Erik Cortina Wins Texas State Long Range Championship
Erik Cortina of Team Lapua has won the 2024 Texas State Long Range Championship for an unprecedented fifth time. Loading Berger 7mm 180 Gr Hybrid Target bullets in his own 7mm PRCW cartridge (formed from Lapua 6.5 PRC cases) Cortina outshot all F-Open competitors and scored a 993-51X. Erik has his own company, Cortina Precision, which produces barrel tuners, tuner/brakes, dies, and other products.
The Texas State Long Range Championship hosted by Bayou Rifles, took place April 12-14 at the Juliff Rifle and Pistol Range in Rosharon, Texas. The Texas Long Range Championship hosted the top shooters from around the USA, competing in both F-Open and F-TR disciplines.
“This year, the Texas State Long Range Championship adopted the Bisley pair fire format. This format requires shooters to alternate shots rather than string fire. Time limit is 45 seconds per shot. Reading the wind and staying focused is essential, so I decided I was going to ignore my partner’s shots and shoot my own match the entire weekend”, commented Cortina. “It worked out and I secured my 5th Texas State Championship with a five point margin. It’s one of the most fun matches I have ever attended.”
The F-Open category requires a rifle weighing no more than 22 pounds and chambered in any caliber .35 and under. Rifles are fired from the prone position with rear sandbag and adjustable front rest.
This F-Class John video shows the Texas match and includes an interview with Erik Cortina.
One of the world’s best F-Class competitors, Erik has won many other major F-Open titles in recent years, including the 2023 Southwest Nationals (see below), and the 2023 South African Championships held right before the F-Class World Championships last year. Below is a photo of Erik at the Southwest Nationals in 2023 with his winning rifle:
Great Shooter Interviews on Erik Cortina’s YouTube Channel
Erik also has a popular YouTube Channel with gear reviews and excellent long-format interviews with talented competitive shooters. CLICK HERE to see the videos on Erik’s Believe the Target Channel.
Lapua is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.
