Tomorrow is the first day of August, and that means it’s time to get ready for National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). To help grow the ranks of shooters, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) asks you to bring a new shooter to the range in August. That’s a good mission — adding to the ranks of shooters is the best way to preserve our Second Amendment rights.
This coast-to-coast celebration spotlights the fun and enjoyment of target shooting. Newcomers can take their first shots, and experienced shooters can invite someone new to the range or help an erstwhile shooter rediscover the fun of target shooting. This month-long event involves all the shooting sports — rifle, pistol, and shotgun.
Find Shooting Sports Events Near You
The NSSF’s ShootingSportsMonth.org website offers a comprehensive, searchable database. This lets you search by state, to find ranges, events, and sales promotions near you. Visit the NSSF online database of NSSM shooting events to find matches, clinics, training sessions, special sales — and much more.
Great FREE Targets for Fun at the Range
To promote National Shooting Sports Month, the NSSF has created a dozen FREE Downloadable Targets. There are regular bullseyes, as well as Darts, Golf, and more. We really like the Billiards target and kids love the Water Balloons target. You can download all 12 targets for free, and then print them out, ideally with a color printer. Have at it!
The final individual match results have been tallied and there are two new NRA Long Range F-Class National Champions: Ian Klemm in F-TR and Tod Hendricks in F-Open. Congrats to both of these men for their outstanding performances. Ian, a multi-time Champion, has really dominated the F-TR field in recent years. This is now his FOURTH F-TR National Championship, having previously won in 2020, 2018, and 2017. That is dominance! And Tod has long been a top competitor, including past F-Open team (Grand Agg) and individual (Mid-Range) wins at the Berger SW Nationals.
Finishing second in F-Open was Forum member Keith Glasscock, host of the popular Winning in the Wind YouTube Channel. Second in F-TR was Matt Schwartzkopf, a great guy who also supervises the Berger SW Nationals at Ben Avery. Matt is a double amputee below the knee, but he has never let that issue hold him back in competition.
Matt Schwartzkopf (center, dark blue shirt) with Michelle Gallagher at 2021 F-Class Nationals. Photo by Forum member Turbulent Turtle.
Here is one of Keith Glasscock’s fine videos from his Winning in the Wind YouTube Channel:
Keith, who finished second overall in F-Open, offered these insights about the F-Class LR Nationals: “The key to performing well in Atterbury revolved around keeping yourself healthy in the heat and humidity. It is difficult to make good decisions when overheated or dehydrated. Winds were only marginally readable, but changes were not ‘sharp’ in nature. With so many excellent competitors at the event, the chances of getting target service in less than 7 seconds was better than even. For the record, the draw of these events is the opportunity to spend time with my F-Class family doing the thing we love.”
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OK guys, you probably want to keep this page confidential. Your spouse probably doesn’t want to be reminded about all the times you ignored the “Honey Do” list and headed off to the range instead. And she certainly doesn’t want to know how much you spend every year on your gun hobby.
Answer these two polls to see how dedicated (or should we say “obsessed”) a gun guy you really are. Once you vote you can see how your shooting (and spending) habits compare to other readers. Full results display after you select an answer and click the “Vote” button.
Click to vote in our current Readers’ polls.
Click “View Results” to see what other readers have selected.
The rifle cartridge money clip is a real product from ReleaseMeCreations.com. You can, of course, make your own cartridge money clip with a Dremel tool for free.
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The NRA F-Class Team Championship was held July 29, 2021. Congrats to the winning squads, Team Indiana (F-Open) and Team USA Blue (F-TR). Conditions were fairly difficult with plenty of rapid wind switches to challenge the wind callers. It was great to see a large number of teams on the firing line, both in F-TR and F-Open.
Second place was very close in both divisions. F-TR was decided on X-count. In F-0pen, Team Kelly McMillan finished second by just one point, but with a huge edge in X-count. Team Kelly McMillan had 83 Xs compared to 66 Xs for Team Indiana. Tim Vaught and Norm Harrold both drilled 23 Xs while Doug Skogman had 20 Xs. Kelly, who sadly passed away recently, would have been proud of this team. His team’s outstanding performance honored his memory.
In F-TR division, Team USA Blue’s Luke Ramsey shot brilliantly to score 396-21X to lead his team. Ian Klemm, currently in first place in the individual F-TR competition, also shot great to tally 392-16X.
Ray Gross joined six good friends to squad up as Team Creedmoor, which finished a very close second in the F-TR division. The top two squads had the same 1559 Aggregate point total with Team USA Blue earning Gold with 57Xs vs. 44Xs for Team Creedmoor.
Ray was proud of his team’s performance: “After a 3-year hiatus, we got the band back together to finish Silver (by Xs) at the U.S. F-Class Long Range Nationals. It was a fairly tough day, living off the flags, with a lot of quick switches. I’ll coach you guys anytime!”
Team Creedmoor team-mates (L to R): Daniel Pohlabel, Paul Phillips, Ray Gross, Brad Sauve, John Droelle, and Jeff Rorer.
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Paul Phillips is now best known as an Extreme Long Range (ELR) ace shooting large caliber “boomers”. He was the King of Two Miles in 2019. But Paul has also competed in F-Class and other disciplines. This week he is at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, participating in the NRA F-Class National Championships in F-TR division. He is currently in fourth place, with the final invidual competition to take place this Friday, July 30, 2021 (today 7/29/21 is Team Competition). SEE Current F-TR Standings.
Paul has good skills with a camera as well as a rifle. On his Facebook Page, Paul recently posted images from the F-Class Nationals. He observed: “My First National Match string since 2018. Feels like a .22 rimfire compared to the big bruisers. Lots of fun.”
Mid-Range Team Match at 600 Yards
This photo from the Mid-Range Team Match by Forum member “Turbulent Turtle”.
Paul Phillips also shot the 600-yard Team Match on July 26, 2021. Shown below are score-cards for Paul Phillips and his team-mate Jeff Rorer. Both shot “clean” (not dropping a point), in this particular event, Team Match 6311. Paul’s 200-13X was the second highest score among all competitors on the line, but he didn’t want to take full credit: “I’m just a trigger-puller. Dan Pohlabel was making the wind calls.”
