The Lapua Monarch Cup is a prestigious smallbore silhouette rifle competition with events in both the USA and Mexico. We congratulate Finland’s Marko Nikkos on winning the first event of the 2024 Lapua Monarch Cup. Nikkos, who scored a 107/120X shooting Lapua Midas+ ammo, edged out Team SK’s Jake Stine in a shootout to collect the $1,000 top prize. Over the three stages (sub-matches) of this event, Nikkos scored 33/40, 36/40, and 38/40, then winning in a final shootout.
The Lapua Monarch Cup is a two-leg, multi-national smallbore silhouette series with the winner earning the title of North American Champion. Competitors are scored by division (Master, AAA, AA, & A), giving all shooters an opportunity to benefit from $100,000 in cash and prizes. With such valuable awards for participants, the Lapua Monarch Cup is a hugely prestigious and popular competition in the smallbore silhouette shooting world.
The first segment of the Lapua Monarch Cup was conducted at the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, Pennsylvania at the 2024 NRA Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Championship, held July 28-30, 2024. The second leg of the Lapua Monarch Cup is slated for October 5-6, 2024 at the Club Saltillo in Mexico.
Basics of Smallbore Silhouette Competition
Smallbore Silhouette shooting is a fun and challenging shooting discipline that has competitors taking aim at a variety of steel chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. Shooters, standing and unsupported, take aim at four banks of silhouettes at increasing distances, shooting 40 targets in all. For every silhouette knocked down, the competitor earns one point. Smallbore Silhouette competitors typically shoot at distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters at metric matches.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Lapua Monach Cup, with information on rules, entries, and venues.
Do you occasionally get completely unexplained flyers, or have a shot land straight down at 6 O’Clock, right below your point of aim? That could be caused by poor or inconsistent trigger technique. How you pull the trigger can and does affect your accuracy.
Many gun enthusiasts start with pistols. When they later start shooting rifles they may carry over some not-so-good practices acquired from shooting handguns with heavy 4 to 6-pound trigger pulls. You may want to “re-learn” your trigger techniques to get better rifle results.
Shooting Sports USA has a good article on trigger technique that offers many useful tips. That article also has many helpful illustrations, including the one shown above. Another illustration shows different types of trigger shoes (straight vs. curved) and explains how each makes a difference: “With a lightly curved trigger, the shooter’s finger can contact the trigger either high or low according to preference. Higher contact will increase the resistance.” READ ARTICLE HERE.
The article analyzes common errors, such as pulling the trigger with the very tip of the finger rather than the pad of the index finger: “Using the tip of the finger can lead to lateral pressure on the trigger, which throws off the shot.”
The article also explains that you should check your trigger regularly to make sure it is functioning properly and is not out of adjustment: “Just like any other moving part, the trigger can suffer from wear. In such a precise mechanism, tiny amounts of wear can cause major problems.”
The ergonomics of the Eliseo Tubegun allow a nice, straight trigger pull.
Trigger Tips
Six Suggestions for Making your Trigger Control More Consistent.
1. If your triggers are adjustable, set the pull weight appropriate to the discipline. For a hunting rifle, you don’t want an ultra-light trigger pull. For High Power, you may want a two-stage pull, while on a Benchrest rifle you may prefer a very light trigger.
2. If you have a two-stage trigger, experiment with different combinations of First Stage and Second Stage.
3. Have a friend watch you as you pull the trigger, and maybe even take a close-up video as you pull the trigger. This can reveal a variety of flaws.
4. Practice dry-firing to see if flaws in trigger technique are causing gun movement.
5. As an experiment, try pulling the trigger with your middle finger. Ergonomically, the middle finger has a more straight alignment with the tendons in your hand. This exercise can help you identify alignment issues with your index finger.
6. For stocks with adjustable Length of Pull you may want to set the LOP differently for bench shooting vs. prone or F-Class shooting.
