Find Shooting Sports Events Near You
August is almost here. This is good news for gun enthusiasts. August is National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). This coast-to-coast celebration spotlights the fun and enjoyment of target shooting. 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 offers 17 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 17 targets for free, and then print them out, ideally with a color printer. Below are six of our favorite targets. Click HERE to download these six targets (3.5 mb ZIP).
The National President’s 100 Match is a famous competition held at Camp Perry every summer. This year’s President’s 100 Match takes place today, July 28, 2025. SEE 2025 Camp Perry NM Calendar.
This is a huge event. in recent years, there have been over 1000 ranked competitors from throughout the nation, making this one of the biggest rifle events of the year. Credit our friend Dennis Santiago for this report. Dennis has competed in the President’s 100 in recent years.
Image from Shooting USA TV which has broadcast highlights from President’s 100 match.
The President’s 100 Rifle Match is richly steeped in history. This unique match was first held in 1878. Above is the view from the line at 600 yards. The top 100 competitors overall in the President’s Rifle Match are designated as the President’s 100. They receive President’s 100 medallions and certificates.
Looking downrange at the 600-yard targets. Camp Perry photos courtesy Dennis Santiago.
President’s 100 Shoot Off — The Top 20 shooters compete in the Shoot-Off.
President’s 100 Course of Fire
There is a three-yardage, four-stage Course of Fire for the President’s Rifle Match Course of Fire. Firing is done on the SR target at 200 and 300 yards and the MR target at 600 yards. Scores in stages 1-3 determine the President’s 100 and the final rankings of competitors in 21st place and below. Scores in stages 1-4 determine the match winner and the final rankings in places 1-20. If there is a tie for first place (equal total and X-count), the tied shooters will continue to fire one-shot-at-a-time until the tie is broken. No sighters are permitted in National Trophy Rifle Matches.
Origins of the President’s Match The National Rifle Association’s President’s Match was instituted in 1878, as the American Military Rifle Championship Match. In 1884, the name was changed to the President’s Match for the Military Rifle Championship of the United States. It was fired at Creedmoor, New York until 1891. In 1895, it was reintroduced at Sea Girt, New Jersey. Today, the match is held at Camp Perry, Ohio.
The President’s Match was patterned after the Queen’s Match for British Volunteers. That British competition was started in 1860 by Queen Victoria and the NRA of Great Britain to increase the ability of Britain’s marksmen following the Crimean War.
The tradition of making a letter from the President of the United States the first prize began in 1904 when President Theodore Roosevelt personally wrote a letter of congratulations to the winner, Private Howard Gensch of the New Jersey National Guard.
After a hiatus in the 1930s and 1940s, The President’s Match was reinstated in 1957 at the National Matches as “The President’s Hundred.” The 100 top-scoring competitors in the President’s Match were singled out for special recognition.
E-Targets at 2025 National Matches — Rimfire and Centerfire
After years of testing, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will make full use of eTargets at the 2025 National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, which run July 20 through August 9, 2025. The advanced Kongsberg eTargets will be used at all Highpower rifle matches, National Trophy Rifle competitions, and Rifle Games events. In addition the eTargets will be used for the Rimfire Sporter Match on July 20 and the National Mid/Long Range Matches in August. The use of eTargets eliminates the need for pit duty, drastically cutting down the duration of each match. CLICK HERE to learn more about Camp Perry eTargets.
These matches are conducted by the CMP and Ohio National Guard. Since their inception, the National Matches have become a huge, national shooting sports event with over 4,500 annual participants.
In the archives of The First Shot (the CMP’s Online Magazine), SGT Walter E. Craig of the USAMU discusses physical conditioning for competitive shooters, particularly High Power competitors. Fitness training is an important subject that, curiously, is rarely featured in the shooting sports media. We seem to focus on hardware, or esoteric details of cartridge reloading. Yet physical fitness also matters, particularly for High Power shooters. In his article, Craig advocates: 1) weight training to strengthen the Skeletal Muscle System; 2) exercises to build endurance and stamina; and 3) cardiovascular conditioning programs to allow the shooter to remain relaxed with a controlled heart beat.
SGT Craig explains: “An individual would not enter a long distance race without first spending many hours conditioning his/her body. One should apply the same conditioning philosophy to [shooting]. Physical conditioning to improve shooting skills will result in better shooting performance[.] The objective of an individual physical training program is to condition the muscles, heart, and lungs thereby increasing the shooter’s capability of controlling the body and rifle for sustained periods.”
