Think you can shoot fast with a bolt gun? Bet you can’t beat these Norwegian speed-demons. In 2019, Inge Hvitås set a Mad Minute World Record, putting 39 rounds inside a 16″ circle at 200 meters, all in a single minute. At the same match, another Norwegian ace fired 48 rounds in a minute, with 38 in the bullseye. Now that’s spectacular speed and accuracy. We first ran this story in 2019 when the record was set. Wikipedia reports this is still the current record. So we believe no one has ever put more rounds on a 16″ target at 200m (with a bolt-action rifle) than Inge Hvitås. We include videos showing Inge’s amazing sequence.
Watch Inge Hvitås Set New Mad Minute World Record:
NOTE: This video, hosted by Facebook, may be slow to load. But be patient — it’s amazing to watch! CLICK HERE to run this story all by itself, speeding up the video load.
Mad Minute World Record — 39 Hits in One Minute (60 seconds)
At the Haga shooting range in Norway, spectators witnessed spectacular speed shooting in 2019. Norwegian shooter Inge Hvitås set a Mad Minute Challenge World Record with 39 hits in ONE MINUTE at 200m. The target was a 40cm (15.75″) bullseye placed at 200m (218 yards). Fellow Norwegian Jesper Nilsstua also shot brilliantly, sending 48 rounds down-range in one minute. Jesper had 38 hits, missing the record by just one. Both shooters were using iron-sighted Sauer 200 STR target rifles, which are normally chambered for the 6.5×55 cartridge. For this event, magazines are limited to 5 rounds and shooters may use slings but no bipods or other support.
Amazing Bolt-Gun Cycling Speed — 48 Rounds in One Minute
Another Norwegian ace, Jesper Nilsstua, missed the Mad Minute Challenge record (by one hit), but boy was he fast. Dennis Santiago (who has done his own Mad Minute drill), was dazzled: “This dude didn’t get the new world’s record of 39 hits in 60 seconds. He ‘only’ got 38 hits after getting off an amazing 48 shots in 60 seconds. Watch the smoothness of his shooting. It’s amazing.”
NOTE to Readers: This video is hosted by Facebook. It may be slow to load. But it is worth watching.
For the Mad Minute Challenge in Norway, a standard 200m DFS target was used, with 1 point per hit within the black area which is 40cm (15.75″, or 6.9 MOA) in diameter.
Norwegian Mad Minute Challenge — Event Rules
The organizers of the event posted: “The Mad Minute Challenge [is] a modern edition of a old military drill. This is a place for sport shooters to … share experiences on the subject of speed shooting with bolt-action rifles. The Mad Minute Challenge is all about the sport! To make a attempt for the record everyone must follow these five simple rules:”
Rapid-Fire Shooting Comparison Video
To illustrate the remarkable speed of Norwegian champion Inge Hvitås, this video shows Inge (top of frame) compared with other skilled competitors shooting the same 1-minute course of fire in Lesja, Norway.
About the Original MAD MINUTE
“Mad Minute” was a pre-World War I term used by British Army riflemen during training at the Hythe School of Musketry to describe scoring a minimum of 15 hits on a target at 300 yards within one minute using a bolt-action rifle (usually a Lee-Enfield or Lee-Metford rifle). It was not uncommon during the First World War for riflemen to greatly exceed this score. The record, set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, was 38 hits.
Listed as “Practice number 22, Rapid Fire” of The Musketry Regulations, Part I, 1909, this drill required at least 15 shots on the Second Class target at 300 yards. The exercise was just one of several annual tests to classify a soldier as a sharpshooter, first or second class shooter depending on the points achieved.
Research indicates the Second Class target was a 48″ x 48″ square with 24″ inner circle and 36″ outer circle. The sight mark was a central 12″ x 12″ shape representing a soldier. ALL hits scored points (3 for center circle, 2 for outer circle, 1 for outer square). NOTE: Though some sources say the Mad Minute drill used a 12″-diameter round target, this appears to be a mistake from Ian Hogg’s book “The Encyclopedia of Weaponry”. No other source mentions a 12″ circle, which would be a mere 3.82 MOA. In reality the true drill target was a 48″ x 48″ square, roughly 15 times larger. (From No.WikiPedia.)
Here’a useful article by Sierra Bullets Media Relations Manager Carroll Pilant. This story, which originally appeared in the Sierra Bullets Blog, covers some of the more common ammo problems that afflict hand-loaders. Some of those issues are: excessive OAL, high primers, and improperly-sized cases. Here Mr. Pilant explains how to avoid these common problems that lead to “headaches at the range.
