Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR) shooting is the most popular and fastest-growing form of shooting sports competition for junior shooters (High School age and younger). The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) conducts two primary Three-Position Air Rifle events. First, Precision Air Rifle is modeled after Olympic-style shooting and allows the use of specialized target rifles and equipment. Second, Sporter Air Rifle is designed for new competitors or those who desire to compete with a minimum of equipment and expense.

In both types of shooting, competitors fire at targets at a distance of 10 meters in three different positions, prone, standing and kneeling. Three-Position Air Rifle provides young competitors with competitive shooting sports opportunities that can be offered on a wide variety of easily accessible or easily constructed ranges, with equipment that is commonly available at affordable costs.

CLICK HERE for large Pardini GPR1 photo.

The CMP actively promotes Three-Position Air Rifle shooting as a premier youth marksmanship competition by providing low-cost equipment and pellets as well as training materials and competition activities. In addition, other air gun events for juniors and adults are hosted by CMP throughout the year. CMP facilities have Open Public Shooting evenings, and matches for air rifle and air pistol take place at the CMP Marksmanship Centers. CMP ranges are equipped with OpticScore Targets featuring technology by Kongsberg Target Systems.

The new-generation Crosman Challenger PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) Air Rifle is a preferred .177 Sporter Class air rifle for competitive marksmanship programs throughout the country, including the Marine Corps JROTC, Army JROTC, Air Force JROTC, Navy JROTC, American Legion, and 4-H. The $799.90 Challenger PCP is a three-position rifle with a fully adjustable stock, a two-stage, adjustable match grade trigger, a hooded front aperture sight, micro click adjustable diopter rear sight, patented ambidextrous pull bolt, and a floating Lothar Walther™ barrel. The Challenger PCP boasts a 3000 PSI reservoir for 200+ more shots per fill and good velocities. A pressure regulator aids shot-to-shot consistency. The Challenger PCP meets requirements of National Standard three-position air rifle competitions.

CLICK HERE to Download this illustration of Olympic Shooter Ivana Maksimovic as a POSTER.

Young American Wins Gold Medal in Air Rifle at 2021 Olympics

William Shaner won a Gold Medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The University of Kentucky marksman, then age 20, captured Gold in the 10-meter (10m) Air Rifle, setting an Olympic record in the process. Shaner scored 251.6 points in the 10m final to set a new Olympic Record just 1.2 points shy of the world record. Will scored 10.5 or above on 13 of his 24 shots in the final. At the Tokyo Games, William was shooting a Walther air rifle.

Watch Will Shaner capture Gold with a stellar shooting performance, broadcast by NBC Sports:

William hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started his shooting career at age nine in a 4H program in the appropriately named town of Rifle, Colorado.

CMP Records 500+ Entries During 2024 National Air Gun Events at Camp Perry
Air rifle shooting is a very popular activity throughout the nation. Air rifle matches can draw a huge number of competitors. Last summer, the 2024 National Air Gun events, held as part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s National Matches, welcomed over 500 air rifle and air pistol entries. The events were held at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry.

Special CMP Air Rifles from Anschutz
Back in 2009, the CMP ordered a special run of Anschutz Air rifles. These had laminated wood stocks and the CMP logos on the buttstock.

The CMP currently offers Precision Air Rifles and Sporter Air Rifles for sale via the CMP Website.

CMP Precision Air Rifles from Walther

The new Walther LG400 Bluetec was specifically designed for 3-position air rifle shooting. The barreled action and trigger are the same as the top-of-the-line LG400 models. It comes without an absorber but it can be retrofitted with one. The barreled action will fit into any of the higher end stocks if you wish to upgrade it. The accuracy is the same as the higher-priced LG400s. With a top-tier marksman, this rifle can put 10 shots through the same hole at 10 meters.

The LG400 Bluetec is sold by the CMP with the Walther Basic rear sight, Walther 22mm front sight and a 200/300 bar steel cylinder. The aluminum stock comes with an ambidextrous grip, trigger guard, and an adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate. This rifle is sold by the CMP but shipped via Walther Arms.

Video from the U.S. Army Junior Air Rifle Nat’l Championships at Fort Benning, Georgia. This invitation-only event features top 30 precision and sporter individuals, and top 30 teams in both disciplines.

