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July 6th, 2009
 Carl Bernosky, 8-time winner of the Camp Perry National High Power Championships, will be switching back to a bolt gun for the 2009 competition. Last year, Carl shot an AR15-based spacegun built on Smith & Wesson M&P15 components. With that rifle, Carl became the first competitor to win the Camp Perry High Power Championship shooting an AR15-type semi-auto.
But this year Carl will be shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor CSR-1 TubeGun from Creedmoor Sports. Based on a TubeGun Chassis and buttstock by Gary Eliseo (of Competition Shooting Stuff), the CSR-1 features a Pierce Precision Rem 700-clone receiver, and a 28″ Broughton barrel.
Both the buttstock and the handguard are adjustable to suit the shooter. The handguard/float tube can rotate 15 degrees from center in either direction, allowing the shooter to adjust his desired rifle cant. The 4-way buttstock adjusts for length-of-pull, cant, buttpad height and offset. There is an adjustable cheekpiece and even two 4.8-ounce removeable weights to allow precise balancing of the rig.
The CSR-1 is offered in five (5) chamberings: 308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6XC, and .223 Rem. At Camp Perry, Carl Bernosky will be shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor version of the rifle, using Hornady components.
CLICK HERE to learn more about specs and features of CSR-1 ($3750.00 complete).
July 2nd, 2009
The 2009 National Junior Air Gun Championship, held at the CMP’s high-tech Camp Perry indoor Marksmanship Training Center, has been a huge success. The 3-day event has drawn nearly 290 competitors from 27 states to Camp Perry, Ohio. Shooters have traveled from as far as Hawaii and Alaska to shoot against other top juniors in the country. Winners will be honored at an awards banquet, scheduled for July 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Shooters may enter either the Sporter or Precision class based on the type of rifle and equipment they use, and are then grouped into categories according to age: Sub-Junior (Age 14 and under); Junior (age 18-20); and Intermediate Junior (Age 15-17). There is no age minimum to compete at NJAGC, and this year there are competitors as young as 12 years old. The rules for this year’s championship break with years past. For the 2009 competition, there are no entry requirements; every junior shooter is welcome to compete.
The National Junior Air Gun Championship (NJAGC) isn’t just about competing for this year’s title — it’s also about learning to improve and advance in the shooting sports. A training summit is held each year in conjunction with the NJAGC to help competitors, coaches, and parents learn how to train properly, as well as to introduce young shooters to future opportunities.
Report from NRABlog.com. Photos courtesy ODCMP.com.
June 13th, 2009
 One of the more distinctive trophies awarded each year at Camp Perry, the DuPont Trophy is a European bronze casting which depicts a medieval military bowman with arrow drawn, ready for its flight. The trophy was donated to the NRA in 1923 by the E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company.
Each year, the DuPont Trophy is awarded at the Camp Perry National High Power Championships to the top Aggregate score of the Members’ Trophy, Scott Trophy, Coast Artillery Trophy, Army Cup, Navy Cup, Coast Guard Trophy, Marine Corps Cup, Air Force Cup, Crescent Cup, Appreciation Cup, Cavalry Cup, and Crowell Trophy Matches. Collectively, these matches represent a total of 240 shots.
Last year, the winner was then-Specialist Tyrell L. Cooper of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). Ty Cooper won with a score of 2362-101X. Cooper, who was recently promoted to Sergeant, started shooting High Power at the ripe old age of 14 and stands ready to face past champions like McMahon, Hooper, Watson and Demille.
