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April 4th, 2011
 The 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup shooting competitions were held in Sydney, Australia on March 21-31. In Sydney, the world’s top shooters vied for coveted Olympic “Quotas” that would secure eligibility to compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games. 34 Olympic Quotas were awarded during the course of the 15 ISSF pistol, rifle and shotgun events in Sydney. Lead by its shotgunners, Team USA performed superbly in Australia, finishing with 8 total medals, including 3 Golds, more than any other country. China finished second in the medal count.
American Medal Winners:
Gold: Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, PA), Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position
Gold: Kim Rhode (El Monte, CA), Women’s Skeet
Gold: Jon Michael McGrath (Tulsa, OK), Men’s Skeet
Silver: Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, NJ), Men’s 50m Rifle Three Position
Silver: Amy Sowash (Richmond, KY), Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position
Silver: SFC Eric Uptagrafft (Phenix City, AL), Men’s 50m Rifle Prone
Silver: Staff Sergeant Joshua Richmond (Hillsgrove, PA), Men’s Double Trap
Silver: Caitlin Connor (Winnfield, LA), Women’s Skeet
 Young Americans Win Gold
The United States fielded one of the youngest teams in Australia. But the young shooters more than held their own. Team USA rifle shooter Jamie Beyerle dominated the Women’s 50m three-position event, to win Gold with a total of 685.3 points. Beyerle’s fellow American Amy Sowash finished second. Beyerle shot great in windy conditions that bothered many of her rivals. You can watch Jamie shoot in the first video linked below.
Another gold-medal performance was turned in by 18-year-old skeet shooter John McGrath, the current ISSF Junior World Champion. McGrath qualified for the Men’s Skeet Final by hitting 124 of 125 targets, and then “cleaned” all his 25 Final targets. In an exciting finish, McGrath took the Skeet Gold Medal by beating 2007 World Champion Georgios Achilleos of Cyprus in a shoot-off.
Highlights of the 2011 ISSF Shooting World are now available on the ISSF’s YouTube Channel. Linked below are videos of the Women’s 50m 3-Position Highlights and Men’s Prone 50m Air Rifle event. You can also visit www.ISSF-Shooting.org for the complete tournament results, interviews with shooters, and the latest international shooting news.
Women’s 50m 3-Position (Featuring Jamie Beyerle)
Men’s 50m Prone
Thanks to JoeF for sourcing this story.
March 29th, 2011
Tracy Barnes of Durango, Colorado beat the very best biathletes in the world in the Shoot-Out phase the Veltins World Team Challenge in Schalke, Germany. The World Team Challenge, held annually in the Veltins Arena, is the equivalent of the SuperBowl of Biathlon. Tracy grabbed top honors in the prestigious Shoot-Out event, a shooting competition for the top 20 biathletes in the world. In this invitation-only event, 10 women competed head-to-head in a four-stage shooting event duplicating the format for a regular biathlon race (two prone, two standing). In the final round of competition, the top three ladies from the preliminary round face off with the top three men from the mens’ first round. Tracy came in 1st for the women’s round AND 1st in the final competition!
Laser Rifles Used in Shoot-Out
This year, the athletes and the 50,000 spectators at the Veltins Soccer Stadium had to adjust to something new — this was the first time that laser-rifles replaced the traditional .22-caliber rifle. The athletes received their laser-rifles on Saturday and had only one day to practice before the World Team Challenge. Tracy and her U.S. teammate Tim Burke finished 9th in the pairs mass start and 10th in the pursuit race held the same day. Tracy’s personal support team (her husband Gary and her Dad) accompanied her to Germany for this major biathlon event. [Editor’s note: While we don’t want to diminish Tracy’s accomplishment in any way, we think it is unfortunate that event organizers mandated laser guns instead of .22 LR rimfire rifles. Biathlon started as a military training competition. To change from actual shooting to “lasering” is a step in the wrong direction in our opinion.]
Lanny Barnes Stars in Mammoth Lakes Biathlon Festival
Meanwhile, back in the USA, Tracy’s twin sister Lanny Barnes traveled to Mammoth Lakes, California on friday to help with biathlon clinics for several hundred new biathletes ages 10+ and competed in a race at a new biathlon course in Mammoth Lakes on Sunday. Due to the town receiving close to 10ft of snow during the week, flights were canceled and Lanny wasn’t able to make it in for the clinic. She helped with the kids, adults, wounded warrior, and disabled skier biathlon race on Saturday and competed in an elite race on Sunday. She won the race on Sunday that was filmed by Versus and Outdoor Channel and American Trigger Sports Network. Tracy was impressed by Mammoth Lakes — she says it is evolving into one of the best high-altitude biathlon venues in the country. With over 200+ volunteers that dug out the range buried by mountains of snow, the Mammoth Lakes crew put on one of the most professional and exciting biathlon events ever run in the United States.
