SSG (Staff Sgt.) Ty Cooper, a service rifle shooter/instructor with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, was selected as the Military Marksmanship Association (MMA) Soldier of the Year (SOY) for 2011. MMA president Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert Harbison made the announcement at the MMA Annual Membership Meeting. Harbison presented the Soldier of the Year Award to Cooper — a .45acp pistol donated by Smith & Wesson. Other MMA 2011 SOY nominees were: PFC Matthew Sweeney from the Action Shooting team; SGT Lawrence Cleveland from the Service Pistol team; SFC Thomas Rose, International Pistol; Shotgun team member SSG Josh Richmond; SFC Eric Uptagrafft from the International Rifle team; and SPC Billy Hankins from the Custom Firearms Shop.
Cooper Wins Big Matches After Deployment to Afghanistan
Ty Cooper had a remarkable year on and off the range. Cooper claimed his first Interservice individual championship at Quantico in July. He also won the long-range individual championship and was a member of the overall team champions, making it a clean sweep. A few weeks later, Cooper won the National Service Rifle Championship at Camp Perry, Ohio. All of this success was accomplished despite a deployment to Afghanistan that stretched into the spring.
SSG Cooper (center) with Lt.Col. R. Harbison (Ret.) (left) and Lt.Col. D. Hodne USAMU Commander (right).
“Looking back over the whole year I really am proud of being able to maintain the level of consistency it took to stay right there at the top,” said Cooper. “I think the thing I am most proud of was winning the two biggest matches that we have in our season in the same year. My goals kind of progressed as the summer went. I had never won an Interservice Championship and that was top of the list. I [also]had a burning desire to prove myself at the NRA Nationals and I won the Service Rifle National Championship.” When not shooting in competition, Coopper serves as a lead instructor for the service rifle team.
You can now watch complete, 21-minute episodes from 3-Gun Nation’s second season on the NBC Sports Network. Web versions of the 3-Gun Nation TV shows are streamed on 3GunNation.com. Episodes 1 & 2 feature Keith Garcia’s dramatic victory at the 2011 Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun. The “must-watch” third Episode covers the popular Ft. Benning 3-Gun Challenge. More episodes will be released starting March 2, 2012.
Episodes 1 & 2 — Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun
Superstition is one of the premiere matches on the 3-Gun Nation circuit. Watch as 3-Gun pros Keith Garcia, Mark Hanish and 2012 3-Gun Nation Champion Tommy Thacker compete head-to-head in this legendary speed match. Garcia revealed: “I really like the stages at [Supersition Mountain]; they tend to be fast and fun to shoot. I felt confident that if I shot well I would make the Shoot-Off, but when problems come up you know things could get tough. Lucky for me I was not the only shooter who had some rough patches, and I made the Superstition Shoot-Off by a narrow margin.”
As for Thacker, he learned valuable lessons from Superstition and continued to improve throughout the 2011 season, saving his best shooting of the year for when he needed it the most, ultimately becoming the 2012 3-Gun Nation Champion.
Episode Three — Ft. Benning 3-Gun Challenge
Run by the USAMU with support from the U.S. Army, the 2011 Ft. Benning 3-Gun Match was a crowd-pleaser. 3-Gun Nation cameras give an inside look into the life of one of the sport’s most fierce competitors, Clint Upchurch. Also profiled is the 2010 Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun and veteran shooter Bruce Piatt. The Ft. Bennng match draws competitors from around the nation. It is unique in that the Army provides armored vehicles and other military hardware “props” not found anywhere else. You can watch the entire Ft. Benning episode in the embedded video below. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Ft. Benning match.
The ability to read the wind is what separates good shooters from great shooters. If you want to learn wind-doping from one of the best, watch this video with 2010 National High Power Champion (and U.S. Army 2010 Soldier of the Year) Sherri Gallagher. Part of the USAMU’s Pro Tips Video Series, this video covers the basics of wind reading including: Determining wind direction and speed, Bracketing Wind, Reading Mirage, and Adjusting to cross-winds using both sight/scope adjustments and hold-off methods. Correctly determining wind angle is vital, Sheri explains, because a wind at a 90-degree angle has much more of an effect on bullet lateral movement than a headwind or tailwind. Wind speed, of course, is just as important as wind angle. To calculate wind speed, Sheri recommends “Wind Bracketing”: [This] is where you take the estimate of the highest possible condition and the lowest possible condition and [then] take the average of the two.”