 Listed below are the DuPoint Trophy winners for the past decade, along with their winning scores:
1998 SSgt Grant L. Singley, USA 2372-112X
1999 SSgt Julia L. Watson, USMC 2361-110X
2000 MSgt Harry D. Harrison, USMCR 2369-101X
2001 SFC Grant L. Singley, USA 2371-109X
2002 SFC Kevin McMahon, USA 2333-90X
2003 CWO Dennis Demille, USMC 2372-102X
2004 James C. Fox, 2366-80X
2005 GySgt Julia L. Watson, USMCR 2366-93X
2006 SFC Lance S. Hopper, USA 2366-114X
2007 Nick O. Till *1764-73X
2008 SPC Tyrell L. Cooper, USA 2362-101X
* Aggregate shortened due to weather
June 7th, 2009
 For high-schoolers, summer vacation is right around the corner. If you have a junior shooter in the family, here’s a great opportunity. The NRA’s Training Department will conduct Junior Pistol and Smallbore Rifle Camps this summer at Camp Perry, Ohio. The camps are open to intermediate-level pistol or smallbore rifle shooters ages 12 to 18. But get your application in soon — both camps are filling up.
| Pistol Camp | Rifle Camp |
The NRA Junior Pistol Camp will be held July 14-17, 2009. The NRA Junior Smallbore Rifle Camp, which provides instruction in 3-position and 4-position smallbore rifle shooting, will be held July 25-30, 2009. Each camp costs $175.00 for advanced registration (must be received before June 15, 2009) or $200.00 for standard registration (paperwork received after June 15, 2009). Space is limited. First-time campers are eligible for tuition and travel reimbursements up to $500.00 per individual and up to a total of $5000.00 for the entire camp.
Taught by NRA Certified Coaches, both camps provide expert instruction in the fundamentals of shooting while providing a safe, enjoyable learning experience. “These camps are an excellent way for young rifle and pistol shooters to hone their current skills while learning new methods and techniques to improve their competitive shooting abilities,” said Bill Poole, Director of NRA’s Education and Training Division.
Log on to the NRA website for registration paperwork, or call Chris Thacker (703) 267-1481 for more information.
May 29th, 2009
 As the start of Camp Perry draws closer, we’d thought you might want to learn the history behind the trophies awarded at the National Shooting Championships. First on the agenda is the Leech Cup. The trophy is awarded to the highest-scoring competitor in one of the 1000-yard events at Camp Perry. The Leech Cup winner is determined through a 10-shot shoot off, after shooting 20 shots at 1000 yards slow-fire prone. The Leech Cup was once the only 1000-yard “any rifles” match shot with iron sights at the National Championships. Currently, there are five matches, held over four days, which count towards the National Long-Range Championship. The overall winner of these five matches receives the Thompkins Trophy as the National Long-Range Champion.
 The Leech Cup, awarded during the National Matches at Camp Perry every year, is the oldest trophy offered today in competitive target shooting in the United States. Its history reaches back well over a century into the first days of the NRA itself.
In 1873, the Irish Rifle Team, flush with victory after their first win in the British National Rifle Championships, were anxious to embellish their worldwide reputation and challenged America to field a team in the spirit of international friendship. The group to answer their challenge was the Amateur Rifle Club of New York, which picked up the gauntlet and managed to beat the heavily-favored Irish at the NRA’s Creedmoor Range on Long Island in September, 1874. The American who cemented his team’s 1874 victory was Colonel John Bodine, who, needing only a hit on target to win, scored a 4-point bullseye with his last shot.
To commemorate the event, the Irish team captain, Major Arthur Blennerhassett Leech, presented the Americans with a handsomely ornate sterling silver tankard –- The Leech Cup. A masterpiece of the Irish silvermaker’s art as practiced in the Victorian period, it is heavily-embossed and surmounted by a representation of an ancient tower in ruins. The trophy has been an award for long range marksmanship ever since the “International Rifle Match” between the Irish and the Americans. The Leech Cup was presented to the NRA by the Amateur Rifle Club of New York in 1901. It was lost after the National Matches of 1913, and went missing for 14 years until being recovered in 1927.
Story courtesy NRA Blog.
