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August 15th, 2012
SGT Emil Praslick of the USAMU just provided this report from Camp Perry: “The America International Rifle Match is complete. In the end, after shooting virtually level with the powerhouse that is the Great Britain Rifle Team, we held off a late charge by GB at the 1000-yard line to win by 3 points. Both sides fired four hundred and eighty bullets each… and it came down to three points on a ten-point target. Unbelievable.” The final scores (4800-480X possible) are: USA 4784-308X; GBRT 4781-305X; Canada 4743-260X; Australia 4729-233X; Japan 4377-109X.
Praslick commented: “I continue to be impressed not only by the quality of GB shooting and coaching, but by their sportsmanship as well. We could all learn some lessons from their team. You cannot possibly find better sportsmen — within seconds of the final shot they were over here shaking hands. They are the best sportsmen I have ever seen.”
Shot over the course of a day, eight-man teams from each country took faced off at Camp Perry’s Viale Range, with stages at 300, 800, 900 and 1000 yards. Though the Americans leaped ahead in round three, Team Great Britain’s hot shooting in the fourth and final relay was almost enough to make the difference. “If we every have another one like this it’ll be enough to kill me,” joked one U.S. coach.
Established in 2002, the America Match is open any country with an eight-man rifle team. This is a biennial match for .308 Win caliber Palma-type match rifles. The teams gather every two years to test their mettle in one of the toughest shooting competitions in the world. Held every four years in the United States, this is the first time it the match was conducted at Camp Perry. The NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM, previously served as the USA host venue. With its 2012 victory, Team USA is now tied with Team Great Britain with three America Match wins each.
Story based in part on Report by Lars Dalseide in NRABlog.
August 15th, 2012
Story based on Report by Lindsey J. Morgan for NRAblog.
The United States Army Marksmanship Unit is now two-for-two in Long Range Rifle Championship team matches. On Sunday, USAMU Praslick won the Roumanian Trophy Team Match and Monday afternoon the team shot their way to the top after an incredible Herrick Trophy Team Match finish. USAMU Praslick shot a National record-setting score of 799-56X, surpassing the old Herrick Trophy Team national record of 799-51X by five Xs, which was also set by a USAMU team coached by SFC Emil Praslick III.
The 2012 USAMU Praslick team not only broke the National Championship Record, but also broke the open record and service record. Members of this year’s USAMU Praslick team are: SSG Shane Barnhart (200-15X), SSG Tyrel Cooper (200-12X), SGT Sherri Gallagher (199-15X), SSG Brandon Green (200-14X), and team captain SGT Matthew Rawlings. Praslick was proud of his team, observing: “it was a pretty good performance. The conditions were there and that’s why there were so many high scores.”
Southeast Rifle Club Gray Sets New Civilian Team National Record
Team Southeast Rifle Club Gray shot a 798-51X score, just one point and five Xs behind the winning USAMU Team Praslick. This score, score described by Praslick as “incredible”, is a new National Long-Range Record for Civilian shooters. Team members are (in alphabetical order), Tom Guercio, Jon Howell, William Walter, and John Whidden. The team captain and coach is Lt. Carl Kovalchik. Although Southeast Rifle Club Gray’s score was not good enough to win the Herrick Trophy Team Match, these guys did shoot better than any other civilian squad in history. Coach Lt. Carl Kovalchik laughed, “We’ve set two national records in the past two days, and didn’t win either day.”
August 14th, 2012
Breaking News from Camp Perry – Based on preliminary score tabulations, David Luckman of Great Britain is the 2012 NRA National Long Range Champion. Luckman finished with a 1246-74X.
 As reported on NRABlog.com, Luckman topped a very competitive field, with a strong final day showing: “After a practically perfect performance in today’s Palma Individual Trophy Match (449-31X), it appears that David Luckman of the Great Britain Rifle Team will be crowned tonight as the NRA’s 2012 Long Range High Power Rifle Champion. A veteran of the International Long Range Rifle world, Luckman’s list of accolades includes the 2010 World Individual Long Range Rifle title as well as seventeen consecutive UK Grand Aggregate crosses.”
David started shooting with Sedgemoor Target Shooting Club. He became an Atheling in 1994 and has since toured with the GB team to Canada, the USA, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. A truly great marksman, in 2010 Luckman shot 4 international matches in four consecutive days (National, Kolapore, Mackinnon and Australia) without dropping a single point.