Twin Biathletes Continue Training for Next Winter Olympics
The twins ended their seasons after those two events and will now take a two week break before starting up their training again for the 2011/2012 season. With three short years until the next Winter Oympics, the twin will be training hard in hopes of winning gold in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
Photos provided courtesy Tracy and Lanny Barnes, rights otherwise reserved by copyright holders.
March 26th, 2011
The entry/information forms are now available for the NBRSA 600-yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 600: April 20-21, 2011), 1000-Yard F-Class Bench Match (April 22, 2011), and 1000-Yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 1000: April 23-25, 2011). All three major events will be held at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center, located outside Sacramento, California.
There will be hot dogs for purchase April 20,21,22, and 24, while lunch will be catered on Saturday, April 23rd. Match Fees for the two Nationals Events are $50.00 per class (Light Gun and Heavy Gun), while the fee for the F-Class Bench Match (22-lb class) is $30.00. Make Checks payable to: Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters Inc., 10607 Sacramento Road, Galt, CA 95632. More information will be available on the NBRSA website.
ENTRY FORMS (PDF Format)
NBRSA 600-Yard Nationals Sign-Up Form
F-Class 1000-Yard Bench Match Sign-Up Form
NBRSA 1000-Yard Nationals Sign-Up Form
March 21st, 2011
 The 2011 15th Edition of the CMP Competition Rules is now available. These Rules govern Service Rifle, Service Pistol, and CMP Games shooting events. CLICK HERE to download the complete 2011 CMP Rule Book as a digital PDF file.
Here are highlights of the Rule changes:
NEW Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Matches
Rules for the new Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match for two-person teams are now available in the 2011 edition of the CMP Competition Rules. This year, Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Matches will be fired at the Eastern CMP Games on 10 May, the National Matches on 3 August and the Western CMP Games on 18 October. In addition, any CMP-affiliated club that has 300- and 600-yard firing distances on their club range may now apply to conduct a Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match as a CMP-sanctioned competition.
This match is for two-person teams. One team member shoots while the other serves as a spotter. After ten shots at either the 300- or 600-yard distance, the two change roles for another ten shots. Each shooter fires a total of 20 shots and team rankings are based on their 40-shot totals.
All teams are required to use as-issued rifles employed for military sniping purposes in 1953 or earlier. The M1903A4, the M1C, M1D and many foreign military sniper rifles are legal for this match. Rule 6.4.3 includes a Table with a complete list of the permitted rifles, which may be either originals or replica rifles. The Table also lists the allowed original scopes and permitted replica (non-issue) optics such as the Lyman Alaskan, Weaver K2.5 and K4 and Stith-Kollmorgen.
 Service Rifle Rear Sight Inserts, Rule 6.1.2 (3)
The CMP approved two commercial rear sight inserts that serve as visual aids especially for older shooters for use in Service Rifle competitions. The rectangular rear aperture insert produced by ShootingSight LLC and the SR MicroSight produced by Stallings Machine are both now legal for use in CMP-sanctioned Service Rifle matches.
Bullet Button Magazine Locks, Rule 6.2.3 (15)
California residents only are now authorized to use AR-type service rifles equipped with Bullet Button or similar magazine locks that replace the standard magazine catch.
Quad Rails on M16/ARs, Rule 6.2.3 (14)
Service Rifle competitors must use rifles similar to weapons issued to military personnel. Since quad rails are now common on M16s used by military personnel, M16/AR competition rifles will also be allowed to have quad rails. This authorization is limited to the standard 12-inch military quad rail or its commercial equivalent. NOTE: the front sling swivel must still be attached to the front of the hand guard.
Repaired Stocks, Rule 6.3.1 (11)
Shooters of As-Issued Military Rifles frequently have to deal with cracked or broken stocks. Under previous rules no glue, epoxy or synthetic substances could be used anywhere in the stock due to concerns over the use of epoxy or fiberglass for bedding. This restriction has now been modified so that shooters can use “epoxies or other chemical adhesives” to repair cracked or broken stocks as long as this material is not used to bed the action or barrel.
How to Get 2011 CMP Rulebook
Download the new CMP Rulebook at http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf. You can also order printed copies ($3.00 each) from the CMP E-Store or contact: CMP Competitions Department, P.O. Box 576, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452, phone (419) 635-2141, ext. 1122.