I had some gentlemen at my house last fall getting rifle zeros for an upcoming elk hunt. One was using one of the .300 short mags and every 3rd or 4th round would not chamber. Examination of the case showed a bulge right at the body/shoulder junction. These were new cases he had loaded for this trip. The seating die had been screwed down until it just touched the shoulder and then backed up just slightly. Some of the cases were apparently slightly longer from the base to the datum line and the shoulder was hitting inside the seating die and putting the bulge on the shoulder. I got to thinking about all the gun malfunctions that I see each week at matches and the biggest percentage stem from improper handloading techniques.
One: Check Your Cases with a Chamber Gage
Since I shoot a lot of 3-gun matches, I see a lot of AR problems which result in the shooter banging the butt stock on the ground or nearest solid object while pulling on the charging handle at the same time. I like my rifles too well to treat them that way (I cringe every time I see someone doing that). When I ask them if they ran the ammo through a chamber gage, I usually get the answer, “No, but I need to get one” or “I didn’t have time to do it” or other excuses. The few minutes it takes to check your ammo can mean the difference between a nightmare and a smooth running firearm.
A Chamber Gauge Quickly Reveals Long or Short Cases
Size Your Cases Properly
Another problem is caused sizing the case itself. If you will lube the inside of the neck, the expander ball will come out a lot easier. If you hear a squeak as the expander ball comes out of a case neck, that expander ball is trying to pull the case neck/shoulder up (sometimes several thousandths). That is enough that if you don’t put a bulge on the shoulder when seating the bullet … it can still jam into the chamber like a big cork. If the rifle is set up correctly, the gun will not go into battery and won’t fire but the round is jammed into the chamber where it won’t extract and they are back to banging it on the ground again (with a loaded round stuck in the chamber). A chamber gage would have caught this also.
Oversizing cases also causes problems because the firing pin doesn’t have the length to reach the primer solid enough to ignite it 100% of the time. When you have one that is oversized, you usually have a bunch, since you usually do several cases at a time on that die setting. If the die isn’t readjusted, the problem will continue on the next batch of cases also. They will either not fire at all or you will have a lot of misfires. In a bolt action, a lot of time the extractor will hold the case against the face of the breech enough that it will fire. The case gets driven forward and the thinner part of the brass expands, holding to the chamber wall and the thicker part of the case doesn’t expand as much and stretches back to the bolt face. If it doesn’t separate that time, it will the next time. When it does separate, it leaves the front portion of the case in the chamber and pulls the case head off. Then when it tries to chamber the next round, you have a nasty jam. Quite often range brass is the culprit of this because you never know how many times it has been fired/sized and in what firearm. Back to beating it on the ground again till you figure out that you have to get the forward part of the case out.
Just a quick tip — To extract the partial case, an oversized brush on a cleaning rod [inserted] and then pulled backward will often remove the case. The bristles when pushed forward and then pulled back act like barbs inside the case. If you have a bunch of oversized case that have been fired, I would dispose of them to keep from having future problems. There are a few tricks you can use to salvage them if they haven’t been fired though. Once again, a case gage would have helped.
Two: Double Check Your Primers
Another thing I see fairly often is a high primer, backwards primer, or no primer at all. The high primers are bad because you can have either a slam fire or a misfire from the firing pin seating the primer but using up its energy doing so. So, as a precaution to make sure my rifle ammo will work 100% of the time, I check it in a case gage, then put it in an ammo box with the primer up and when the box is full, I run my finger across all the primers to make sure they are all seated to the correct depth and you can visually check to make sure none are in backwards or missing.
Three: Check Your Overall Cartridge Length
Trying to load the ammo as long as possible can cause problems also. Be sure to leave yourself enough clearance between the tip of the bullet and the front of the magazine where the rounds will feed up 100%. Several times over the years, I have heard of hunters getting their rifle ready for a hunt. When they would go to the range to sight in, they loaded each round single shot without putting any ammo in the magazine. On getting to elk or deer camp, they find out the ammo is to long to fit in the magazine. At least they have a single shot, it could be worse. I have had hunters that their buddies loaded the ammo for them and then met them in hunting camp only to find out the ammo wouldn’t chamber from either the bullet seated to long or the case sized improperly, then they just have a club.
Four: Confirm All Cases Contain Powder
No powder in the case doesn’t seem to happen as much in rifle cartridges as in handgun cartridges. This is probably due to more handgun ammo being loaded on progressive presses and usually in larger quantities. There are probably more rifle cartridges that don’t have powder in them than you realize though. Since the pistol case is so much smaller internal capacity, when you try to fire it without powder, it usually dislodges the bullet just enough to stick in the barrel. On a rifle, you have more internal capacity and usually a better grip on the bullet, since it is smaller diameter and longer bearing surface. Like on a .223, often a case without powder won’t dislodge the bullet out of the case and just gets ejected from the rifle, thinking it was a bad primer or some little quirk.