When Only the Best Will Do…
German-made Bix’N Andy triggers, available from BulletCentral.com, are among the very best you can buy. Available in both single-stage and two-stage, Bix’N Andy triggers are extremely precise, repeatable and smooth. The unique internal, friction-reducing roller ball system allows for extremely low reset force, yielding an ultra-crisp let-off. Bix’N Andy triggers can be fitted with a variety of trigger shoes according to shooter preference.
The NRL Precision Hunter Challenge features a multi-distance, walk-around shooting course similar in some ways to PRS/NRL, but limitations on weight and cost of equipment make this more affordable and more practical. This relatively new discipline is part of a series of very popular NRL Hunter events held around the nation. There were 24 NRL Hunter matches this year, culminating in the NRL Hunter Grand Slam held August 9-11 in Decorah, Iowa. CLICK HERE for NRL Hunter match information.
Shooting USA SHOW TIMES on Outdoor Channel:
The 2023 Hornady NRL Hunter Challenge is featured this week on Shooting USA television. This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. If you miss the regular broadcast, you can stream the show online on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode.
121 Shooters from all over the country competed in 23 challenging stages with both animal shapes and conventional square/diamond targets. The course of fire consisted of 160+ rounds with hiking between stages at the North Springs Shooting Complex. The Precision Hunter Challenge featured target distances from 200-850 yards, and angled shots between 0-10°. At the North Springs Shooting Complex, there were natural terrain obstacles and tree stands. Competitors had to navigate the terrain to establish their shooting positions — very much the opposite of a benchrest match.
This event is an opportunity to work on hunting situation shots, where hunters may expect natural terrain obstacles and thick cedars to navigate around and find shooting positions.
“The NRL HUNTER Series is designed to help educate new and seasoned hunters about their skills, gear, and personal limitations. The Hornady Precision Hunter Challenge did just that!” said Travis Ishida, President of the NRL. “With a well-designed course of fire that was both challenging and fun, this match encompassed everything we are looking for…” he added. Along with Hornady, notable sponsors included Kestrel, Magnetospeed, ThunderBeast Arms, SIG Sauer, Leupold, Vortex, Nightforce, Savage, Seekins Precision and many other companies.
This video features highlights from the 2022 Hornady Precision Hunter Challenge:
Credit our buddy Joe Friedrich for this simple yet effective accessory for your benchrest rifle. Joe shoots a .22 LR benchrest rig with a barrel tuner. When he added weights to his tuner, he found his rifle no longer balanced well. He wanted to add some weight in the rear without drilling holes in the stock. He also wanted the weight to be removable, and easily placed on another rifle in his stable. He wanted a weight that could be moved from gun to gun as needed.
At a local sporting goods shop Joe found a 1.5-lb ankle weight that comes in a padded, tubular elastic cover. It’s like a 1.5-lb sausage in a soft, stretchy nylon cover. (Imagine a really fat, heavy bungee cord). Joe simply attached a plastic zip tie at the end to make a loop that fits perfectly over his buttstock. CLICK HERE for full-screen photo.
To “tune” the rifle’s balance, Joe just slides the ankle weight fore and aft on the stock. We have tried this moveable ankle weight on a variety of different BR stocks (including a McMillan Edge) and it worked perfectly. This is a great invention, and would work with sporter rifles and ARs just as well.
NOTE: Obviously, this ring will increase the measured weight of your rifle. So, if you are competing in a registered match with weight restrictions, you have to ensure that your rifle still makes class weight limits with the ankle weight ring in place.
You can help support marksmanship training by participating in a major rimfire fun match — Metal Madness — an action shooting contest for all skill levels. The event takes place September 14, 2024 at the Grand Rivers Shooting Range in Kentucky. MidwayUSA Foundation has partnered with the Metal Madness Shooting Sports Association (MMSSA) to organize this event. Each entry donation is matched by the Foundation to benefit the youth shooting program of your choice. To learn more about Metal Madness, visit MMSSA.net.
