National Matches Smallbore Competition Returns to Camp Perry

Elite smallbore competition returned to the summer National Matches in high-tech style this year. New Orion scoring software was used to enhance and speed up the scoring process. Range officers simply snapped photos of targets after each relay using the Orion App on smartphones. The software then identified the bullet holes and logged the shot location in the scoring rings. This handy new software was used for 3P and prone smallbore competition. It will also be used tomorrow, July 22nd, at the hugely popular Rimfire Sporter Match.

Story based on Camp Perry Report by Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
A staple during the National Matches season for over half a century, high-level Smallbore Matches returned to Camp Perry this summer (after the NRA moved the Smallbore Championships to Camp Wa-Ke’-De in Indiana in 2016).

“We had a lot of competitors who wanted smallbore to return to Camp Perry” said Match Director Brad Donoho. “This year, we tried to give everybody the opportunities they were used to at Camp Perry and try to stay true to history while also being innovative at the same time.”

The CMP’s new National Matches Smallbore series kicked off July 17 on Camp Perry’s Rodriguez Range with the Three-Position Day 1 event. Competitors in the event fired 40 shots onto paper targets at three positions: prone, kneeling and standing.

For the Camp Perry smallbore matches, new image-based software was used for scoring. Orion Scoring System developed scoring software that can read shots from photos captured with smartphones. The Orion Smartphone App links directly to the Orion Scoring system, which then identifies shots on the target and scores accordingly based on shot placement in scoring rings.

Range Officers snap photos of targets with Orion Scoring App.

Once all firing was completed for each stage at the National Matches events, range officers on the line walk downrange with a mobile device loaded with the Orion Scoring System App. The new scoring system drastically slashed competition time while also easing the scoring element for both competitors and match workers.

CMP verifiers reviewed the targets on computers before posting the results online, all in a matter of minutes. The physical paper targets were also retained — just in case a challenge was brought forward by a competitor.

“The hope is, at its best, we should be able to have scores posted online before firing begins for the next stage, which would be pretty revolutionary for paper targets at Camp Perry,” said Donoho.

The electronic Orion Scoring System will also be used to score the National Rimfire Sporter rifle competition, set to take place at Camp Perry on Sunday, July 22. “This is the first step to allow Orion users to use this at their home range”, noted Donoho. An extensive amount of testing was conducted on the Orion electronic scoring system in the months leading up to the National Matches. It performed admirably this past week at Perry

3P Finals and Prone Elimination Match on Electronic Targets
Another exciting element added to the prone match is a prone elimination event, fired on CMP’s electronic targets on the Petrarca Range — another first for a National Match smallbore event. “We wanted to do something new – something creative,” said Donoho. “Hank Gray, from the USAMU suggested an elimination event where we start with a full range of shooters and start elimination shooters after the first stage of fire to get them down to the Top 10.” The Three-Position finals was also fired on the CMP’s Petrarca Range electronic targets at Petrarca Range during the Matches.

Video Demonstrates Kongsberg Electronic Target System Installed at Camp Perry:

These electronic targets have sensors on the target frame that plot each shot’s point of impact in the bullseye. Shot location and score value are calculated instantly with results visible on a monitor placed next to the shooter. This is faster than the Orion system, but it is also much more expensive. The advantage of the Orion system is that it can work with conventional paper targets on standard target frames. Orion scoring does not give instant results, however, unlike the Kongsberg system.