In addition to weight training and cardio workouts (which can be done in a gym), SGT Craig advocates “some kind of holding drill… to develop the muscles necessary for holding a rifle for extended periods.”
For those with range access, Craig recommends a blind standing exercise: “This exercise consists of dry-firing one round, then live-firing one round, at a 200-yard standard SR target. For those who have access only to a 100-yard range, reduced targets will work as well. Begin the exercise with a timer set for 50 minutes. Dry-fire one round, then fire one live round and without looking at the actual impact, plot a call in a data book. Continue the dry fire/live fire sequence for 20 rounds, plotting after each round. After firing is complete, compare the data book to the target. If your zero and position are solid, the plots should resemble the target. As the training days add up and your zero is refined, the groups will shrink and move to the center.”
Fitness training and holding drills help position shooters reach their full potential. Here is 6-Time U.S. National Long Range Champion John Whidden.
Training for Older Shooters
Tom Alves has written an excellent article A Suggested Training Approach for Older Shooters. This article discusses appropriate low-impact training methods for older shooters. Tom explains: “Many of the articles you will read in books about position shooting and the one mentioned above are directed more toward the younger generation of shooters in their 20s. If you look down the line at a typical high power match these days you are likely to see quite a few folks who are in their middle 30s and up. Many people in that age range have had broken bones and wear and tear on their joints so a training program needs to take that into account. For instance, while jogging for an extended period for heart and lung conditioning may be the recommended approach for younger folks, it may be totally inappropriate for older people.”
Today’s Saturday movie showcase features eight videos about F-Class marksmanship, gear selection, and reloading methods. The 2025 NRA F-Class National Championships take place next week at the Winnequah Gun Club range in Lodi, Wisconsin. The F-Class Nationals start on August 2nd and run through August 9th. There are two divisions: F-Open and F-TR. The F-Class Championships have two segments, Mid-Range and Long Range. The Mid-Range competition runs August 2-5, while the Long Range competition is scheduled for August 6-9. Competitors can register for the 2025 F-Class Nationals through the NRA Shooters Portal. Learn more about the range at Winnequahgunclub.org.
WICKED WINDS — At Ben Avery with 18-30 mph Winds
Long-range F-Class shooters will tell you that the winds can be the biggest challenge in a match. And things can get pretty wild at times as the Ben Avery range in Phoenix, site of the 2022 NRA F-Class National Championships. In this video, shooters fight through extremely strong 18-30 mph winds at 600 yards. In these kind of extreme conditions, a major unexpected gust can send your bullet off-target.
Wind-Reading for Long-Range Competition
In this excellent video Keith Glasscock, who has finished second overall at multiple F-Class Nationals, explains how to read the wind and even predict wind changes in cycling conditions. Keith notes that you should look at environmental features and mirage, not just wind flags. Keith is one of America’s best wind gurus — he was a team wind coach and he has finished second three times in F-Open division at the F-Class National Championships.
F-0pen rifle at the Berger SW Nationals at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ.
Load Development Procedures for F-Class — Seating Depth
In this video, 2023 NRA Mid-Range National Champion John Masek (aka “F-Class John”) explains how he does load development in an efficient and reliable manner. He specifically focuses on testing for optimal seating depth. With 318,000 views, this is the most-watched video on F-Class John’s popular YouTube channel. Viewers have praised this video: “This was a great video, really appreciate the explanation about how you bracketed the jump and why you chose the closest.”
Front Rest Options for F-Open (and Benchrest) Competition
If you are shopping for a front rest, definitely watch this comprehensive 42-minute video from start to finish. This is probably the most informative video about premium shooting rests available on YouTube. Top F-Class shooter and video-maker F-Class John covers a wide selection of front rests, with some observations about coaxial bipods as well. John covers the impressive new SEB NEO-X, the easy-to-transport SEB Mini-X, the excellent Rodzilla Rest, the innovative 21st Century Hybrid Rest, the sleek Italian Lenzi Rest. At the end of the video John reviews the very affordable Caldwell Fire Control Rest ($269.99 on Amazon), explaining how it can be a decent choice for shooters on a limited budget.
Reloading for F-Class — Interview with Erik Cortina
In this Precision Rifle Network video, Erik Cortina of Team Lapua-Brux-Borden covers the reloading process for his F-Class rifle. All phases of reloading are noted — brass prep, annealing, primer seating, precision powder measuring (to the kernel), and bullet seating. Erik also talk about load testing and use of barrel tuners. Erik produces the EC Barrel Tuner which is used by many top competitors.