MMSSA is a rimfire shooting sport offering the instant gratification of ringing steel targets. No special or fancy “raceguns” are needed — most any .22 LR firearm will work.
What is Metal Madness?
Metal Madness is a speed and accuracy-based shooting sport where participants shoot rimfire rifles or pistols at steel plates. Each competitor will shoot through 10 stages, moving to a new shooting lane each time. Each lane has randomized numbered metal plates, which must be shot in numerical order.
Scoring is time-based, plus penalties for missed plates or shooting plates out of sequence. With misses costing 2 seconds each, hitting plates in the proper order is extremely important. The eight fastest times from ten lanes fired are added together for each shooter’s bracket time.
$25 Per Entry — All Rimfire Ammo is Provided
At the fundraising match on September 14, every $25 donation is good for one 10-stage session. For each $25 session, competitors will fire through 10 different shooting lanes, with each lane featuring multiple steel targets. The .22 rimfire ammunition required to participate will be provided.
There is no limit on the number of entries a competitor may have. Competitors may participate in multiple sessions, with the same gun or different guns. All .22 caliber firearms are allowed to shoot Metal Madness.
Grand Rivers Shooting Range Address: 787 Dover Road, Grand Rivers, Kentucky
If you have a question about MidwayUSA Foundation’s Metal Madness Event, contact Sarah Hall, Project/Events Manager: shall@MidwayUSAFoundation.org | 573-303-8869.
John Whidden is a 6-time National High Power Long Range Champion. He has also won major Palma matches in the USA and abroad. But John’s stellar marksmanship skills are not just limited to long range centerfire shooting. This month John added to his impressive list of shooting titles with a notable victory in the 2024 CMP Smallbore (.22 LR Rimfire) Championship match held at Camp Perry, Ohio.
In today’s Sunday GunDay story, John examines that CMP Championship match and the smallbore match rifle he used. This is a unique, one-of a kind rig, put together with a combination of premium components from multiple manufacturers. John’s ultra-accurate .22 LR rifle features a PQP 2500X action, Tec-Hro Fanatic stock, MullerWorks barrel, Uptagrafft Tuner/Bloop Tube, and Anschutz trigger. For different segments of the smallbore competition the rifle is fitted with iron sights or a Nightforce scope.
CMP Match Report — Whidden Wins Match with Final Shot
The 2024 National Smallbore Prone 6400 Aggregate Championship came down to millimeters. The event was part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s 2024 National Matches and was the culmination of four straight days of prone competition. Tight qualification matches saw the top three places separated by one point each, with John Whidden of Nashville, GA, leading the pack on the last leg of the match.
Whidden had been consistent throughout his entire National Matches appearance, having only dropped five points in the previous 15 rounds of the competition. His confidence continued as he took each shot. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled one left — just grazing the edge line of the 10-ring. An eye opener, to be sure.
Despite the close call, he pressed on. “A Prone 6400 Match is a marathon, and this, essentially, was a photo finish,” said Brad Donoho, CMP Smallbore Manager.
Whidden took his final shot, another 10. With a sigh of relief, John packed up his gear and walked off the firing line with a perfect score of 400 and the overall Open win in the Smallbore Prone 6400 Aggregate with a score of 6395-515X. “He finished out the match really strong”, Donoho said. “To see it all come down to the last shot was really incredible.”
Winning 2024 CMP Smallbore Prone Championship at Camp Perry
Report by John Whidden
The 2024 CMP Smallbore Prone National Championships are in the history books now. On the day before the match started, the CMP held a metric Dewar match. This was a bit of a warmup match and was well attended. The course of fire was 30 shots at 50 meters and 30 shots at 100 meters. I knew the match would be exciting as I got out of the car — the wind almost took the car door out of my hands! Yes, it was that kind of day.