David works for Clerical Medical in Bristol as an Actuary. In his spare time he is an avid sports player and qualified tennis coach. He competes in triathlons and half marathons as well as enjoying mountain biking, surfing, swimming and other sports.
August 14th, 2012
Story based on Reports by Lars Dalseide for NRAblog
Clear skies, calm winds, and superior marksmanship combined for a host of record-breaking performances at the NRA Long Range Championship yesterday Monday, 13 August, at Camp Perry. NRABlog editor Lars Delsaide reports: “Today was a day in which records were set. Records so significant that a few competitors requested their targets be brought up from the pits. Not one record. Not two records. But more than a dozen Long Range Rifle records. One small clarification — today’s record-breaking performances resulted in three new National Long Range High Power records. So why did I say that more than a dozen were set? Because the standing records to which I’m referring were broken multiple times today.”
The records started falling in the Doc Aiken match. The previous high Doc Aiken record was 199-8X, set in 1998 by John Jackson. Amazingly, that record was topped by nine shooters before Great Britain’s David Luckman recorded the highest score of all, a 200-13X, which will be the new record.
Luckman ended the day with yet another entry in the record books — the new high mark for the Sierra Trophy. The Sierra Trophy is based on the combined scores of the Doc Aiken Match and the Andrus Memorial Trophy match. The existing Sierra Trophy record was 400-19X set by Robert Gustin a decade ago. On Monday, Norman Anderson topped that with a 400-22X, and then Brit David Luckman raised the bar even higher, setting a new mark of 400-23X. Well done David!
 Gustin Wins Wimbleton Cup
The Wimbleton Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies awarded at Camp Perry. Robert Gustin earned redemption this year winning the 2012 Cup, after losing out in 1985 due to a scoring error. Wimbledon is a slow-fire, Any rifle 1000-yard match. The record was established back in 2004 by Michelle Gallagher. Qualifying for the shoot-off with a score of 200-14X, Gustin shot a near-perfect 100-9X in the shoot-off to earn victory in 2012.
Gustin’s win was doubly sweet as the California shooter lost out on the Cup decades ago through bad luck. “Back in 1985, Bob thought he won the Wimbledon Cup,” explained Nancy Tompkins. “But they couldn’t find one of his shots in the shoot off. He was devastated. Later, after everything was finalized, they pulled his target and found an X they missed. My heart just broke watching it happen. So this is great.”
August 12th, 2012
Story based on Report by Lars Dalseide for NRAblog.
This year the Long Range Championships at Camp Perry have attracted top shooters from around the globe. At Camp Perry this year are teams from Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom (UK). “We have 81 international shooters for F-Class and Long Range in the competition right now,” said NRA’s High Power Rifle Match Director Sherri Judd. “A good portion of those competitors will be shooting in this year’s America Match.” The Long Range High Power Championship matches precede the America Match, an international team event. For many, the NRA Long-Range Championships will serve as a warm-up for the America Match.
All Photos by NRAblog.
A biennial team event, this is the first time the America Match will be conducted at Camp Perry. To take part in the event, each country sent eight shooters here to the United States. Categories include an F-Class division, an Under-25 division, and an Open division. The Under-25 section is open to all age-qualified 4-man rifle teams, the Open section allows 8-man rifle teams (multiple teams per country may compete), and the F-Class section is limited to one, 8-man rifle team per country. NOTE: Photos were selected to illustrate international competitors from particular nations. They may or may not be members of specific national squads competing in the America Match following the NRA Long Range Championships.
F-Class at Camp Perry
Some folks were surprised to see “belly benchresters”, i.e. F-Class shooters on the firing line during the Long Range Nationals. In fact, many of the long-range events are open to F-Classers this year. Forum member Nate G. explains:
F-class will be shot alongside the LR matches, 11-16 August, with the same course of fire as the sling shooters. On Saturday (8/11), there are two individual matches: unlimited sighters + 20 for record in each. Then, for the high score for each rifle class on each relay, there’s a shoot off for each match. (3 sighters + 10 for record, continuing in blocks of 5 shots in the case of a tie)
On Sunday and Monday, there’s an individual match in the morning and a team match following. After the team match, there’s the shoot-off from the day’s individual match.
