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July 20th, 2009
 Army Sgt. 1st Class James Henderson won the 2009 NRA National Pistol Championship with a 2646-141X score, followed by Philip Hemphill (2642-131X), and Brian Zins (2637-131X). SFC Henderson, who shoots for the USAMU, also won the Regular Service Champion Title. For his victories, Henderson received the Harrison Trophy, a new firearm, and $550 in Visa gift cards. Below are other winners by category:
Civilian Champion: Brian Zins, 2637-131x
Woman Champion: Judy Tant, 2566-72x
Grand Senior Champion: John Farley, 2538-77x
Senior Champion: Ron Steinbrecher, 2607-99x
Junior Champion: Bryan Layfield, 2545-81x
Collegiate Champion: John Gunn, 2442-45x
Police Champion: Philip Hemphill, 2642-129x
Army Reserve Champion: SFC Keith Sanderson, 2623-109x
National Guard Champion: SFC Ralph Young, 2565-65x
CLICK HERE to download NRA Pistol Championship Results.
SFC Henderson put in a truly dominant performance. Henderson swept every major individual award, breaking national records along the way and establishing himself as the standard bearer in service pistol. He is the first active-duty Soldier to win the national championship in 24 years. Henderson won every event he was entered in and also led his team to a championship. The Soldier’s dominance commenced at the NRA’s Pistol Championship when he won the Harrison Trophy as the top individual with a score of 2646. He also finished in first-place in the individual .22-caliber and center-fire events.
Next up was the National Trophy Individual Pistol Match, where Henderson won the General Cluster Trophy for the third time. In the process, Henderson set a new national record with a score of 297 out of 300, breaking a record that had stood since 1978.
“What Sgt. 1st Class Henderson accomplished this season is best left undescribed, as there are no words that can put it in a context that does the feat justice,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason St. John, service pistol team noncommissioned officer-in-charge. “Imagine that never in the history of marksmanship competition that dates over 100 years has anyone done this. No one ever has or probably ever will.”
Congratulations to all of the Champions from the 2009 NRA National Pistol Championships! Complete match standings (with scores) are available in .pdf format from the NRA Championship Results webpage.
This report courtesy the NRA BLOG.
July 14th, 2009
The U.S. F-Class Open Rifle team takes off for the UK on July 15th to participate in the 3rd World F-Class Championship, hosted in Bisley, England for 2009. This prestigious match is held every four years. The American Team won the inaugural event held in Canada, while the second World Championship was won by the South African squad on their home turf. To view profiles of U.S. Team members and learn more about the 2009 Championships, click the link below:
Daily Bisley Blogs from Shiraz Balolia
 This year Shiraz Balolia, U.S. Team Vice Captain, plans to provide Daily Updates on the World Championships via a Web Blog. In his first Blog entry, Balolia writes: “On July 17th [there are] three matches, the Century 500 and 600 yards and the Admiral Hutton 900 yards. There are a number of different matches just about every single day until Saturday the 25th of July. Then, the World Championships start on Monday July 27, 2009.
The whole U.S. F-Class Open team will be shooting the proven 6.5-284 caliber. Several of the other teams are shooting the ballistically superior 7mm calibers, but we expect to outwit them with our calculated wind calls. The English have a ‘home court’ advantage and are utilizing their best wind readers who know the nuances of their ranges inside out.”
CLICK HERE for F-Class Blog by Shiraz Balolia
F-Class News for Twitter Fans
The U.S. F-Class team has also created a Twitter account, so you can follow events via this popular social networking site. CLICK HERE for the latest F-Class “Tweets”.
July 9th, 2009
 The July, 2009 edition of Shooting Sports USA is now available online (for free). Click this link to access the current issue. This should launch a special browser that displays Shooting Sports USA in a familiar page-turning format, just like a print magazine. Of course, using the navigation buttons, you can also flip forward or back.
On pages 16-19 of the July issue, you’ll find an excellent article on the “Mental Game”. For this story, Shooting Sports’ Managing Editor Chip Lohman interviewed seven of America’s top competitive shooters, each of whom offers insights into the psychology of winning.
This “must-read” article leads off with 5-time Olympian Lones Wigger, who explains: “Many inexperienced shooters use different techniques in training than they do during matches…. Their scores are usuallly acceptable during training, but when they shoot under match conditions, they completely change their technique. In a match, they shoot much slower and labor on each shot. As a result, they tire quickly and score much lower than in training. [But] as shooters progress, they learn how to train smart and utilize their training to combat match pressure, which leads to improved performance in competition.”
