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July 19th, 2014
 Tyrel Cooper of Creedmoor Sports will be competing at Camp Perry this summer. A past member of the USAMU, Cooper’s shooting resume includes five national championships (one each in 2008, 2011, 2012, and two in 2013). He is the current (2013) NRA National Long Range Champion, and reigning (2013) NRA National Service Rifle Champion. In this article, Cooper offers advice to other competitive shooters.
Below is a 2012 file photo of SSG Ty Cooper shooting a service rifle. Cooper won the 2013 NRA National High Power Rifle Long Range Championships with a final score of 1243-71X. In the Long Range Championships, Cooper used a Nesika-actioned bolt gun with long barrel chambered in 7mm SAUM.
Mental Preparation
by Tyrel Cooper
Getting focused mentally is an important part of preparation for Perry. I have shot two long range team matches and a no-sighter, 50-shot across-the-course match since last Perry — that’s it. So I expect to be a little rusty but at the same time I am preparing myself to win mentally. I am telling myself “I am the 2014 Nation Champion”. Now my goal hasn’t been to be the Service Rifle National Champion; no, my goal the last 4 years has been to be the overall National Champion and do it with a Service Rifle. Now I haven’t achieved that goal and with today’s rifles and calibers it might never happen. The purpose of this goal is to look past a service rifle and go after everyone.
 In 2011 I was chasing Sherri Gallagher, since then I have been chasing Brandon Green and last year almost got him. If I get beat by a Service Rifle I am going to make him or her work for it. So there is your peak into my mental process. I go for the top and if I am hanging with them then the Service Rifle National Championship will come, Kind of like how I shoot for X’s and Tens will come.
Now I understand everyone is at different levels. You have to figure out what your goals are and then lie to yourself that you’ve already achieved them. Here is a trick that I used back in 2008: When I was a kid just starting out, my Dad made me read several books on shooting. One of them being With Winning In Mind by Lanny Bassham. One of the things I remember from his book is that he would make notes and place them where he would see them often. They contained his goals or stated he was already a world champion. I took a page from his book and did the same thing.
I made 3×5 cards and wrote my personal best 500 and 800 aggregate scores and taped on the horn of my truck, above the radio in my truck, on my laptop and a few other places I would see them often. Every time I saw those I would tell myself that I average those scores and I would get used to seeing them. By doing this you are lying to yourself to overcome the mental blocks the subconscious mind lays out for you.
I went from my worst year in 2007 to winning my first National Championship in 2008. I kind of slacked off in 2009 because I had reached my goals and didn’t set new ones and it showed, so I had to find new goals and motivation which I did and that pushed me back to the top.
Long story short, this is a mental sport and you have to figure out what you need to do to perform at your highest levels and breaking through those mental road blocks. You have to figure out how to get yourself to relax and control your mind keeping calm when you are shooting a personal best, either standing or on the day.
Here is a tip from my mental process from shooting. First I shoot for Xs, I took the line from the movie The Patriot and applied it to my shooting, “Aim small, miss small” and it is true. If you accept wide shots then you will keep shooting wide shots.
| Slow, Solid, Smooth, Center
Always focus on the positive and good shots, and what you did physically and mentally, when you shot them. When I am nervous and need to calm myself down I tell myself: slow, solid, smooth, center.
Slow
I want my movement to be slow… I can shoot tens and Xs all day with slow movement.
Solid
Solid like a rock, a rock doesn’t move and that’s how I want my positions. By saying solid it reminds me to go through my little checks to make sure I am doing what I need to do make that happen.
Smooth
Smooth — that is my trigger word for smooth movement. You don’t want fast choppy movement but slow and smooth. This also reminds me to be smooth on the trigger. You can be smooth-fast or you can be smooth-slow but you have to be smooth and most people aren’t when they think they are. Just before leaving the USAMU, I walked up and down the line of five shooters during a rapid fire string and only one of them was smooth with their trigger control. It’s the second most important thing when it comes to shooting.
Center
This reminds me that I want my shots in the middle. It is just a positive reinforcement of where I want my shots to go. I shoot a reverse flat tire so it also kind of reminds me as to what I am looking for. |
Organizing Your Gear
[This year] I have all new gear, a new place, and I am creating a new system. Coming from the Army Marksmanship Unit, I had years to develop and refine my system from my daily routines, to my gear, and to my set-up process. I wanted to share with you a little bit of what I am going through right now.