Trigger Trio — Evaluation of Three Trigger Types for F-Class Rifles
In this video, F-Class John evaluates three triggers that are popular with F-Class competitors: Bix’N Andy, Flavio, and TriggerTech Diamond. John talks about the pros and cons of each trigger type and offers advice for mounting and pull-weight adjustment. The Italian Flavio triggers are sold by Bruno Shooters Supply, Bix’N Andy triggers can be purchased from Bullet Central, and the TriggerTechs are offers by MidwayUSA and Area 419.
F-Class Shooting at Bisley Range in the United Kingdom
F-Class competition is popular around the world, and the UK is a major center of F-Class shooting in Europe. The Bisley range is justly famous, with a long heritage of shooting competitions. This video features the European F-Class Championship held at Bisley in 2015.
Building a Modern F-Open Stock for Competition
In this video, our friend F-Class John explains the process for building two custom laminated stocks for his F-Open rifles. John selected handsome, highly-figured African hardwoods, which were then laminated into layers with purple-tinted heart-wood and dark Wenge wood stringers in the middle. The stock-maker then sliced the wood into layers (1:02) and then glued the layers together (1:40). After final cutting, the stocks are shown at 2:00, and then the video shows how the stocks received their final finish. Both stocks are fitted with the R.A.D. recoil-reduction system. See the bedding at 19:00 and the fully finished rifles at 19:12 with barreled actions fitted.
Here is another beautiful F-Open stock, on the firing line at Ben Avery, Arizona with a SEB Mini front rest. Note the metal side-bars on the front of the forearm. These metal fittings extend the stock’s “wheelbase” while also lowering the rifle’s center of gravity.
In addition to the basic, budget-priced TX 22 pistol, Taurus offers an impressive Comp model set up for optics. The Taurus TX 22 Competition model is built on the same full-size polymer receiver as the basic Taurus TX 22 but has a newly engineered slide and barrel assembly designed to work with red dot optics.
The Taurus TX 22 Competition features a “skeletonized” slide with a cutout between the ejection port to just behind the front sight. The mounting system allows the use of the following (but not limited to) sight models: Trijicon RMR, C-More STS 2, Vortex Venom, Doctor Noblex, Burris Fast Fire, Sightmark Mini, Holosun HS507C, Leupold Delta Point Pro.
Talented Jessie Harrison Demonstrates TX22 Competition
In this video, Jessie Harrison, the world’s best female action pistol competitor, shoots the TX 22 on steel, starting at 0:14 time-mark. She shows how the pistol’s low recoil allows amazingly quick follow-up shots.
There is an additional model, the Taurus TX 22 SCR (Steel Competition Ready) which offers a forward compensator. This TX 22 SCR was designed for steel plate competition and action pistol games. We like the balance and ergonomics of this pistol, and the integrated forward compensator does reduce muzzle flip, allowing faster follow-up shots and better split times.
Our friend Anette Wachter, aka “30CalGal”, stars in a smart video from NRAWomen.com. In this episode of Tips & Tactics, Anette talks about the “mental game” in competition. Specifically she explains how to “visualize success”:
I have found that a lot of my success in competition has come through what I call a ‘mental rehearsal’. I actually visualize every stage of the match and I visualize the success of the match and winning the match.
I actually visualize that round going downrange into the target, and the target coming up with a dead-center ‘X’. I visualize this over and over. If you visualize success you will achieve success.
Visualization is a process of mental preparation that is done before you get to the range. Many of the greatest shooting champions have used this technique to get ready for big matches, and to optimize their performance during record fire. If you want to enhance your “mental game” through pre-match visualization, we strongly recommend Lanny Bassham’s book, With Winning in Mind.
As a competitive smallbore 3P shooter, Bassham developed a mental management system. Using this system, Lanny Bassham won 22 world individual and team titles, set four world records, and captured an Olympic Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976. His techniques have been embraced by professional and Olympic athletes in many sports. With Winning in Mind covers a complete system of “mental management” techniques used by Olympians and elite champions.
About 30CalGal
Life is short. Go Shoot! — Anette Wachter
Along with being a talented competitive shooter, Anette created a popular Gun Blog, 30CalGal.com, and she has written for many gun publications including GunUp Magazine, Shooting Sports USA, Sure Shots Magazine, and Wide Open Spaces. CLICK HERE for a lengthy feature story about Anette’s impressive competition history, created for the Women’s Outdoor News. Among her many notable performances Anette remembered a big win in British Columbia: “My favorite, is of course, winning the BC Rifle Championships in 2011. [I was] the second woman and first US woman to win in its 127 year history.”