For rifle cases loaded on a single stage press, I put them in a reloading block and always dump my powder in a certain order. Then I do a visual inspection and any case that the powder doesn’t look the same level as the rest, I pull it and the one I charged before and the one I charged after it. I inspect the one case to see if there is anything visual inside. Then I recharge all 3 cases. That way if a case had powder hang up and dump in the next case, you have corrected the problem.
On progressive presses, I try to use a powder that fills the case up to about the base of the bullet. That way you can usually see the powder as the shell rotates and if you might have dumped a partial or double charge, you will notice as you start to seat the bullet if not before. On a progressive, if I don’t load a cartridge in one smooth stroke (say a bullet tipped over sideways and I raised the ram slightly to reset it) Some presses actually back the charge back adding more powder if it has already dumped some so you have a full charge plus a partial charge. When I don’t complete the procedure with one stroke, I pull the case that just had powder dumped into it and check the powder charge or just dump the powder back into the measure and run the case through later.
Want to learn more about Long Range Shooting? Check out the NSFF “Elements of Long Range Shooting” videos hosted by ballistics guru Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics. In this multi-part series, Bryan covers a variety of topics of interest to precision shooters. For today’s Saturday at the Movies special, we feature seven of Bryan’s videos. Watch other informative Long Range Shooting and Ballistics videos with Bryan Litz on the NSSF YouTube Channel.
Atmospherics and Density Altitude
Bryan Litz explains: “An important element in calculating an accurate firing solution for long-range shooting is understanding the effects of atmospherics on a projectile.” Atmospherics include air pressure, air temperature, and humidity. Bryan notes: “Temperature, pressure, and humidity all affect the air density… that the bullet is flying through. You can combine all those factors into one variable called ‘Density Altitude’.” Density Altitude is used by the ballistic solver to account for variables that affect bullet flight.
Bullet Ballistic Coefficients
A bullet’s ballistic coefficient (BC) basically expresses how well the bullet flies through the air. Higher BC bullets have less aerodynamic drag than lower BC projectiles. You will see BCs listed as either G1 and G7 numbers. These correspond to different bullet shape models. Generally speaking, the G7 model works better for the long, boat-tail bullets used for long-range shooting. Notably, a bullet’s drag is NOT constant in flight. The true BC can vary over the course of the trajectory as the bullet velocity degrades. In other words, “BC is dynamic”. That said, you can make very accurate drop charts using the BCs provided by major bullet-makers, as plugged into solvers. However, long-range competitors may want to record “real world” drop numbers at various distances. For example, we’ve seen trajectories be higher than predicted at 500 yards, yet lower than predicted at 1000.
Transonic Range
When considering your rifle’s long-range performance, you need to understand the limit of your bullet’s supersonic range. As the bullet slows below the speed of sound, it enters the transonic zone. This can be accompanied by variations in stability as well as BC changes. Bryan explains “once your bullet slows done below supersonic and you get into transonic effects, there are a lot more considerations that come into play. The drag of the bullet becomes less certain, the stability of the bullet can be challenged, and things related to long times of flight, such as Coriolis and Spin Drift, come into play. So whenever you are shooting long range you need to where your bullet slows down to about 1340 fps.”
Ballistics Solvers — Many Options
Bryan Litz observes: “When we talk about the elements of long range shooting, obviously a very important element is a getting a fire solution, using a ballistic solver. There are a lot of ballistic solvers out there… Applied Ballistics has smartphone Apps. Applied Ballistics has integrated the ballistic solver directly into a Kestral, and the same solver runs (manually) on the Accuracy Solutions Wiz-Wheel. The point is, if it is an Applied Ballistics device it is running the same solutions across the board.”
Bullet Stability and Twist Rates
In this video, Bryan Litz talks about bullet in-flight stability and how to calculate barrel twist-rate requirements for long-range bullets. Bryan explains that bullet stability (for conventional projectiles) is basically provided by the spinning of the bullet. But this spin rate is a function of BOTH the nominal twist rate of the barrel AND the velocity of the projectile. Thus, when shooting the same bullet, a very high-speed cartridge may work with a slower barrel twist rate than is required for a lower-speed (less powerful) cartridge. For match bullets, shot at ranges to 1000 yards and beyond, Bryan recommends a twist rate that offers good stability.
Scope Tracking — Tall Target Test
Have you recently purchased a new scope? Then you should verify the actual click value of the turrets before you use the optic in competition. While a scope may have listed click values of 1/4-MOA, 1/8-MOA or 0.1 Mils, the reality may be slightly different. Many scopes have actual click values that are slightly higher or lower than the value claimed by the manufacturer. The small variance adds up when you click through a wide range of elevation. In this video, Bryan Litz shows how to verify your true click values using a “Tall Target Test”. The idea is to start at the bottom end of a vertical line, and then click up 30 MOA or so. Multiply the number of clicked MOA by 1.047 to get the claimed value in inches. For example, at 100 yards, 30 MOA is exactly 31.41 inches. Then measure the difference in your actual point of impact.
Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis Effect comes into play with extreme long-range shots. The rotation of the earth actually moves the target a small distance (in space) during the long duration of the bullet’s flight. Bryan Litz notes that, in most common shooting situations inside 1K, Coriolis is not significant. At 1000 yards, the Effect represents less than one click (for most cartridge types). Even well past 1000 yards, in windy conditions, the Coriolis Effect may well be “lost in the noise”. But in very calm conditions, when shooting at extreme ranges, Bryan says you can benefit from adjusting your ballistics solution for Coriolis: “The Coriolis Effect… has to do with the spin of the earth. The consequence of that is that, if the flight time of the bullet gets significantly long, the bullet can have an apparent drift from its intended target. The amount [of apparent drift] is very small — it depends on your latitude and azimuth of fire on the planet.”
About Bryan Litz
Bryan began his career as a rocket scientist, quite literally. He then started Applied Ballistics, the leading company focusing on ballistics science for rifle shooting. A past F-TR Long-Range National Champion and Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets, knows his stuff. His Applied Ballistics squad was the winning team at the 2017 King of 2 Miles event, and Applied Ballistics has earned major U.S. defense contracts.
Team SIG Sauer pro shooter Lena Miculek had a great performance at the 2024 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals held July 19-21 in Minnesota. While defending her Ladies Division title, Lena posted a record-breaking, highest-ever finish by a female in National Multi-Gun competition. She shot a red dot SIG pistol this year with a SIG M400 prototype semi-auto rifle. Watch Lena shooting rifle, pistol, and shotgun at the USPSA Nationals in the video below right.
On her Facebook Page Lena stated: “This was one of the most challenging and technical Multi-Gun Nationals yet! This year, I switched to a new division called Modified. Compared to years past, I now got to run a red dot on my pistol. My shotgun started loaded with 13 shells instead of just 9, AND bipods were legal for rifle. I was nervous about the switch but quickly realized it was the best choice[.] My two months of shooting boot camp earned me my highest Nationals placement ever. Hard work and dedication always pays off. Big thanks to everyone that worked the match and made it possible. Definitely a wonderful experience and competition I am thankful to have attended!”
“Lena crushed Multi-Gun Nationals, there’s just no other way to say it”, said Robby Johnson, SIG Sauer’s Chief Marketing Officer. “She is a force to be reckoned with, not just in the female divisions, but amongst all competitors. To achieve this level of success, it is a life commitment. Lena lives this day in and day out and all her glory is the result of preparation, training, and the absolute hardest work[.]”
At the 2024 USPSA Multi-Gun National Championship, Miculek defended her High Lady title through eight field courses and four speed shoots using a SIG M400 rifle with ROSE features and a TANGO6T riflescope, a P320-DH3 pistol with ROSE features, and a ROMEO1 Pro optic. She used SIG Sauer Match Elite competition ammunition. NOTE: The M400 prototype ROSE rifle Miculek used at the 2024 Multi-Gun Nationals is currently in development and is a variant of the SIG SAUER M400 series.
The 2024 USPSA Multi-Gun Championship was held at the Forest Lake Sportsmen’s Club in Minnesota, July 19-21, 2024. Next month, Lena Miculek will compete at the International Practical Shooting Competition (IPSC) Rifle World Shoot beginning August 4, 2024 at Ruutikangas Shooting Center in Liminka, Finland.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) published a series of reloading articles on its Facebook Page. In this article, the second in a 3-part series, the USAMU covers the process of loading competition pistol ammunition. The authors focus on two key elements — the taper crimp and the quality/uniformity of the original brass. If you shoot pistol competitively, or just want to maximize the accuracy of your handguns, read this article. The taper crimp tips are very important.
Loading Accurate Competition Pistol Ammunition — Part 2 of 3
Today, we resume our series on factors affecting accuracy in pistol handloads. Readers who missed Part One can visit our USAMU Facebook Page. [To read the first article in the series, search for March 28, 2018 to find that first installment, which is definitely worth reading.]
One often-overlooked aspect of handloading highly-accurate pistol ammunition is the amount of taper crimp used, and its effect on accuracy. (NOTE: this article pertains to loading for semi-autos – revolver crimp techniques involve some quite different issues.) Briefly, different amounts of taper crimp are used with various handloads to obtain best accuracy. The amount is based on bullet weight, powder burn rate and charge, plus other factors such as case neck tension. During machine-rest testing of experimental Service Pistol ammunition, many variables are examined. Among these, our Shop often varies a load’s crimp in degrees of 0.001″ when re-testing for finest accuracy.
