This week’s edition of Shooting USA, which airs Wednesday, March 21st, features the 2011 Bianchi Cup. This competition is one of the most prestigious and popular events in the world of handgun shooting. Officially, the annual competition in Columbia, Missouri is known as the National Championship of NRA Action Pistol. But to everybody, world-wide, it’s the Bianchi Cup, the trophy named for one of the founders, John Bianchi. In the past 30 years the match has become the richest handgun tournament in the world, with cash and prizes for the best scores on four stages of fire. Shooting USA will spotlight top male and female Bianchi Cup competitors in both wheelgun and and semi-auto pistol divisions. Along with North American shooters, the Bianchi Cup draws top handgun competitors from around the globe. Shooting USA airs Wednesday Nights, on the Outdoor Channel, at 3:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 12:00 midnight (Eastern Time).
Bianchi Cup — Classic Course of Fire
The MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup is a combination of Speed and Accuracy. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and are also required to shoot with both strong and weak hands at various stages. Stages may combine stationary and moving targets. As conceived by former police officer and holster-maker John Bianchi, the Bianchi Cup originated in 1979 as a Law Enforcement Training match. The Course of Fire consists of four separate matches:
The Practical Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at distances from 10 yards to 50 yards under varying time limits.
The Barricade Event: From within shooting boxes and behind barricades, a shooter fires at targets on either side of the barricade at different distances and under varying time limits.
The Falling Plate Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at 8 inch round steel plates arranged in banks of six at distances from 10 to 25 yards under varying time limits.
The Moving Target Event: From within shooting boxes at distances ranging from 10 to 25 yards, the shooter fires at a target moving from left to right with the target being exposed for only 6 seconds.
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The October issue of Shooting Sports USA is now available. The October issue features complete coverage of the 2011 National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry in an extended 42-page issue. The Smallbore, High Power, and Long Range phases of the National Rifle Championships are all covered in this issue, as well as the National Defense Match. You’ll find links to videos describing the National Trophies. There’s even a special note on how to stay in one of the historic huts on the Camp Perry base.
Shooting Sports USA Editor Chip Lohman interviews Philip Hemphill, the 10-time National Police Pistol Combat Champion. Hemphill won his first National Pistol Championship at Camp Perry this summer.
The October issue also features the second installment of a three-part series on how to deal with the pressure of competition. This segment features expert advice from top shooters such as Bianchi Cup Ladies Champions Jessie Harrison and Julie Golob.
While a few specialty events will be held this afternoon prior to tonight’s Awards Ceremony, the 2011 Bianchi Cup category winners have been named. Congratulations to Doug Koenig, the 2011 Bianchi Cup Overall Champion. Jessie Abbate of Team Smith & Wesson won the Women’s Division, while Rob Leatham was the Production Champion. Other divisional Champions are listed below:
2011 Bianchi Cup Champion: Doug Koenig
Production Champion: Rob Leatham
Womens’ Champion: Jessie Abbate
Metallic Champion: Rob Vadasz
Junior Champion: Tiffany Piper
Senior Champion: Chuck Thomey
Service Champion: Kevin Worrell, USMC
Lawman Champion: Bruce Piatt
Newcomer: Nigel Gordon
In the video below you can watch John Pride, four-time Bianchi Cup champion, shoot the Moving Target Event yesterday. Pride shot a 474-28x in the event and went on to finish with a 1822-133x overall in this year’s Bianchi Cup. (Warning: Loud volume — turn down your speakers in work setting.)
In the next video (below), Heribert Bettermann and teammate Dirk Borchardt of the German National Team compete in the Falling Plate event. Heribert finished with an excellent 480-66x. The Bianchi Cup draws many competitors from outside the United States. Teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Germany made the long journey to Columbia, Missouri to compete in this prestigious competition.
