Our friend Dennis Santiago ventured to Camp Perry this year to compete in the CMP rifle matches. He will be shooting individually, as well as with a rifle team from California. Here is an insider’s view of the “places and spaces” at this historic venue. You can see that the accommodations can’t be called luxurious. Thanks for the images Dennis — good luck at the President’s 100 Match today!
Rodriguez Range. This is Camp Perry.
Dennis at Camp Perry with Jim Laughland, the man, the legend.
Life in the Pits…
“Hut Life” — a view of Hut Row at Dawn’s Early Light.
“You don’t have to live like a refugee.” Well … unless you are bivouacked in a prisoner of war encampment. It’s good to have friends with cameras.
A popular feature of our Shooters’ Forum is the long-running Pride and Joy thread. There you’ll find photos and descriptions of dozens of interesting rifles — from rimfire rigs to big-bore boomers. Forum member Ryan M. (aka “Dieselgeek”) posted a handsome .260 Remington tactical rifle built by Short Action Customs in Wellington, Ohio. The rifle features top-of-the-line hardware. The coated, stainless Alpha 11 action (from Defiance Machine) carries a Bartlein M24-contour 26″ barrel with muzzle brake. The stock is a thumbhole T5A from Manners Composites, fitted with APA bottom metal for AW magazines. On top is a Bushnell ERS 3-21x50mm scope with G2 reticle. Riding on an under-mounted rail is an Atlas bipod with quick-release lever.
Report by NRA Institute for Legislative Action
On July 14, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018. Included in the bill is a provision that would make U.S. Army surplus model 1911 .45 ACP pistols available to the American public through the Civilian Marksmanship program (CMP).*
In November of 2015, then-President Obama signed the NDAA for Fiscal year 2016 into law with language that authorized the Secretary of Defense to transfer 1911s no longer in service to the CMP for public sale. That language made the transfers subject to the Secretary’s discretion and capped them at 10,000 per year. Unsurprisingly, no actual transfers were made under the program while Obama remained in the White House.
This year’s language, however, would effectively make the transfers mandatory and would remove the yearly cap. Currently, the military has some 100,000 excess 1911s sitting in storage at taxpayer expense. The CMP’s sales of 1911s would be treated as other retail sales under the federal Gun Control Act, including the attendant background checks and point of sale record keeping.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
If you would like to see 1911 sales return to the CMP, please contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and urge them to keep the House language on this matter intact in the final bill they send to the president. You can contact Senators and Representative at 202-225-3121.
* Upon completion of the Senate NDAA, the House and Senate will convene a conference committee to resolve the differences in their bills. Please urge your representatives to retain the House language regarding the 1911s in the final bill.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), in cooperation with Shooting USA TV, has created a series of instructional Pro Tip pages covering a wide range of shooting disciplines. All totaled, there are more than 50 USAMU Pro Tips. Most relate to rifle marksmanship but there are also numerous tips for shotgunners and pistol shooters. Each Pro Tip entry includes multiple photos and 6-15 paragraphs, in an easy-to-follow format. Many Pro Tips also include an instructional video produced by Shooting USA. Here are three Pro Tip videos, and links to seven more Pro Tip web pages.
USAMU TOP TEN PRO TIPS
1. Reading the Wind with SGT Sherri Gallagher.
Apart from gravity, wind has the most pull on the bullet as it travels down range. Being able to accurately read the wind and mirage will greatly enhance your performance on the rifle range. National Champion, SGT Gallagher gives you some of her tips.
2. Angle Shooting with SFC (Ret.) Emil Praslick.
SFC Praslick shows you how to determine the angle to your target, and then how to include that to change your data necessary to hit your target on the first shot.
3. Rifle Grip, Stance and Body Position for 3-Gun with SFC Daniel Horner.
Professional 3-gun marksman SFC Daniel Horner, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), give tips on how to properly handle a semi-automatic rifle, including grip, stance and body position.
Lapua Scenar-L bullets are superb. We have found these bullets to be extremely consistent in weight and base to ogive measurement. In fact some of the first 6mm Scenar Ls were probably the most consistent factory bullets we’ve ever measured. Scenar-L bullets also shoot great. We have a couple 6mm barrels that prefer Scenars over any other bullet type, including custom projectiles. We think serious shooters owe it to themselves to try a box of Scenar-Ls for their favorite match rifle. And now .224, 7mm (.284), and .308 caliber shooters have the opportunity to grab some great Scenar-Ls for an amazingly low price. Right now Grafs.com is running a SALE on select Scenar-Ls in .224, .284, and .308 calibers. These are priced 46% Off, saving you up to $26.00 per 100-count box!