How to Measure Taper Crimp on Pistol Cartridges
One question that often arises is, “How do I measure the taper crimp I’m putting on my cartridges?” Using the narrow part of one’s dial caliper jaws, carefully measure the case diameter at the exact edge of the case mouth on a loaded cartridge. It’s important to take several measurements to ensure consistency. Also, be sure to measure at several places around the case mouth, as case wall thickness can vary. After measuring 2-3 cartridges with a given crimp setting, one can be confident of the true dimension and that it can be repeated later, if needed.
However, for good results, one must use brass from one maker due to variances in case wall thickness. For example, the same degree of crimp that imparts a measurement of 0.471″ with Brand X brass may result in 0.469″ with Brand Y. Thus, for best accuracy, using brass from the same manufacturer is important — particularly for 50-yard Slow Fire. In a perfect world, it is better still to use brass from one lot number if possible. With the popularity of progressive presses using interchangeable tool heads, keeping separate tool heads adjusted for each load helps maximize uniformity between ammunition lots.
Brass Uniformity and Accuracy
Brass is important to pistol accuracy. While accurate ammunition can be loaded using brass of mixed parentage, that is not conducive to finest results, particularly at 50 yards. It is important for the serious competitor to pay attention to his brass – even if only for the 50-yard “Slow Fire” portions of “Bullseye” matches and practice. By segregating brass as described above, and additionally keeping track of the number of times a given batch of cases has been fired, one can ensure case neck tension and case length are at their most uniform.
Given the large volumes of ammunition consumed by active pistol competitors, using inexpensive, mixed surplus brass for practice, particularly at the “short line” (25 yards), is understandable. In NRA Outdoor Pistol (“Bullseye”), the 10-ring is relatively generous — especially for a well-trained shooter with an accurate pistol and load. However, for the “long line” (50 yards), purchasing and segregating a lot of high-quality brass to be used strictly for slow-fire is a wise idea. To keep track of your brass on the line, use a unique headstamp marking with 1 or 2 colors of marking pen ink.
Uniform Cartridge Overall Length is Important
Cartridge case Overall Length (OAL) uniformity as it comes from the factory is important to achieving utmost accuracy. More uniform case lengths (best measured after sizing) contribute to greater consistency of crimp, neck tension, ignition/burn of powder charge, headspace (rimless cartridges), etc. Cartridge case-length consistency varies noticeably by maker and, with lesser manufacturers, also from lot to lot. Some manufacturers are more consistent in their dimensions than others, and also in the hardness/ductility of their brass. Similarly, pay attention to primer brands, powder lot numbers, etc.
Consider Using a Lock-Out Die with Progressive Presses
When reloading pistol ammo with a Progressive press, we strongly recommend the use of a lock-out die, or other system that can detect double charges or low charges. If your progressive is manually advanced, the possibility of a double charge is very real — and that can have disastrous consequences.
On UltimateReloader.com website you’ll find an excellent two-part series on the function and set-up of the RCBS Lock-Out Die. This die prevents loading if a high or low powder charge is detected. The video above shows setup of the RCBS Lock-Out Die on the Dillon XL-650 progressive press.
The 2024 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury commenced Monday, July 22, with the First Shot Ceremony and the start of the NRA National Precision Pistol Championships. Now in its fourth year at Camp Atterbury, the 2024 NRA National Matches will continue until the close of the NRA High Power Long-Range National Championships on Monday, August 19. Camp Atterbury is a National Guard training facility in Indiana located about 37 miles south of Indianapolis.
2023 NRA National Matches First Shot. (Photo by Cole McCulloch).
During the opening ceremony at Camp Atterbury, Indiana Congressman Greg Pence gave the keynote address. NRA Board Member and Indiana State Representative Craig Haggard (shown above) also spoke and then fired the ceremonial First Shot to commence the event.
Greg Pence is the U.S. representative for Indiana’s sixth congressional district and lives in Columbus, Indiana, located about 14 miles from Camp Atterbury. “Camp Atterbury is in my district,” Pence said. “[As a representative in Congress], I plan to maintain the support and advocacy for the Second Amendment, as well as for the NRA.”
Precision Pistol shooters on the firing line at Camp Atterbury during the practice session for the 2024 NRA Precision Pistol Nationals on the first day of the 2024 NRA National Matches. (Photo by Cole McCulloch)
NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana
The NRA first moved its National High Power Rifle Championships to Camp Atterbury in 2017, with the National Precision Pistol Championships and National Smallbore Rifle Championships making their home at the National Guard base two years later. Now the NRA National matches represent one of the two biggest summer shooting events of the year, along with along with the CMP National Matches at Camp Perry. For more information, click the links below.
The 2024 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury — including the Precision Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, and High Power Rifle National Championships — begin Monday, July 22, and conclude Monday, August 19. The 2024 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury will begin with the Precision Pistol Nationals, followed by the Smallbore Rifle Nationals, and then the High Power Rifle Nationals.