March 20th, 2011
 From March 15-19, the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships were held at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The tournament determined the National Collegiate Individual and Team Champions in NTA Intercollegiate Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, Open Air Pistol, Women’s Air Pistol and Women’s Sport Pistol. Both men and women competed shoulder to shoulder in Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, and Open Air Pistol events, but there were separate Ladies’ Only matches for Air Pistol and Sport Pistol. Men and Women shooters competed in separate divisions.
Navy beats Army in Ladies’ Sport Pistol and Air Pistol
There was a strong rivalry among the military academy teams in the Women’s Pistol Matches at the USAMU’s 25 meter range. In Women’s Sport Pistol, the U.S. Naval Academy earned its second Women’s championship this year with a score of 1626, topping the West Pointers by 24 point. In the individual Sport Pistol finals, Kirsten Asdal of the U.S. States Naval Academy took the win with a 655.3 score, edging West Point’s Heather Deppe (653.9 score). The Lady Midshipmen (Midshipwomen?) also won the Women’s Air Pistol Championship with a final team score of 1086. Arch-rival West Point finished second with a 1073 team Air Pistol score.
U.S.M.A. (West Point) Win’s Standard Pistol Team Championship
USNA, USMA, Ohio St., Citadel, Oregon St., USCGA, MIT, Texas A&M, Yale and USMMA were all represented in the team championship by shilled shooter however after the third stage had been fired the United States Military Academy had emerged victorious with a total team score of 2121. Tallying up another championship under his belt this year, Nick Mowrer of Pikes Peak Community College shot a 569 to claim the Standard Pistol Individual title.
Below, courtesy The NRA Blog, is a slide show from the NRA Intercolllegiate Pistol Championships.
March 18th, 2011
 If you’re heading to Camp Perry this summer, the NRA has a new downloadable resource that should come in handy. The 2011 National Matches Information Guide (digital edition) includes all the essential information for the National Matches such as a map of Camp Perry, championship calendar, and schedules for important events. The guidebook also includes ads from local businesses in Port Clinton, Ohio with information on restaurants, lodging, and more. There are special promotions and discounts for Camp Perry competitors.
The National Matches Ad & Information Guide also has a directory of our sponsors, many of whom are on vendor row. Check out the National Matches Ad & Information Guide online to see what’s happening at Camp Perry at the 2011 National Rifle and Pistol Matches.
March 13th, 2011
The 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships is history and two new individual Champions have been crowned. The Univ. of Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires shoot superbly throughout the smallbore matches to beat West Virginia’s Nicco Campriani by just two points. But Campriani came right back to win the very competitive Air Rifle event, edging out his WV team-mate Petra Zublasing by 2.8 points.
Kentucky Wildcats Finally Win Team Championship
In team competition, the Univ. of Kentucky, lead by Heather Greathouse and Ethan Settlemires, won the overall team national title. This was Kentucky’s first NCAA Rifle team championship, though Kentucky had recorded 16 ‘Top-10′ finishes since 1994. After UK won the smallbore NCAA title on Friday in the first day of competition, the Wildcats held off West Virginia’s charge in air rifle on Saturday to secure the first national championship in program history, finishing with a 4,700 team total score.
You’ll find extensive coverage of both smallbore and air rifle competition on the NCAA sports website, including video highlights. CLICK HERE to visit the NCAA’s Rifle Championship web page.
Eathan Settlemires of Univ. of Kentucky Wins Smallbore Championship
The results for the smallbore portion of the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championship are in. With strong showings from the West Virginia University as well as Memphis and Texas Christian, it was the University of Kentucky’s Ethan Settlemires who came out on top.
Final scores for the top six Smallbore shooters are:
| 2011 NCAA Rifle Championship – Smallbore |
| Name |
School |
Results |
| Ethan Settlemires |
University of Kentucky |
691.0 |
| Nicco Campriani |
West Virginia University |
689.0 |
| Heather Greathouse |
University of Kentucky |
685.5 |
| Tom Santelli |
West Virginia University |
683.8 |
| Daniel Hermsmeier |
University of Memphis |
682.6 |
| Caitlin Morrissey |
Texas Christian University |
682.1 |
West Virginia’s Campriani wins 2011 NCAA Air Rifle Individual Title
Nicco Campriani of West Virginia University powered on through relay number three with an astounding score of 599. Though his teammate Petra Zublasing managed a higher score in the final round (105.2 to Campriani’s 102), it was enough to overtake Nicco’s initial run.