It is also important to understand mirage. Sheri explains that “Mirage is the reflection of light through layers of air, based off the temperature of the ground. These layers … are blown by the wind, and can be monitored through a spotting scope to detect direction and speed. You can see what appears to be waves running across the range — this is mirage.” To best evaluate mirage, you need to set your spotting scope correctly. First get the target in sharp focus, then (on most scopes), Sheri advises that you turn your adjustment knob “a quarter-turn counter-clockwise. That will make the mirage your primary focus.”
On its YouTube Channel, the USAMU offers “Pro Tips” videos providing expert instruction on rifle marksmanship. One helpful video covers up/down angle shooting. In the video, SFC Emil Praslick III, one of America’s best long-range shooting coaches, explains how to determine up/down angle, and how to compensate for the angle using scope clicks. Praslick explains how gravity always works as a constant relative to the flat-ground distance to the target (which is distinct from the actual straight-line distance to target.)
The flat-ground distance is the actual distance over which the bullet will be affected by gravity. Use this as the basis for your elevation corrections. As Praslick explains, “this [flat-ground] distance will get less and less as the angle to the target increases [either up or down].” Once you know the straight-line distance to the target AND the exact angle of your shot, simple math lets you calculate the flat-ground distance to the target. Basically, to determine your flat-ground distance to target, you multiply the cosine of the shot angle by the measured straight-line distance to the target.
Application to Long-Range Hunting Since the effects of angles increase with distance, Praslick explains that: “Unless the angle is extremely severe, [a hunter] really won’t notice these effects at ranges of 200 yards or less.” However, for long shots, hunters definitely need to compensate when taking angled shots. Praslick recommends that hunters print out a small chart with the cosines of common angles (20°, 25°, 30° etc.). In addition, hunters need an accurate ballistic table for their rifle and particular ammo. This should show the elevation corrections (in MOA or clicks), for 200 yards to the maximum range at which you may take a shot.
SFC Emil Praslick III is an instructor/coach with the USAMU. He also has served as a coach and “wind guru” with numerous U.S. Teams in international competition, including the U.S. Palma Team, which recently participated in the World Long-Range Fullbore Rifle Championship in Australia. Praslick has also coached the U.S. F-Open Class Team.
SGT Glenn Eller of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit has won the Gold medal in Men’s Double Trap at the Pan American Games. Eller started well, hitting 49 out of 50 targets. Eller then shot a perfect 50 targets in his second round and 48 targets in the third round for 147 targets total. That was a new Pan American record, and just one target less than the world record. Eller’s total score of 195 targets (including the Final) smashed the existing Pan American record of 187 targets, and again, was just one target shy of the world record.
Needless to say Eller put up an amazing performance — one of the best ever by a Trap shooter. Eller’s Gold marks the twelfth shooting medal for the U.S. at the Pan American Games, and sixth Gold medal. Eller’s win was especially impressive because he had to overcome two trigger-related malfunctions in the Final. “We were fortunate to have good conditions and the Jalisco Hunting Club is the nicest venue in the Americas,” commented Eller. Puerto Rico’s Jose Torres won the silver medal with 136 match targets and 49 targets in the final for 185 total targets. Luis Da Graca of Brazil won the bronze medal with a perfect final of 50 targets for 182 total targets.
Kim Rhode Wins Women’s Skeet Gold Medal
Four-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode added yet another major victory to her resume, winning gold in Women’s Skeet at the Pan American Games. Rhode ran her first round with a perfect 25 targets in Women’s Skeet. Rhode, currently ranked #1 in the world in Women’s Skeet, continued to shine with two rounds of 24 targets for a total of 73 targets headed into the final. By the time she was finished, Rhode, the first American nominated to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, had set a new Pan American qualification and final record with 98 total targets. The silver medalist was Francisca Crovetto of Chile (89 targets) and the bronze medalist was Gil Melisa of Argentina (88 targets).