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Texas native Trevor Baucom, a former U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot, has joined the ranks of Team Smith & Wesson as the S&W’s first disabled veteran shooter. At the NRA’s 2011 Annual Meeting, Baucom was introduced as the newest member of the S&W Team. One of Baucom’s first events will be the prestigious NRA Bianchi Cup, scheduled for May 25-29 in Columbia, Missouri.
Pilot Wounded in Afghanistan With a distinguished service record of 13 years in the U.S. Army, CW3 Baucom was injured in a helicopter crash while serving his fourth deployment in Afghanistan. The injury, which occurred during a nighttime assault, left the Blackhawk command pilot paralyzed from the waist down. Once back in the USA, Baucom began his rehabilitation in Franklin, TN. There he met Shooting USA host Jim Scoutten, who encouraged Baucom to get involved in competitive shooting. The 31-year-old Vet began training with the goal of competing at the 2011 NRA Nat’l Action Pistol Championship, shooting against able-bodied competitors.
While the NRA Bianchi Cup will be Baucom’s first competitive shooting event, the avid hunter and recreational shooter is more focused on enjoying the experience than wondering what his score will be. That said, Baucom is training diligently to improve his X-count.
“For me, this is all about breaking down barriers,” said Baucom. “This opportunity presents a unique challenge for me to push my abilities. I hope that my participation will lead to other wounded warriors taking an interest in competitive shooting and that more matches like the Bianchi Cup will take a look at how they can open up spots for other disabled shooters.”
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The 2011 MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup National Championship will take place in Columbia, MO, May 25-28. This major event draws shooters from all over the world. In 2010, international competitors hailed from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. Firearm categories include: Open Division, Metallic Sights, Service Pistol, and Revolver. In addition there be awards for the top shooters in specific classes: Law enforcement, Women, Junior, International, Newcomer, Senior, Grand Senior.
Bianchi Cup — Classic Course of Fire
The MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup is a combination of Speed and Accuracy. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and are also required to shoot with both strong and weak hands at various stages. Stages may combine stationary and moving targets. As conceived by former police officer and holster-maker John Bianchi, the Bianchi Cup originated in 1979 as a Law Enforcement Training match. The Course of Fire consists of four separate matches:
The Practical Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at distances from 10 yards to 50 yards under varying time limits.
The Barricade Event: From within shooting boxes and behind barricades, a shooter fires at targets on either side of the barricade at different distances and under varying time limits.
The Falling Plate Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at 8 inch round steel plates arranged in banks of six at distances from 10 to 25 yards under varying time limits.
The Moving Target Event: From within shooting boxes at distances ranging from 10 to 25 yards, the shooter fires at a target moving from left to right with the target being exposed for only 6 seconds.
2010 Bianchi Cup Video
How to Save Money on Entry Fees
This year, there are some new ways to save on entry fees. First, if you “bring a buddy” who has never competed at the Bianchi Cup, both you and your friend get a discount. Match organizers also offer reduced fees to Juniors, Production Firearms shooters, and Active Duty Military personnel.
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The NRA Competitive Shooting Division has launched a new webpage to distribute its digital publications. Currently available are the latest versions of the NRA Sanctioned League Handbook, NRA Tournament Operations Guide, NRA Junior Programs Guide, NRA Collegiate Shooting Guide, and the 2011 Bianchi Cup digital brochure. All these publications can be read online (like a digital magazine), or downloaded for future reference. More digital publications will be added in the future. Log on to www.issuu.com/compshoot to read or download content.
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Chip Lohman, Managing Editor of Shooting Sports USA magazine, has crafted a video covering the 2010 Bianchi Cup, the richest (and one of the most prestigious) handgun competitions on the planet. Lohman’s video shows all phases of the event, and you can see great performances by Doug Koenig and Jessie Abbate. Smith & Wesson’s Doug Koenig won his 12th Bianchi Cup title, while newly signed teammate Jessie Abbate topped S&W Captain Julie Golob for the Women’s Overall, giving S&W a dominant performance at this year’s tournament. Koenig won the Open Class without dropping a point, finishing with 1920-179X.