Shooting Sports USA also interviewed Julie Golob, a past U.S. Army Athlete of the Year. Julie has won 9 world titles and 16 National championships in action shooting. Julie offers this advice: “Ideally, you want to eliminate the distractions that you can control. I make checklists so I don’t forget any important equipment. Good preparation helps set the stage for peak performance. I [also] try to focus on the positive aspects of what I’ve doing. It’s amazing how easy it is to dwell on a bad shot…. I find I am able to recover much more quickly by beiing proactive. I move forward and apply what I know (from my training) will correct the issue. Don’t dwell on the negative. It only increases the odds of performing poorly.”
Other top shooters interviewed for the “Mental Game” story are:
Larry Carter: Four-time National pistol champion Carter holds many records, and has won titles both individually and as a team member shooting both rimfire and centerfire pistols.
Cory Cogdell: Trap-shooter Cogdell won the Bronze Medale at both the 2008 Olympics and the 2006 World Cup.
Launi Meili: Winner of 8 gold medals in UIT/ISS air rifle and smallbore disciplines, Launi is the only American woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal in smallbore.
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Jason Parker: Air rifle and 3-position shooter, Parker is a two-time U.S. Olympian who has earmed 10 medals in national and international competitions.
Brian Zins: Former USMC team member “Gunny” Zins is a nine-time National Pistol Champion who holds 26 national records in conventional pistol competition.
July 8th, 2009
The 4th annual Southern California Precision Rifle Competition (SCPRC) will be held July 11-12, 2009 at the West End Gun Club, 20 minutes west of San Bernadino, CA. Match director Mark Archuleta, aka “Spaniard”, runs a great match, with a diverse and challenging course of fire. 50 shooters have already registered for the match, one of the most popular tactical comps on the West Coast. This year’s event will include night shooting, 10-12 core stages, and (new this year), a .22LR side match. For more information on the course of fire, and match rules, visit the WEGC Forum and Read this Thread for a complete run-down on the event.
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Mark reports: “Surprises? we have a few of those, so be prepared. All targets will be 1 MOA or bigger. We have paper, reactive and some special targets. Some of the stages are a hybrid of the Sniper Comps you have seen on Discovery Channel. We will be shooting UKD (unknown distances) and LRF are allowed. You will be shooting from terrain (dirt) and barricade as before. There will be some angle shooting as well. The farthest shot will be about 625 yards at angle 5 – 10°, the closest roughly 75 yards.
This event draws top tactical marksmen from around the country. Mark noted: “Last year, at our third SCPRC, and we had shooters from all over the US.” You can see highlights from the 2008 event in our Shooters’ Forum, and below are some photos from the 2008 Match:
Vu Pham from Nor-Cal (above) hit both his cold bore shots on day 1 & 2 last July. There was a 3.5″ Clay pigeon set at about 325 yards, with roughly a 10° down angle. In 2006, 7 out of 22 shooters made the hit, in 2008, 12 out of 34 shooters made the hit. Some folks don’t think that the 10°-15° slope makes a difference, but it does.
Above, Phil demonstrates textbook bipod shooting: working the bolt, maintaining a solid cheek weld and keeping an eye on the next target.
Click Here for Complete 2009 SCPRC Tactical Match Information.
July 7th, 2009
This week, Shooting USA television features the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) Creedmoor re-enactment, hosted at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The show, broadcast July 8th at 8:30 pm Eastern time (5:30 pm Pacific) on the Outdoor Channel, features black powder muzzle-loaders and black powder cartridge shooters recreating one of the most famous rifle competitions of the 19th Century.
Rifle shooting was a very popular spectator sport in the 19th Century. Thousands of spectators came to watch long-range rifle matches held on “Creed’s Moor”, a range built by the NRA with funds from the New York state legislature. The first International Creedmoor match took place in 1874, when a group of Americans responded to a “Challenge to the Riflemen of America” from the Irish rifle team, considered the world’s best. The match was shot at 800, 900 and 1000 yards and was decided on the very last shot. After an Irish cross-fire near the end of the match, American John Bodine shot a final bullseye to win the international challenge cup. The U.S. team used a combination of breech-loading Remington Rolling Blocks and Sharps rifles. The Irish team used Rigby muzzle-loading rifles.