Usually at the range, I can read the wind acceptably well, but there are occasionally some days when it just won’t come to me. The metric Dewar session was one of those days that I just couldn’t understand the wind indicators. I finished with a score of 575-24X which was below what I’d hoped for. I was feeling slapped around at this point!
Fortunately, the first day of the prone Championships was better. While still fairly windy, I found it much easier to read and finished up with 1599-103X leading the event. We shot iron sights for the first two days, and on day 2 Levi Clark shot the highest score and made up a point on my lead.
Days 3 and 4 are both shot with scopes on the gun. Usually with these scores, we see fewer points dropped. Shane Barnhart won day 3 with a blistering 1600-149X. Going into the last day I was only 1 point ahead and behind on X count. I knew with this tough group of shooters if I shot a 9 anywhere on day 4 I probably wouldn’t win it. I shot very carefully and tried to protect my points lead even if it meant giving up a few Xs along the way.
The day went well but I had a big scare on the next to the last shot. The wind picked up and I shot a 10.0 (these electronic targets will score in decimals) which is ALMOST a 9. I gathered myself for the last shot and felt my heart beating hard. I knew it had to be a good one because second place Nick Mowrer was breathing down my neck. Thankfully the shot stayed in the 10 Ring and I knew I had won the match.
Unique Rimfire Rifle with Premium Action, Stock, Barrel, & Tuner
The rifle I used for the match had just recently been built in our shop. Since opening the rimfire ammunition test range in May of 2024 we had the chance to observe some top-quality components in testing. After noting what was shooting really well, I decided to order a PQP 2500X action, a MullerWorks barrel, and a Uptagrafft Tuner/Bloop Tube. I had already purchased a Tec-Hro Fanatic aluminum stock suitable for the project and had an Anschutz trigger set aside.
MullerWorks has a highly respected standing for their barrels, especially in the rimfire community. I chose a MullerWorks 1:16″-twist barrel and finished it at 26″ OAL. I fitted a Tuner/Bloop Tube from Uptagrafft to the muzzle. This allows me to make the sight radius longer for iron sight matches and has a tuner integrated into the design.
The parts went together well. In the stock, I modified an action adapter that was intended to fit an Anschutz 54 into the Tec-Hro stock. I placed the action as far rearward in the stock as I could to make reaching the loading port easier. A benefit of the Anschutz trigger is that the trigger shoe is more forward than the Remington-type trigger, and this was a noticeable benefit in allowing the action to be mounted far back in the stock.
Call to Action-Maker about Fitting Anschutz Trigger
These PQP 2500X actions accept Remington pattern triggers but I use Anschutz triggers on all of my other prone guns. Because of familiarity I really wanted the Anschutz trigger on the new rifle. On the day before my action was to arrive I contacted Jerry Stiller who designed the action. I asked Jerry if the tang was long enough to retrofit an Anschutz trigger onto the action (Anschutz triggers are very large). He said he didn’t think it would fit. Well, things went well and the next evening I sent him a picture of my Anschutz trigger installed on the action. It has performed marvelously.
Once the rifle was all fitted and assembled, it was time to go to the test range. I shot through all of the ELEY and Lapua ammunition that we had available. One particular lot of ELEY Tenex and one lot of Lapua Center-X stood out as the winners. I shot several groups with each one and couldn’t determine a winner. Accuracy was excellent with group sizes averaging about 13.3mm (0.52″) outside to outside at 50 meters. The next evening I shot some more of each lot of ammunition and again neither ammo type was clearly better than the other. NOTE: 13.3 mm outside to outside is .303″ center to center.
Trying to break the ammunition tie, I decided to adjust the tuner on the third evening. I worked the tuner back and forth and arrived at the best setting. Up until now, I had shot the rifle with the tuner set as it arrived in the box, in this case setting number 500. On this particular rifle moving the tuner shrunk the group diameter by 4%. On some of my other rifles, I had seen a larger effect in the 14-15% range. I wasn’t unhappy though as the rifle was shooting well and importantly it was doing so very consistently.