Paul wanted to credit his sponsors: Creedmoor Sports, Manson Precision Reamers, Nightforce Optics, Berger Bullets, Lapua, Vihtavuori, CROSSTAC, Kestrel Ballistics, Labradar, Longshot Cameras, Applied Ballistics LLC, Bullet Central, Bix’n Andy, and Ryan Pierce.
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The 2021 NRA Mid-Range F-Class Championships are complete, with the Long-Range competition running right now. We commend the new Mid-Range Champions who both shot spectacular matches. Roger Mayhall didn’t drop a point in F-0pen, finishing with 1800-131X to win F-Open. That’s a brilliant performance.
In F-TR division, Drew Rutherford topped a competitive field with 1791-96X. Hail the new Champions!
Roger Mayhall Wins F-Open Mid-Range with Stunning 1800-131X
6mm Dasher Rifle Takes F-Open Title
Roger shot a 6mm Dasher, a wildcat based on the 6mmBR cartridge. Roger said his rifle was a tack-driver: “I think I owe my gunsmith a beverage or two!” Roger did a superb job of wind-reading to finish 3 days without dropping a point.
“I’ve known Roger for over 5 years. Great man, always willing to help a fellow shooter. Shooting clean all three days with an incredible X-count. Well done! So much for the claim that a 6mm can’t win an Aggregate!” — Jason Simes
“Good job buddy — I told you those Dashers could shoot. Just outstanding shooting.” — Chris Ford
“Awesome shooting Roger! Chalk up a national championship to the 6mm.” — Dan Bramley
About Roger Mayhall’s Championship-Winning Dasher
Posting on Facebook, Roger wrote: “I’ve had a few people ask about the equipment I used in the Mid-Range at Nationals. Here are the particulars:
The gun was a 6 Dasher, supported by a Defiance Deviant action, Bix ‘N Andy trigger, Alex Wheeler LBR F-Class stock, Sightron SV ED 10-50x60mm scope, Dan Bramley tuner on a 30″ Krieger [1:8″-twist] barrel. Also used were a SEB NEO front rest, Dima Rifle Systems Rear Bag with a Dead Bottom Bag. My load consisted of the 105gr Berger Hybrid in a fire-formed 6BR Lapua case propelled by Varget powder and a CCI 450 primer. Barrel work was done by Dan Bramley[.]”
Drew Rutherford Wins F-TR Mid-Range Championship
Drew Rutherford put on a strong performance to win the F-TR Mid-Range Championship. Rutherford was using Eliseo R1 Tubeguns fitted with SEB JoyPod coaxial bipod. Chassis-maker Gary Eliseo noted: “Congratulations to Drew Rutherford, national midrange FTR champion! Drew used his .223 Rem and .308 Win R1 rifles to win the Mid-Range Championship, well done Drew!”
The Competition Machine (Eliseo) R1 Chassis is a very versatile system. As fitted with rear bag-riders and SEB JoyPods, Drew used his R1s with great success. But the same chassis, less bag-rider and bipod, can be used for “hard-holding” Palma Matches, or even High Power competition.
Solomon Sets New Nat’l F-Open 1-Day Record with 600-53X
Finishing second in the F-Open Mid-Range Championship was Bret Solomon with 1798-135X. That was notable because Bret posted the high X-Count, AND set a single-day National Record in the process. Gunsmith Thomas “Speedy” Gonzalez posted: “Congratulations to my friend Bret Solomon on shooting a 200-20X and then setting a new [1-Day] 600-yard National Record of 600-53X at the U.S. F-Class Nationals. Bret was shooting the Lil’ Red Devil in 7mm RSAUM with a new Bartlein 4-groove barrel I forced him to shoot!”
Christened the “Little Red Devil” by Speedy, this ruby red, flame maple-stocked beauty is chambered in .284 Winchester. It features a Melonited BAT 3LL action with two bolts (regular and magnum bolt face). The stock is crafted by Will McCloskey using advanced CNC machines, allowing ultra-precise tolerances for improved tracking and perfect geometry.
Torrefied Wood from Yamaha, CNC-Milled to Perfection
This wood is very special — the flame maple was sourced from Yamaha which used a torrefaction process to stabilize the wood and prevent warping. Yamaha’s proprietary ARE process was developed by Yamaha for musical instruments. Speedy explained that Yamaha uses heat and pressure (we think) to stabilize the wood and dampen vibrations. During torrefaction, the sap in the wood actually crystallizes.
For this rifle build, the torrefied wood blank was CNC-milled by Will McCloskey to “best-in-industry” tolerances. A special red-tone polyester finish Lee Garver, a noted guitar painter. This very hard, yet glossy finish makes the stock “pretty nearly scratch-proof” according to Speedy.
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While reloading components remain in short supply, there is a new source for affordable rifle bullets in popular calibers. Creedmoor Sports is now offering American Bullet Company (ABC) Practice Bullets in .22, 6mm, and .308 calibers. These are factory seconds from a major American manufacturer.
Creedmoor Sports explains that it may make sense to shoot less expensive bullets during practice sessions, particularly for sling-shooters: “We believe a key to winning a competition is the practice time you put in leading up to the match. ABC Practice Bullets are an excellent alternative for competitors who may not want to use their expensive bullets during a practice session and save their best loads for a match.” With these ABC Practice Bullets you can save 20-30% off the price of first-run, major brand BTHP bullets. With those savings, you spend less money per round, so live-fire practice doesn’t bust your budget.
For some disciplines, these bullets aren’t just for practice. We predict the ABC 6mm bullets will work well in PRS/NRL matches with popular calibers 6mmBR, 6 Dasher, 6 GT, 6-6.5×47 Lapua, and 6mm Creedmoor.