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There’s a big cash incentive for first-time female competitors at this year’s NRA Bianchi Cup, May 26-29, 2010, in Columbia, Missouri. Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA have donated big bucks for first-time female competitors, using a production handgun, who achieve the highest Aggregate score of all four championship events (moving target, falling plate, barricade, and practical). A qualifying production handgun must be “right out of the box”, unmodified, with no customizations.
First Place in the 1st time women’s category will receive $2,500, Second Place $1,500 and Third Place $750. Right now, with six weeks to go before the match, few women registrants meet the requirements to win this first-time shooters’ award. So, ladies, here’s a chance to win serious money. And guys, if you know a skilled female shooter, encourage her to sign up. For more information on the 2010 NRA Bianchi Cup, call 703-267-1451 or email BianchiCup [at] nrahq.org.
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This week’s episode of Michael Bane’s Shooting Gallery features the Bianchi Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious (and lucrative) pistol competitions. The show will be broadcast on the Outdoor Channel at 3:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., or 11:30 p.m. EST. (Check your local listings.)
The Bianchi Cup is the brainchild of former police officer (turned holster-maker) John Bianchi and the late Ray Chapman – one of the original IPSC “Combat Masters”. The Cup originated as a law enforcement training match. Since its inception in 1979, the NRA Bianchi Cup has retained its original course of fire, consisting of four matches: Practical, Barricade, Moving Target and Falling Plates. Competitors need to be both FAST and ACCURATE. This event now draws shooters from all over the world. In 2009, competitors came from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and must shoot with both strong and weak hands at various stages.
Bianchi Cup Course of Fire The Practical Event – From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at distances from 10 yards to 50 yards under varying time limits. The Barricade Event — From within shooting boxes and behind barricades, a shooter fires at targets on either side of the barricade at different distances and under varying time limits. The Falling Plate Event — From the shooting lines, the shooter fires at 8″-round steel plates arranged in banks of six at distances from 10 to 25 yards under varying time limits. The Moving Target Event — From within shooting boxes at distances ranging from 10 to 25 yards, the shooter fires at a target moving from left to right with the target being exposed for only 6 seconds.
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This week’s edition of Shooting USA, which airs Wednesday, March 21st, features the 2011 Bianchi Cup. This competition is one of the most prestigious and popular events in the world of handgun shooting. Officially, the annual competition in Columbia, Missouri is known as the National Championship of NRA Action Pistol. But to everybody, world-wide, it’s the Bianchi Cup, the trophy named for one of the founders, John Bianchi. In the past 30 years the match has become the richest handgun tournament in the world, with cash and prizes for the best scores on four stages of fire. Shooting USA will spotlight top male and female Bianchi Cup competitors in both wheelgun and and semi-auto pistol divisions. Along with North American shooters, the Bianchi Cup draws top handgun competitors from around the globe. Shooting USA airs Wednesday Nights, on the Outdoor Channel, at 3:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 12:00 midnight (Eastern Time).
The October issue of 
With a distinguished service record of 13 years in the U.S. Army, CW3 Baucom was injured in a helicopter crash while serving his fourth deployment in Afghanistan. The injury, which occurred during a nighttime assault, left the Blackhawk command pilot paralyzed from the waist down. Once back in the USA, Baucom began his rehabilitation in Franklin, TN. There he met 
The 2011 MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup National Championship will take place in Columbia, MO, May 25-28. This major event draws shooters from all over the world. In 2010, international competitors hailed from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. Firearm categories include: Open Division, Metallic Sights, Service Pistol, and Revolver. In addition there be awards for the top shooters in specific classes: Law enforcement, Women, Junior, International, Newcomer, Senior, Grand Senior.
Chip Lohman, Managing Editor of 
There’s a big cash incentive for first-time female competitors at this year’s NRA 
This week’s episode of Michael Bane’s 