You better act soon, quantities are limited. We expect the 180gr 7mm Scenar-Ls will sell out right away, followed by the 220gr .308 Scenar-Ls shortly thereafter. These are both outstanding choices for F-class and long-range competition.
This may seem like “jumping the gun” (pardon the pun), since the 2017 CMP Matches at Camp Perry are still in progress, but we wanted our readers to be the first to know about next year’s schedule. The 2018 National Matches Calendar for Camp Perry has been finalized and posted. Visit the CMP website at http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018NMCalendar.pdf.
Year 2018 Camp Perry NM Competition activities begin with NRA/CMP pistol matches on July 8-14, 2018. The Smallbore Small Arms Firing School (SAFS), Junior Rifle Camp, and rimfire matches run the next week, concluding with the hugely popular Rimfire Sporter Match on July 22. High Power Rifle events kick off on July 23 with the 4-Man Team Match and rifle events run continuously for the next two and a half weeks. Here are some key dates for rifle events:
July 27 – CMP/USAMU Rifle SAFS
July 29 – Presidents 100 Rifle Match
July 30 – National Trophy Individual Rifle Match
August 1 – National Carbine Match
August 2 – National Trophy Infantry Team Match (“Rattle Battle”)
August 3 – CMP Vintage Sniper Rifle Match
August 4 – M1 Garand Match and Springfield M1A Match
August 5 – Springfield/Vintage Bolt Rifle Match
This article courtesy U.S. Law Shield
Here’s good news for gun owners, and especially fans of suppressors. The Hearing Protection Act has been attached to the SHARE Act, an omnibus bill with numerous pro-gun features. The SHARE Act (Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act) contains multiple provisions expanding gun rights. If passed in its current form, the SHARE Act would make the following changes to Federal law:
1. Move silencers/suppressors from Title II to Title I status.
2. Enhance the Firearms Owners Protection Act (FOPA) language to include travel by means other than vehicles.
3. Create remedies against states that violate the safe travel provisions, including a cause of action and attorneys fees.
4. Eliminate the sporting-purposes language from the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the law on armor-piercing ammunition.
6. Creates exception for shotguns to prevent arbitrary reclassification as destructive devices.
“The Hearing Protection Act has been one of the most important bills for sportsmen and women of this Congress, which is why it’s common sense for it to be included in this year’s sportsmen’s legislative package,” Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), the bill’s sponsor, told POLITICO. “By changing the outdated regulation of suppressors to an instant background check, just like the requirements to purchase a typical firearm, I hope the sportsmen and women in the United States will have greater access to noise reduction technology as they carry the hunting and recreational shooting tradition to future generations.”
This video discusses an earlier version of the Hearing Protection Act, H.R. 3799:
“If this bill passes,” said U.S. Law Shield Attorney Michele Byington, “it will make suppressors Title I items like firearms — that is, not National Firearms Act devices — which means they will become more common and more widely transported. However, at least 10 states will likely ban suppressors even if this becomes law. About the same number of states have some kind of restriction on ammunition-feeding devices, also known as magazines. FOPA safe travel won’t do us much good if gun owners can still be arrested for magazines and accessories. Attaching the HPA to a bill that should make it easier to pass and suggests that Congressional Republicans may have become serious about actually passing this,” she said. “Passing this bill would be a big win.”
This has been pistol week at Camp Perry, site of the NRA National Trophy Pistol Championships. The handgun events started with the NRA Revolver matches and Prelim Pistol Agg on Monday, July 10. This was followed with .22 LR individual and team matches on Tuesday, and the CF Championship and Team Match on Wednesday. The pistol competitions conclude today, July 13th, with the NRA individual .45 Championship, .45 Team Match, and Pistol Awards Ceremony.
The nation’s top bullseye pistol shooters were at Camp Perry this week. If you’ve every wondered what it takes to win a pistol match using the classic, one-handed hold, here are some tips from one of the best ever, Brian “Gunny” Zins, 12-Time NRA National Pistol Champion.
Brian has authored an excellent guide to bullseye pistol shooting. Brian’s Clinic on the Fundamentals recently appeared in The Official Journal of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association. The CMP scanned the story so you can read it online. CLICK HERE to read full article.
