USAMU Teams Set 1K Records at Interservice Championships
At the U.S. Armed Forces Interservice Championships held earlier this month in Quantico, Virginia, USAMU Team Praslick set a new 1000-yard Team Record, with a spectacular 1197-68X score, beating the existing 1192-66X record set way back in 1997. The course of fire was 20 shots by each of six shooters, 120 shots total. This record was doubly impressive because it involved mandatory paired firing. The squad was divided into three pairs. When each pair went to the firing line, the two shooters would alternate shots. Team Coach, SFC Emil Praslick, had to make a wind call for one shooter, and then the other, shot by shot — that’s not easy. The record-setting squad was an all-star contingent of USAMU shooters: SGT Sherri Gallagher, SPC Amanda Elsenboss, CPL Matt Rawlings, SSG Shane Barnhardt, SSG Brandon Green, SSG Ty Cooper. Praslick said he was “very proud of my shooters.”
The 1197-68X record was set in “Any Sights / Any Rifle” competition using bolt guns chambered for the 7mm Remington Short-Action Ultra-Magnum (RSAUM), and fitted with Nightforce scopes. Coach Praslick says the USAMU is very pleased with the performance of the 7mm RSAUM: “Our 7mms can deliver very tight vertical spreads at 1000 yards.” Praslick also praised the work of USAMU armorers who build the rifles and load the ammo for USAMU teams: “We’ve got world-class gunsmiths. That’s our advantage. All the guns are tested at distance with match ammunition. We can count on the guns and the ammo to perform shot after shot. This is a big confidence builder for our USAMU shooters.”
New 1K Service Rifle Record
Along with the great performance by USAMU Team Praslick, USAMU Service Rifle shooters coached by SFC Jeremy Mangione set a new Service Rifle record. Using .308-Caliber AR10-type rifles with 185gr Berger bullets, the Team posted a 1154-33X Aggregate, a Service Rifle Team Record. That’s amazing considering these shooters were aiming with military-style iron sights with a post front sight. One of the squad’s shooters, SPC Augustus Dunfey, recorded a 200-10X. Coach Praslick called this a “spectacular individual performance”. Praslick told us that Dunfey’s 200-10X “is definitely the highest [20-shot] Service Rifle score shot in Interservice 1000-yard competition. And, as far as anyone can remember, it is the highest [20-shot] 1000-yard score ever shot with a Service Rifle anywhere.” SPC Dunfey was shooting at a target with a 20″ 10-Ring, and 10″ X-Ring. This means, using a stout-recoiling .308 rifle with sling (no rest) and relatively crude sights, Dunfey put half his shots inside one MOA and did not drop a single point. That’s impressive….
In the F-Class Division, twenty-one shooters vied for honors. In F-Open, Texan Erik Cortina won the Championship with an impressive 972-17X. Charles Gooding was close behind with a 970-27X. Charles had high X-Count among all F-Class shooters. Freddy Haltom, shooting as a “Expert” had the third-highest score, an impressive 962-25X. Next in line was Tony Mangold with 944-19X. 