ABC Practice Bullets are factory seconds, but they’re still great for training. Along with the 6mm 107gr bullets, Creedmoor is offering .22-Caliber (52gr, 55gr, 77gr) and .308-Caliber (125gr, 168gr, 175gr) practice bullets. All offerings have very attractive pricing, starting at $17.80/100 (for .22 Cal 55gr).
NOTE: All ABC Practice Bullets are sold in 500-ct boxes (by weight). All bullets in each 500-ct boxes will be from the same lot in each box. However, lots may vary from box to box.
How These Practice Bullets May Vary from First-Run Bullets
Issues separating American Bullet Company Practice Bullets from factory first-run bullets may include:
Minor scratch marks on the jacket
Polishing media or compound in the hollow point
Boat tail dimensions that vary slightly from the print
Weight variance — total weight variance of 2.0 grains across the lot
Other minor cosmetic defects
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20-Year-Old William Shaner just won the USA’s second Gold Medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The University of Kentucky marksman captured Gold in the 10-meter (10m) Air Rifle, setting an Olympic record in the process. Shaner scored 251.6 points in the 10m final to set a new Olympic Record that’s just 1.2 points shy of the world record. Will scored 10.5 or above on 13 of his 24 shots in the final. At the Tokyo Games, William was shooting a Walther Air Rifle.
William hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started his shooting career at age nine in a 4H program in the appropriately named town of Rifle, Colorado.
Watch Will Shaner capture Gold with a stellar shooting performance, broadcast by NBC Sports:
CLICK HERE for Yahoo News Video about William Shaner Gold Medal in 10M Air Rifle.
Young Will Shaner Was Calm After Record-Setting Victory USA Today reported: “Will Shaner reacted like someone who could not wrap his head around the idea he’d won a Gold Medal. There were no yells, no fist pumps, no jumping, as Shaner captured U.S. Shooting’s first-ever Gold Medal in the men’s 10 meter air rifle. Hardly a wave, even. If he was smiling, you couldn’t tell, as a massive Nike Team USA mask covered almost his entire face.
“Still trying to believe it”, he said afterward. “It’s been a long time, though, growing up in the sport, progressing. To finally have (the gold medal), it’s amazing.”
“Yesterday, [was] a little bit of a slow start for everyone,” he said, as Team USA went without a medal on the first day of competition for the first time in nearly 50 years. “Today, to (help) finally get it moving, it’s amazing. It’s really an honor.”
Will Shaner Becomes Social Media Star After Winning Gold Medal
Team USA Tweeted news of Shaner’s Gold Medal-winning performance to fans around the world. Because Will set a new Olympic Record, one respondent called him the “GOAT” (greatest of all time). Well, that may be hyperbole, but Shaner did achieve the greatest 10m Air Rifle final score in Olympics history.
20-year-old Will Shaner earned the second Gold Medal of the Tokyo Olympics for the United States. Will, who hails from Colorado Springs, CO, won the men’s 10-meter air rifle on Sunday with a final round score of 251.6 at the Asaka Shooting Range, edging out China’s Sheng Lihao, 16, by 0.7. China’s Yang Haoran took the bronze medal, finishing just 0.4 behind Sheng.
— Shaner set a new Olympic record with a score of 251.6
— The 20-year-old is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Kentucky
— The silver medal winner, Sheng Lihao of China, is only 16 years old
— Shaner’s victory was the first Gold Medal ever won in this 10m event by the United States
— Shaner first started his marksmanship training at Age 9 at a 4H Program in Rifle, Colorado
Watch Shaner Win Gold and stand on podium on NBC4 New York: CLICK PHOTO to watch video on NBC 4 New York.
Will Shaner — From Colorado, to Kentucky, to Olympic Glory
William is one of two University of Kentucky (UK) Rifle athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics. As one of the nation’s top prospects coming into college, he was named NCAA Rookie of the Year his freshman year and was an All-American First Team member in air rifle and smallbore. William finished second in the NCAA Air Rifle individual championship in addition to winning the team gold with Kentucky his sophomore year. He repeated this exact feat with again with UK his junior year.
Will has done well in international competition. Shooting Sports USA noted: “Foreshadowing his Olympic performance … earlier this year Shaner won a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Croatia.”
William started in shooting sports when he was 9 years old at a small 4-H program in Rifle, Colorado. From there, he moved on to shooting monthly preliminary tryout (PTO) events at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center until he could start qualifying for major matches. He won his first Junior Olympic Gold Medal at age 11 in 50m prone and made the Junior National Team at age 14 which propelled him into the international circuit. Fast forward less than a decade and William is, according to known USAS records, the youngest U.S. Men’s Olympic Rifle Qualifier.
William Shaner also shoots Smallbore Rifle (.22 LR) for the University of Kentucky: CLICK PHOTO to view full-screen image of Shaner with Bleiker .22 LR Rifle.
Driven by the pursuit of perfection and appreciation for his small-town roots, Will strives to be a role model for the next generation of shooting athletes. He credits his successes to coaches and support from the National Training Center Shooting Club (NTCSC), USA Shooting, and the University of Kentucky.
Team USA Rifle Shooters at 2021 Tokyo Olympics
USA Shooting has sent 20 Olympians to the Tokyo Olympic Games to represent the United States in the able-bodied shooting sports (there is a separate Paralympic shooting team). Our athletes have earned 8 quotas for the shotgun disciplines, 8 quotas for the rifle disciplines, and 6 quotas for the pistol disciplines (22 total). Here are the 8 Rifle Competitors, the four Air Rifle shooters and four Smallbore shooters:
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If you’ve been thinking about a big purchase at Brownells, here are some money-saving codes. Brownells is currently offering $40 Off a $450+ purchase, $20 Off a $250+ purchase, $15 Off a $150+ purchase, and $10 Off a $100+ purchase. It’s simple to get these discounts — there are no buyers’ clubs to join, no forms to fill out. Just use the appropriate Discount Code during online check-out.
Listed below are the Codes to use. Simply use the appropriate Code for your purchase at Brownells.com. As these Codes may be deactivated without notice, if one Code doesn’t work, try a different Code and you can still save some buck$. Also if the highest value code no longer works, try a lesser value CODE.
