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November 18th, 2009
 USA Shooting (USAS) has named pistol shooter Keith Sanderson and shotgunner Kim Rhode as the 2009 USAS Athletes of the Year. Keith and Kim were chosen based on the USAS selection procedure, a points system that rewards performance in major competitions.
Sanderson, a 2008 Olympian from Texas, earned the Male Athlete of the Year honor after an outstanding World Cup season in 2009, winning an unprecedented three medals on the ISSF World Cup circuit. Sanderson captured the gold at the Beijing World Cup, silver in Changwon, Korea and bronze at the World Cup Munich in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event. Sanderson also grabbed fifth place at the Milan World Cup. In addition, Sanderson finished in third place at the 2009 Rifle/Pistol Fall Selection Match at Fort Benning, Georgia.
 For the third consecutive year, four-time Olympian Rhode (Calif.) was selected as the USA Shooting Female Athlete of the Year. Rhode won two World Cup medals this year, claiming the silver in San Marino and the bronze in Munich in the Women’s Skeet event. Rhode was also the 2009 National Champion and finished first at the 2009 Shotgun Fall Selection Match, earning a spot on the 2010 World Shooting Championship team. Rhode finished seventh at the 2009 Shotgun World Championships.
The USAS also recognizes discipline Athletes of the Year, who earned the highest number of points in each discipline. Sanderson was the male Athlete of the Year for pistol and Rhode was the female Athlete of the Year for shotgun. USAMU member Michael McPhail was the top male athlete for rifle. McPhail had an excellent year in the Men’s 50m Prone Rifle event, capturing two bronze medals on the World Cup circuit and a silver medal at the World Cup Final. Jamie Beyerle won t women’s rifle title for the fourth year in a row. USAMU member Josh Richmond was the men’s shotgun discipline Athlete of the year. Richmond, the 2009 National Champion, captured the Men’s Double Trap gold medal at the 2009 World Cup and finished fourth at the Shotgun World Championships.
Photos courtesy USA Shooting.
November 16th, 2009
 The Modern Pentathlon is a 5-discipline Olympic event that combines Horse Riding, Running, Swimming, Fencing, and Shooting. Whether there will really be any “shooting” anymore is questionable if Pentathlon officials succeed in their plan to replace air pistols with laser devices. That’s right, the Snowflakes in Hell Blog reports that the UIPM, the international governing body for Modern Pentathlon, intends to replace air pistols with laser “pistols”, ostensibly to reduce the environmental impact of lead pellets. We think this is just a “feel-good” move reflecting anti-gun political agendas. Pentathlon air pistols fire tiny 7-grain pellets that are easily captured by bullet traps, so there is virtually no environmental risk.
 UIPM President, Klaus Schormann, defended the plan to replace air pistols with laser devices, stating: “The decision to introduce non-air pistol shooting was the second big step for the sport following the decision in 2008 to change to the combined run/shoot format. This is a significant development in terms of lowering the environmental impact of the sport.”
Sebastian, creator of the Snowflakes in Hell Blog, observed: “The reasoning of the [UIPM] committee is disturbing. I hope this doesn’t portend bad things to come with other Olympic shooting sports, whose environmental footprint is arguably worse.”
One Blog reader astutely commented: “It would have been trivially easy to mandate lead-free pellets, if the ‘lead poisoning’ argument were the real reason behind this change. Replacing air pistols with lasers instead of a much simpler requirement to use nontoxic shot suggests that it was the ‘gun-ishness’ of the air pistols, and not the environmental impact, that may have been the primary driver here.”
 EDITOR’s Comment: One wonders if the UIPM’s next move will be to replace fencing foils and sabres with Wii computer-game controllers — in the interest of safety. And shouldn’t the UIPM replace Pentathletes’ four-legged equine mounts with hobby-horses to reduce solid waste and methane emissions?
November 13th, 2009
A full-time lawyer, Robert Whitley is also an avid prone, Highpower, and cross-course shooter. Over the past two years, Robert has pioneered a cartridge for these disciplines (as well as long-range varminting) based on the 6.5mm Grendel necked down to 6mm. Robert calls the cartridge the “6mmAR”.
