Team Berger shooter John Whidden of Whidden Gunworks topped the field to win this year’s Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Smallbore Prone National Championship at Camp Perry. Whidden, who hails from Nashville, Georgia, was named the Prone 6400 Aggregate Champion after firing a score of 6379-449X. During his route to the Aggregate win, Whidden also earned third overall in the Iron (Metallic) Sight Championship and second in the Any Sight match.

The National Prone Championships featured two days of both Iron Sight and Any Sight events (four days overall) for adults and juniors. Each day included four stages of fire at 50 yards, 50 meters, and 100 yards.

The 2022 CMP National Smallbore Matches were held at prestigious Camp Perry National Guard training facility on the shores of Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio. The matches started July 19th with a Small Arms Firing School for new competitors, and concluded after eight days of competition from July 20-27. These Smallbore disciplines were fired over the eight days of competition:

July 20 – Three Position Iron Sight Championship
July 21 – Three Position Any Sight Championship
July 22 – Junior Team Match, Three Position Team Championship
July 23 – Prone Metallic Sight Championship Day 1
July 24 – Prone Metallic Sight Championship Day 2
July 25 – Prone Elimination Final & Prone Team Championship
July 26 – Prone Any Sight Championship Day 1
July 27 – Prone Any Sight Championship Day 2

The Smallbore Prone National Championship is decided over four days of firing 160 rounds per day for a possible 6,400 score. Whidden finished first with a 6,379-449X, followed by Antonio Gross in 2nd scoring a 6,371-412X, and Larry Parker medaling 3rd with 6,362-413X.

Whidden stated, “The CMP ran a great match as they always do. The wind and the elements were enough to keep us on our toes. I was really pleased with the performance of the Lapua Midas+ rimfire ammunition throughout the match!”

CLICK HERE for complete results of the 2022 CMP National Smallbore Matches. Hundreds of photos of the CMP 20222 Smallbore events can be viewed on the CMP Zenfolio website.

About Lapua Ammunition and Berger Bullets
Lapua manufactures high-quality rimfire ammunition and Berger manufactures precision projectiles and match-grade ammunition for Target, Hunting and Tactical applications. Berger is part of the Capstone Precision Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Bergerbullets.com.

Congratulations to John Mullins, the new 2019 NRA Smallbore Silhouette Hunter Rifle National Champion! Mullins tied for first place with fellow Lapua team member Dustin Flint. Then, in a dramatic shoot-off, Mullins shot 107/120 to edge out team-mate Flint. Notably, both men used Lapua .22 LR rimfire ammunition. Mullins’s ammo choice was Lapua Midas+.

The 2019 NRA National Silhouette Smallbore Championships took place August 4-6, in Ridgway, Pennsylvania. Matches consist of 3 x 120 round relays, all fired from the standing position. For each relay, shooters engage ten chickens at 40 meters, ten pigs at 60 meters, ten turkeys at 77 meters, and ten rams at 100 meters.

Champion Mullins Had Pre-tested His .22 LR Ammo at Lapua Test Center
When asked what was most critical to capturing the title, Mullins stated, “Lapua ammunition was the key factor in my success. I visited the Lapua Rimfire Test Center in Mesa, AZ and paired the most accurate ammunition with my rifle.” Mullins found that Lapua Midas+ outperformed all other options at 50 and 100 meters in the Lapua test tunnel, shown below.

Above is the Lapua Rimfire Testing Facility in Mesa, Arizona. This allows measurements at both 50m and 100m for the same shot. Later this fall Lapua will open a new Test Center in Marengo, Ohio with identical capabilities. For more information regarding ammo testing at Lapua’s USA Rimfire Test Centers, email Lapua here: rimfiretest [at] capstonepg.com