Rhode, who switched from Women’s Double Trap to Women’s Skeet after her original event was removed, has medaled in every major world championship in both events. Rhode’s grandmother passed away while the team was en route to Mexico. Rhode said, “I’d like to dedicate this medal to my grandmother because she taught me to work hard and stick with it.”
For more information on Team USA shooters at the Pan American Games, visit USAShooting.org.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) will host the 2011 Champion of Champions International Rifle and Pistol Match Sept. 24-30, 2011, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Shooting will be done on electronic targets at the Pool Range Complex and Phillips Range.
The Olympic-style match is a USA Shooting-sanctioned event and qualifies as a performance standard average (PSA) match. Additionally, USA Shooting may use these match scores as a partial tryout for 2012 World Cups. Qualifying PSA scores must be achieved before an athlete may travel with the U.S. Shooting Team to selected international competitions. Champion of Champions Match Awards will be given in the Open and Junior Categories. If you have questions, contact match director Michael Behnke, Michael.behnke [at] usaac.army.mil, or Fax: (706) 545-6252.
Ace Shooters Prepare for 2012 Olympics
USAMU and U.S. National Team members SFC Eric Uptagrafft, SFC Jason Parker, SSG Michael McPhail, SGT Joe Hein, and CPL Matt Rawlings are among the slew of competitors in the field. Uptagrafft has already been nominated for the 2012 Olympic team and will be competing in rifle matches. This is the final match of 2011 prior to the Olympic Trial matches which will determine Team USA spots for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Congratulations to USAMU member SSG Michael McPhail, winner of the 2011 Smallbore Rifle Prone Championship. SSG McPhail won three matches and took the 1st Daily 1200 Aggregate as he shot consistently throughout the week to finish with 4796-401X. Coming in second place overall was Mark Delcotto with a 4796-380X and CPT Christopher Abalo, SSG McPhail’s teammate on the AMU, finished third with a 4795-388X.
With so many talented shooters participating in the championship, SSG McPhail’s commanding X-score ended up as the deciding factor as his point total of 4796 was matched by two other shooters, Mark Delcotto (Civilian Champion), and Paul Nordquist (Any Sight Champion). McPhail shared credit for his victory: “I’d like to thank the commander of the AMU, all the solders and support staff at AMU — coaches, other shooters, my teammates — and also the NRA and the volunteers. Without the volunteers this match would never even happen.”
Held July 24-29, the Smallbore Rifle Prone Championships are a part of the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships held at Camp Perry, Ohio each year. Comprised of a Metallic Sight and Any Sight championship, competitors take 480 shots over the course of 12 matches from distances of 50 meters and 100 yards to determine who will take home the Critchfield Trophy.
Special Category Winners
Paul Nordquist shot a 4796-371X to match McPhail’s point total and secure the title of Any Sight Only Champion. Renowned shooter Nancy Tompkins won the High Woman award with a 4794-375X. Reya Kempley shot second (among women) with a 4794-352x and Sarah Beard of Texas Christian University took third with a 4790-351x. Kempley also won the Metallic Sight Championship with her aggregate of 2400-182x.
Civilian Champion: Mark Delcotto – 4796-380X
Any Sight Only Champion: Paul Nordquist – 4796-371X
Woman Champion: Nancy Tompkins – 4794-375X
Senior Champion: Peter Church – 4791-352X
Intermediate Senior Champion: Larry Parker Sr. – 4788-349X
Collegiate and Junior Champion: Sarah Beard – 4790-351xX
Intermediate Junior Champion: Katie Bridges – 4784-340X
Sub-Junior Champion: Sammy Richardson – 4751-270X
Service Champion: SSG Michael McPhail, USA – 4796-401X
High Visitor: Keigh Ridgeway – 4785-340X
In an article for the CMP Online Magazine, SSG Tobie Tomlinson of the USAMU Service Rifle Team explains the various sight alignments employed by iron sights shooters. Tobie writes: “There are a myriad of sight picture options that shooters have used to great effect over the years. The sight picture that allows you to consistently shoot the smallest group, with a minimal shift in zeros, is the correct one. Remember, for any shooter to be successful, consistent sight picture must be complemented by front sight focus and sight alignment.”