The 6mmAR cartridge has performed very well in AR-based comp guns, both with shorter bullets loaded to mag length, and 105-107gr bullets single-loaded. Robert has complete info about the 6mmAR on his website, 6mmAR.com, including recommended loads and field test results. Robert has also developed a higher capacity version, with the shoulder blown forward and a shorter neck. He calls this the 6mmAR Turbo. This round can drive 105-108gr bullets in the 2850-2900 range, and it has proven very accurate. It is one of the best options for AR-platform space-gun shooters.
Though making 6mmAR brass from 6.5 Grendel brass is quite straight-forward and simple, Robert receives many questions about forming the brass, so he recently prepared a video. The two-minute video shows how quick and easy the brass-forming process can be:
Robert also builds and sells products for across-the-course shooters, including complete AR uppers, chambered in a variety of calibers, including 6mmAR. Jerry Tierney, 2005 NBRSA 1000-yard champion, has a 6mmAR upper built by Robert and Jerry says the upper “Absolutely shoots great. I love it.” In the past few months, Jerry has broken many NRA senior records with his new 6mmAR-chambered rifle.
CLICK HERE for Feature Article on 6mmAR and Robert Whitley (many photos)
CLICK HERE for 6mmAR LOAD DATA
November 8th, 2009
The 2009 Western Creedmoor Cup Matches were held October 21-25 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix, AZ. The Creedmoor Cup Matches, which immediately follow the CMP Western Games, attract many of the nation’s best High Power rifle shooters. This was the third year the Western Creedmoor Cup was conducted at Ben Avery. The previous venue was Camp Pendleton in California.
CMP Western Games and Creedmoor Cup Complete Results
Match rifle shooter SPC Sherri Gallagher (USAMU) was the Creedmoor Cup Aggregate Match overall winner (as well as high woman shooter). Sherri posted a combined Agg score of 797-33X. Neil Jensen followed with an aggregate score of 791-30X. TSgt Daniel Rodriguez ANG scored the highest Creedmoor Cup Service Rifle Agg with a 782-26X, with junior Tyler Rico taking second with a score of 781-33X. Rico was also the top junior shooter, winning a Bushmaster AR-15 upper donated by Remington Arms. The top senior was Brandon Dale with a score of 751-20X.
Match Rifle Winner SPC Sherri Gallagher. Photo Courtesy Jonathan Ocab.
In team competition, USMC Team Base Hawaii won the service rifle event with an aggregate score of 1899-42X. Team Predator, consisting of Phil Hayes, Neil Jensen, Royal Hubert and Matthew Hubert, won the match rifle team event, posting 1895-40X. Finishing second in match rifle with an 1878-52X, was the popular Deadeyes team: Dennis DeMille (Mgr. of Creedmoor Sports), Ronald Zerr, Steve Davis, and GySgt. R. Lee Ermey (USMC Retired). “Gunny” Ermy is the host of the new Lock ‘N Load TV series on the History Channel.
The Creedmoor Cup matches were proceeded by the 6th Annual Western CMP Games, which ran for four days. The CMP Games featured shooting clinics, Garand matches, Rimfire Sporter matches and many other events. This year, there were a record 476 entries in six different CMP Games events. CLICK HERE for compete Western CMP Games match report.
Story based on report by Steve Cooper, CMP Writer. Photos courtesy CMP. Ermey photo by Gary Anderson, DCM.
November 2nd, 2009
 Late this summer, the International Tactical Rifleman’s Championship (ITRC) was held in Gillette, Wyoming at the Surefire Training Facility run by Dave Lauck. Team Hornady shooters Bennie Cooley and Michael Voigt captured their sixth ITRC win, besting 27 other teams, including Special Forces, law enforcement, and military personnel.
