Today marks the fourth and final day of the NRA Long Range Rifle Championship. The USAMU’s SSG Shane Barnhart is in the lead but other shooters are definitely within striking distance. Barnhart’s position atop the leaderboard has been a surprise to some, because he has been primarily a smallbore shooter in years past. But in 2013 he has demonstrated outstanding capabilities with a centerfire rifle at long range. Watch this video for a wrap-up of Long Range Day 3 at Camp Perry.
Michelle Gallagher Wins Leech Cup
Michelle Gallagher turned in a great performance earlier this week, winning the Leech Cup in a shoot-off with Ty Cooper of the USAMU. Michelle Gallagher finished with a top score of 100-6X (X stands for bullseye) to beat USAMU’s Ty Cooper by a single X.
Michelle received congratulations from SSG Brandon Green after winning the Leech Cup at the NRA Championships. “This is the first time I’ve shot this year in a sling at a 1,000 yard match,” said Gallagher. “I’ve been shooting F-Class, so this is pretty special.”
Story based on report by Lars Dalseide forNRABlog
This time last year, Cody Shields was in his final days of deployment with the National Guard. Described as “eventful”, there was little else said about his time in Afghanistan. A sentiment shared by many returning from battle. The important thing is that he made it back home. “Ten fingers and ten toes,” said Shields. “All is good.”
In the weeks following his return, Shields found his way back to range. Back to a place that was welcoming and familiar. Back to his career in the shooting sports. A journey that found him with the winning score for this year’s Irvine C. Porter Trophy match. “My heart was beating out of my chest. It was my second time in a shoot-off. The first one, ah, didn’t go so well.”
The Porter Trophy match is shot at the same time as the Leech Cup. Fired at 1,000 yards, shooters have 30 minutes to land 20 shots on target. And, as one might guess, the match is shot with a service rifle.
A competitive shooter since the age of fifteen, Shields has always been on the cusp of winning something big. He shot in high school, in college for Akron University, and now for the All Guard Team in Arkansas. But this, easily, is his biggest win. “I was shocked when I realized how well I was shooting here,” said Shields. “Once I realized I was thinking about it, I stopped thinking about it. Just focused on my front sight and tried to keep up with the wind.”
Amazing. Spectacular. Stunning. Awe-inspiring. You choose the superlatives — but this is one team shooting performance that will long be celebrated. Competing in the Herrick Trophy 1000-yard Team Match at the Long Range National Championships, the USAMU Praslick 4-member squad turned in a performance for the ages, posting a record-breaking 800-57X score. That means that every one of the four soldiers shot a perfect 200 at 1000 yards. And the X-count was impressive as well. Recently-crowned 2013 National High Power Champion SSG Brandon Green nailed 15 Xs, as did his USAMU team-mate SGT Amanda Elsenboss. Nearly as good, SSG Ty Cooper had 14 Xs to go with his 200 score, while SSG Shane Barnhart notched 13 Xs.
The team’s combined 800-57X score is a new National Record. We commend all four shooters and their wind coach SFC Emil Praslick III. Well-done Lady and Gentlemen. This was a truly superior display of long-range marksmanship! As one fellow shooter observed at Camp Perry: “This is one record that will likely stand for a long, long time.”
Story based on report by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog.
The second day of NRA’s National Long Range High Power Rifle Championships ended with members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at the top of the standings. But they’re not alone. A mere point or two behind are Nancy Tompkins and her daughter Michelle Gallagher. These civilian ladies have, in the past, captured a few National Long Range High Power Rifle titles of their own. The mother and daughter team are strongly positioned to challenge the Marksmanship Unit soldiers for the lead.
Two more days remain in the Long Range Championship. As the cool conditions continue, with a hint of rain on tomorrow’s forecast, the challenge will continue. Anything can happen (such as a cross-fire) that could completely re-shuffle the standings. Here is the “Leader Board” at the End of Day Two:
Long Range Nationals – Day 2 Range Report by Kelly Bachand
Today started with a lower velocity wind coming out of the south east. We shot 20 shots at 1000 yards as individuals then teamed up for a four man team match, again with 20 shots for each shooter. I shot fine in the morning getting a 198-5X; the winning score on my relay was a 198-10X I think. It was very hard to see the target first thing in the morning. The south eastern wind was only worth 30″-45″ of bullet drift (that’s about half of yesterday’s wind). In general the scores were a little lower today because the wind was a little trickier. While it was relatively constant in velocity, it changed direction quickly and subtly. That’s enough to give even the best shooters a 9 here and there. I don’t think there were any 200s shot with Palma rifles in the individual portion of the match today.