Coupon Code: VST — $40 Off $450 or more
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Coupon Code: VSJ — $20 Off $250 or more
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Coupon Code: SAE — $15 off $150 or more
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Coupon Code: TAG — $15 off $150 or more
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Coupon Code: PTT — $10 Off $100 or more
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Coupon Code: RSA — $10 Off $100 or more
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Coupon Code: RTA — $10 Off $100 or more
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NOTE: All these codes have no listed expiration date, so Brownells could terminate them at any time. Accordingly, we recommend you do your shopping soon.
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The CMP National Rimfire Sporter Match is a fun competition with affordable smallbore rifles with either scopes or iron sights. All you need are a .22 LR rifle, sling, and ammo.
Each year, the Rimfire Sporter Match attracts hundreds of shooters to the shores of Lake Erie. If there is a single CMP event at Camp Perry that offers the most diverse group of competitors (of all ages), and the lowest cost of entry, that would be the annual Rimfire Sporter Match.
This year’s match will be held on Sunday, July 25, 2021 on the Viale Range.* The Rimfire Sporter Match is for .22 LR rimfire rifles weighing 7.5 pounds or less with sights. Firing is done at 25 and 50 yards in prone, sitting, and standing positions, in slow and rapid fire modes. The CMP has a special smart-phone App that speeds up scoring. CLICK HERE for Match Program.
Hundreds of shooters will compete in the Rimfire Sporter Match Sunday, July 25, 2021 at Camp Perry. Today, Saturday July 24th, Rimfire Sporter competitors go through the check-in. The rifles will be weighed, triggers checked, and shooters will receive their squad assignment. NOTE: The CMP states that: “Walk-on entries on the day of the match will be accepted if range space is available.”
The CMP National Rimfire Sporter Match is a fun competition with affordable smallbore rifles with either scopes or iron sights. All you need are a .22 LR rifle, sling, and ammo.
Three Rimfire Classes — Iron Sights, Scoped, and Tactical Rimfire
Rifles may be manually operated or semi-automatic, in three classes: the standard “O Class” for open-sighted rifles, “T-Class” for telescope-sighted rifles (up to 6 power), and the “Tactical Rimfire” Class. Competitors may elect to fire in one class (single entry), or they may enter the competition in two classes (combined entry). Competitors may use spotting scopes or binoculars to spot shots during shooting Firing is done at 50 and 25 yards on a target with a 1.78″ ten-ring. The target is simple enough for a beginner to hit, yet challenging enough that only one competitor in the history of the match has ever fired a perfect 600 score.
One nice aspect of the Rimfire Sport Match is that “coaching new and inexperienced shooters is permitted, except that coaches scopes must be turned away from the targets during rapid-fire stages.” (See CMP 2021 Rimfire Sporter Match Program)
FREE Ammo from SK (One 50rd Box per Entrant):
SK Ammunition will provide 50 rounds of SK .22 LR smallbore ammunition for each competitor in the National Rimfire Sporter Match, but this ammunition will not be enough to shoot the entire match. Competitors will need a total of 60 rounds to fire the Rimfire Sporter Match plus any sighters or range alibis. CPM Programs Chief, Christie Sewell stated, “The CMP is excited to announce SK as the Official Ammunition Sponsor for our National Rimfire Sporter Match. Participants will receive a complimentary 50-round box of SK ammunition at check-in.”
Rimfire Sporter Course of Fire
Competitors will complete slow fire prone, rapid fire prone, slow fire sitting or kneeling, rapid fire sitting or kneeling, slow fire standing, and rapid fire standing shot sequences.
What to Bring to the 2021 Rimfire Sporter Match
Competitors need to bring their own .22 cal. Rimfire rifle(s) and ammunition. Special target shooting equipment, shooting jackets, or shooting gloves are not permitted, but feel free to bring a spotting telescope and ground cloth or shooting mat. You will be shooting on a grass firing point. Competitors are strongly urged to wear hearing and eye protection. Assistance for disabled competitors will be provided.
* New this year, in conjunction with the National Rimfire Sporter Match, is a 50/100 Rimfire Sporter Dewar Match on the Rodriguez Range. The Course of Fire will be 20 shots at 50 yards and 20 shots at 100 yards, with 20 minutes per stage. Competitors will shoot at the Rodriguez Smallbore Range on official Smallbore Targets. Scoped Rifles Only — Competitors must have a scoped rifle. Iron sights rifles are excluded from this Dewar Match.
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Junior shooter receives instruction from 3-time National High Power Champion SFC Brandon Green. This kid is a lucky young fellow — you won’t find a more qualified instructor than SFC Green!
The USAMU Service Rifle Team recently arrived at Camp Perry. Today, the day before the big National Rimfire Sporter Match, USAMU team instructors conducted a Small Arms Firing School session for rimfire shooters. This was done in cooperation with the CMP, which will host hundreds of Rimfire Sporter shooters tomorrow July 25, 2021. Today, the CMP conducted the official Rimfire Sporter Check-In. Competitors had their rifles weighed and triggers tested. To ensure that expensive match rifles don’t dominate the competition, all Rimfire Sporter rifles are limited to 7.5 pounds overall weight while the rifles’ triggers must break at 3.0 pounds or higher.
The USAMU posted: “If you think things are a little too quiet around here, hang in there because High Power shooting will begin next week.”
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America’s top F-Class shooters are in position with targets in sight right now. The shooting phase of the 2021 NRA F-Class National Championships commenced today, July 23rd, with the first scored relays of the Mid-Range Championship, held at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. The Mid-Range event runs through July 26 with the Mid-Range Team Match. The Long Range F-Class National Championship then commences on July 27th, and runs through July 30, with the Team Match on July 29, 2021.
The 2021 NRA F-Class Nat’l Championships at Camp Atterbury are underway. The Mid-Range F-Class Nationals run July 22-26, 2021, while the Long Range F-Class Nationals take place July 27-30, 2021.