From the NRA Blog: “The NRA Freedom Match 703 and 707 are shot with an F-Class Rifle and competitors have the option of supporting the rifle with a rear and/or front rest or with a bipod and/or sling and rear rest. On Sunday, David Bailey took the win in the Open 703 Match after a shoot-off performance of 99-4X. A tie-breaking shoot-off was required in the T/R 707 match after Daniel Polabel and Nikolos Taylor both shot 97-2X scores. [Polabel won] the tie-breaker.”
Tuesday is the individual Palma match (unlimited and 15 at 800, 2+15 at 900 and 1000), with divisions for Palma, Any, Service, and F-Class. [It’s not clear whether F-Class will shoot on Tuesday]
Wednesday is the Palma team match, which for this year is the America’s Match. With the exception of the Palma individual and team matches (or, this year, the America’s Match), all the matches (individual and team) are 20 shots for record with individual matches having unlimited sighters and team matches limited to two sighters.
August 12th, 2012
 Moving into the second day of the Long-Range National Championships, five shooters are clustered at the front with equal scores of 598 points. Leading the way, based on X-count, is our friend and Forum member John Whidden (598-36X). Just three Xs back with 598-33X is Bryan Litz, Berger’s Chief Bullet Designer and Ballistician. We’re pleased to see Forum member John Friguglietti, aka Mudcat, ranked fourth. Among the top ten, in the preliminary standings, are shooters from international squads. It’s good to see foreign competitors on the firing line at Perry this year.
It’s no surprise that John Whidden is leading the way. He’s won the Long Range Championship before, and he finished in second place last year. In the past John has campaigned a .243 Winchester in the Long-Range Nationals. This chambering has a reputation for short barrel life, but as John explained: “When the National Championship’s at stake, I can afford to use a fresh barrel for the match. If the .243 offers the right combination of accuracy, low recoil, and performance in the wind, I’m not that concerned about barrel life.”
Watch Slide Show from Long Range Championship
August 11th, 2012
Breaking News — Carl Bernosky hung on to win his 10th National High Power Championship, with a 2391-141X final Aggregate. Just one point behind, after four days of competition, was 2010 Champ SGT Sherri Gallagher. Sherri shot a 200-12X in the final event (Crowell Trophy Match) to close the gap, but it was too little, too late. Bernosky had a lead going into the last event, so even though he dropped a point (scoring 199-13X in the Crowell), he was able to prevail by a single point. Had Carl dropped two points, he still would have won the Championship because Carl had a higher X-Count than Sherri, who finished with a 2390-131X Agg. All in all, it was a well-deserved win for a great shooter, one of the best ever, that’s for sure.
This was one of the most exciting championships in recent memory. Two shooting marvels, both past High Power National champions, were neck and neck all the way ’til the end. And either could have lost the title with one errant shot or crossfire. SSG Brandon Green of the USAMU shot a superb match to finish third with 2388-135X. Multi-time High Power Champion David Tubb racked up the fourth-highest Aggregate: 2387-145X. That means David had the highest X Count of the top 5. However, we’re told by Emil Praslick that: “David Tubb shot his Match Rifle fitted with a scope this year, placing him in the Any Sight/Tactical Class.” Accordingly, Tubb was not in the running for the overall championship.
All photos courtesy NRAblog.
We congratulate Carl Bernosky on his hard-fought victory in 2012. This title brings Carl’s total to 10 High Power Championships, really an amazing accomplishment. We also congratulate runner-up SGT Sherri Gallagher, and all the shooters who competed at Camp Perry in the High Power Championship events.
August 11th, 2012
 Highs in the low 60s and puddles from yesterday’s rain created a chilly, muddy atmosphere for the start of the Long Range Championships. The Band of Brothers Trophy Match was the first match fired. The early scores show that the elite shooters, such as past Long-Range Champion John Whidden, brought their ‘A’ game, and are able to handle the cooler weather and cloudy skies. There were a number of 200s shot on the range this morning at the Band of Brothers match.