Right before the start of the team match the wind switched around and started coming from the north east with roughly the same velocity. I’m coaching a team made up of shooters from the United States Army Reserve team. Some of them are US Rifle Team members, and past Palma team members, really a bunch of great shooters. In a team match the coach is responsible to call the wind for each shot. Comparing this to a sniper/spotter setup the coach is the spotter and makes all the adjustments on the sights before giving the shooter the command to shoot. I did pretty good for the most part and kept my shooters in the middle the best I could. I was particularly excited to have coached one of the shooters to a perfect 200 — man that’s a great feeling!
Tomorrow (Monday) is a repeat of today with another 20 shots at 1000 for individual and then a four-man team match. After that the Palma match is up next. To read more of Kelly’s Reports from Camp Perry, visit KellysGunSales.com.
After two years away I’ve returned to the NRA Long Range Nationals at Camp Perry hoping to have lots of fun and shoot well. When I saw the wind coming from the East I was initially a little worried that it could be a wild day as from my memory of Camp Perry a relatively consistent wind from the West is the norm. The Eastern wind was actually pretty consistent today and some very good scores were shot.
A little background is in order you can follow the rest of this range report. When shooting at long range, the biggest variable the shooter must correctly account for is typically wind. Knowing this it makes sense that someone shooting in less severe wind could end up with a higher score than perhaps even a much better shooter who shoots in more severe wind conditions. Because of this, in order to win a trophy match at the NRA Long Range Nationals you have to win twice — you must first win your relay by having the highest score when compared to those who shot at the same time as you, then you must win the Shoot Off where you shoot against the top shooters from the other relays. This prevents someone from winning simply because they shot in an easier condition.
I shot my first 20-shot string at 1000 yards and scored a 198-9X out of a possible 200-20X. That means I had 9 shots inside a the 10″ X-Ring, 9 shots in the 20″ Ten-Ring, and 2 shots in the 30″ Nine-Ring. The wind was a little tricky, but as it turned out I had tied another shooter for the high score on our relay. I originally was not listed for the Shoot Off and I asked what tie break was used because I was simply curious. A few minutes later the referee came by and told me I was in the Shoot Off after all because I had the high score on the relay, the tie didn’t matter. I shot my second string next and the wind was trickier still starting with about 75” of drift and decreasing to about 50” at the end. I lost track of the wind at one point and shot an 8 making my total for the second string a 198-11X. That wasn’t good enough for the second Shoot Off.
Kelly Wins A Shoot Off in Palma Class with 100-5X
The Shoot Off consists of 3 practice shots and 10 shots for score. The Shoot Offs are made more spectator-friendly and many competitors gather around and watch as the trophies are won and lost. I reminded myself I was here to have fun, said a quick prayer, and got ready to shoot. I was focused. I only looked at my own target and I was very careful on my wind calls and on my shot execution. I finished and got off the line to see my score keeper giving me a thumbs up! I had shot a 100-5X and everyone else had already dropped at least one point so I had won! This first match was sponsored by Remington I believe and I’ll get a plaque and my picture taken with the trophy. (Note to Remington — I’ve always wanted a Remington 700).
This was a fun first day of the competition, I’m very glad to be able to shoot for Team Sinclair and I can’t help but smile when God’s blessed me with such a fun talent as shooting!
In one of the closest finishes in NRA High Power Championship history, SSG Brandon Green of the USAMU captured the 2013 National Title, besting defending champion Carl Bernosky by tie-breaker.
“It Doesn’t Get Any Tighter…” Says SSG Green
For years, the NRA High Power national title had always been just out of reach for SSG Brandon Green. But finally, in 2013, after four tense days of shooting, Brandon Green is a National Champion. “It feels extremely good,” Green said after receiving his National title at last night’s awards ceremony. “It was a very tight match the whole way through. The weather conditions were so difficult but everybody still shot well.”