2024 NRA National Matches Schedule
Precision Pistol (July 22 – 25)
July 22 – Opening Ceremony, Practice, Prelim Match, Harry Reeves Match
July 23 – .22 Championship, .22 EIC
July 24 – Centerfire Championship, Service Pistol EIC
July 25 – .45 Championship, Distinguished Revolver, Awards Ceremony
Smallbore Rifle Prone and F-Class (July 28 – August 1)
July 28 – Squadded practice, Metallic Sights Day One
July 29 – Metallic Sights Day Two
July 30 – Randle, Dewar, Team Matches
July 31 – Any Sights Day One
August 1 – Any Sights Day Two, Awards Ceremony
Smallbore Rifle Three-Position (August 2 – 4)
August 2 – Metallic Sights
August 3 – Drew Cup Team Match, Team Matches
August 4 – Any Sights, Awards Ceremony
High Power Rifle OTC (August 5 – 10)
August 6 – Member’s Trophy, Scott Trophy, Coast Artillery Trophy Matches
August 7 – Navy Cup, Army Cup, Coast Guard Trophy Matches
August 8 – Appreciation Cup, Marine Corps Cup, Air Force Cup Matches
August 9 – Crescent Cup, Cavalry Cup, Crowell Trophy Matches, Awards Ceremony
August 10 – EIC Leg Match
High Power Rifle Mid-Range (August 11 – 14)
August 11 – 300, 500, 600 yards, 600-yard Teams
August 12 – 3×600 yards, 600-yard Teams
August 13 – 300, 500, 600 yards, 600-yard Teams
August 14 – 3×600 yards, Awards Ceremony
High Power Rifle Long-Range (August 16 – 19)
August 16 – Wimbledon Cup, Rem Trophy, Porter Trophy, Andrus Trophy, Herrick Trophy Team Matches
August 17 – Leech Cup, Mustin Trophy, Farr Trophy, Aitken Trophy, Roumanian Team Trophy Matches
August 18 – Palma Individual Match, Awards Ceremony
August 19 – Palma Team Matches, Awards Ceremony
2024 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury Calendar
View the full program for this year’s National Precision Pistol, High Power Rifle, and Smallbore Rifle championships at Camp Atterbury via the NRA National Matches website. There are links to the 2024 NRA National Matches calendar and downloadable Match Program (PDF). You can also keep track of all the competitive shooting action at Camp Atterbury by subscribing to the Shooting Sports USA Newsletter.
Photo by SFC Brandon Green, 2018 National High Power Champion.
Some of America’s most prestigious rifle matches take place at Camp Perry, Ohio over the next 17 days. The 800 Aggregate is underway now. The President’s 100 Match will be held on Monday, July 29th, followed by Individual and Team Trophy Matches. And the Garand and Modern Military events run the first weekend in August. For those competing at Camp Perry this month, we offer some insights from Tyrel Cooper, a multi-time National Champion. A past member of the USAMU, Cooper’s shooting resume includes five national championships (one each in 2008, 2011, 2012, and two in 2013). He won the 2013 NRA National Long Range Championship, as well as the 2013 NRA National Service Rifle Championship. In this article, written in 2014, Cooper explains the mental preparation that helped him win National Titles in 2013.
Below is a 2012 file photo of Ty Cooper shooting a service rifle. Cooper won the 2013 Long Range Championship using a Nesika-actioned bolt gun chambered in 7mm SAUM.
Mental Preparation by Tyrel Cooper Getting focused mentally is an important part of preparation for Perry. In 2011 I was chasing Sherri Gallagher, since then I have been chasing Brandon Green[.] If I get beat by a Service Rifle I am going to make him or her work for it. So there is your peak into my mental process. I go for the top and if I am hanging with them then the Service Rifle National Championship will come, Kind of like how I shoot for X’s and Tens will come.
Now I understand everyone is at different levels. You have to figure out what your goals are and then lie to yourself that you’ve already achieved them. Here is a trick that I used back in 2008: When I was a kid just starting out, my Dad made me read several books on shooting. One of them being With Winning In Mind by Lanny Bassham. One of the things I remember from his book is that he would make notes and place them where he would see them often. They contained his goals or stated he was already a world champion. I took a page from his book and did the same thing.
I made 3×5 cards and wrote my personal best 500 and 800 aggregate scores and taped on the horn of my truck, above the radio in my truck, on my laptop and a few other places I would see them often. Every time I saw those I would tell myself that I average those scores and I would get used to seeing them. By doing this you are lying to yourself to overcome the mental blocks the subconscious mind lays out for you.
I went from my worst year in 2007 to winning my first National Championship in 2008. I kind of slacked off in 2009 because I had reached my goals and didn’t set new ones and it showed, so I had to find new goals and motivation which I did and that pushed me back to the top.
Long story short, this is a mental sport and you have to figure out what you need to do to perform at your highest levels and breaking through those mental road blocks. You have to figure out how to get yourself to relax and control your mind keeping calm when you are shooting a personal best, either standing or on the day.