When dry-fire training indoors, the rifle is fitted with a device on the end of the barrel that tracks barrel movement and shot location on a special electronic target. The device and target are sold together as the SCATT USB Dry-Fire Shooter Training System.
Secrets of a Rimfire Prone Champion — Whidden Wisdom 1. Shoot a High Volume of Ammo. There is really no substitute for rounds down range. The picture shows hundreds of spent cases — just a fraction of the several thousand rounds of ammo I shot from prone before the national events this summer.
2. Recognize the Difference between Training and Practicing. Training to me means that I have a defined goal that I’d like to achieve during that session. For example I may go shoot a match for training and my goal is to shoot all of my shots in the exact same wind condition and without making a sight adjustment for wind. This would help further my ability to recognize my desired wind condition.
3. Demand Top-level Accuracy from Your Rifle and Ammo. Often shooters are not objective enough about their testing and will excuse a bad shot with “I must have pulled that one” or similar comments. To win matches one needs reliable and durable accuracy across different temperatures and environmental conditions.
Major Benefits of Extensive Rimfire Ammunition Testing
Before the Championship at Camp Perry, I did significant rimfire ammunition testing, which proved very valuable. First I shot 10-round groups of all of the available lots. Next I shot 3 more 10-round groups of the lots that looked most promising. This is the same procedure we use for customer’s rifles when we test them. The worst of the initial 10 round groups was 25.4mm (1 inch) at 50 meters and the best was 12.4mm (0.49″) at 50 meters (measured outside edge to outside edge).
I want to illustrate the value of testing right here. Among the top ammunitions available one lot shot about half the diameter of a different lot. It’s just not possible to buy ammunition at random and expect the very best accuracy that way. The ammunition I chose averaged 13.3mm (0.52″) outside edge to edge at 50m across several groups. I decided to shoot the ELEY Tenex in the end. The performance of both ammunitions was equal but another of my rifles also shoots well with this lot of Tenex so that’s a bonus. Don’t think I didn’t also grab some of that Lapua Center-X and set it back for the right occasion!
Whidden Gunworks operates a state-of-the-art ammunition testing facility. You can visit the facility or ship your rifle to be tested with different lots of rimfire ammo. The Whidden facility features two testing lanes — one for testing ELEY ammo at 50 meters and a second for testing other brands (e.g. Lapua, SK, Norma, and RWS) at both 50 meters and 100 meters simultaneously, registering results for BOTH distances. For more info, visit Whiddengunworks.com/ammunition-testing.
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals
Frank Galli, $20.50 Paperback, $15.99 Kindle
Frank Galli (aka “LowLight”) is the founder/head honcho of SnipersHide.com, the most active tactical community on the internet. Galli is also a retired USMC scout-sniper. Practical Precision Rifle shooting is one of the hottest trends in competitive shooting today. PRS and NRL matches draw big turn-outs and boast impressive prize tables. Galli’s Precision Rifle Marksmanship (#ad) book covers the fundamentals of precision marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology. The book uses the same instruction process that Galli uses in his live marksmanship classes.
As Sniper’s Hide guru Frank Galli explains, there is no voodoo when it comes to precision rifle marksmanship, but there are techniques that, when practiced, make the difference between good marksmanship and great marksmanship. Understanding the reasons that a bullet hits or doesn’t hit its intended target at ultra-long distances is a crucial element to learning. Galli’s explanations of how to understand and compensate for wind speed and direction are excellent — great wind-reading advice.
Published in 2020, this 272-page well-illustrated book covers the latest equipment (scopes, LRFs, chassis systems, mags, bags, bipods, tripods) favored by tactical competitors in PRS/NRL type matches.
2. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $22.46 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook (#ad) is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
3. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $14.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content (#ad) on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
4. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training) (#ad). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Report based on NSSF News Release
We congratulate the USA Shooting team on its achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where team members earned five medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze). The 2024 Paris Olympics saw many firsts for USA Shooting, marking a significant chapter in the history of U.S. shooting sports. See all of Team USA’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games medals below:
Vincent Hancock: Gold, Men’s Skeet
Conner Prince: Silver, Men’s Skeet
Austen Smith: Bronze, Women’s Skeet
Vincent Hancock and Austen Smith: Silver, Mixed Team Skeet
Sagen Maddalena: Silver, Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
Vincent Hancock Secures Gold in Men’s Skeet and Silver in Mixed Skeet
Vincent Hancock’s victory in Paris cements his place among the greatest Olympic shooters ever. Earning his fourth gold medal in men’s skeet, Hancock joins an elite group of athletes who have also won four gold medals — competitors such as Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis, and Katie Ledecky. Competing at the Châteauroux Shooting Range, Hancock delivered an almost flawless performance. In the finals, Hancock hit 58 out of 60 targets, securing the gold medal.
Conner Prince Takes Silver in Men’s Skeet
In his Olympic debut, Conner Prince delivered a remarkable performance, claiming silver in Men’s Skeet. His achievement, alongside Hancock’s, marks the first time Team USA has secured multiple medals in this event at a single Olympic Games.
Austen Smith Earns Two Medals in Skeet Events
In Women’s Skeet, Austen Smith earned a well-deserved bronze medal. Her consistency and focus were evident as she navigated a highly competitive field. Smith also partnered with Vincent Hancock in the Mixed Team Skeet event, where the pair earned a silver medal.
Sagen Maddalena Wins Silver in Women’s Smallbore Rifle
Sagen Maddalena demonstrated exceptional resilience in the Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle, 3 Positions event. Maddalena’s skill and determination allowed her to execute a series of impressive shots in the single-shot eliminations, ultimately securing the silver medal.
NEXT UP — Paris Paralympic Games Commence August 28
American Shooters Will Compete in 2024 Paralympics August 28 – September 8
The Paris 2024 Olympics will be remembered as a historic moment for the USA Shooting team. With five medals and history-making performances. The excitement continues with the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games, where USA Shooting’s Paralympians will compete from August 28 to September 8.
Paralympics Shooting Finals event will be broadcast on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. CLICK HERE to review the full Paralympics Shooting Sports broadcast schedule.
John Wilson wins Tompkins Trophy, Leech Cup, and NRA High Power Long-Range title at Camp Atterbury
This story is based on Shooting Sports USA Report by John Parker
We congratulate the newly-crowned 2024 NRA National High Power Rifle Long-Range Champion, John Wilson. With a very strong performance at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, John won the Long Range rifle title along with other honors. He was shooting an Eliseo tubegun that could be converted between two chamberings — .308 Win and 6.5 EL/MO.
Gary Eliseo posted: “Congratulations to John Wilson, 2024 NRA Long Range National Champion! John used his Competition Machine UMRS rifle chambered in 6.5 EL/MO to fire the winning score of 1241-73X, in addition to winning the championship John also won the Leech Cup, the oldest target shooting trophy in the United States! Well done John!”
Wilson captured this year’s NRA High Power Long-Range title and the Tompkins Trophy with a score of 1241-73X. Wilson also won the Leech Cup Match with a score of 199-14X, claiming victory in the shoot-off with a score of 100-5X. Wilson noted: “The best shooters in the country showed up to Camp Atterbury this year, and it was an honor to shoot with them”. This year there were 49 total entries in the 2024 NRA High Power Rifle Long-Range Aggregate.
Wilson was shooting an Eliseo Universal Match Rifle (UMRS) chambered in 6.5 EL/MO.