Top Tips from Brian Zins:
Trigger Movement: If trigger control is ever interrupted in slow fire the shot needs to be aborted and the shot started over.
Relationship between Sight Alignment and Trigger Control: Often when the fundamentals are explained these two are explained as two different acts. Well, truth be told it’s really kind of hard to accomplish one without the other. They have a symbiotic relationship. In order to truly settle the movement in the dot or sights you need a smooth, steady trigger squeeze.
Trigger Finger Placement: Where should the trigger make contact on the finger? The trigger should be centered in the first crease of the trigger finger. Remember this is an article on Bullseye shooting. If this were an article on free pistol or air pistol it would be different.
Proper Grip: A proper grip is a grip that will NATURALLY align the gun’s sights to the eye of the shooter without having to tilt your head or move your or move your wrists around to do that. Also a proper grip, and most importantly, is a grip that allows the gun to return to the same position [with sights aligned] after each and every shot. The best and easiest way to get the proper grip, at least a good starting position… is with a holster. Put your 1911 in a holster on the side of your body[.] Allow your shooting hand to come down naturally to the gun.
It took decades of competition to acquire all those patches — that’s dedication to the sport.
It’s official, Cabela’s is being acquired by Bass Pro Shops. The Shooting Wire reports:
Cabela’s Shareholders Approve Bass Pro Shops Merger
“It only took about 35 people around 20 minutes yesterday to approve a $4.2 billion merger that’s been lingering for months. Backed by what Cabela’s CEO Tommy Milner calls ‘overwhelming support’, the shareholders of Cabela’s approved [the] proposed merger with Bass Pro Shops. Under the current terms, shareholders will receive $61.50/per share for the stock which has been trading in the $58.90-$59.94 range. After the merger, the companies will be based in Springfield, Missouri. No word on how many of the 1,000 workers in Cabela’s Sydney, Nebraska, headquarters will be retained.”
Bass Pro Shops will acquire popular outdoor retail chain Cabela’s (NYSE:CAB) in a $4.2 billion deal expected to close in Q3 of 2017. According to The Street: “Cabela’s agreed in April to be bought by Bass Pro Shops for $61.50 a share, down from the original purchase price of $65.50 a share, valuing the acquisition at $4.2 billion.” After the merger, Bass Pro will continue to recognize Cabela’s CLUB points, and the branded credit cards will be serviced by Capital One.
History of Two Major Outdoor Retailers
CABELA’S
Founded in 1961 by Dick, Mary and Jim Cabela, Cabela’s is a highly respected marketer of hunting, fishing, camping, shooting sports and related outdoor merchandise. Today, Cabela’s has over 19,000 “outfitters” operating 85 specialty retail stores, primarily in the western U.S. and Canada. Cabela’s stores, catalog business and e-commerce operations will blend seamlessly with Bass Pro Shops and White River Marine Group. Over the past 55 years Cabela’s has built a passionate and loyal base of millions of enthusiasts who shop both at its retail stores and online.
BASS PRO SHOPS
Bass Pro Shops, founded in 1972 by avid young angler Johnny Morris, is a leading national retailer of outdoor gear and apparel, with 99 stores and Tracker Marine Centers located primarily in the eastern part of the U.S. and Canada. Morris started the business with eight square feet of space in the back of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Mo., the company’s sole location for the first 13 years of business. Johnny’s passion for the outdoors and his feel for the products and shopping experiences desired by outdoor enthusiasts helped transform the industry. Bass Pro Shops, which employs approximately 20,000 team members, has been named by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Employers.”
Like crosswords? Like guns? Well, thanks to Shooting Sports USA (SSUSA), you can try a crossword puzzle that tests your knowledge of gun stuff and competitive shooting. In the February 2013 digital edition of Shooting Sports USA magazine, you’ll find a crossword puzzle created just for shooters. There are some easy items, such as the location of the annual NRA National Pistol Championships (see story above). Other entries are more difficult, and may require some research. To print the crossword puzzle before you start working, click this Page 12 link, and then select the print icon. Spoiler alert — all the answers appear on PAGE 14 of the same February issue of SSUSA.
NOTE: These pages may be slow to load, but don’t fret, they WILL appear if you’re patient.
A popular feature of our 
Like crosswords? Like guns? Well, thanks to 