I went and shot a match at [Fort] Benning a few weekends ago and I had more issues with my gear and system than I did with the act of shooting, it was frustrating and I didn’t like it one bit. So in my preparation for Perry, I took all of my gear apart in my living room and started over. I went through as if I was going to shoot a match; placing gear where I wanted it in or on my Creedmoor Range Cart. There is a lot to be said for having a system and not having to worry about where your gear is or isn’t. Once I got all of my gear in place, I put my new Ron Brown Sling on my rifle and dry fired a little bit. Worked on sitting and prone to figure out what sling notches I would need to use and how my new glove/mitt combination would work. My gear is set and ready to go in my living room, and even though I am not leaving until Sunday, I am setting all the shooting gear and equipment aside to make sure I have everything I need.
If you don’t have a system with your gear where everything has its place or certain spot, then I would suggest you start working on one. When it comes to a match, you don’t want to be searching for something or worrying if it was forgotten at home.
If you have a good system, it allows you to focus on the important things such as how to get your mind in your little bubble, working on what you need to think about to shoot Xs, and thinking about whatever reminders you need to think about to get you to perform at your highest level.
My reminder that I ask myself when I am setting up my gear either in my living room or getting ready to head down range is this: Scope, mat, rifle, stool, jacket, sweatshirt, sling, glove, ammo, mags, data book, and ear plugs. This is the most important stuff that I can’t shoot a match without. I always have extra pens, flags and small stuff in my stool.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
June 19th, 2014
Phase I Nearing Completion at CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
Construction continues at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park as Phase I has reached 95% completion. The first phase is expected to be complete in September 2014. Clearing of brush, trees and other natural foliage is 100% complete, with 95% of the 600,000 cubic yards of dirt moved. The only earth that remains to be moved is in the action pistol bay areas. The second phase of the project is expected to be complete in March 2015, with the range’s official opening to the public in April 2015.
Berms have taken shape as 95% of the 600,000 cubic yards of crimson Alabama dirt has been moved.
This concrete slab will be home to the CMP Clubhouse. The building will overlook the 600-yard range.
Phase II of the project is around 10% finished, with pavement down on the main entrance road and the concrete foundation for the main building complete. It may be another month before workers begin to stand steel and pour concrete slabs for the other buildings on the property. Workers are also preparing to place footings on the 600-yard range.
The 600-yard and 300-yard ranges will be equipped with state-of-the-art, all-weather electronic targets.
 Electronic Targets at Talladega
Back at CMP’s south offices, the state-of-the-art electronic targets that will be featured at the new park have been under construction. The wooden frames for the 600-yard range are already complete, while construction on the 300-yard frames will soon be underway.
The electronically-powered target lifters are being crafted in Ohio. Once completed, the frames and the lifters will be attached to rubber-faced targets that will be able to withstand all weather conditions and multiple shots. The targets resemble the electronic targets used at CMP’s air gun ranges, only on a much, much larger scale.
An aerial view shows the trees that will serve as natural dividers between each range.
The main goal of the new park will be to provide a place where beginning and experienced marksmen can practice firearm safety through clinics and courses, as well as participate in CMP Games matches. The park will also be open for year-round open public shooting. Mark Johnson, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, reports: “It’s impressive. It’s going to be a lot more impressive looking with the grass, the woods and the rolling hills. People are going to really like it.”
May 18th, 2014
Creedmoor Sports will be producing high-quality loaded ammunition very soon. This will be crafted with top-quality bullets, and premium-grade Lapua brass. General Manager Dennis DeMille tells us: “We received four pallets of brass today and we have 13,005 pounds of powder waiting for production.”
Here’s a preview of what will be on the market very soon:
Oh, the beauty of it — all that Lapua brass. From Finland with love….
What does 13,005 pounds (6.5 tons) of powder look like? That would last most reloaders a few seasons. Hoarders, eat your hearts out….
March 20th, 2014
 High Power and F-Class shooters have a ton of gear they need to carry out to the firing lines. To do the hauling, you can certainly purchase a factory-made, purpose-built cart that folds up and has all the bells and whistles. The Creedmoor Sports CRC-1 (photo right) is a proven, quality product that works great. You’ll find these used by top shooters at Camp Perry. But the Creedmoor CRC-1 cart costs $499.95.
For a tenth that price ($49.99), plus a few dollars more for do-it-yourself enhancements, you can have a heavy-duty cart that will haul all your gear just fine, though it doesn’t fold up.
 Check out the Harbor Freight Welding Cart, item #65939. This cart is ON SALE right now for just $49.99. Overall size is 29-1/2″ L x 20″ W x 49″ H, and width between side rails is 18″. The wheels (with tires) are 20 3/4″ in diameter for smooth rolling. Consider that, if you made your own cart from scratch you could easily pay $30.00 or more just for the large-diameter wheels and axle. Do note — this cart has air-filled tires. Be sure to inflate before you go to the Range!