Brandon would have had enough to worry about with just the weather, but throw in a neck-and-neck race with defending champion Carl Bernosky and things get nerve-racking. Green observed: “It doesn’t get any tighter than it was today. It was too tight. Too close. I got some gray hair over it,” Green laughed.
The fourth and final day of the championships began with Green and Bernosky each at 1789 points, but Green had six more tie-breaking Xs — 98 to 92. With three matches left to shoot, the two men were presented with an opportunity to break away from one another and add an additional 600 points to their scores. As the sun sat low in the early morning sky, competitors assembled at the 200-yard line for the first match, the Crescent Cup, whose 20 shots are taken slowly from the standing position. As fate would have it, both men stumbled during the match. Bernosky and Green each dropped four points and were now tied at 1985. Green managed to push his overall X-count lead to seven, posting eight to Bernosky’s seven.
The Cavalry Cup Match came next. Here, competitors would squeeze off 20 rapid-fire shots from 300 yards while in the prone position. Green and Bernosky both bounced back from their earlier tumbles and scored perfect 200s… once again remaining tied, this time at 2185. However, here in the Cavalry Cup, Bernosky was able to close the already-small gap between himself and Green. Scoring 14 Xs to Green’s 8 Xs, the two shooters would enter the final match with Bernosky down a single X.
“After watching [Bernosky] come off the 300-yard line with a 14X, I thought I was done,” Green said. “And then, of course, I shot a nine on my very first shot for record and knew I was done at that point.”
But Green didn’t buckle. He knew it would all come down to the Crowell Trophy, a slow-fire match shot in the prone position at 600 yards. Green would go on to finish the 20-shot match with all tens, posting a 199-12X. As it turns out, Bernosky had also dropped a point, scoring a 199, and had only shot 13 Xs – bringing the two to a dead tie. Their fate almost undeniably linked at this point, both shooters dropped a single point and scored 199s, cementing their tie-by-points at 2384 each. The winner would need to be determined by the X-Count. But Green, entering the match with a one-X lead over Bernosky, ended up with 12 Xs while Bernosky totalled 13 Xs. So the two men ended the final match tied with the exact same scores and same X-counts. Amazing.
After the final shot at the final yardage in the final match, both Green and Bernosky were tied with identical scores of 2384-126X. What now?
In order to break the tie, the two scores would be compared by how well each man shot from the 600-yard line. If the tie persisted, the comparison would move to scores from the 300-yard line. From there the 200-yard rapid fire scores would be compared, followed by the 200-yard slow-fire scores. If the men were still equally matched, the tie-breaker would eventually count the point values of the individual hits — starting back at 600 yards — until a winner was determined.
Accounting for all shots taken at 600 yards, both men had scored 597 points, however Green had 35 Xs and Bernosky had 34 Xs. That sealed it — SSG Brandon Green won the 2013 National High Power Champsionship by having one more X at 600 yards than Carl. This was the slimmest margin of victory seen in a long time, but Green is officially the 2013 NRA National High Power Rifle Champion — his first NRA High Power title after years of finishing so close. SSG Green was crowned the 2013 champion at Friday night’s award ceremony (photo above right).
Our buddy Shawn McKenna from Colorado Springs has made the pilgrimage to Camp Perry this year. McKenna, a talented service rifle and High Power shooter, captured some striking images during this week’s matches, including some beautiful photos taken in the early light.
Off to a Great Start
Shawn and his shooting companions have been doing well so far. At the team match, Shawn observed: “[It was a] great way to start the Team Match at Camp Perry 2013 with a call ‘X’ [for my team-mate]!”
Troy Lawton of Columbus, Georgia won the prestigious President’s Rifle Match this week at Camp Perry. This is a 40-shot (total) High Power Match that includes a pressure-packed 10-shot “Shoot-off”-format final stage. Lawton held onto the lead in the President’s Rifle Final stage shooting an aggregate score of 395-18X. Jared Perry, the 2012 President’s Rifle Match winner, finished 2nd with a 392-15X and Justin Utley, firing a 100-2X final stage, finished 3rd with a 392-11X. The cut-off score for the President’s Rifle 100 is 284-8X.
