This summer the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will host Smallbore and Air Gun events during the annual CMP National Matches in Port Clinton, Ohio. The National Matches, held at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Base since 1907, is conducted through a partnership between the CMP and the Ohio National Guard. All events are open to the public, with spectators allowed.

The National Smallbore and National Air Gun phases run in tandem, along with the National Pistol series, to allow athletes the option of competing in a variety of disciplines during their Camp Perry visit. Additional Aggregate events have been included for those firing in air rifle and three-position smallbore competitions, with challenging elimination team matches also part of the Air Gun and Smallbore schedules.

CLICK HERE to Register for Smallbore National Matches »

This year’s rimfire (smallbore) matches are scheduled for July 9-19, 2025. There will be iron sights and “any sights” (scoped) prone events as well as 3×20 (three-position) individual and team matches. All smallbore events are held on Camp Perry’s Petrarca Range, featuring a covered firing line and CMP’s own outdoor electronic targets. See below:

Air Rifle and Air Pistol Events at Camp Perry
For air rifle and air pistol competitors can attend the National Air Gun Championships, held on the electronic target range within the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center. There will be two days of training sessions, followed by two days of 60-shot competitions. The Air Rifle events will run July 10-13, while Air Pistol will follow on July 14-17.

About the CMP National Matches:
The 2025 CMP National Matches will include the CMP National Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches, National Games Matches, National Smallbore Matches, National Air Gun Championships, and the National Mid-Range and Long Range Matches. The month-long summer series also includes a variety of educational clinics for all experience levels.

To learn more about the upcoming CMP National Matches and review the National Matches schedule, visit the CMP website at thecmp.org/cmp-national-matches.

Team Berger shooter John Whidden of Whidden Gunworks topped the field to win this year’s Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Smallbore Prone National Championship at Camp Perry. Whidden, who hails from Nashville, Georgia, was named the Prone 6400 Aggregate Champion after firing a score of 6379-449X. During his route to the Aggregate win, Whidden also earned third overall in the Iron (Metallic) Sight Championship and second in the Any Sight match.

The National Prone Championships featured two days of both Iron Sight and Any Sight events (four days overall) for adults and juniors. Each day included four stages of fire at 50 yards, 50 meters, and 100 yards.

The 2022 CMP National Smallbore Matches were held at prestigious Camp Perry National Guard training facility on the shores of Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio. The matches started July 19th with a Small Arms Firing School for new competitors, and concluded after eight days of competition from July 20-27. These Smallbore disciplines were fired over the eight days of competition:

July 20 – Three Position Iron Sight Championship
July 21 – Three Position Any Sight Championship
July 22 – Junior Team Match, Three Position Team Championship
July 23 – Prone Metallic Sight Championship Day 1
July 24 – Prone Metallic Sight Championship Day 2
July 25 – Prone Elimination Final & Prone Team Championship
July 26 – Prone Any Sight Championship Day 1
July 27 – Prone Any Sight Championship Day 2

The Smallbore Prone National Championship is decided over four days of firing 160 rounds per day for a possible 6,400 score. Whidden finished first with a 6,379-449X, followed by Antonio Gross in 2nd scoring a 6,371-412X, and Larry Parker medaling 3rd with 6,362-413X.

Whidden stated, “The CMP ran a great match as they always do. The wind and the elements were enough to keep us on our toes. I was really pleased with the performance of the Lapua Midas+ rimfire ammunition throughout the match!”

CLICK HERE for complete results of the 2022 CMP National Smallbore Matches. Hundreds of photos of the CMP 20222 Smallbore events can be viewed on the CMP Zenfolio website.

About Lapua Ammunition and Berger Bullets
Lapua manufactures high-quality rimfire ammunition and Berger manufactures precision projectiles and match-grade ammunition for Target, Hunting and Tactical applications. Berger is part of the Capstone Precision Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Bergerbullets.com.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) now offers Podcasts! The CMP will release a series of informative Audio Podcasts throughout 2021 (and beyond). This is part of the effort to help shooters improve their skills and learn more about the shooting sports.

Podcast episodes will cover a variety of topics, including CMP facilities and upcoming competitions. There will also be interviews with top shooters and shooting sports industry professionals. The first Podcast was released on 1/23/2021. In that episode, Brad Donoho, CMP smallbore manager, talks about the history of CMP Smallbore Rifle Competition and how the program has evolved. Click below to listen. The next Podcast (Coming Soon) will cover the Talladega Marksmanship Park.

CMP Podcasts can be accessed via the CMP website or through the CMP Buzzsprout link at CMPPodcasts.buzzsprout.com. Completed podcasts will also be hosted on YouTube, as shown below:

PODCAST TOPICS Wanted – If you have topics you would like to see covered on the CMP podcasts, or specific questions answered, contact Ashley at abrugnone@thecmp.org. She will pass on your comments to the programming team.

Among other topics, Marksmanship training will be covered on the podcasts

One of the most important responsibilities of the CMP is to train and educate citizens. Since 1996, the CMP has implemented new ways of fulfilling this purpose through additional programs, competitions and publications. For 2021, the CMP introduces the new CMP Podcast series, with the goal of increasing Marksmanship knowledge through the USA.

The CMP runs pistol competitions as well as rifle events.

About the Civilian Marksmanship Program
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition. For more information about CMP programs, visit TheCMP.org.