Here is a tip from my mental process from shooting. First I shoot for Xs, I took the line from the movie The Patriot and applied it to my shooting, “Aim small, miss small” and it is true. If you accept wide shots then you will keep shooting wide shots.
Winning Techniques for Rifle Competition
Slow, Solid, Smooth, Center
Always focus on the positive and good shots, and what you did physically and mentally, when you shot them. When I am nervous and need to calm myself down I tell myself: slow, solid, smooth, center.
Slow
I want my movement to be slow…
I can shoot Tens and Xs all day with slow movement.
Solid
Solid like a rock, a rock doesn’t move and that’s how I want my positions. By saying solid it reminds me to go through my little checks to make sure I am doing what I need to do make that happen.
Smooth
Smooth — that is my trigger word for smooth movement. You don’t want fast choppy movement but slow and smooth. This also reminds me to be smooth on the trigger. You can be smooth-fast or you can be smooth-slow but you have to be smooth and most people aren’t when they think they are. Just before leaving the USAMU, I walked up and down the line of five shooters during a rapid fire string and only one of them was smooth with their trigger control. It’s the second most important thing when it comes to shooting.
Center
This reminds me that I want my shots in the middle. It is just a positive reinforcement of where I want my shots to go. I shoot a reverse flat tire so it also kind of reminds me as to what I am looking for.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) has filed a lawsuit challenging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) “Engaged in the Business” Final Rule. The ATF’s Final Rule unlawfully redefines when a person is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms and therefore required to be federally licensed. This new lawsuit is being filed on the heels of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have reined in executive branch agencies from acting outside of statutory authority. The NRA suit is named Butler v. Garland and has been filed in the U.S. District Court in Alabama (Northern District, Eastern Division).
“The ATF’s Final Rule stands to turn countless upstanding and well-intending citizens into criminals for exercising their constitutional rights,” said Randy Kozuch, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). “When ATF released this Final Rule, NRA promised to use every means necessary to stop this egregious interpretation of the law. Now that the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Loper Bright, Cargill, and Rahimi make clear that the ATF does not have unfettered authority to arbitrarily restrict NRA Members’ rights to buy and sell firearms, the NRA is fighting back.”
NRA, along with two individuals, Don Butler and David Glidewell, filed the lawsuit challenging the ATF’s Final Rule in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The complaint alleges that the Final Rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it exceeds the ATF’s statutory and jurisdictional authority and is arbitrary and capricious; violates the Fifth Amendment because it is unconstitutionally vague; violates the Second Amendment by infringing the rights to keep, bear, buy, and sell arms; and violates the Separation of Powers, non-delegation doctrine, and Take Care Clause by usurping legislative powers and prohibiting lawful conduct by executive fiat.
In this Armed Attorneys Video, Emily Taylor and Richard Hayes discuss the effect of the new ATF Final Rule.
Under the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 (which amended the Gun Control Act of 1968), someone is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms if that person “deal[s] in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms.” The 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) altered that definition by replacing “livelihood and profit” with “to predominantly earn a profit.” The BSCA did not alter FOPA’s exclusion for “a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.”
On April 19, 2024, ATF promulgated the Final Rule “to clarify the criteria for determining when a person is ‘engaged in the business.’” The Final Rule provides that “there is no minimum threshold number of firearms purchased or sold that triggers the licensing requirement” and that “there is no minimum number of transactions that determines whether a person is ‘engaged in the business’ of dealing in firearms. For example, even a single firearm transaction or offer to engage in a transaction . . . may require a license.”
The Final Rule also excludes firearms acquired for “personal protection” from the firearms that may be sold from a personal collection without a license. The ATF’s Final Rule thus rewrites the law, contradicts Congress’ statutory language, and adds confusion rather than clarification.
Slee Claims Seventh Open Sight-Class Win During 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match
60-year-old Steven Slee from Michigan scored 580-21X to win the Open Sight O-Class for the second consecutive year at the 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match at Camp Perry, Ohio. Slee’s 2024 victory is his Seventh O-Class title, starting back in 2009. Slee is also the current record holder in the class and has previously won O-Class at Camp Perry in 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Last year, Slee also shot in T-Class and won T-Class by one point over current record holder, Samuel Payne.
The CMP’s 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match was a big success with over 280 shooters competing on a hot July 13th day. The competition was one of the first events at the annual National Matches, which have been held at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Site since 1907. The National Rimfire Sporter Match is open to both adults and juniors with targets at 25 and 50 yards. There are three classes for .22 LR rifles: Open Sight (O), Telescope Sight (T), and Tactical Unlimited (TU).
Along with the major annual Camp Perry event, other Rimfire Sporter matches are held throughout the country in connection with the CMP’s Travel Games.