The match is a grueling three-day event held for teams of two marksmen. The event challenges each two-man team with multiple scenarios involving pistol targets to 50 yards, carbine targets to 500 yards, and precision rifle targets to 1,000 yards. One partner ranges and calls shots while the other shoots, with roles interchanged during the stages. Typically, the long-range rifle targets are at “unknown” distances, requiring ranging skills and excellent communication between spotter and shooter.
This year, the long-range field courses involved pistol, carbine, and rifle targets. First one or both team members engaged pistol targets out to 50 yards. Then, one shooter engaged the medium range (0-500 yards) carbine targets. Next his partner shot bolt-action rifle at targets from 0-1000 yards. In addition to the long-range stages, this year’s IRTC included a shorter-range (Gully) pistol + rifle event, a “Scramble” event for carbines with targets out to 550 yards, a timed Team vs. Team event, plus a 500-yard ‘Egg Shoot’ for bolt rifle.
CLICK HERE for a full ITRC Course of Fire and Rules
 Zak Smith of Thunder Beast Arms, who has competed at the ITRC, explains: “The D&L Sports Int’l Tactical Rifleman Championships (ITRC) is a 3-Gun match unlike conventional 3-Gun matches. The ITRC has field courses from 1 to 2.5 miles long which must be finished in times from 45 minutes to two hours by teams of two: a bolt rifle shooter, and a carbine shooter”.
All ITRC courses of fire demand movement from the team across varied rugged terrain and even obstacle courses. ITRC matches typically offer “shoot while moving” stages, which can include shooting from a raft on a lake, shooting from a helicopter in flight, or shooting from the back of a moving Humvee. Overall, the ITRC is a very challenging event that places exceptional demands on both equipment and shooter skills. Below is an ITRC highlight video showing event stages.
DISCLAIMER: This video (@ 4:00) shows two pistols that are covered in dirt or mud and then fired before the barrels were carefully checked for obstructions. This is a UNSAFE practice.
October 29th, 2009
In a back and forth battle, Michael Voigt held off defending National Champion Jerry Miculek to win the Open title at the 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) Multi-Gun National Championships held October 22-25 in Boulder City, Nevada. During the 3-day match, Voigt and Miculek exchanged the lead seven times in one of the closest head-to-head duels in the history of Multi-Gun competition. At the Multi-Gun Nationals, 135 top shooters from around the country competed in a shooting format that utilizes rifle, shotgun, and pistol, demanding shooting speed and accuracy with all three weapons.
Team STI’s Voigt and Miculek of Team Smith & Wesson were neck and neck through 10 stages, exchanging the overall lead. After Miculek won Stage 10, the match turned in Voigt’s favor when Voigt won Stage 11, scoring 200 stage points, nearly 100 points better than Miculek. Miculek won the 12th and final stage of the match but it was not enough. Voigt finished with a final score of 2178.2303, placing him over 75 points ahead of Miculek, the 2008 champion.
Michael Voigt has been a force to be reckoned with in USPSA competition since 1979. He has served as USPSA President, and he has been the best in the world with pistol, rifle and shotgun ever since Multi-Gun Competition became a part of USPSA Matches. Voigt’s latest Open Class victory marks his ninth USPSA 3-Gun National Title.
Voigt Reveals Match-Winning Skills and Strategies
If you’re interested in three-gun competition and want to shoot like a champion, check out Michael Voigt’s “Pro Tips” on ShootingUSA.com. In six training sessions, Voigt explains and demonstrates the key skills needed for the multi-gun game. Voigt’s tips were broadcast as a regular part of Shooting USA’s Sighting In segments, and summaries are available online, complete with photos and Michael’s expert commentary.
October 27th, 2009
Billy Copelin dominated the 2009 NBRSA 1000-yard Nationals in Sacramento, winning the National Championship and setting four pending records in the process. Billy used a 17-pounder in Light Gun Class, and a bigger rifle in Heavy Gun Class, but both were chambered for the 6mm Dasher. The little case, an improved version of the 6mmBR Norma, performed brilliantly in Billy’s hands. Along with his overall championship, Copelin won Two-Gun Group Agg (6.566″), Two-Gun Score Agg (840-8X), Light Gun Group Agg (4.611″), Heavy Gun Group Agg (8.522″), and Heavy Gun Score Agg (561-4X).
