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August 17th, 2009
The NRA Long Range High Power Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, will be ending soon and it looks like the match will go down to the wire. Sherri Gallager is leading by four points, with a half-dozen shooters, including former LR Champion John Whidden, well within striking distance. The championship could eventually be decided by X-count, or even with a shoot-off. Gallagher already went through one shoot-off with David Tubb in the Coast Artillery Trophy Match. Both shot perfect 100s, but Tubb shot 8 Xs to edge Gallagher by one X. Here are current standings in the Long-Range Championship:
Sherri Gallagher – 799-37X
Jon Howell – 795-41X
Justin Skaret – 795-37X
Lance Dement – 793-42X
Tyrel Cooper – 793-42X
John Whidden – 793-35X
Here is video shot from the Long Range Competition over the weekend:
LATE-BREAKING NEWS: The Roumanian Team Trophy was won by the USAMU Praslick Team, with a four-person score of 793-42X. The team is coached by Emil Praslick, and the shooters are SGT Tyrel Cooper (198-10X), SFC Lance Dement (199-12X), SPC Sherri Gallager (198-9X), and SGT Brandon Green (198-11X). John Whidden’s Southeast Rifle Club, coached by Carl Kovalchik, finished second with a 782-29X team score. Congrats to all shooters, and especially the victorious USAMU squad.
August 15th, 2009
 Norman Houle of West Warwick, Rhode Island, is the 2009 NRA National High Power Champion. Congrats to Norm! His come-from-behind, one-point victory marked his third High Power National Championship. His previous wins coming in 2004 and 2006, Norman was unable to shoot in last year’s competition.
The National Champion is the person with the highest aggregate of scores fired in the Vandenberg Cup, Nevada Trophy and Clarke Trophy Matches, and they receive the Mumma Trophy, a footed sterling silver urn with an ornate top, side handles and spout.
Houle scored 2387-124X, just one point more than last year’s champion Carl Bernosky (2386-125X). David Tubb finished third with 2385-133X. This year was the closest point differential Norman could recall. High Woman Shooter, and the early leader in the competition, was SPC Sherri Gallagher. Sherri, who finished with a 2382-148X score, has the highest X-Count total among all competitors — by a wide margin.
 Houle, Tubb, and Gallagher are all teammates, along with Ronald Zerr, on Team Creedmoor, coached by Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports. Team Creedmoor won the 2009 RNDC Team match, one of four team events that is part of the championships. Two other events, The Enlisted Men’s Trophy (for military teams of four firing members) and The Rumbold Trophy (for civilian teams whose members belong to the same club or state association), are fired concurrent with the RNDC. The fourth event, The Whistler Boy Trophy (for teams of two, junior-category firing members who represent a state association), is fired during a separate day of competition.
In other Camp Perry Results, SFC Grant Singley (2385-102X) won the NRA National Service Rifle Championship, convincingly over USAMU teammate SGT Brandon Green (2370-90X). Dennis DeMille was High Civilian, posting a 2359-99X. Though she missed out on the big prize, SPC Sherri Gallagher won the Army Cup Match, the Crowell Trophy Match, the Centenary Trophy (Agg), and the Vandenburg Cup. Her 800-53X score in the Vandenburg Cup broke a National Record.
Complete NRA National High Power Championship RESULTS.
August 10th, 2009
The NRA National High Power Championships has commenced at Camp Perry. Among the early events was the M1A Match. Relatively new, the M1A match was organized in 2007 by the NRA and Springfield Armory to encourage use of the M1A, an M14 derivative that was the weapon of choice for rifle competition for a number of years. With competitors lured by substantial cash prizes plus Springfield Armory gun give-aways, the M1A Match has proved hugely popular, attracting hundreds of shooters, including many of the nation’s top marksmen.
Any configuration of the M1A is allowed in the Match, with the course of fire being 50 shots at 300 yards on the MR-65F as follows: 5 sighters; 20 shots slow-fire, prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, kneeling or sitting; 10 shots slow-fire, standing.
Winner of the 2009 M1A Match was Thomas Rider, whose 484-15x score beat runner-up and 1st Place Civilian Nick Till (482-17X) by two points. Rider earned $2000.00 in prize money for his victory. Fritz Hemplemann (478-16x) was second place Civilian, while Creedmoor Sports General Manager Dennis DeMille was third place Civilian (476-21x). Emily Windmassinger of the USMC earned the High Service Award with an impressive 480-20X. In the video below you can see M1A competitors, including DeMille (0:13, 0:30, 0:42 second marks), in the standing stage.