Sporter Air Rifles

The largest and fastest-growing segment of junior shooting today, Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting, uses a class of target air rifles called Sporter Air Rifles. These Sporters now constitute a special class of junior shooting competition, and are used extensively in JROTC programs.

Sporter air rifles are characterized by their light weight (5-7 lbs.), low cost (from $180 to $600), basic target features (adjustable sights, adjustable length stocks, adjustable sling attachments) and good accuracy (rifles sold through this program must be capable of consistently shooting tens on the standard competition targets).

Shown above is the budget-priced Daisy Model 599 10-Meter Competition Air Rifle, a .177-caliber gun that allows competitors to shoot the entire match without having to recharge.

Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR) shooting is the most popular and fastest-growing form of shooting sports competition for junior shooters (High School age and younger). The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) conducts two primary Three-Position Air Rifle events. First, Precision Air Rifle is modeled after Olympic-style shooting and allows the use of specialized target rifles and equipment. Second, Sporter Air Rifle is designed for new competitors or those who desire to compete with a minimum of equipment and expense.

In both types of shooting, competitors fire at targets at a distance of 10 meters in three different positions, prone, standing and kneeling. Three-Position Air Rifle provides young competitors with competitive shooting sports opportunities that can be offered on a wide variety of easily accessible or easily constructed ranges, with equipment that is commonly available at affordable costs.

CLICK HERE for large Pardini GPR1 photo.

The CMP actively promotes Three-Position Air Rifle shooting as a premier youth marksmanship competition by providing low-cost equipment and pellets as well as training materials and competition activities. In addition, other air gun events for juniors and adults are hosted by CMP throughout the year. CMP facilities have Open Public Shooting evenings, and matches for air rifle and air pistol take place at the CMP Marksmanship Centers. CMP ranges are equipped with OpticScore Targets featuring technology by Kongsberg Target Systems.

The updated Challenger PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) Air Rifle is a preferred .177 sporter class air rifle for competitive marksmanship programs throughout the country, including the Marine Corps JROTC, Army JROTC, Air Force JROTC, Navy JROTC, American Legion, and 4-H. The Challenger is a three-position competition rifle that features a fully adjustable stock, a two-stage, adjustable match grade trigger, a hooded front aperture sight, a micro click, adjustable diopter rear sight, a patented ambidextrous pull bolt, and a floating Lothar Walther™ barrel.

CLICK HERE to Download this illustration of Olympic Shooter Ivana Maksimovic as a POSTER.

Young American Wins Gold Medal in Air Rifle at 2021 Olympics

William Shaner won a Gold Medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The University of Kentucky marksman, then age 20, captured Gold in the 10-meter (10m) Air Rifle, setting an Olympic record in the process. Shaner scored 251.6 points in the 10m final to set a new Olympic Record just 1.2 points shy of the world record. Will scored 10.5 or above on 13 of his 24 shots in the final. At the Tokyo Games, William was shooting a Walther air rifle.

Watch Will Shaner capture Gold with a stellar shooting performance, broadcast by NBC Sports:

William hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started his shooting career at age nine in a 4H program in the appropriately named town of Rifle, Colorado.

CMP Records 580+ Entries During 2022 National Air Gun Events at Camp Perry
Air rifle shooting is a very popular activity throughout the nation. Air rifle matches can draw a huge number of competitors. Last summer, the 2022 National Air Gun events, held as part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s National Matches, welcomed over 580 air rifle and air pistol entries. The events were held at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry.

Special CMP Air Rifles from Anschutz
Back in 2009, the CMP ordered a special run of Anschutz Air rifles. These had laminated wood stocks and the CMP logos on the buttstock.

The CMP currently offers Precision Air Rifles and Sporter Air Rifles for sale via the CMP Website.

CMP Precision Air Rifles from Walther

The new Walther LG400 Bluetec was specifically designed for 3-position air rifle shooting. The barreled action and trigger are the same as the top-of-the-line LG400 models. It comes without an absorber but it can be retrofitted with one. The barreled action will fit into any of the higher end stocks if you wish to upgrade it. The accuracy is the same as the higher-priced LG400s. With a top-tier marksman, this rifle can put 10 shots through the same hole at 10 meters.