About the President’s Rifle Match
The President’s Rifle Match is a National Trophy Rifle Match. It was first fired in 1878 and was incorporated into the National Match program after the Nationals were established in 1903. The President’s Match became uniquely prestigious because it was modeled after the famous British Queen’s Prize Match and because the winner formerly received a letter of congratulations from the President of the United States.
In the President’s Rifle Match, all competitors fire 10 shots standing, 10 shots rapid prone and 10 shots prone slow fire to determine who makes the President’s 100. The top 20 shooters advance to a final where they fire a 10-shot stage at 600 yards directly in front of spectators. The exciting 20-marksman Finals Shoot-off now concludes the President’s Rifle Match. This enables shooters who are in contention for first place to finish the match together on the same range at the same time in front of their fellow competitors.
A record number of shooters attended this year’s Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) at Camp Perry July 27-28. The school involves class-room-style instruction by the U. S. Army Marksmanship Unit, on-the-range coaching by military service rifle shooters and 200-yard practice firing. Classroom instruction and practice firing was held on Saturday, 27 July. Students then competed in the Excellence in Competition (EIC) match fired Sunday Morning, 28 July. By competing in the EIC match, students could earn points toward a Distinguished Rifle Badge. (There is also a SAFS Pistol program and match.) See highlights from the SAFS (and EIC match) in the short video below.
Story based on report by Lars Dalseide forNRABlog.
This week prone shooters are competing at the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships at Camp Perry. First on the agenda was the Metallic Sights Match. Shot at distances of up to 100 yards, the Metallic Championship is the aggregate of six separate matches fired over a two-day period. Courses of fire include a Dewar course (20 shots at 50 yards and 20 shots at 100 yards), 40 shots at 50 meters, and 400 shots at 100 yards.
NRABlog Archive Photo of Reya Kempley in an “Any Sights” Prone Match at Camp Perry.
Coming out on top, with a score of 2400-202X (‘X’ stands for bullseyes) was New York’s Reya Kempley. This talented young lady beat all the men, including top marksmen from the USAMU. Congrats to Reya for an outstanding performance. Here are the top five smallbore metallic sights competitors:
NRA Smallbore Prone Rifle
Metallic Sights
Place
Name
Score
1
Reya Kempley
2400-202x
2
Eric Uptagrafft
2399-194x
3
Michael Seery
2399-187x
4
Michael Mcphail
2399-186x
5
Joseph Hein
2398-193x
Smallbore 3P Photo Gallery
Earlier this week the Smallbore Three-Position Matches were held at Camp Perry. Here are 3P “any sights” and metallic sights event photos from the GOnraMedia Archive:
Amazing. Spectacular. Stunning. Awe-inspiring. You choose the superlatives — but this is one team shooting performance that will long be celebrated. Competing in the Herrick Trophy 1000-yard Team Match at the Long Range National Championships, the USAMU Praslick 4-member squad turned in a performance for the ages, posting a record-breaking 800-57X score. That means that every one of the four soldiers shot a perfect 200 at 1000 yards. And the X-count was impressive as well. Recently-crowned 2013 National High Power Champion SSG Brandon Green nailed 15 Xs, as did his USAMU team-mate SGT Amanda Elsenboss. Nearly as good, SSG Ty Cooper had 14 Xs to go with his 200 score, while SSG Shane Barnhart notched 13 Xs.
After two years away I’ve returned to the NRA Long Range Nationals at Camp Perry hoping to have lots of fun and shoot well. When I saw the wind coming from the East I was initially a little worried that it could be a wild day as from my memory of Camp Perry a relatively consistent wind from the West is the norm. The Eastern wind was actually pretty consistent today and some very good scores were shot.
The fourth and final day of the championships began with Green and Bernosky each at 1789 points, but Green had six more tie-breaking Xs — 98 to 92. With three matches left to shoot, the two men were presented with an opportunity to break away from one another and add an additional 600 points to their scores. As the sun sat low in the early morning sky, competitors assembled at the 200-yard line for the first match, the Crescent Cup, whose 20 shots are taken slowly from the standing position. As fate would have it, both men stumbled during the match. Bernosky and Green each dropped four points and were now tied at 1985. Green managed to push his overall X-count lead to seven, posting eight to Bernosky’s seven.
After the final shot at the final yardage in the final match, both Green and Bernosky were tied with identical scores of 2384-126X. What now?