Coming in second place in the 2024 NRA High Power Rifle Long-Range Aggregate was Amanda L. Elsenboss a past NRA High Power Champion and Long Range Champion. Amanda, a former USAMU team members, finished 1240-62X score, and she won the Remington Trophy Match with a 199-12X score, after a shoot-off.
Ranking third in the Aggregate was John Friguglietti, with 1240-60X. Friguglietti secured the High Palma Rifle title, along with the Bert Rollins Trophy. John also won the Edward D. Andrus Memorial Trophy Match with a score of 199-9X, the Palma Individual title with 449-25X, and the Sierra Trophy Match with 796-41X.
USAMU Dominates Team Matches
In the team matches, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) team took the Roumanian Trophy with a score of 784-38X and the Herrick Trophy with a score of 792-28X. Team members included SSG Lee Bahten, SSG Shane Butler, SSG Benjamin Cleland, SSG Jarrod McGaffic, Team captain SPC Adam Fitzpatrick, and Team coach SFC Alexander Deal.
Get Full Camp Atterbury National Match Results on NRA Website
Full results of the 2024 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury are available on the NRA Competitive Shooting website. There will also be a comprehensive Summer 2024 NRA Championship Report in an upcoming issue of the Shooting Sports USA digital magazine.
The 2024 F-Class Mid-Range and Long Range National Championships were held August 10-17 at the Winnequah Gun Club in Lodi, Wisconsin. The match was a success, drawing 145 competitors in F-Open and 67 shooters in F-TR. Shooters tell us the Long-Range match was tough, with challenging weather conditions. The entire competition — Mid-Range and Long Range — was shot using a ShotMarker Electronic Target System. Each target frame had sensors that locate shot placement (and score) with great precision. This system provides instant score access, and eliminates the burdens of pit duty.
We congratulate the new 2024 Long Range National Champions: Alan Kulcak (F-Open) and Randy Littleton (F-TR). These men both showed great shooting skills and impressive wind-reading abilities — there were some tough conditions in Lodi this year.
F-Open champ Alan Kulcak shot a great match to win with 1390-71X, four points ahead of second-place Peter Johns (1386-72X) and third-place Robert Sebold (1386-60X). F-TR Long Range National Champion Randy Littleton fought a tight battle to the very end. The F-TR LR match went down to the final target with Littleton (1376-54X) edging runner-up Mike Plunkett (1375-56X) by a single point. Now that’s close competition!
Credit AccurateShooter Forum member Turbulent Turtle for all the images in this story. You can see over 340 photos from the match, thanks to Turbulent Turtle and his camera. CLICK HERE to see 2024 F-Class Nationals Photo Archive.
Here are the Long Range Top 10 for F-Open and F-TR:
F-Open LR Top 10
1 Kulcak, Alan (HM) 1390-71X
2 Johns, Peter (HM) 1386-72X
3 Sebold, Robert (HM) 1386-60X
4 Dileva, Dan (HM) 1384-73X
5 Skogman, Doug (HM) 1384-72X
6 Fairley, Joseph (HM) 1383-67X
7 Nettesheim, Brian (HM) 1382-73X
8 Basalla, Matthew (HM) 1382-67X
9 Kolodziej, William (HM) 1382-63X
10 Mitchell, Ryan (HM) 1382-62X
F-TR LR Top 10
1 Littleton, Randy (HM) 1376-54X
2 Plunkett, Mike (MA) 1375-56X
3 Trapp, Keith (HM) 1373-57X
4 Hubbard, Tom (HM) 1373-50X
5 Hogg, Tracy (HM) 1370-51X
6 Strasovich, Todd (MA) 1367-44X
7 Lucy, Dale (MA) 1363-41X
8 Klemm, Ian (HM) 1362-55X
9 Casale, Lou (MA) 1362-53X
10 Faloon, Christopher (HM) 1360-46X
Long Range F-Class Nationals Team Competition
In F-Open Long-Range team competition, Team Bayou Boyz won the F-Open Team title followed by Team Lapua-Brux-Borden (Second) and Team Vihtavuori (Third). It was a close match, with the Bayou Boyz (1590-83X) edging Team Lapua-Brux-Borden by a slim 2-point margin (1588-83X) with the same X-count. Congrats to Team Bayou Boyz members: Joseph Fairley, Johnny Ingram, Peter Johns, and Alan Kulcak.