The top six shooters at the Air Rifle portion of the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships (held in Columbus State University’s Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center) are:
| 2011 NCAA Rifle Championship – Air Rifle |
| Name |
School |
Results |
| Nicco Campriani |
West Virginia University |
701.0 |
| Petra Zublasing |
West Virginia University |
698.2 |
| Henri Junghanel |
University of Kentucky |
697.6 |
| Sarah Scherer |
Texas Christian University |
697.0 |
| Justin Pentz |
West Virginia University |
694.7 |
| Anna Hjelmevol |
Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks |
694.2 |
Report by KJillson courtesy the NRA Blog.
March 11th, 2011
This weekend, Georgia’s Columbus State University will host the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships. On Friday, March 11, the Smallbore competition will take place at Ft. Benning, GA and the match will conclude on Saturday, March 12, with the Air Rifle competition at Columbus State University.
Watch Live Match Video
On the NCAA.com website, you can watch live video of the 2011 Rifle Championships, together with select video feature stories. Live video of the NCAA Championships will begin at 8:00AM (EST) on Friday and Saturday at http://www.ncaa.com/sports/rifle/d1. CLICK HERE for current live webcast schedule.
CLICK HERE to watch LIVE VIDEO of shooting Championship.
 View Targets in Real Time
Technology is amazing. Because the NCAA competitors are shooting at electronically-scored targets, the scored target images can be exported to the web in real time. So, you can see the scored targets of the competitors, as soon as they have been shot. Each competitor’s shots are plotted and scored (see example, right). The CMP has created a webpage that hosts Match Results and Live Target Images for each Relay.
March 10th, 2011
The USA Shooting Men’s Skeet Team, comprised of Vincent Hancock, Jon Michael McGrath, and Frank Thompson, tied the World Record in Men’s Skeet while capturing the gold medal at the ISSF World Cup recently held in Concepcion, Chile. Hancock is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in Skeet and Jon Michael McGrath is the 2010 World Champion in Men’s Junior Skeet. Out of a possible 125 targets (per shooter), Thompson nailed 123, Hancock hit 122, and McGrath shot 121 — for a combined team score of 366/375. That equaled the world record set by Team USA at the 2009 World Championship in Slovenia.
Jan Sychra Wins Individual Skeet Gold Medal with Perfect Score
At the same World Cup match in Chile, Jan Sychra (Czech Republic) won the Men’s Skeet event, scoring a perfect 150 hits out of 150 targets in the final, equaling a world record. The Czech shooter also secured an Olympic Quota Place, a qualification spot at the 2012 London Games.
“I did not believe the 150 record was possible!”, the Czech shooter said after the award ceremony. The record was first set in 2007 by American Vincent Hancock. Hancock’s record had subsequently been tied twice by Norway’s Tore Brovold. So Sychra is now the third man ever to shoot 150/150 in a skeet finals.
The USA team finished just short of individual medals. The USA Shooting Team has the youngest men’s team competing in the ISSF World Cup Series and at the World Clay Target Championships in Belgrade, Serbia later this year.
Next Stop — Sydney, Australia
The USA Team returns home for a few days before traveling to the next stop in the ISSF World Cup series March 22 – April 1, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. The Sydney World Cup has 64 nations represented with 721 competitors in the Olympic sports of rifle, pistol and shotgun.
March 7th, 2011
 When Olympian Matt Emmons wasn’t on the firing line at the 2010 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final in October, the shooting community took note. Emmons was in New York battling thyroid cancer and recovering from a surgery that removed his entire thyroid. After his surgery, Emmons competed in the 2010 USA Shooting Winter Airgun Championship and reached the podium each day in Men’s 10m Air Rifle.
In February, Emmons won the 2011 Rocky Mountain Rifle Overall Championships. With that gutsy performance, Emmons served notice that he is back, and he’s the man to beat. Emmons set a new USA Shooting National Record with 1188 points in Men’s 50m Rifle 3P qualifier. Moreover, Emmons finished the three-position match with a 19.6 point margin over the silver medalist. His final score was 1188 points in day one, 1179 points in day two and 101.6 points in the final for a total of 2468.6 points. He also topped the competition in Men’s 50m Rifle Prone with 1303.6 total points. Emmons also took gold in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event with 1295.3 total points.
Emmons was named the match’s Overall Champion after winning all three events in the Rocky Mountain Rifle Championships and finishing an impressive 27 points ahead of the next competitor. National Rifle Coach Major Dave Johnson said, “Emmons continues to build towards the spring World Cups; he’s had an incredible tournament and has worked very hard in recovery.” Performances such as Emmons’ deserve to be recognized, which is why Matt Emmons is the ELEY/USA Shooting Athlete of the Month. We congratulate Emmons and wish him continued success as he prepares for his first ISSF World Cup of the season in Sydney, Australia, March 21 to 30.
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