Click Here for Creedmoor Match History | Click Here to view 12’x6′ 1874 Match Target
The NMLRA’s long-range match allows both muzzle-loading rifles as well as black powder cartridge rifles. So, there on the line beside the Whitworths and Gibbs, you’ll find Remington Rolling Blocks and legendary Sharps rifles. This show airs multiple times this Wednesday, July 8, on the Outdoor Channel. Check local listings for channel(s). Shooting USA’s Wednesday broadcast schedule is:
Eastern Time 4:30 PM, 8:30 PM, 12:00 Midnight
Central Time 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 11:00 PM
Mountain Time 2:30 PM, 6:30 PM, 10:00 PM
Pacific Time 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 9:00 PM
BPCR bullet moulds from Old West Bullet Moulds, Fruita, Colorado.
July 6th, 2009
The Second Williamsport 1000-Yard Benchrest School wrapped up on June 7, 2009 after two days of great weather. The weather cooperated just long enough to complete the school and send everyone on their way. Then it proceeded to rain for a few more days! According to student feedback, it seems this one-of-a-kind, long-range Benchrest Clinic at the Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club was a success.
Photo by Sebastian Reist, www.sreistphotography.com.
A full class of 36 “students”, ranging in age from 20s to late 70s, came from all over the USA (from as far as Oregon, Georgia, and Missouri), to attend the second-ever Williamsport 1000-Yard Benchrest School. With the help of more than a dozen Williamsport regulars and record-holders, along with generous support from vendors such as Berger Bullets and Forster Products, the school finished up with nary a hitch.
Students were taught brass prep, reloading methods, bench setup, gun handling and cleaning, along with other finer aspects of the 1K benchrest game. Saturday after the lectures and a good meal from the grill, students tried their luck on some 1040-yard clay birds on the back bank (as well as some shots on paper), and basically familiarized themselves with gun-handling and sandbag tracking. Sunday was the day for them to try all their newly-acquired skills and knowledge by shooting a mock 1000-yard competition under real match conditions. The students obviously caught on quickly because there some very small groups (6″ and less) were shot by folks new to the long-range game.
 In addition to the classroom sessions and practice on the firing line, the clinic’s “curriculum” included pulling “pit-duty”. While working the pits, students got a look at Williamsport’s brand new, state-of-the-art pits, complete with an extended concrete ceiling! Williamsport’s targets are no longer at 1022 yards like they always have been, but are now at 1003 yards. The new pits now meet or exceed the NRA guidelines for pit construction. These will surely be as safe as or safer than any pits in the country. There will be more photos and details to follow on this once the construction is totally finished.
Below is a slideshow/video created by Sebastian Reist, a “student” at the 2009 Williamsport 1000-yard BR school. A talented professional photographer, Sebastian did a superb job capturing the highlights of his Williamsport 1K training weekend. In the video you’ll see a “shooter’s eye view” of the targets and a view from the pits as a 10-shot group actually forms up on the target.
Hey guys–watch this video! Sebastian did a great job and this is probably the best multi-media video we’ve ever run on this site.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.
Photos and Video © 2009 Sebastian Reist, used with permission.
July 6th, 2009
 Carl Bernosky, 8-time winner of the Camp Perry National High Power Championships, will be switching back to a bolt gun for the 2009 competition. Last year, Carl shot an AR15-based spacegun built on Smith & Wesson M&P15 components. With that rifle, Carl became the first competitor to win the Camp Perry High Power Championship shooting an AR15-type semi-auto.
But this year Carl will be shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor CSR-1 TubeGun from Creedmoor Sports. Based on a TubeGun Chassis and buttstock by Gary Eliseo (of Competition Shooting Stuff), the CSR-1 features a Pierce Precision Rem 700-clone receiver, and a 28″ Broughton barrel.
Both the buttstock and the handguard are adjustable to suit the shooter. The handguard/float tube can rotate 15 degrees from center in either direction, allowing the shooter to adjust his desired rifle cant. The 4-way buttstock adjusts for length-of-pull, cant, buttpad height and offset. There is an adjustable cheekpiece and even two 4.8-ounce removeable weights to allow precise balancing of the rig.
The CSR-1 is offered in five (5) chamberings: 308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6XC, and .223 Rem. At Camp Perry, Carl Bernosky will be shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor version of the rifle, using Hornady components.
CLICK HERE to learn more about specs and features of CSR-1 ($3750.00 complete).
July 2nd, 2009
The 2009 National Junior Air Gun Championship, held at the CMP’s high-tech Camp Perry indoor Marksmanship Training Center, has been a huge success. The 3-day event has drawn nearly 290 competitors from 27 states to Camp Perry, Ohio. Shooters have traveled from as far as Hawaii and Alaska to shoot against other top juniors in the country. Winners will be honored at an awards banquet, scheduled for July 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Shooters may enter either the Sporter or Precision class based on the type of rifle and equipment they use, and are then grouped into categories according to age: Sub-Junior (Age 14 and under); Junior (age 18-20); and Intermediate Junior (Age 15-17). There is no age minimum to compete at NJAGC, and this year there are competitors as young as 12 years old. The rules for this year’s championship break with years past. For the 2009 competition, there are no entry requirements; every junior shooter is welcome to compete.