CLICK HERE for complete M1A Match Results | This report courtesy the NRABlog.com.
August 7th, 2009
The High Power Silhouette Championships at the NRA Whittington Center (Raton, NM) started Thursday morning (August 6th) with many Smallbore Silhouette competitors taking to their big guns for High Power. Match 1 went well but extreme afternoon winds were blowing silhouettes off the rails so Match 2 was halted. That means the remaining two High Power Hunting Rifle matches over the next two days will jump to 60 shots rather than 40 to close the gap. The top shooters in Match 1 were Joy Cox (35), Defending Champion Angustin Sanchez, Jr (34 – 9 turkeys), and Laura Goetsch (34 – 8 turkeys)
The High Power Silhouette Championships are similar in format to the Smallbore Silhouette Championships held earlier this week. The Standard Silhouettte High Power Rifle matches are shot in the morning with the Silhouette Hunting Rifle Class shot in the afternoon. The main differences between the disciplines are obviously the type of rifle (Centerfire vs. Rimfire) and the distances. For High Power, targets are set at 200 meters (chickens), 300 meters (pigs), 385 meters (turkeys), and 500 meters (rams), while in Smallbore, targets are set at 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters.
A variety of chamberings are popular in the centerfire Silhouette game, including the .243 Win, 6.5 BR, 6.5×47 Lapua, 260 Rem, 7 BR, 7mm-08, and the .308 Winchester. In selecting a caliber, shooters must balance between knock-down power and recoil force. A 6.5mm or 7mm bullet in the 130gr range running 2900 fps is just about ideal. You also need a caliber capable of serious inherent accuracy.
This report courtesy the NRABlog.com
July 30th, 2009
Dennis DeMille is a past Camp Perry National Champion, and one of the nation’s top High Power shooters. Since retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Dennis has served as the General Manager of Creedmoor Sports in Oceanside, California. We recently had the chance to interview Dennis at the Creedmoor offices. With his decades of competitive experience, Dennis has a wealth of knowledge. In this 3-minute interview, Dennis shares insights into the High Power shooting game. He discusses the most effective ways to train for competition, the fundamentals of good marksmanship, and how to recognize and perfect your natural point of aim. Dennis also offers solid advice on how to get the best “bang for your buck” when choosing shooting accessories for High Power and Across the Course competition.
CLICK HERE to WATCH DeMille Interview VIDEO
During our visit to Oceanside, Dennis gave us a tour of the facility. Dennis also explained the manufacturing process for Creedmoor’s popular shooting coats. All these shooting jackets are hand-crafted in Oceanside by experts with years of experience. Special templates are used to ensure each coat perfectly fits its new owner.
6.5 Creedmoor Ammo and Components
Today, 7/30/2009, we asked Creedmoor Sports to check its inventories of 6.5 Creedmoor components. Plenty of 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge brass is in stock. There is a good supply of 120gr A-Max bullets, but no 140s. As for 6.5 Creedmoor loaded ammo, a couple hundred 20-rd boxes of Hornady ammo is on the shelves as of 7/30/2009. A handful of die sets are in stock, with more on order. 6.5 Creedmoor case reamers are in stock.
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.
May 9th, 2009
 Marine M/Sgt. Jim Owens (USMC, retired) is well-known to many readers as a shooting instructor and the creator of JarHeadTop.com, a popular web resource for High Power and Service Rifle shooters. JarHeadTop.com features articles, tips, products and instructional material for both the beginner and the veteran shooter.
Jim Owens has pioneered interactive instructional web seminars (Webinars) for competitive shooters. The way it works is you log onto the web, then call a special phone number. While you watch a PowerPoint presentation over the internet, Jim is “live” on the phone. During the Webinar, up to 15 students can ask questions and listen to Jim’s answers via a conference call connection. If it sounds complicated, don’t worry… the system, which employs GotoMeeting.com web technology, works great.
 Reading The Wind Webinar with Jim Owens
On Tuesday, May 12th, at 8:00 pm Central Time, Jim Owens hosts a Webinar class on Reading the Wind & Using Kentucky Windage. You can view two PowerPoint presentations on your computer while listening and talking to Jim on your speaker phone. Topics will include: Determining speed, direction and changes in the wind; Reading the Mirage; Reading the range flags; How to make the Wind work for you; and much more.