Lodging Options at Camp Atterbury — Summer 2021
Shooting Sports USA (SSUSA) recently released information on the NRA Championships at Camp Perry. The SSUSA article states: “As for lodging, there are several options. The most convenient are on-base, with Camp Atterbury offering hotel-style buildings with suites, along with standard rooms, and ‘open military squad bay’-style quarters available by reservation. Camp Atterbury also offers a limited number of RV spots, plus the MWR campground and cabins. NOTE: Lodging is controlled by the Camp Atterbury Lodging Office, not the NRA.
Click Photo for Large Map of Camp Atterbury, Indiana
Smallbore F-Class National Championship
It is not well-known, but the NRA recognizes a .22 LR Rimfire F-Class discipline. And this year Camp Atterbury hosted the F-Class Smallbore Championship. Turnout was fairly meager for this event, with only 17 competitors. But every match needs a start, and we expect smallbore F-Class to become considerably more popular in years to come. The match involved three stages, with targets at 50 yards, 50 meters, and 100 yards. The 2021 Smallbore F-Class Championships, part of the NRA National Matches, were held July 12-16 at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana.
Cole McCullough photo from SSUSA.org
Shane Collier won the 2021 NRA Smallbore F-Class National Championship with a 6363-479X Score, also winning High Civilian honors. William Treder finished second with a score of 6359-473X. Treder was High Senior. The High Women was Barbara C. Hampson with 6287-349X. Since 2019, the Marianne Jensen Driver Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the NRA Smallbore F-Class National Champion.
The Smallbore F-Class Nationals were fired over four days at distances of 50 yards, 50 meters and 100 yards. The event was shot at the new, modern covered ranges at Atterbury, which were also used for the NRA position-shooting smallbore championship.
U.S. Supreme Court building, photo by Joe Ravi CC-BY-SA 3.0.
A major Second Amendment case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). At issue are restrictive New York State gun control laws which make it virtually impossible to carry handguns in some New York cities. This case, officially New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, could be the most important gun rights case in the last decade. With its decision, the Supreme Court could establish once and for all that there is an individual right to self-defense outside of the home.
Dave Workman, posting on Ammoland.com, explains: “The case, which was accepted for review by the high court in the upcoming term that begins in October, challenges New York’s restrictive requirement that anyone applying for a permit to carry a handgun outside the home must provide a ‘proper cause’ for wanting to carry a firearm for personal protection. This authority is all-too-often used to deny applicants their right to bear arms under the Second Amendment”. Along with the plaintiff New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. (NYSRPA), the restrictive laws are being challenged by the Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms (CCKRBA) and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).
“A right limited to someone’s home… is no right at all, and the court now has an opportunity to make that abundantly clear, settling an important constitutional issue once and for all.” — Alan Gottlieb, SAF
In addition to ruling on the restrictive NY laws, this case will give the High Court the opportunity to clarify Second Amendment legal precedents. It has been over a decade since the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a handgun in the home for self-defense in District of Columbia v. Heller. In 2010, the Court also ruled that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right that applies to the states in McDonald v. City of Chicago.
Case is Very Important for Second Amendment Rights
The NRA-ILA states: “It is hard to overstate how important this case is. The decision will affect the laws in many states that currently restrict carrying a firearm outside of the home. NRA-ILA is working hard to defend your constitutional rights and is prepared to argue this case in order to protect the rights of Americans everywhere.”
This could be the most important Second Amendment decision since D.C. v. Heller. The Supreme Court has not decided a major Second Amendment cast for over a decade. The make-up of the Court has changed, and this could result is a far-reaching decision that would impact multiple states.
Dave Workman explained: “It has been more than ten years since the Supreme Court hear a Second Amendment case. The court has declined to review several good gun rights cases, but that was before the SCOTUS majority shifted, with … three appointments by former President Donald Trump[.] If the court rules against New York, it will open the floodgates for similar challenges of laws in New Jersey, Maryland and … other states where citizens must provide a ‘good cause’ to exercise their constitutional rights.”
SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb stated that “so-called ‘proper cause’ requirements are routinely used to deny law-abiding citizens the ability to carrying firearms for personal protection outside their homes. Such laws are arbitrary in nature and they place an absurd level of authority in the hands of local officials and their subordinates to deny citizens their constitutional right to bear arms.”
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear NRA-backed case about New York state’s concealed carry laws.
Gottlieb added: “The Second Amendment should no longer be treated like the ugly stepchild of the Bill of Rights. Its language is clear, that the amendment protects not only the right of the individual citizen to keep arms, but to bear them, and that right extends beyond the confines of one’s home. A right limited to someone’s home is no right at all, and the court now has an opportunity to make that abundantly clear, settling an important constitutional issue once and for all.”
Two national gun rights organizations — the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms — have filed amicus briefs in support of the NYSRPA’s challenge to New York’s ultra-restrictive carry laws. You can read the text of the briefs below. For easier reading, ZOOM IN via the PLUS SYMBOL below each entry, or click the FULL PAGE icon (ARROW symbol at extreme right).
Amicus Briefs Filed by CCKRBA and SAF (Click + to Zoom)
The folks at Creedmoor Sports are reviving a tradition this week — opening an “outlet store” on Commercial Row at Camp Perry. To serve shooters at the National Matches, Creedmoor Sports loaded a large truck with shooting gear and accessories and headed North to the shores of Lake Erie. Over the past few days, Creedmoor’s team has been unpacking the gear and setting it up.
The Creedmoor Sports store at Camp Perry opened today July 20, 2021. On Creedmoor’s Facebook Page, the crew posted: “Almost everything is unboxed and we’re on track to open our Camp Perry store[.]”
Berger-sponsored shooter Ken Sanoski claimed the top spot at the 2021 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge (PRC) Match, winning the Open Division with the highest overall score. The 2021 Hornady PRC event was held July 9-10 outside of Evanston, WY on Hornady’s private ranch. Sanoski competed with an Exodus rifle chambered in 6mm Dasher with Berger 109gr Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) projectiles loaded in Lapua brass (fire-formed to 6mm Dasher).