Jim O’Connell, official match scorer, observed: “It was Billy Copelin’s weekend as he won just about everything that wasn’t nailed down. On his way to winning the 2009 National Championship, Billy set four new records and earned himself a spot in the Hall of Fame (joining Jerry Tierney and Don Nielson). Congratulations to Billy…that was some fine shooting!” Copelin’s four pending records are: 3-Target LG Score (147-3X); 6-Target LG Group (4.611″); 2-Gun 12-Target Score (840-8X); and 2-Gun 12-Target Group (6.566″). Below is a video of Copelin shooting at the 600-yard NBRSA Nationals in 2008.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.
Generally Good Conditions Prevail
Fairly nice weather conditions prevailed for the 2009 NBRSA 1000-Yard National Championship. As a result, some fine scores were fired. Ventura, CA shooter Barry Bluhm, who won the Light Gun Score title with an impressive 279-6X, told us “There was nice weather most of the time all three days. Winds were 3 to 6 mph, but they didn’t stay the same. During some relays, winds got twitchy and would switch from side to side. If you missed a wind call, you could get burned.”
Barry, who does testing for AccurateShooter.com as one of our elite “designated trigger pullers”, noted that while Copelin “pretty much cleaned everyone’s clock with his Dashers”, a lot of guys shot big cartridges in Heavy Gun Class. George Tompkins was shooting 300gr bullets from a massive, metal-stocked Maxi chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum.
Jerry Tierney finished second overall in this year’s NBRSA 1K Nationals. Jerry, the 2008 NBRSA 600-yard Champion, brought his .284 Winchester to the match, “making LG weight by an ounce or so.” Tierney, who is renowned for his wind-doping skills, tells us “he was rooting for the wind to blow, but it was Dasher weather.” Jerry added that the big boomers did not distinguish themselves: “The true heavies made a lot of noise but were not really in the running in these conditions. It was strictly a Dasher weekend, and a really great shooter [Copelin] behind a Dasher finished on top.” Tierney added that Copelin really deserved the championship: “Billy’s been at it many years; we all knew he was going to win the big one someday.”
Great Shooting by Many Competitors
Though Copelin hauled away the biggest trophies, there were many impressive performances by other shooters. Jay McMunn shot an amazing 2.445″, five-shot Small Group in Light Gun, and Stu Harvey wasn’t far behind at 2.473″. Charles Greer nailed two ten-shot 99s in Heavy Gun and one was a very small 6.649″ to boot. Robert Hoppe and T. Johnson both had 10-shot HG groups under 5.5″ (though Copelin shot smallest of all with a 4.907″ in HG).
Overall Rankings, using the NBRSA scoring system, which counts placements for both score and group, are listed below (lowest total wins). CLICK HERE to download complete results with group and score rankings for all events. We send a big “Thank-You” to Jim O’Connell from providing these match results so quickly.
National Champion — BILLY COPELIN (5 total points)
Second Place — GERALD TIERNEY (24)
Third Place — KENNETH SCHROEDER (26)
Fourth Place — CHARLES GREER (31)
Fifth Place — BARRY BLUHM (33)
Sixth Place — GREG WILSON (44)
Seventh Place — ROBERT HOPPE (46)
Eighth Place — LOU MURDICA (47)
Ninth Place — T. JOHNSON (54)
Tenth Place — GARY NOBLE (55)
October 22nd, 2009
The 2009 NBRSA 1000-yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 1000) will be held at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center in Sacramento, California on October 23, 24, & 25th.This event is being hosted by the Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters Club. The NBRSA 1K benchrest Nationals should draw many of the nation’s top shooters. This is one of the major long-range events of the year on the West Coast. Match organizers invite all long-range benchresters to attend, even if you have not tried 1000 yards before. A good 600-yard gun can be quite competitive at 1000 when conditions are favorable. Two classes will compete, Light Gun (17-lb max weight) and Heavy Gun (Unlimited Weight). The current match fee is $75.00 per class, so it will cost $150.00 to shoot both classes.
