami: Hunting is close to my heart, having started hunting since I got my hunting license at 15 years old. For forest game birds, I have my old SAKO in .22-250 Rem. It’s a precise tool and can shoot a bit longer distances too.

TFB: Do you have any special guns in your collection?

Sami: No, I have only competition guns and some dedicated to hunting.

TFB: If you had to choose any rifle from the Finnish army to compete with, which one would it be and why?

Sami: Of course, the RK 62! It’s familiar to me from my military service and fits perfectly into the standard category. The caliber might not be the best possible, but you could compete with it.

TFB: What do you think about the new Sako, as to be used by the Swedish and Finnish armies?

Sami: I haven’t had the chance to try the new Sako yet, but I think the change is good and my expectations for the weapon are high. Switching the caliber to NATO standard is important for ammunition supply during crises. Through my competitive shooting career, I’ve become very familiar with AR-based rifles, and I believe that an AR-based weapon enhances an individual soldier’s combat effectiveness.

TFB: I presume you will be shooting in the PCC Iron division at the World Shoot 2025? Can you please tell us more about your gun and your iron sights?

Sami: No PCC this time, going with the mini-rifle and standard of course. The iron sights are the same as in my rifle.

TFB: What do you think about the future of the Standard Division in IPSC Rifle? What kind of changes would you like to see, or are the rules perfect?

Sami: I think the standard rules are good as they are.

TFB: Do you think 1x optics like red dots should be allowed in Standard? Or should there be a new division like “Limited” instead?

Sami: This is an interesting question. If a new “limited” division is created, would it take shooters from the current standard or from the open? If the standard is to be modernized, allowing red dot sights could be a good way. Personally, I wouldn’t necessarily choose a red dot sight as the primary sight; I’m not sure how it would work over long distances. As a secondary sight, it could be useful.

I think a new division would be better after all, we need to have standard as it is: all iron, no bipods, just a shooter and his/her rifle.