“The Hornady PRC precision rifle series was exactly what you expect from a national-level 2-day match. Strong winds, small targets, and a stacked field of shooters”, commented Sanoski. “My Exodus Rifles in 6mm Dasher using Lapua fire-formed brass and Berger 109gr LRHTs were the winning combination to put me at the top of the leaderboard.”
Berger’s Long Range Hybrid Target projectiles feature an optimized hybrid-ogive design which easily tunes to your rifle, offers superior exterior ballistics, and high Ballistic Coefficients (BCs). Berger BCs are Doppler-verified with less than 1% BC variation. That verified BC helps make ballistic calculations ultra-precise for a high hit percentage.
6mm Dasher — A Winning Wildcat
The 6mm Dasher has long been a winning wildcat in the 600-yard and 1000-yard benchrest game. This efficient 6mmBR Improved cartridge, with a 40-degree shoulder, has also been adopted by many top PRS/NRL shooters.
The Dasher, quite simply, offers a winning combination of accuracy, low ES/SD, and moderate recoil. You can run a 105-109gr 6mm bullet at a very accurate 2950 fps node (or even higher in some barrels). And with its 40-degree shoulder, the brass is very stable. The cartridge that wins in benchrest now also wins in PRS.
The only downside to shooting a 6mmBR or 6 Dasher in PRS/NRL were issues with magazine-feeding due to the relatively short Cartridge OAL, compared to a 6mm Creedmoor or 6XC. Thankfully, that feeding issue has been solved via dedicated shorter-length actions and redesigned magazines.
As the practical/tactical game has evolved, with low recoil and high accuracy becoming ever more important, many top competitors have moved to smaller cartridges such as the 6mm Dasher and its parent, the 6mmBR Norma. These cartridges deliver outstanding accuracy plus good barrel life. However, the “short, fat” 6BR/Dasher design doesn’t feed optimally in magazines designed for the .308 Win family of cases. But now there is a turn-key solution from MDT (Modular Driven Technologies) — a magazine perfect for 6BRs and Dashers.
MDT Magazine for 6 Dasher, 6mmBR and Short Cartridges
MDT’s 6mm Dasher/BR magazine fits the parent 6mmBR cartridge and all the popular variants including the 6 BRA, 6 Dasher, and 6 BRX. MDT says this new 12-round magazine is a “one-step solution [delivering] smooth, reliable feeding for the most popular rifle cartridges in precision rifle competitions.”
MDT built this AICS-pattern mag for PRS/NRL competitors and anyone wanting to run 6mmBR-family cartridges in mag-fed actions: “The limiting factor for competitors running 6mm BR variants has been feeding. Until now, the only option has been to purchase an AICS-pattern magazine plus an additional kit to make the magazines work with the shorter cartridges. This solution costs upwards of $100 or more and can require additional tuning to work in most rifles.”
If you can’t afford MDT’s complete $89.99 6mm/Dasher AICS magazine, you can get a mag conversion kit from Primal Rights for half the price — $45.00. This is offered in 4+1 round or 10-round versions. Primal Rights states: “The 6BR AICS Magazine Conversion [delivers] reliable feeding of short standard bolt face cartridges such as the 6BR, 6.5 Grendel, 6 Dasher, and 6BRX. If you have ever tried to run a 6BR [or Dasher] out of a standard un-modified AICS magazine, you were probably met with the same disappointment the rest of us were… unreliable feeding.”
The Primal Rights 6BR AICS Mag Conversion Kit has been tested extensively with 6BR, 6.5 Grendel, 6 Dasher, and 6BRX. For these short cartridges, Primal Rights has logged “thousands of rounds of trouble-free operation” with the Mag mod kit.
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It’s Pistol Time at Camp Perry this weekend. Today Saturday July 17, 2021, Perry’s Pistol ranges will see hundreds of competitors for the President’s 100 Pistol Match, the National Trophy Individual Match, the National Trophy Team Matches, and the Glock Match. Tomorrow, July 18th, the handgun phase of the CMP National Matches concludes with the Oliver Hazard Perry Pop-Up Pistol Match, Military & Police Pistol Match, 1911 As-Issued Pistol Match, and the final Glock Match. After the last match of each day, the CMP Pistol Games Awards will be distributed to the top shooters. SEE 2021 CMP National Matches Calendar.
This video shows .45 ACP centerfire pistol competitors at Camp Perry
Civilians and military shooters competed together at the 2019 NTT Pistol Match.
The 2021 National Matches encompass multiple pistol competitions, including a Centerfire Pistol 900 Aggregate, a .45 Pistol 900 Aggregate, and a CMP Revolver Match. To learn more about CMP events at the 2021 National Matches at Camp Perry, visit the CMP Nat’l Matches Website.
It took decades of competition to acquire all those patches — that’s dedication to the sport.
See Photos from 2019 NRA Pistol Championships
Shooting Sports USA has a slide-show featuring 40 images from the 2019 NRA Pistol Championships at Camp Perry. SSUSA Editor John Parker noted: “A big thank you to Mr. John Rickards for his hard work on the firing line to grab the majority of these great images.”
HOW TO SEE 40 PHOTOS — IMPORTANT: Click the above photo. Then when you get to the SSUSA.org site, put your finger (or mouse arrow) on the first photo. Then SWIPE LEFT to see the next of 40 total images. As you progress, you can then swipe back and forth.
An American Tradition — National Pistol Matches at Camp Perry
The National Matches at Camp Perry are a great American tradition. Over the past 114 years, hundreds of thousands of competitors have attended the matches at Perry on the shores of Lake Erie. Don Weihl, an avid shooter now in his 80s, has great memories from pistol matches at Camp Perry. In a story for the CMP, Don recounts the halcyon days of pistol competition at Camp Perry, when thousands of shooters competed on the pistol firing lines each summer. Don attended over 40 matches at Camp Perry starting in 1963. Here is part of his account:
Best Camp Perry times were in the Sixties
The 1963 through 1967 years were the best…
There were more than 2,000 competitors each year. There were 600 targets — numbered 1 through 600, from left to right — across the ranges and grouped into six ranges, 100 targets wide. The matches ran like a well-oiled machine. There was a print shop on the base. All competitors could get a printed match report for each match, not too long after scores were in.