February 15th, 2009
From February 12th through the 28th, Camp Perry hosts more than 500 high school Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cadets from across the US and Department of Defense Schools overseas. The cadets will be competing in the All Service Air Rifle Championships to determine Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force JROTC national individual and team champions. In addition, the top competitors in each championship will advance to the National JROTC Air Rifle Championship at Fort Benning, Georgia in March.
Camp Perry’s new Marksmanship Center facilities are comparable to the best airgun ranges in the world (such as those in Beijing and Munich) that host International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) competitions. Gary Anderson, CMP’s Director of Civilian Marksmanship, said, “our state-of-the-art air rifle range [is] the finest facility of this type in the entire Western Hemisphere.”
The JROTC competition process started last November when nearly 7,000 cadets and 1,200 JROTC unit teams began firing on CMP-provided postal targets at their home ranges. The CMP then used its Orion Visual Imaging Scoring system to scan and score the 21,800 10-bullseye paper targets electronically.
Competitors in the JROTC Championships will fire with either “precision” or “sporter” class air rifles. In general, precision rifles are high tech and feature adjustable stocks and triggers, internal rechargeable air tanks or CO2 cylinders, etc. Sporter rifles are low-cost, conventional appearing air rifles without specialized adjustments, but they also utilize air or CO2 cylinders to power their projectiles. The competition entails 60-shot three-position events to be fired on two successive days. Each day, competitors will fire 20 shots each in prone, standing and kneeling positions at bullseye targets placed at 10 meters.
For more information, visit the CMP website at www.ODCMP.com. Some of the JROTC Air Rifle matches will be “webcast” on the internet.
November 12th, 2008
On November 15, 2008, the Ohio National Guard and the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will host an Open House at the newly completed Camp Perry indoor shooting facility. All shooters and interested persons are welcome. You can even test your marksmanship skills on the CMP’s new Olympic-style electronic targets.
The new, state-of-the-art Marksmanship Center features the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s 80-firing point, 10-meter electronic target air rifle range. Visitors can participate in a free match with a chance to win a turkey, courtesy of the CMP. Every half-hour, the lucky participant who shoots the best center-shot on the 10-meter targets will take home a Thanksgiving turkey just in time for the holiday. Visitors will be treated to hot dogs and refreshments and will have an opportunity to watch Beijing Olypmics shooting videos and purchase CMP sales items.
 
The Marksmanship Center also features the National Guard’s Engagement Skills Trainer (EST), a marksmanship simulator used for both military small arms and crew-served weapons. The Ohio Army National Guard will give demonstrations of the EST and allow visitors to take part in the training, which involves interactive viewing screens (like a life-size video game). Camp Perry is located approximately five miles west of Port Clinton on Ohio State Highway 2. For more info, call (419) 635-2141 or go to www.odcmp.com and click on the OPEN HOUSE icon.
August 13th, 2008
John Whidden won the 2008 NRA Long-Range Championship with an impressive 1239-65X score. This was the second straight Long-Range win for phenomenally skilled but modest Georgia-based shooter, who also took the title in 2007. On the way to the overall win, Whidden also captured the Canadian Cup (848-49X) and the Leech Cup (200-15X).
The NRA Long-Range Championship went down to the wire. Whidden secured the victory on X-count, with an edge of eight Xs over runner-up Robert Gustin of California who finished with 1239-57X. (Gustin was also high Senior.) Army Shooter Sgt. Brandon Green finished third at 1238-64X, just one point behind. Nancy Tompkins, popular author of the Prone and Long-Range Rifle Shooting book, was the top female shooter, posting 1231-59X.
After winning the 2007 NRA Long-Range Championship, John Whidden provided the following commentary to AccurateShooter.com (John regularly posts in our Shooters’ Forum). We’re not sure if he changed his equipment this year–we’ll provide updates on that as soon as possible.