.009” Group Record Stood for 40 Years
In 1973 Mac McMillan shot an amazing 100-yard, .009″ five-shot group in a benchrest match. The .009″ group was measured with a 60x microscope for verification. Mac McMillan shot the group using a handbuilt prototype McMillan rifle with an early McMillan stock.
Mac’s .009″ group was the “Holy Grail” of rifle accuracy. This .009″ record was considered by many to be unbreakable, a record that would “stand for all time”. Well, it took 40 years, but someone finally broke Mac’s record with an even smaller group. In 2013, Mike Stinnett shot a .0077″ five-shot group using a 30 Stewart, a .30 caliber wildcat based on the 6.5 Grendel. Stinnett’s NBRSA record .0077″ group now stands as the smallest 100-yard group ever shot in registered benchrest competition.*
Stinnett’s success doesn’t diminish the significance of Mac McMillan’s .009″ group in the history of benchrest competition. For four decades Mac’s group stood as the ultimate standard of rifle accuracy*. For those of you who have never seen Mac McMillan’s .009″ group, here it is, along with the NBRSA World Record certificate. The target now hangs in the McMillan Family Museum.
*Somebody else might claim a smaller group, but unless moving backers or electronic targets were used, it cannot be verified. Moving target backers are used at registered benchrest matches to ensure that five (5) shots are actually fired in each group. That eliminates any doubt.
About Jerry Miculek… The Man, The Myth, The Legend
The video above begins: “My name is Jerry Miculek. Guns are what I do.” Jerry Miculek is a true legend in the firearms community. Acknowledged as the best wheelgun speed-shooter in history, Jerry is also an accomplished rifle and shotgun shooter with many class victories in 3-Gun competition. He also has been a prolific YouTube Video creator. For this Saturday Showcase, we feature seven notable Jerry Miculek videos. You will find over 500 more interesting videos on the Miculek “Trigger Tribe” YouTube channel Jerry shares with his daughter Lena Miculek.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes with Semi-Auto Rifles and Pistols
In this second video, Jerry explains common mistakes people make when handling and shooting three classic, semi-auto firearm types — the M1 Garand, the SKS carbine, and the M1911 pistol. Jerry shows handling faults that can cause out-of-battery detonation or early primer strikes, or cause jams in the Garand and SKS. Then Jerry explains why you should never release the slide on a M1911 pistol with a round already in the chamber. This is a must-watch video for Garand owners.
Hitting Target at 400 Meters with a Pistol
Could you hit an 18″ x 24″ target at a distance of 400 meters (437 yards)? Sure, you’re thinking, that would be easy with a good rifle fired from the bench or prone position. OK, now think about making that shot, OFF-HAND with a pistol. That’s something entirely different. We doubt many marksman would wager they could hit a plate 400 meters away with a handgun. That’s exactly the challenge legendary shooter Jerry Miculek undertakes in this interesting video. Shooting a Smith & Wesson 9mm M&P pistol with a red-dot optic, Jerry makes the 400m shot look easy, hitting the steel plate with his first shot. This takes good eyes, a solid grip, perfect trigger control (and a bit of luck).
Take-Down and Full Cleaning of AR-15
If you want to keep your black rifle running smoothly and reliably, you must clean it regularly and follow the correct maintenance procedures. In this video, Jerry Miculek takes down and cleans an AR-platform rifle belonging to his daughter Lena. This is a good video because Lena’s rifle was “run hard and packed up dirty” so you can see where carbon and grease build up. This 35-minute video is very thorough. Jerry is one of the nation’s top action carbine shooters, so listen carefully to his advice on cleaning and lubrication.
Ammo Types and Calibers — Jerry Miculek Explains the Basics
In this video, legendary shooter Jerry Miculek talks about popular types of pistol and rifle ammunition and the various bullet options used for plinking, competition, and self-defense. Jerry, one of the greatest pistol shooters on the planet, provides useful insights on cartridge selection and bullet choices. Jerry notes: “There are a TON of different types of ammunition” so he explains the basics. And Jerry answers common questions such as: “What is the difference between ball and hollow-point bullets?” and “What type of gun takes rimmed cartridge versus rimless?”.
Wheelgun Wisdom — How to Avoid Problem with Revolvers
Jerry Miculek has won multiple revolvers championships, and has set amazing records for revolver speed shooting (with reloads). Yes Jerry, “Mr. Revolver”, knows a thing or two about wheelguns. In this video, Jerry explains how you can damage your revolver by using the wrong methods to open and close the cylinder and extract ammo. Jerry shows what NOT to do, and then he very carefully explains the proper procedure to release the cylinder, and swing it out of the frame. In addition, Jerry shows how best to swing a loaded cylinder back into place.