Center Hold
The front sight is placed directly in the center of the target. A center hold is great in different light conditions. On a bright day the target appears small. On a dark day the target appears large. In [any] light conditions the center of the target is always in the center. A shooter who has problems with elevation shots in various light conditions may benefit from a center hold.
6 O’Clock Hold
With the 6 O’Clock hold the front sight is placed at the bottom of the aiming black. For many shooters, this hold allows precision placement of the front sight. The ability to accurately call your shots will come with time and experience. Light changes, which alter the appearance of the target, may affect shooters who utilize the 6 O’Clock hold.
Sub 6 Hold
The sub 6 is just like the 6 O’Clock hold, only there is a small line of white between the front sight and the aiming black. Many shooters have a problem determining the exact 6 O’Clock position with their front sight, but by using a sub 6 or line of white they may be able to better estimate their hold.
Frame Hold
With the frame hold, just like with the other holds, the front sight is in the center of the rear sight. The front sight can then be placed at the 6 or 12 O’Clock position on the frame when there is no visible aiming point. This hold is typically reserved for foul weather and poor light conditions. By placing the front sight at the top or bottom of the frame, a shooter may hold better when there is little target to see. It can be difficult to hold a tight group this way, but it may add more hits in bad conditions. This technique is normally applied when shooting longer ranges such 600 or 1000 yards.
USA Shooting is pleased to announce that 2008 Olympian Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, Pa.) has qualified for a nomination to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee. Upon approval, Beyerle will be competing in her second consecutive Olympic Games in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Beyerle finished fourth in Women’s 10m Air Rifle and fifth in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position. Beyerle is currently the top-ranked Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position shooter in the world. In 2011, Beyerle won gold at ISSF World Cup events in Sydney, Australia and at her home range in Fort Benning, Georgia. In the ISSF video below, you can watch Jaimie’s winning performance in Sydney:
National Rifle Coach Major Dave Johnson said, “Jamie has continued her march to the top of our sport. In the last 12 months, Jamie has earned three gold medals in World Cups and placed in the top five in two more starts. Her performance has earned her a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team as one of the best in the world.” Jaime credits Johnson and the USAMU for much of her success: “It is an honor to be nominated to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games. I would not have that honor without the support of USA Shooting and Coach Dave Johnson as well as the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and Coach Tom Tamas, who have all helped me to achieve my goals thus far.”
On June 20th, SGT Sherri Gallagher of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit stopped by NRA Headquarters (in Fairfax, Virginia) for a tour of the facilities. A highly accomplished shooter, Sherri is the reigning National High Power Rifle Champion as well as winner of the 2009 Long Range High Power Championship at Camp Perry.
Priceless Wild West Guns in Museum Safes
While in Virginia at NRA Headquarters, Sherri met with members of the Competitive Shooting Division, NRA Publications, and stopped by National Firearms Museum Director Jim Supica’s office for look at his famed collection of Smith & Wesson revolvers as well as his safe filled with pistols bearing “# 1″ serial numbers. After digging through the collection, Sherri asked, “If I get a # 1 tattoo, do you think he’ll let me stay?”
The winter 2011 digital edition of the CMP’s On the Mark Magazine is now available online for free in PDF format. This latest edition of On the Mark contains a number of interesting articles for competitive shooters including a great article on the “mental game” by Gary Anderson, former Director of Civilian Marksmanship. In addition to recent match reports, you’ll find:
Mental Performance and Sports Psychology, by Gary Anderson, DCME
Motivation: How to Stay ‘On the Mark’, by Lisa Markland
Three-Position Air Rifle Rule Interpretations
Profile of SFC Josh Olson, USAMU Paralympic Competitor, by Steve Cooper
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) will host rifle, pistol, and High Power rifle beginning- and intermediate- level coach’s courses at Fort Benning, GA this fall. The Rifle Coach’s Course will be conducted Sept. 10-11, the Pistol Course Sept. 17-18, and the High Power Rifle Coach’s Course will be held Oct. 1-2, 2011.