Winning Camp Perry and the Mental Game
Winning the National Championship is a long-time goal realized. For me, being the National Champion was the single biggest shooting goal I had. I’m not sure exactly what will be my next shooting goal yet. If I had to summarize the mental game at this level of competition in one word, I would probably choose the word “Confidence”. You have to have the highest level of confidence in your skills, your rifle, and your ammo. There can’t be even a shadow of a doubt that all of your equipment is the best there is. No detail can be left undone.
Confidence is a far-reaching idea. It includes little things like making sure you have all of your equipment with you through the use of a checklist. Anything you can do to give yourself a higher level of confidence is worth doing.
Long-Range Hardware
In NRA Long Range, we shoot “Any Sight Rifles” and Palma rifles. The Palma rifles have to be .308s and they have to use Iron sights. The Any Rifles are used at different times with iron sights or scopes. They are also fairly unrestricted, as long as they are safe, .35 cal or under, and have no muzzle brake.
For the Any Rifle matches [in 2007], I shot rifles chambered in .243 Win. My iron sight gun is a Winchester M70 action, Broughton 1-8 twist 5C barrel, Anschutz trigger, Robertson Original stock, and Warner rear sight. My scope gun is a Stolle Panda action with an Anschutz trigger, Broughton 1-8 twist 5C barrel, Roberston Composites Original stock, and a Nightforce 8-32x BR scope. All of my rifles are proud products of the Whidden Gunworks custom shop. I shoot the same load in each: Berger moly coated 105 grain VLDs, Vihtavuori N160, Lapua brass, and PMC (Russian) primers.
August 10th, 2008
This week, Carl Bernosky captured his second straight NRA National High Power Championship at Camp Perry, Ohio. That is 9 championships in 14 tries for Bernosky. 11-time NRA High Power Champion David Tubb was second. Carl scored 2384-118X shooting his 6mm Hagar* in an AR-based “spacegun”. This back-to-back victory, Bernosky’s NINTH Camp Perry High Power Championship, establishes the modest Pennsylvanian as one of the greatest rifle shooters of our generation. Carl also won the Vandenburg Cup, and took second in the McCann Trophy Match, which was won by David Tubb. Tubb’s remarkable 1200-81X score broke the previous McCann Trophy Match record, set by David in 2003. Good Shooting David! Norman Houle took the Clarke Trophy Match, followed by David Tubb.
Final Standings Decided by X-Count
The National High Power Championship was tightly contested, with David Tubb and PFC Sherri Hurd “in the hunt” thoughout the match. Tubb and Hurd finished the 2008 National Championship with identical 2375 scores. The X-Count was used as the tie-breaker; David prevailed with 127X compared to Hurd’s 94X. Sherri was the top Service shooter and top woman. Fourth place was also decided by X-count tie-breaker, with Ronald Zerr edging Norman Houle by a single ‘X’.
Tyrel Cooper won the Service Rifle Championship with a 2362-101 score. The next four places, in order, were: Ron Fleischhacker (2359-79), Shawn McKenna (2358-83), Grant Singley (2351-94), and Daniel Duitsman (2350-89).
NRA Websites Offer More Info on Camp Perry Matches
For complete match results, visit the NRA Championships Results Page. Daily reports from NRA correspondents on the scene are offered on the new Camp Perry Live Blog.
*The 6mm Hagar resembles a 6.8 SPC with a .100″ longer body, 30-degree shoulder, and greater case capacity. It has a .420 rim diameter, and is formed from .30 Remington brass.
July 24th, 2008
 Up-to-date results of the NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships are available online at the NRA website. The Pistol events are concluded, the Smallbore (rimfire) 3-position matches finished on July 18, and the Smallbore prone events will wrap up today, July 24. The High Power Rifle Championships commence August 4th.
CLICK HERE for current Camp Perry Results
Daily updates, complete with interviews with shooters, are being published on the new NRA BLOG. This blog, with daily entries from two correspondents at Camp Perry, features plenty of photos, late-breaking news, a full schedule of events, and links of special interest. You should check it out.
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