The CMP Rimfire Sporter discipline is for .22 LR smallbore (rimfire) rifles that weigh 7 1/2 pounds or less. Firing is done at 25 and 50 yards in prone, sitting, and standing positions, in slow and rapid-fire modes. Even with the vast number of competitors, the Rimfire Sport match proceeds efficiently. The CMP now has a special smart-phone App that helps speed up scoring. SEE 2024 Results.
Other leading competitors of the 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match were John Hawes, 40, of Waynesboro, PA, who won the T-Class with a score of 594-34X, and William Dunbar, 17, of Riverside, Iowa, who was the top scorer of the TU Class with 594-35X. Dunbar was just one point shy of the current TU Class record score of 595-37X, set nearly a decade ago, in 2015.
As one of the most popular rifle events offered by the CMP throughout the year, the National Rimfire Sporter Match is a great intro to competitive marksmanship. The match format and convivial atmosphere works for shooters of all ages and all experience.
Learn more about the CMP Rimfire Sporter Rifle competition on the CMP website at thecmp.org/competitions/matches/rimfire-sporter-2. To find an upcoming Rimfire Sporter Match near you CLICK HERE then select Rimfire from the list of upcoming match types.
A new report from a voter registration group demonstrates the big impact hunters, recreational shooters, and other American gun owners could have on federal, state, and local elections if they register to vote and then vote in the upcoming November election. The Second Amendment community needs to make sure that the 22.3 million new first-time gun owners since 2020 are registered to vote and then vote this November. NSSF’s #GUNVOTE initiative was created to do just that and according to the newly released survey data from Vote4America, the outcome of the upcoming November presidential election could be determined by Second Amendment supporters.
The key objective should be to increase voter registration numbers for firearms owners, and encourage them to vote this November. According to the Vote4America survey, large numbers of gun owners and hunters in critical swing states are NOT registered to vote. Nationwide, an estimated 10 million gun owners and hunters are NOT registered. In a breakdown by state, the data shows unregistered hunting and Second Amendment supporters total at least 515,277 in Pennsylvania. That number is closer to around 370,000 each in Michigan and North Carolina. In addition, Georgia, Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia “all have more than half a million hunters and gun owners unregistered,” and in Arizona that number totals approximately 133,000.
In a District of Conservation podcast, Vote4America adviser Baker Leavitt said, “If we could convert 2% of all licensed hunters and get them to vote, [the] GOP would win in a landslide.”
INFO on Registering to Vote, Voting Process, and Polling Places
The GunVote.org website has links to official state websites where more details about registering to vote, early voting protocols, and the entire process can be found. For those who wait until election day to cast their ballot, GunVote.org also has comprehensive lists of polling place locations where citizens can vote in their city/state.
Second Amendment rights and the rights of hunters and recreational target shooters are on the ballot every election. If you have a friend or loved one who loves hunting and recreational shooting sports, do your part and make sure they register to vote and then vote in November. If they have questions about how to register, send them to GunVote.org.
Research indicates the Second Class target was a 48″ x 48″ square with 24″ inner circle and 36″ outer circle. The sight mark was a central 12″ x 12″ shape representing a soldier. ALL hits scored points (3 for center circle, 2 for outer circle, 1 for outer square). NOTE: Though some sources say the Mad Minute drill used a 12″-diameter round target, this appears to be a mistake from Ian Hogg’s book “The Encyclopedia of Weaponry”. No other source mentions a 12″ circle, which would be a mere 3.82 MOA. In reality the true drill target was a 48″ x 48″ square, roughly 15 times larger. (From No.WikiPedia.)
Oversizing cases also causes problems because the firing pin doesn’t have the length to reach the primer solid enough to ignite it 100% of the time. When you have one that is oversized, you usually have a bunch, since you usually do several cases at a time on that die setting. If the die isn’t readjusted, the problem will continue on the next batch of cases also. They will either not fire at all or you will have a lot of misfires. In a bolt action, a lot of time the extractor will hold the case against the face of the breech enough that it will fire. The case gets driven forward and the thinner part of the brass expands, holding to the chamber wall and the thicker part of the case doesn’t expand as much and stretches back to the bolt face. If it doesn’t separate that time, it will the next time. When it does separate, it leaves the front portion of the case in the chamber and pulls the case head off. Then when it tries to chamber the next round, you have a nasty jam. Quite often range brass is the culprit of this because you never know how many times it has been fired/sized and in what firearm. Back to beating it on the ground again till you figure out that you have to get the forward part of the case out.
Getting focused mentally is an important part of preparation for Perry. In 2011 I was chasing Sherri Gallagher, since then I have been chasing Brandon Green[.] If I get beat by a Service Rifle I am going to make him or her work for it. So there is your peak into my mental process. I go for the top and if I am hanging with them then the Service Rifle National Championship will come, Kind of like how I shoot for X’s and Tens will come.