Team Bayou Boyz won both the Long Range and Mid-Range F-Open Team events.
In F-TR LR Team competition, Team Vortex (1583-80X) finished first, followed by Team USA White and Team USA Red. Team Vortex recorded an impressive victory, winning by 20 points over runner-up squad Team USA White (1563-54X). Congrats to Team Vortex members: Tracy Hogg, Ian Klemm, Brad Sauve, and Keith Trapp.
Team Vortex recorded an impressive 20-point win in the F-TR Long Range Team Match.
The Mid-Range F-Open event saw tight competition. We congratulate new Mid-Range Champ Johnny Ingram who edged second-place Jim Fowler by two points. The top five F-Open finishers were separated by just five points and third-place finisher Matt Basalla had the highest X-Count with an impressive 99X. In the F-TR division, 2024 Mid-Range Champion Tom Hubbard put on a dominant performance, winning by ten points with the highest X-Count (87X) among all F-TR competitors.
Here are the Mid-Range Top 10 for F-Open and F-TR:
F-Open Mid-Range Top 10
1 Ingram, Johnny (HM) 1783-95X
2 Fowler, Jim (HM) 1781-82X
3 Basalla, Matthew (HM) 1779-99X
4 Waite, Boe (HM) 1779-92X
5 Brooks, David (HM) 1778-88X
6 Kulcak, Alan (HM) 1777-78X
7 Thomas, Jamie (MA) 1777-71X
8 Stob, James (HM) 1776-86X
9 Basalla, Gwen (HM) 1776-70X
10 Zwahr, Brandon (HM) 1775-86X
F-TR Mid-Range Top 10
1 Hubbard, Tom (HM) 1770-87X
2 Gavrock, Gabriel (HM) 1760-68X
3 Crofts, James (HM) 1759-78X
4 Conrad, Keith (HM) 1756-73X
5 Retzloff, Robin (EX) 1755-62X
6 Faloon, Christopher (HM) 1749-63X
7 Brindle, Jerry (HM) 1749-55X
8 Wiens, Gerry (HM) 1746-62X
9 Sowa, Mike (EX) 1743-58X
10 Dixon, Richard (HM) 1739-59X
Mid-Range F-Class Nationals Team Competition
In Mid-Range Team Competition, Team Bayou Boyz (1598-115X) won the F-Open Division while Team USA White (1585-87X) won the F-TR Division. Congrats to the Mid-Range Bayou Boyz (Johnny Ingram, Peter Johns, Alan Kulkak, and Pat Wood) and to USA White (Keith Conrad, Christopher Faloon, Dale Lucy, Mike Plunkett). There were 17 teams competing in F-Open, and 10 Teams competing in F-TR.
CLICK HERE for 2024 F-Class Nationals Program and Match Rules. NOTE: This official program incorrectly states that Silver Mountain electronic targets are used. Instead the ShotMarker system was used.
Credit our buddy Joe Friedrich for this simple yet effective accessory for your benchrest rifle. Joe shoots a .22 LR benchrest rig with a barrel tuner. When he added weights to his tuner, he found his rifle no longer balanced well. He wanted to add some weight in the rear without drilling holes in the stock. He also wanted the weight to be removable, and easily placed on another rifle in his stable. He wanted a weight that could be moved from gun to gun as needed.
Whidden had been consistent throughout his entire National Matches appearance, having only dropped five points in the previous 15 rounds of the competition. His confidence continued as he took each shot. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled one left — just grazing the edge line of the 10-ring. An eye opener, to be sure.