Most nights in those years, there were movies for the competitors and their families in the base theater. The mess hall in those years served three meals a day to over 3,000 hungry mouths – every day.
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The U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) has now surpassed 600,000 total members. That’s a 20% increase since the fall of 2020 when the USCCA hit 500,000 members. The USCCA’s membership growth has paralleled the huge increase in gun sales during 2020 and 2021. Last year the FBI ran 39.7 million firearm background checks — a new one-year record. And the FBI has processed 22.2 million firearm-related background checks so far in 2021.
With this remarkable rise in membership numbers, the USCCA is now the fastest-growing association dedicated to gun owners who carry firearms. Milestones achieved by the USCCA in 2020 include:
Trained an estimated 100,000 firearms owners
Certified 2,000+ new instructors and partners
Grew Ranks of instructors to over 5,000
Provided over 8,500 training books
“We are committed to the training of all firearms owners, from those who have had the value of self-defense passed down for generations, to those who recently purchased their first firearm,” said said Tim Schmidt, president and founder of the USCCA.
What the USCCA Provides to Members
The USCCA helps gun owners prepare for what happens before, during and after an act of lawful self-defense. In addition to offering education and training, the USCCA provides self-defense liability insurance.
Insurance has been purchased by the USCCA and is one of the benefits of membership in the USCCA. USCCA members are “additional insureds” under a policy issued to the USCCA by Universal Fire and Casualty Insurance Company.
The USCCA vs. Other Gun Organizations Offering Insurance
The USCCA is not the only organization offering liability insurance for gun owners and, in particular, CCW permit holders. This video analyzes the pros and cons of different insurance programs offered by three groups: USCCA, U.S. LawShield, and CCW Safe. If you are contemplating getting a CCW permit, you should watch this video.
More Information for Gun Owners with Carry Permits
In an important legal ruling, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has declared that 18-to-20 year-old adult citizens have the right to own handguns under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. A three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled (2-1) that a 21-year minimum age restriction on handgun purchases is unconstitutional.
In the majority option, Appellate Judge Julius Richardson wrote: “Looking through the historical lens to the text and structure of the Constitution reveals that 18-to-20 year-olds have Second Amendment rights. Virtually every other Constitutional right applies whatever the age, and the Second Amendment is no different. The militia laws in force at the time of ratification uniformly required those 18 and older to join the militia and bring their own arms. While some historical restrictions existed, none supported finding that 18-year-olds lack rights under the Second Amendment.”
The case, Hirschfeld and Marshall v. BATFE et al, was brought by Tanner Hirschfeld and Natalia Marshall, young adults who sought to purchase handguns in Virginia but were blocked due to age limits. The Second Amendment Foundation said this week’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals declaring the ban on handgun sales to young adults in the 18-20-year age group to be unconstitutional is a “monumental victory for Second Amendment rights”.
“Judge Richardson, in my estimation, has authored one of the best-written opinions in any gun rights case I’ve ever read,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “He has detailed the issue, provided the history and offered a perspective that doesn’t bow to political correctness. We have similar cases pending in Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Washington, California, Minnesota and other states that this Fourth Circuit ruling could directly impact.”
“The irony does not escape us”, Judge Richardson wrote, “that, under the government’s reasoning, the same 18-to-20 year-old men and women we depend on to protect us in the armed forces and who have since our Founding been trusted with the most sophisticated weaponry should nonetheless be prevented from purchasing a handgun from a federally licensed dealer for their own protection at home.”
“I’ve said the same thing repeatedly”, Gottlieb noted, “We send young men and women into harm’s way [in the military] to defend our national interests, yet our laws arbitrarily say they shouldn’t be trusted enough to buy a handgun here at home. That defies logic and common sense[.]”
Judge Richardson recognized the “weighty interest in reducing crime and violence” but determined that the court will not “relegate either the Second Amendment or 18-to-20-year-olds to a second-class status.”
There was a dissent by Judge James Wynn Jr., an Obama appointee. Judge Wynn believed that the majority opinion went too far, declaring that: “the majority’s decision to grant the gun lobby a victory in a fight it lost on Capitol Hill more than 50 years ago is not compelled by law.” Legal experts believe it is likely that the U.S. Dept. of Justice, at the behest of the Biden administration, will appeal this 4th Circuit decision.
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One of the biggest PRS matches of the year was held recently. Nearly 200 shooters competed in the 2021 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge, held July 9-10, 2021 at Hornady’s private 250,000 acre ranch property outside of Evanston, Wyoming, across the state line in Utah. The match featured 18 challenging stages. Course of fire consisted of 200 rounds with “off trail” walking between stages. Natural terrain and high winds made for an exciting match.
Run in Utah’s backcountry, the Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge is a unique long range competition with tough terrain and major elevation changes. This wasn’t a typical PRS Pro Series match by any means. Participants in this challenging Precision Rifle match encounter challenging conditions not typically seen in other tactical matches. And this year was particularly tough, with winds hitting 35 mph on the first day of the competition.
Hornady congratulates the following 2021 PRC division and class winners:
Open Division winner: Ken Sanoski
Top Production: Doug Koenig
Top Senior: Rick Reeves
Top Lady: Allison Zane Top
Tactical: Patrick Lorenzo
Top Mil/LE: Kahl Harmon
Top Gas Gun: Buck Holly
Top Junior: Jake Millard
Very High Winds at 2021 PRC Doug Koenig took first place in the Production Division shooting Hornady 6mm 110gr A-Tip® bullets. Koenig noted: “This match is one of the toughest in the country and on day one, we experienced 35 mph winds. I am unbelievably impressed with how well the A-Tip bullets handle wind.”