The Wind Reading Webinar class costs $15.00. There is limited “seating” (15 people per class). You can pay with PayPal or send a check. To sign up, e-mail Jim@JarHeadTop.com. Place “Wind Class May 12th” in the subject line. Give your name, e-mail and phone number. For more info or questions, call Jim at (334) 347-0020.
Monthly FREE Webinars by Jim Owens
If you would like to try one of Owens’ Web Seminars at no cost, Jim offers a FREE class on his Advanced Theory once a month. The next Free Webinar is scheduled for May 26, 2009 at 8:00 pm Central Time. Act soon, as this Webinar is limited to 15 “students”. To register, e-mail Jim@JarHeadTop.com with “Free Class May 26th” in the subject line.
CLICK HERE for info on FREE Jim Owens Advanced Theory Webinar.
April 25th, 2009
German Salazar, a top prone shooter and contributor to AccurateShooter.com and DesertSharpshooters.com, has crafted an excellent article on stock design. Writing for Precision Shooting magazine, German compares traditional stocks, such as the MasterClass Prone, with more modern, modular designs, such as the Eliseo TubeGun and Ross Precision stock. German, who shoots match rifles built with each type of stock, explains the pros and cons of the different designs, and explains how to optimize the stocks’ adjustments for best fit and function. German also explains the best methods to attach and bed an action to each of the designs.
CLICK HERE to Read Full Story by Salazar
For a limited time, German’s excellent article is available online, courtesy of Precision Shooting Magazine. If you’re a highpower shooter, or you are interested in the design, construction, and engineering of modern competition stocks, this article is a “must-read”.
April 24th, 2009
 In The First Shot (the CMP’s Online Magazine), Sgt. Walter E. Craig of the USAMU discusses physical conditioning for competitive shooters, particularly High Power competitors. In the article, Craig advocates: 1) weight training to strengthen the Skeletal Muscle System; 2) exercises to build endurance and stamina; and 3) cardiovascular conditioning programs to allow the shooter to remain relaxed with a controlled heart beat.
Sgt. Craig explains: “An individual would not enter a long distance race without first spending many hours conditioning his/her body. One should apply the same conditioning philosophy to the sport of shooting. Physical conditioning to improve shooting skills will result in better shooting performance…. The objective of an individual physical training program is to condition the muscles, heart, and lungs thereby increasing the shooter’s capability of controlling the body and rifle for sustained periods.”
In addition to weight training and cardio workouts (which can be done in a gym), Sgt. Craig advocates “some kind of holding drill… to develop the muscles necessary for holding a rifle for extended periods.” For those with range access, Craig recommends a blind standing exercise: “This exercise consists of dry-firing one round, then live-firing one round, at a 200-yard standard SR target. For those who have access only to a 100-yard range, reduced targets will work as well. Begin the exercise with a timer set for 50 minutes. Dry-fire one round, then fire one live round and without looking at the actual impact, plot a call in a data book. Continue the dry fire/live fire sequence for 20 rounds, plotting after each round. After firing is complete, compare the data book to the target. If your zero and position are solid, the plots should resemble the target. As the training days add up and your zero is refined, the groups will shrink and move to the center.”
CLICK HERE to READ FULL ARTICLE
April 13th, 2009
Kowa spotting scopes are highly regarded, particularly among High Power and long-range prone shooters. You’ll always find many Kowas on the firing line at High Power matches. Many shooters get their Kowas from retired Marine Msgt. Jim Owens, who offers excellent prices on his JarHeadTop.com website.
Kowa is replacing the venerable TSN-821M spotting scope with the newly redesigned TSN-82SV, which will be more compact with upgraded optics. The new TSN-82SV weighs 52.5 ounces, and is just 15.1″ long. The 82SV is waterproof and nitrogen-filled to to help eliminate lens fogging.
The 82SV has a 45-degree angled eyepiece (puchased separately). Four optional eyepieces are offered: TE-9Z, TE-14WD, TE-9WD, and TE-17HD. Specifications are listed in the chart below. Prone shooters will probably prefer the 27x TE-17HD long-eye-relief (LER) eyepiece. It offers a 2.0˚ real field of view (105 feet at 1000 yards), with about 1.25″ of eye relief.
The MSRP for the new TSN-82SV is $805.00 (body only), while the “street price” is currently about $650.00 without eyepiece. See: Eagle Optics, $645. By contrast, Kowa’s larger TSN 881 88mm spotter runs $999.00 without eyepiece.
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