CLICK HERE for the match Sign-Up and Registration form (PDF file).
Sacramento Valley Shooting Center 1000-yard range (seen from 600-yard line).
There are RV/camping facilities adjacent to the range, and moderately priced hotels can be found within a 20-minute drive of the range. If you camp you should bring water, food and all essentials as the range is pretty far from a store. Do note, however, on Saturday, October 24th, a catered lunch will be served and on Friday, October 23rd and Sunday, October 25th, a hot vendor will be available on the grounds so that shooters may purchase lunch.
If you have questions about the range facilities or driving directions, you can call Sac Valley Shooting Center at (916) 354-9668. The Center is located approximately 15 miles South/East of the city of Sacramento. The physical address for the range is 15501 Meiss Road, Sloughouse, CA 95683. To navigate to the range, take a look at the map below. The Sac Valley staff cautions: “Do not use GPS or Map Quest to get to the range. On the Dillard Road side is an unpaved, nearly impassible rock road. Use Ione Road to approach Meiss Road [from the east]”. You can also get detailed, turn by turn directions (from main approach highways), on the Sac Valley Shooting Center website. CLICK HERE for directions to range.
October 19th, 2009
 From October 22-25, the 2009 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals will be held at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club (BRPC) in Boulder City, Nevada. USPSA Multi-Gun matches are exciting events, with timed stages requiring shooters to engage multiple targets with pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Some stages involve all three weapons, while other stages may be for pistol only, shotgun only, rifle only, or two weapons, such as pistol and shotgun. All twelve stages in the 2009 event are illustrated in the USPSA Stage Map, a 12-page PDF file.
Shown below is Stage 10, “Dark Alley”, a Rifle + Shotgun + Handgun stage. Shooters fire 12 handgun rounds, 11 shotgun rounds, 18 rifle rounds plus 11 rounds shooters’ choice (pistol or shotgun) for a total possible score of 270 points. Fixed targets are: 12 Metric, 11 PP, 11 Clay Birds, and 6 Flashers. All targets must be engaged in a specified order, with a designated weapon (or shooter’s choice). As you can tell, these stage scenarios can be complicated, so it takes good planning and tactics to do well, in addition to accuracy and trigger-pulling speed.
Notes for Competitors
The round count is approximately 160 rounds of handgun, 110 rounds of rifle, 115 rounds of birdshot and 20 slugs. There are some targets that may be taken with your choice of firearms, be sure to bring some extra ammunition for each firearm for reshoots, extra shots, etc. Match directors have announced that BRPC will provide one of its 100-yard bays for sight-in on Thursday afternoon only from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Squad schedules are now complete. CLICK HERE to download PDF squad schedule.
The official Match Hotel is the Sunset Station Casino & Hotel in Henderson, NV. The reserved block of rooms at the Sunset Station appears to have been filled. However, if you need a room at the match hotel and have been informed that the block is full, please email Matt Pickhardt (matt@uspsa.org) or call Matt at 360-855-2245 and he’ll get a room added for you. At this point rooms must be added individually to avoid USPSA being charged for rooms not used.
October 19th, 2009
 We received this news from Chip Lohman, Managing Editor of Shooting Sports USA.
Chip tells us that: “Beginning in January, 2010, NRA Tournament News will be distributed as a bi-monthly newsletter of NRA-sanctioned tournament schedules and local match results from the free online edition of Shooting Sports USA magazine. Subscribers who prefer delivery [via] their traditional mailbox may purchase an annual subscription for $15. To order, please call 877-NRA-2000 or send a check (made payable to NRA) to: NRA Tournament News, c/o National Rifle Association of America, PO Box 420674, Palm Coast, FL 32164-0674 and provide the following subscription code: M9KTNEWS.”
Chris adds: “We’re excited about this, but hard-pressed to get the word out to those who need it the most -– those without a computer. Please ask readers to pass the word.”
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