Band of Brothers Trophy Match
1. John Whidden, 200-15x
2. Shane Barnhart, 200-15x
3. Serge Bissonnette, 200-11x
4. Robert Steketee, 200-11x
5. David Calvert, 200-11x
Watch Slide Show from Long Range Championships, Day One
August 10th, 2012
Story based on report by Kyle Jillson in the NRA Blog
Today, Friday August 10th, is the last day of the NRA Individual High Power Championships. Heading into the last day, Carl Bernosky (2011 Champ) and SGT Sherri Gallager (2010 Champ) are tied on points at 1795, while Carl has five more Xs. This is a tight battle. There are three matches left to shoot: Crescent Cup (slow fire, standing, 200 yards); Cavalry Cup (rapid fire, prone, 300 yards); and Crowell Trophy (slow fire, prone, 600 yards).
 This Championship should go down to the wire. Carl is one of the best standing shooters in history, so he should do well in the Crescent Cup, while Sherri is a long-range wizard so we can expect her to do well in the 600-yard Crowell Trophy match. What’s more, Sherri is shooting a .260 Remington which may offer better ballistics at 600 than Bernosky’s 6mm Hagar. FYI, on Thursday, Gallagher shot superbly in the 600-yard Air Force Cup match — her 200-17X score was just one X shy of the National Record (which was set by Sherri’s mother, Nancy Tompkins).
Gallagher’s showing in the Air Force Cup helped close the gap between her and leader Carl Bernosky. The two shooters are slowly pulling away from the rest of the pack, although there is the possibility of another winner if one of the leaders has a real disaster. SSG Brandon Green and Rodrigo Rosa are both just three points back from the leaders (Green has more Xs than Rosa though). The high Service Rifle shooter is still SSG Tyrel Cooper, who has a 1787-71X score. Ty’s score is remarkable considering his AR-platform rifle has relatively crude military sights and non-adjustable buttstock.
High Power Rifle Championship — Match 400
Scores As of Thursday 8/9/2012
1. Carl Bernosky, 1795-106X
2. SGT Sherri Gallagher, 1795-101X
3. SSG Brandon Green, 1792-104X
4. Rodrigo Rosa, 1792-101X
5. David Tubb, 1790-107X
August 9th, 2012
Story by Kyle Jillson for the NRA Blog.
After a day of steady shooting while those ahead of him faltered, Carl Bernosky regained the lead in the 2012 NRA National High Power Rifle Championship. Sporting a 1195-66X at the halfway point in the competition for the Mumma Trophy, Bernosky is ahead of the pack, but that lead could change with a single shot out of the 10-Ring. And bad weather is expected, increasing the chances of a missed shot. Thunderstorms are predicted today — that means rain, gusty winds, and range delays. Blustery winds will prove particularly challenging during today’s Air Force Cup match, shot at 600 yards.
Gallagher and Bernosky Are Neck and Neck
SGT Sherri Gallagher, who started the morning one point ahead of Bernosky, increased her lead to two following the Navy Cup. Following a practically clean round of 199 (Bernosky fired a 198), Bernosky made up a point each in the Coast Guard match and the afternoon’s Army Cup. Their point totals tied, it came down to an X-count. That’s where Bernosky holds the lead … by seven. Behind only a handful of Xs, Gallagher sits in second, for now.
Close behind the two leaders is SSG Brandon Green of the USAMU. Green’s 1194-67X score places him in third place, down just one point of the current leader. And Forum Member Rodrigo Rosa, currently in fourth Place with 1193-70X, is just two points off the lead. Note that Rosa has the highest X-count among the top five — this could come into play in the days ahead. Yesterday’s leader, SSG Tyrel Cooper, slipped a couple points, but is still in the running at fifth. And as the highest Service Rifle shooter, Cooper holds the lead in the Service Rifle Championship. It’s remarkable that Ty Cooper is right up with the leaders, shooting a AR-platform rifle with standard buttstock and military sights.
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High Power Rifle Championship — Match 400
Current STANDINGS:
1. Carl Bernosky, 1195-66X
2. SGT Sherri Gallagher, 1195-59X
3. SSG Brandon Keith Green, 1194-67X
4. Rodrigo Rosa, 1193-70X
5. SSG Tyrel Cooper, 1193-63X
There are still two full days of shooting in the High Power Rifle Championships. A lot can happen to shift the standings on the leaderboard. Here are the specific matches scheduled today, August 9th:
Appreciation Cup — Rapid fire match shot in the sitting/kneeling position at 200 yards.
Marine Corps Cup — Rapid fire prone match shot at 300 yards.
Air Force Cup — Slow fire prone match shot from 600 yards. |
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