The LG400 Bluetec is sold by the CMP with the Walther Basic rear sight, Walther 22mm front sight and a 200/300 bar steel cylinder. The aluminum stock comes with an ambidextrous grip, trigger guard, and an adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate. This rifle is sold by the CMP but shipped via Walther Arms.

Video from the U.S. Army Junior Air Rifle Nat’l Championships at Fort Benning, Georgia. This invitation-only event features top 30 precision and sporter individuals, and top 30 teams in both disciplines.

Sporter Air Rifles

The largest and fastest-growing segment of junior shooting today, Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting, uses a class of target air rifles called Sporter Air Rifles. These Sporters now constitute a special class of junior shooting competition, and are used extensively in JROTC programs.

Sporter air rifles are characterized by their light weight (5-7 lbs.), low cost (from $180 to $600), basic target features (adjustable sights, adjustable length stocks, adjustable sling attachments) and good accuracy (rifles sold through this program must be capable of consistently shooting tens on the standard competition targets).

Shown above is the new Daisy Model 599 10-Meter Competition Air Rifle, a .177-caliber gun that allows competitors to shoot the entire match without having to recharge.

Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR) shooting is the most popular and fastest-growing form of shooting sports competition for junior shooters (High School age and younger). The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) conducts two primary Three-Position Air Rifle events. First, Precision Air Rifle is modeled after Olympic-style shooting and allows the use of specialized target rifles and equipment. Second, Sporter Air Rifle is designed for new competitors or those who desire to compete with a minimum of equipment and expense.

In both types of shooting, competitors fire at targets at a distance of 10 meters in three different positions, prone, standing and kneeling. Three-Position Air Rifle provides young competitors with competitive shooting sports opportunities that can be offered on a wide variety of easily accessible or easily constructed ranges, with equipment that is commonly available at affordable costs.

CLICK HERE for large Pardini GPR1 photo.

The CMP actively promotes Three-Position Air Rifle shooting as a premier youth marksmanship competition by providing low-cost equipment and pellets as well as training materials and competition activities. In addition, other air gun events for juniors and adults are hosted by CMP throughout the year. CMP facilities have Open Public Shooting evenings, and matches for air rifle and air pistol take place at the CMP Marksmanship Centers. CMP ranges are equipped with OpticScore Targets featuring technology by Kongsberg Target Systems.

The Challenger PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) Air Rifle is the preferred .177 sporter class air rifle for competitive marksmanship programs throughout the country, including the Marine Corps JROTC, Army JROTC, Air Force JROTC, Navy JROTC, American Legion, and 4-H. The Challenger is a three-position competition rifle that features a fully adjustable stock, a two-stage, adjustable match grade trigger, a hooded front aperture sight, a micro click, adjustable diopter rear sight, a patented ambidextrous pull bolt, and a floating Lothar Walther™ barrel.

CLICK HERE to Download this illustration of Olympic Shooter Ivana Maksimovic as a POSTER.

Crosman, the world’s largest airgun manufacturer, has again been awarded the contract to supply Sporter Class air rifles for the U.S. Army JROTC program. The Army will purchase more than 13,000 Crosman Challengers, adding to the more than 4,000 rifles the Army purchased in 2016. The Challenger air rifles will be built at Crosman’s headquarters in Bloomfield, New York.

The Challenger PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) Air Rifle is the preferred .177 sporter class air rifle for competitive marksmanship programs throughout the country, including the Marine Corps JROTC, Army JROTC, Air Force JROTC, Navy JROTC, American Legion, and 4-H. The Challenger is a three-position competition rifle that features a fully adjustable stock, a two-stage, adjustable match grade trigger, a hooded front aperture sight, a micro click, adjustable diopter rear sight, a patented ambidextrous pull bolt, and a floating Lothar Walther™ barrel.

“The Crosman Challenger has long been the preferred air rifle for coaches from a variety of marksmanship programs,” said Jennifer Lambert, VP Marketing & Product Development for Crosman. “We’re proud that the Army JROTC chose to continue our partnership and we can’t wait to see what new championships and records their cadets will achieve.”

In addition to airguns, Crosman sells Lasermax optics and laser aiming devices, and Centerpoint archery products. Crosman is a subsidiary of Compass Diversified Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CODI).