80,000 Philippine M1 Garands in One Place
Back in 2020 Jerry Miculek visited the CMP’s HQ in Alabama. There he looked at the vast inventory of military rifles, including 80,000+ M1 Garands recently received from the Philippines. CMP tech staff showed Jerry some rare Garands that had never been issued. If you’re interested in classic military arms, you should definitely watch Jerry’s video. Gina Johnson, CMP’s general manager, told Guns.com that: “We have roughly 86,000 rifles from the Philippines and roughly 13,000 rifles from Turkey in our possession”.
Along with the 80,000+ Philippines Garands, the CMP received 13,000 from Turkey. The arrival of these 99,000 M1 Garands is great news for rifle collectors. Garands have been in short supply in recent years.
Erich Mietenkorte Wins 2025 Canadian Rifle Silhouette National High Power Championship.
Team Lapua’s Erich Mietenkorte took top honors at the 2025 Canadian High Power Rifle Silhouette National Championships, winning the 240-shot High Power Aggregate with an impressive combined score of 195/240. Held at the Bull River Shooters Association range in Cranbrook, British Columbia, from June 29 to July 5, the national championship featured both Smallbore and High Power rifle disciplines, with competitors engaging steel silhouette targets from the standing offhand position at distances of 200, 300, 385, and 500 meters.
Mietenkorte competed in both High Power categories — Standard Rifle and Hunting Rifle — scoring 99/120 with his 6.5×47 Lapua in the Standard division, and 96/120 with his 6mm BR in the Hunting Rifle division. Mietenkorte’s combined performance earned him first place overall in the High Power aggregate and national titles in both rifle categories.
“Success in this discipline requires absolute confidence in your equipment. When it comes to consistency, reliability, and performance,?Lapua cases and bullets,?Vihtavuori powders, and?Berger bullets?are unmatched,” commented Mietenkorte. “I used Lapua 108gr and 139gr Scenar bullets in my 6.5×47, and Berger 95gr and 115gr bullets in my 6BR, all handloaded with Vihtavuori N140 powder. These components gave me the precision and consistency needed[.]”
What’s next? Mietenkorte will be competing at the U.S. NRA Rifle Silhouette National Championships at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM, July 20-26, 2025.
In addition to his success in the Canadian High Power competition, Mietenkorte finished 4th overall in the Smallbore Standard Rifle category. In the video below Eric demonstrates Smallbore Silhouette marksmanship skills.
Silhouette Champion Shares His Skills
In the video below, silhouette champion Eric Mietenkorte explains proper hold: “Consistency is key! Form a solid stance that is repeatable and allows you to have a natural point of aim. If you don’t come down on target adjust your feet, don’t rotate your body with your torso muscles.”
Erich explains his aiming method: “Pick a spot on the target and shoot for that. Try not to hesitate, if you’re on target, take the shot. It’s easy to get locked up by trying to make a great shot better. Make sure to follow through, keep that trigger pulled back. Don’t forget to have fun!”
Do you know someone who recently purchased his/her first handgun and is getting started in the shooting sports? Or do you need to brush up your own pistol skills? Then check out a new FREE video training series from the SIG Sauer Academy: Shooter’s Edge — Learning to Shoot.
Here is the Second Video from the Shooter’ Edge series, covering Basic Rules of Firearms Safety:
This video series features foundational handgun classes at the SIG Sauer Academy in New Hampshire. The ten-episode series takes viewers into the classroom and onto the range as the instructors walk through the fundamentals of handgun safety, shooting techniques, practice and training exercises, along with instruction in equipment options and handgun selection. The series was shot on location during several of the Academy’s introductory classes.
Click Below to Access Full Video Series on SigSauer.com:
The Shooter’ Edge Series includes the following episodes: Learn to Shoot at SIG Sauer Academy; Basic Rules of Safety; Types of Handguns and Ammunition; Foundational Shooting Techniques; How to Practice and Train Effectively; Choosing the Right Gun; Equipment and Its Purpose; Holsters — Presentation and Recovery; Magazines — Loading and Unloading; and What Happens After Learning to Shoot.
The National Rifle Association’s President’s Match was instituted in 1878, as the American Military Rifle Championship Match. In 1884, the name was changed to the President’s Match for the Military Rifle Championship of the United States. It was fired at Creedmoor, New York until 1891. In 1895, it was reintroduced at Sea Girt, New Jersey. Today, the match is held at Camp Perry, Ohio.
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.009” Group Record Stood for 40 Years