Certificates Awarded to Class Graduates
Cost of each course will be $125.00. Classes start at 8 am each day and conclude at 4 pm. Upon successful completion of the course, each participant will be eligible to be awarded a NRA Level 1 Coach Certificate. Each participant must provide their own transportation, lodging and meals.
To learn more about the Coaching Classes, contact Coach Richard Hawkins at (706) 545-7022, or email richard.hawkins [at] usaac.army.mil or rnh1953 [at] aol.com. For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436, Michael.Molinaro@usaac.army.mil or www.USAMU.com.
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SSG (Staff Sgt.) Ty Cooper, a service rifle shooter/instructor with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, was selected as the Military Marksmanship Association (MMA) Soldier of the Year (SOY) for 2011. MMA president Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert Harbison made the announcement at the MMA Annual Membership Meeting. Harbison presented the Soldier of the Year Award to Cooper — a .45acp pistol donated by Smith & Wesson. Other MMA 2011 SOY nominees were: PFC Matthew Sweeney from the Action Shooting team; SGT Lawrence Cleveland from the Service Pistol team; SFC Thomas Rose, International Pistol; Shotgun team member SSG Josh Richmond; SFC Eric Uptagrafft from the International Rifle team; and SPC Billy Hankins from the Custom Firearms Shop.
You can now watch complete, 21-minute episodes from 3-Gun Nation’s second season on the NBC Sports Network. Web versions of the 3-Gun Nation TV shows are streamed on 
The ability to read the wind is what separates good shooters from great shooters. If you want to learn wind-doping from one of the best, watch this video with 2010 National High Power Champion (and U.S. Army 2010 Soldier of the Year) Sherri Gallagher. Part of the USAMU’s Pro Tips Video Series, this video covers the basics of wind reading including: Determining wind direction and speed, Bracketing Wind, Reading Mirage, and Adjusting to cross-winds using both sight/scope adjustments and hold-off methods. Correctly determining wind angle is vital, Sheri explains, because a wind at a 90-degree angle has much more of an effect on bullet lateral movement than a headwind or tailwind. Wind speed, of course, is just as important as wind angle. To calculate wind speed, Sheri recommends “Wind Bracketing”: [This] is where you take the estimate of the highest possible condition and the lowest possible condition and [then] take the average of the two.”
On its 
Since the effects of angles increase with distance, Praslick explains that: “Unless the angle is extremely severe, [a hunter] really won’t notice these effects at ranges of 200 yards or less.” However, for long shots, hunters definitely need to compensate when taking angled shots. Praslick recommends that hunters print out a small chart with the cosines of common angles (20°, 25°, 30° etc.). In addition, hunters need an accurate ballistic table for their rifle and particular ammo. This should show the elevation corrections (in MOA or clicks), for 200 yards to the maximum range at which you may take a shot.
SGT Glenn Eller of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit has won the Gold medal in Men’s Double Trap at the Pan American Games. Eller started well, hitting 49 out of 50 targets. Eller then shot a perfect 50 targets in his second round and 48 targets in the third round for 147 targets total. That was a new Pan American record, and just one target less than the world record. Eller’s total score of 195 targets (including the Final) smashed the existing Pan American record of 187 targets, and again, was just one target shy of the world record.
Kim Rhode Wins Women’s Skeet Gold Medal
The 
Congratulations to USAMU member SSG Michael McPhail, winner of the 2011 Smallbore Rifle Prone Championship. SSG McPhail won three matches and took the 1st Daily 1200 Aggregate as he shot consistently throughout the week to finish with 4796-401X. Coming in second place overall was Mark Delcotto with a 4796-380X and CPT Christopher Abalo, SSG McPhail’s teammate on the AMU, finished third with a 4795-388X. 
Center Hold
6 O’Clock Hold
Sub 6 Hold
Frame Hold
On June 20th, 