GA Precision’s George Gardner and Bryan Sikes were match directors. “The match would simply not be possible without the help of our amazing ROs and volunteers,” said Sikes. “In addition, [we thank] all of the sponsors that donated to this match — this is the biggest prize table we have ever had.”
This video, from last year’s PRC event, is well worth watching. It provides plenty of equipment closeups, shows stage set-ups, and includes “birds-eye-view” drone footage of the scenic range.
CLICK HERE for more information about the 2021 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge.
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All target shooters strive for perfect shot placement. Well one man has come closer to perfection than any other shooter who ever lived. You are looking at Michael Stinnett’s .0077″ NBRSA world-record group, the smallest 100-yard 5-shot group ever shot in the history of rifle competition. The group was certified at .0077″ (though labeled .008″ on the range-signed target below). A moving backer verified that this was FIVE shots — no question about that. You may be surprised but this was NOT shot by a 6 PPC, but rather a .30-caliber wildcat, based on the 6.5 Grendel.
Call it stunning, call it humbling, call it amazing. It is, quite simply the apotheosis (“perfect example”) of accuracy. This is what we all hope to achieve. It’s staggering to see that a rifle can drill FIVE perfectly-overlapped holes — the last virtually indistinguishable from the first — at a target a football field (100 yards) away. It’s great to see a benchmark like this, if only to remind us what is possible in our sport of precision shooting. (Sighters appear below record target.)
Mike’s amazing group stands as a NBRSA Light Varmint Class record. But it is also smaller than the current 5-shot, 100-yard records for all other classes, even Unlimited (Rail Gun). Likewise Stinnett’s .0077″ group is smaller than the IBS records for all classes:
Below is a larger-than-life-size view. Using this photo we measured the group with target-calculating software, and it came out .006″ (the software only goes to three digits). We recognize that it would be much better to work from the real target rather than a photo, so we are not challenging the official measurement in the least. But this does confirm that this is a phenomenally small five-shot group.
The Record-Setting Rifle and Cartridge
Many folks have asked about the gun and ammo that produced the .0077″ group. The Light Varmint-class Benchrest rifle was chambered as a .30-caliber wildcat, the 30 Stewart, which is based on the 6.5 Grendel case necked up. Mike was using Hodgdon H4198 powder behind BIB 114gr, 10-ogive bullets. Notably, the record-setting ammo was pre-loaded before the match. Here is Mike’s tuner-equipped rifle. CLICK HERE for more information on the rifle and cartridge.
Record Rifle Equipment Report by Mike Stinnett
Action: Kelbly Panda “Speedy Shorty” with solid bolt and PPC-diameter bolt face. Kelbly was asked to build several actions which were identical with the intent to eliminate any variance in head space between the two new rifles. This helped me use a single set-up on sizing dies for both rifles and ammo is interchangeable. Both actions were sent to Thomas ‘Speedy’ Gonzalez to be blue-printed and have Jewell triggers installed.
Reamer: 30 STEWART (I just call it a 30 PPC as that is what everyone expects, but it is in fact a custom design and Ralph deserves about 99% of the credit).
Barrels: Krieger was selected for the barrels. After discussions with Randy Robinett of BIB Bullets, a 1:17″ twist was identified as the correct, safe solution. Ralph Stewart has cut all my chambers using a custom-designed reamer. [Our goal] was consistent headspace and Ralph has been able to keep my barrels within .0002 variance. The barrel tuner also comes from Ralph Stewart.
Stock: Larson (including action bedding)
Scope: Leupold 45X Competition in Kelby Single Screw Tall Rings
Brass: Lapua (Base case is 6.5 Grendel)
Bullets: Randy Robinett (BIB) 30 Cal. 114gr, 10 Ogive (secondary bullet; primary is 112gr BIB)
Powder: H4198 – Stout Load with 2980 FPS Velocity
Front Rest: Farley Coaxial
Bags: Micro Fiber
Flags: Graham Wind Flags (large)
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The NRA F-Class Team Championship was held July 29, 2021. Congrats to the winning squads, Team Indiana (F-Open) and Team USA Blue (F-TR). Conditions were fairly difficult with plenty of rapid wind switches to challenge the wind callers. It was great to see a large number of teams on the firing line, both in F-TR and F-Open.
Paul Phillips is now best known as an Extreme Long Range (ELR) ace shooting large caliber “boomers”. He was the 
6mm Dasher Rifle Takes F-Open Title
Drew Rutherford put on a strong performance to win the F-TR Mid-Range Championship. Rutherford was using Eliseo R1 Tubeguns fitted with SEB JoyPod coaxial bipod. Chassis-maker Gary Eliseo noted: “Congratulations to Drew Rutherford, national midrange FTR champion! Drew used his .223 Rem and .308 Win R1 rifles to win the Mid-Range Championship, well done Drew!”
20-year-old Will Shaner earned the second Gold Medal of the Tokyo Olympics for the United States. Will, who hails from Colorado Springs, CO, won the men’s 10-meter air rifle on Sunday with a final round score of 251.6 at the Asaka Shooting Range, edging out China’s Sheng Lihao, 16, by 0.7. China’s Yang Haoran took the bronze medal, finishing just 0.4 behind Sheng.
Shane Collier won the 2021 NRA Smallbore F-Class National Championship with a 6363-479X Score, also winning High Civilian honors. William Treder finished second with a score of 6359-473X. Treder was High Senior. The High Women was Barbara C. Hampson with 6287-349X. Since 2019, the Marianne Jensen Driver Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the NRA Smallbore F-Class National Champion.
U.S. Supreme Court building, photo by Joe Ravi CC-BY-SA 3.0.
The 6mm Dasher has long been a winning wildcat in the 600-yard and 1000-yard benchrest game. This efficient 6mmBR Improved cartridge, with a 40-degree shoulder, has also been adopted by many top PRS/NRL shooters.
Doug Koenig took first place in the Production Division shooting Hornady 6mm 110gr A-Tip® bullets. Koenig noted: “This match is one of the toughest in the country and on day one, we experienced 35 mph winds. I am unbelievably impressed with how well the A-Tip bullets handle wind.”