The National Junior Air Gun Championship (NJAGC) isn’t just about competing for this year’s title — it’s also about learning to improve and advance in the shooting sports. A training summit is held each year in conjunction with the NJAGC to help competitors, coaches, and parents learn how to train properly, as well as to introduce young shooters to future opportunities.
Report from NRABlog.com. Photos courtesy ODCMP.com.
June 27th, 2009
 Our lead story on AccurateShooter.com this week features Varmint Silhouette Matches at the Ojai and Pala clubs in Southern California. The Ojai Valley Gun Club Varmint Silhouette match starts off with a 600-yard, paper-punching stage using official 600-yard benchrest targets.
At Ojai, the calm, cool mountain air in the early morning often provides perfect conditions for long-range target shooting. Such was the case this past week. At the Father’s Day (June 21, 2009) Ojai Match, Bruce Duncan fired back to back 1.5″ groups with his Barnard-actioned, 6-6.5×47 match rifle. This rig was smithed by MTGuns, where Bruce works as Office Manager.
Bruce tells us: “The Barnard action is very popular with Palma, prone, and F-Class shooters of course, but I think we’ve demonstrated that Barnards can be very competitive in the long-range benchrest game as well.” Though both targets were shot in the early morning, Bruce acknowledged: “I got bit by a wind change both times — first right, then left.” Joking, he added: “But hey, my sighters were in the blue for both targets.”
Target 1: 1.507″, 5 shots at 600 yards
Interestingly, the Barnard “P” action is set in an aluminum V-block. The RBRP action features an MT Guns +10 MOA scope rail, with Barnard trigger. The barrel is a 1:8″ twist, 6mm Bartlein, measuring about .960″ at the muzzle. For optics, Bruce runs a Sightron 36×42 SII Big Sky with fine cross hair. Bruce tells us: “More power might be nice, but the 36X Sightron does the job.”
Target 2: 1.536″, 5 shots at 600 yards
Bruce tried a variety of loads before settling on Hodgdon H4350 and CCI 450 primers pushing the tangent-ogive (non-VLD) Berger 108s seated about .020″ out of the lands. “I tested the Berger 105s in the lands, but this barrel preferred the 108s jumped”, Bruce observed. Bruce uses 6.5×47 Lapua brass necked down to 6mm. He turns the necks slightly for a PTG .270″ neck chamber. Rounds measure right around .268″ when loaded. For sizing, Bruce uses a standard Forster 6-6.5×47 full-length sizing die, with the expander ball in place.
June 27th, 2009
The World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting wraps up today at Founders Ranch in Edgewood, New Mexico. Today’s final matches will determine the winner of the week-long event, which commenced on June 22nd. Over 400 shooters from a dozen countries competed at the 28th Annual END of TRAIL World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting and Wild West Jubilee produced by the Single Action Shooting Society, better known as SASS.
UPDATE: Teenager Steve Rubert, aka Badlands Bud, was the Overall Champion at the 2009 END of Trail.
 Along with the 400+ competitors, END of TRAIL attracts thousands of spectactors with Wild West-themed exhibits and entertainment, including mounted shooting from horseback. Visitors can sample wares from hundreds of vendors or enjoy “living history” Wild West encampments spread over 50 acres.
But shooting (and lots of it) is what END of TRAIL is really all about. Competitors shoot multiple stages, employing single-action revolvers, rifles (mostly lever-guns), and shotguns (double-barrel, 1887 lever, or 1897 pump). On most of the stages, top competitors will fire 10 pistol rounds, 4-10 shotgun rounds, and 10 rifle rounds — all in well under one minute, and usually without a miss. Competition is fierce, and the action is fast and furious.
In the video below, multi-time SASS World Champion Spencer Hoglund aka “Lead Dispencer” sets a world-record time for a stage run. Spencer’s pistols and carbine are preloaded, but, per SASS rules, Spencer must handload each shotgun round. Spencer, the fastest shooter in the history of the sport, completed the stage in 12.81 seconds without a miss. He fired TEN (10) shots from his lever gun in about 4 seconds!
More Speed Shooting with Lead Dispencer : Move and Shoot | Helmet Cam (Shooting USA).
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