As sold, the Harbor Freight Welding Cart isn’t ideal for range use. But with a few bungee cords (and some creativity), the cart can be adapted pretty easily to hauling your gun gear. Check out this example we saw at the Berger Southwest Nationals. It’s carrying a rifle in hard gun case, bipod, folding chair, shooting mat, tripod, spotting scope, rear sand-bag, and ammo box. If you want to enhance the basic cart, it’s easy to add plastic side-panels on the bottom unit, and fit a barrel-holding system on the cross-tube. This ensures rifles and gear won’t flop forward. (A small piece of wood under the bottom panel provides a bit of extra lift that will keep the bottom plate out of the dirt and gravel.)
Click Photos Below to Zoom
 
How to Upgrade Welding Cart for Range Use
Get a block of hard foam rubber. Cut keyhole slots in the rubber to grip the barrel and umbrella/scope stands. Mount the rubber block to the cross piece with self-tapping screws, or drill a horizontal channel in the rubber so the whole block fits over the cross-tube. On the lowest leading edge of the welding cart box (at ground level, front), fit a block of wood 2″ high (you can also fabricate metal extensions). This will make the cart lean back a little more, which helps stabilize the contents on sloping terrain.
 You may want to enclose the sides of the bottom box area so small items don’t fall out. You can tack-weld aluminum side-plates if you want a fancy appearance. I prefer to just cut sheet plastic from a home improvement store. These plastic panels can be attached with screws or even zip-ties around tubing.
Run the plastic side panels up high enough that stuff like hats and muffs don’t fall out. After transport you can transfer ammo boxes and small items to the upper box (attached to the back side of the cross-tube).
The hardest component to find may be the hard rubber blocks for the barrel keeper, but you can also make a barrel-holding block out of wood, with some carpet to protect the barrels. The nice thing about the rubber is that it can be cut to snap over the barrels so you don’t need straps. Likewise, you can drill a hole transversely through the rubber, then slot it from the bottom and it will slide over the horizontal tubing with no fasteners needed.
Comment: This cart is heavy and it takes up a lot of space. You’ll need a station wagon, SUV or pickup truck to haul it around. But it’s cheap. The money you save on a range cart could pay for a new Krieger or Bartlein barrel, AND some new brass. Those things (new barrel and brass) will likely improve your scores more than having a fancy $500.00 range cart.
December 22nd, 2013
Christmas is just a few days away. If your’re looking for a good gift for a serious shooter, consider a book. A well-written book can serve as a valued resource for many years. Right now Creedmoor Sports is running a special Holiday Sale on many popular book titles. Here are 12 book items on sale, and you’ll find more discounted books at CreedmoorSports.com.
Shooting Books on Sale at Creedmoor Sports
Shots Fired In Anger, $20.00 on Sale
(Reg. $27.95), Item BK-SFA
Hatcher’s Book of the Garand, $24.00 on Sale
(Reg. $29.95), Item BK-HBG
Ways of the Rifle, $59.00 on Sale
(Reg. $74.95), Item C1289
Handloading for Competition, $31.00 on Sale
(Reg. $34.95), Item C1286
David Tubb’s Highpower Rifle, $24.00 on Sale
(Reg. $29.95), Item C1251 |
Service Rifle Slings, $13.00 on Sale
(Reg. $14.95), Item BK-SRS
Air Rifle Shooting, $59.00 on Sale
(Reg. $73.95), Item AHG3980
Precision Shooting with M1 Garand,
$9.00 on Sale, (Reg. $12.95), Item C1270
Mental Training in Shooting, $39.00 on Sale
(Reg. $48.95) Item AHG8299
Slings and Things, $18.00 on Sale
(Reg. $19.95), Item BK-SAT |
December 20th, 2013
Here’s good news for target shooters and hunters — there’s a new supplier of quality, match-grade ammo. Creedmoor Sports will be manufacturing .30-06, .308 Win, and .223 Rem ammunition beginning in May of 2014. It will be sold as “Creedmoor Ammo”, with hunting and match versions.
Help Design the Box — Get a Free CASE of Ammunition
Creedmoor Sports is looking for help designing the packaging for its new ammo line. If you successfully come up with the best graphics to be printed on the box, you’ll receive a cases of ammunition. Dennis DeMille, Creedmoor’s General Manager explains: “The person whose artwork we use, or slight variation thereof, will receive their choice of the very first case of one of those three calibers of ammunition.” Dennis adds: “Look at these boxes as your blank canvas. The ammunition, all calibers, will be in boxes of 50, and in cases of 100 (two boxes of 50)”.