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) invites young men and women shooters to apply for CMP scholarships for the 2017-2018 school year. The CMP offers $1,000 one-year scholarships to current high school seniors. Since 2005, CMP has awarded over $1 million in scholarship grants. Last year, the CMP received a record-setting number of applications and awarded over $150,000 in scholarship money. Winning scholarship recipients came from JROTC programs, 4-H groups and other shooting clubs.

CMP Scholarships are based on merit. Selected individuals are high school seniors who are currently enrolled in a team or club that is participating in rifle or pistol marksmanship competitions. Applicants must provide rifle or pistol competition history, list of awards, and future goals in the shooting sports. Applicants must also provide academic GPA and an official high school transcript (3.0 Minimum GPA Required).

Applications are Being Accepted Now for 2017-2018
The CMP is now taking scholarship applications for the 2017-2018 freshman college year. Scholarships are one-year awards that may be used to fund any accredited, post-secondary education or vocational program. (Note: Students planning to enroll in a military academy are not eligible).

The deadline for CMP Scholarship Application is March 20, 2017. Learn more about the program at the CMP Website Scholarship Page. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Williams at 419-635-2141, ext. 709, or email kwilliams [@] thecmp.org.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) invites young men and women shooters to apply for CMP scholarships for the 2016-2017 school year. The CMP offers $1,000 one-year scholarships to current high school seniors. Since 2005, CMP has awarded over $1 million in scholarship grants.

Last year the CMP authorized over 150 scholarships. Based on merit, selected individuals are high school seniors who are currently enrolled in a team or club that is participating in rifle or pistol marksmanship competitions. Applicants must provide rifle or pistol competition history, list of awards, and future goals in the shooting sports. Applicants must also provide academic GPA and an official high school transcript (3.0 Minimum GPA Required).

Applications are Being Accepted Now for 2016-2017
The CMP is now taking scholarship applications for the 2016-2017 freshman college year. Scholarships are one-year awards that may be used to fund any accredited, post-secondary education or vocational program. (Note: Students planning to enroll in a military academy are not eligible).

The deadline for CMP Scholarship Application is March 20, 2016. Learn more about the program at the CMP Website Scholarship Page. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Williams at 419-635-2141, ext. 709, or email kwilliams [@] thecmp.org.

The CMP’s state-of-the art, mobile air gun range boasts 60 electronic MEGAlink targets produced in Norway. MEGAlink is the same target system used at CMP North and South stationary air ranges. The MEGAlink target “boxes” are each connected to a lift system than can raise and lower the targets for 3-position shooting. All of the components are designed so that the range can be quickly assembled by 3-4 workers. A large trailer can haul all 60 targets plus all the related monitors, computers, tables, chairs, and hardware in one load-out.

The CMP offers up to 150 $1,000 scholarships to qualified graduating seniors active in marksmanship programs. In the 2012-13 school year, CMP awarded 138 scholarships, totaling $150,000. Members of high school shooting programs, JROTC, 4-H shooting programs, American Legion, Boy Scouts, and CMP-affiliated club competitors are invited to apply.

To learn more about the program, visit the CMP’s Scholarship Application Webpage. Click the links below to download application forms in printable PDF format. The deadline to apply for the CMP scholarship program is March 5, 2013.

Katlyn Excels at All Three Positions
Bass’s qualifying score of 574-28 surpassed the open/overall 3×20 sporter record of 573 set by Micaela Jochum in 2006. Bass also set the Army JROTC record previously held by her former Daleville High School JROTC teammate Mikaelah Atchley (570-31). Bass also broke the records of Jochum and Atchley in the open/overall and Army JROTC 3×20 plus final with a combined score of 669.7, shattering the former mark by 5.9 points. Lastly, Bass broke both of Jochum’s Age Group II (15 & 16) records in the 3×20 and 3×20 plus final. Katlyn fired a 197-12 in prone, 184-6 in standing and 193-10 in the kneeling position for a total qualification score of 574-28. She fired a 197-12 in prone, 184-6 in standing and 193-10 in the kneeling position for a total qualification score of 574-28. Katlyn’s final score of 95.7 secured her record-setting victory in the match. Well done, young lady!