Creedmoor’s Box Design Goals (Things to Keep in Mind):
The packaging design needs to appeal to competitive shooters, recreational shooters, and hunters alike. While any one package might not appeal to all groups, we don’t want one group to look at the box and think “That’s not for me”.
The ammunition WILL be match quality (we don’t want to give away any more details just yet), but changing the projectile would make it a match quality hunting round. Ideally what we want is one box design that will be suited for all applications.
The name of the Ammo will be “CREEDMOOR AMMO”, however, we don’t want to use the Creedmoor bursting bomb logo. If you have ideas for a new logo, please share those concepts with us at Creedmoor.
Send your ideas directly to Dennis DeMille, at demille [at] creedmoorsports.com. Please put “NEW AMMO BOX DESIGN” in subject line so that it doesn’t get lost among the many emails.
November 25th, 2013
 Creedmoor Sports is offering two Holiday Specials with complete Spotting Scope systems, including Spotting Scope (with eyepiece), Scope Cover, and Scope Stand. You can choose between two price levels. If you are on a limited budget, go for the Konus 80mm bundle (item ID Konus-bundle). This includes Konus 80mm spotting scope, Scope Cover, and 3/4″-diameter Polecat Stand with two stand extension rods. These items would normally sell for $607.75, but now you can get them all for $545.00 with Holiday Special Pricing.
Creedmoor Sports also has a Holiday Kowa Scope Package (item ID SCOPEPKG) that can save you $112.65 off the regular $1487.65 price. This is really a nice bundle that should meet the needs of even top High Power competitors.
KOWA SCOPE PACKAGE — For $1375.00 you get all the following:
- Kowa TSN-82SV 82mm Angled Spotting Scope
- 25X Long Eye Relief Eyepiece
- Creedmoor Scope Cover in blue
- Creedmoor 1″-diameter PoleCat Scope Stand
- Two Extension Rods for Stand
- Creedmoor Scope Stand Bag
- See-Through Objective Lens Cover
- Kowa Eyepiece Cover
The regular price for all this hardware is $1487.65, so you save $112.65 with this Kowa Scope Package. That’s a pretty significant savings you can put back into bullets and brass.
November 4th, 2013
Need .22 LR rimfire ammo? As of noon on November 4, 2013, Creedmoor Sports has 1100 boxes of SK 40-grain High Velocity HP ammunition (item #SK-HVHP) in stock. This is available in 50-count boxes or 500-count bricks, at a sale price of $8.95 per 50-round box or $83.95 per 500-round case. This is good ammo, suitable for club-level match shooting or general plinking use. If you have been searching high and low for rimfire ammo, you may want to jump on this before it’s all gone.
Technical Information
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle | Bullet Weight: 40 Grains | Bullet: Lead Hollow Point | MV: 1265 FPS
October 13th, 2013
 Get Official Targets, Target Centers, Pasters, Pit Supplies, and Training Targets
Looking for training targets, competition targets, or fun targets? Well Creedmoor Sports has what you need for NRA smallbore and centerfire competition (including target pasters). Creedmoor has the official targets for most popular NRA disciplines along with the “Target Repair Centers” (Bullseye overlays that save money compared to full-size targets). In stock now are official F-Class targets, High Power rifle targets, smallbore targets, pistol targets, and air rifle targets. Creedmoor also now carries Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C targets and Hi-Viz Orange Target Spots®. When practicing with scoped rifles, we use the 1″ Target Spots at 200 yards, and the 3″ Target Spots at 600.
July 18th, 2013
Creedmoor Sports is selling a new product that may be useful for folks who haul multiple rifles to the range. The new ScopeSaver Trunk Rack is a freestanding gun rack designed to hold one to four rifles or shotguns during transport. The rack can also be used to display guns and/or hold them during cleaning operations. The product is called a “ScopeSaver” because it allows scoped rifles to be transported upside-down, which provides more clearance for the scopes.
Each firearm rests in a pair of 3″-high, felt-covered U-shaped brackets (aka scounces). One sconce of each pair holds guns with thick stocks, and the other holds stocks that are thinner. Firearms can also be placed in the rack either right-side-up or upside-down depending on their shape. Depending on their size, some guns can also be placed in the rack while inside soft cases.
 The ScopeSaver Trunk rack holds four guns, is 23.5” deep, 23 7/8” wide, 13” high and is made of 10% fiberglass-filled polypropylene. It holds two large and two small oil/cleaning solution containers and multiple cleaning rods of different sizes. A special tapered-slot binding system allows several rods to be stored.
Reinforced carrying handles are built into the rack. The four corners of the rack are flat on the bottom, so adhesive-backed Velcro strips can be attached (which should grip on carpeted trunks). Additionally, you can insert tie-downs through slots in each of the four lower corner braces.
Product tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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