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February 19th, 2014
The 2014 National Matches Program Calendar has just been released. CLICK HERE for Calendar PDF.
The National Matches were first held in 1903, moved to Camp Perry, Ohio, in 1907 and continue to take place every summer at Camp Perry. The National Matches have become a huge, national shooting sports festival with well over 6,000 annual participants.
The National Matches include the CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches, the Pistol and Rifle Small Arms Firing Schools, CMP Games rifle events, and the NRA National Pistol Championships, High Power Rifle Championships, Long Range High Power Championships, and Smallbore Championships. NOTE: For the next two (2) years, the Smallbore Championships will be held at the Chief Wa-Ke-De Range in Bristol, Indiana instead of Camp Perry, Ohio.
December 31st, 2013
Do you know a high-school senior with a strong interest in shooting, who could use some financial assistance for college? Well, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) may be able to help. Each year, the CMP offers a number of $1000, one-year scholarships to promising students. CMP $1000 scholarships are awarded, on the basis of merit, to selected high school seniors who participate in rifle or pistol marksmanship competitions with a team or club.
Applications are Being Accepted Now for 2014-2015
The CMP is now taking scholarship applications for the 2014-2015 freshman college year. Scholarships are one-year awards that may be used to fund any accredited, post-secondary education or vocational program. The scholarships are paid to the scholarship recipient but must be countersigned by the financial aid offices of the college where the student is enrolled. (Note: Students planing on enrolling in a military academy are not eligible).
The deadline for CMP Scholarship Application is March 20, 2014. Learn more about the program at the CMP Website Scholarship Page. Click the links below to download Scholarship Regulations or a Scholarship Application Form (as PDF files).
CMP Scholarship Regulations | Scholarship Application Form.
Eligibility requirements for CMP scholarships are:
- Be a U.S. Citizen.
- Be of good moral character.
- Be a graduating high school senior.
- Have achieved a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
- Can demonstrate acceptance to a university, college, or trade school leading to a diploma or trade certification.
- Have qualified for CMP JROTC Service Championships, OR have demonstrated rifle or pistol marksmanship competition experience.
September 9th, 2013
 You probably know Dustin Ellermann from the Top Shot TV show. Dustin, a self-trained “natural” marksman, was the Season 3 Champion. You may not know that Dustin also runs a Christian Camp for young people, Camp His Way. One of the Camp’s special programs is a weekend marksmanship camp taught by Dustin.
Multi-Activity Marksmanship Camp
At these sessions, the young campers get to shoot, practice archery, throw tomahawks, ride horses, and even try out blow-guns. Dustin reports: “This past weekend we had another amazing Marksmanship Camp. We had a great group of campers and of course lots of fun shooting/throwing/riding/slinging! Thanks to all our sponsors for helping us make this weekend awesome: 5.11 Tactical, Elzetta Design, NextLevel Training, Volquartsen Custom, GhostTargets.com, Cold Steel and more.” CLICK for equipment list.
Notice the young campers always wear ear and eye protection when shooting firearms. That’s as it should be. We wish adult shooters, including benchrest, smallbore, High Power, and F-Class competitors, followed this important safety practice.
May 17th, 2013
 The CMP has just released a new DVD: Basic Rifle Marksmanship. The DVD features a series of lessons taught by leading instructors from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). Aimed at prone, high power, and service rifle shooters, this new DVD covers the fundamentals of target shooting (with a strong emphasis on position shooting with sling and irons). This $6.95 DVD (#784DVDBRM) is offered through the CMP eStore. Content is divided into eight lessons:
- Principles of Shooting
- The Supported Position
- The Prone Position
- The Standing Position
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- The Kneeling Position
- Ballistics and Zeroing
- Wind and Weather
- Shooter/Target Analysis
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October 13th, 2012
 The Civilian Marksmanship Program is now taking applications for its $1,000 annual college scholarship program, available to graduating high school seniors who participate in rifle or pistol marksmanship competitions. The scholarship program provides a non-renewable, one year scholarship. One half of the total allocation is set aside specifically for graduating JROTC seniors who qualified to compete at the CMP JROTC Service Championships. Last year the CMP awarded 59 scholarships to non-JROTC students. It was the first year of the CMP’s expanded scholarship outreach program. (The CMP Scholarship Program no longer requires a relationship with an ROTC or JROTC program.)
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.
Scholarship Application | Scholarship Selection Regulations
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Eligibility requirementsfor CMP scholarships:
• Be a U.S. Citizen.
• Be of good moral character.
• Have achieved a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• Be a graduating high school senior
• Demonstrate acceptance to a university, college, or trade school leading to a diploma or trade certification.
• Qualified for CMP JROTC Service Championships; OR
• Demonstrate rifle or pistol marksmanship competition experience. |
SEND APPLICATIONS to:
Civilian Marksmanship Program
Attn: Scholarship Program
P. O. Box 576
Port Clinton, OH 43452 |
July 2nd, 2012
 Every summer at Camp Perry, Ohio, prior to the National Rifle and Pistol Trophy Matches, soldiers from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) take time to pass their knowledge on to the next generation of American shooters. The Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) was instituted in 1918 by the Dept. of Defense. SAFS is now run by the USAMU, with help from other U.S. Military and National Guard personnel.
The SAFS is divided into pistol and rifle programs. The Pistol SAFS will be held on Monday, July 9, 2012, while the two-day Rifle SAFS will be held July 28-29, 2012. There are two divisions for rifle shooters — a basic program for novice/intermediate shooters, plus an Advanced Service Rifle Course for experienced marksmen. Both rifle programs finish with special M16 EIC Matches.
The SAFS program is very popular, drawing over 1,000 participants to each year’s rifle and pistol classes. Fees for the Rifle School or Pistol School are a modest $45.00 for adults and $30.00 for juniors. The USAMU provides semi-auto-only M-16A2 rifles for the students to use. The USAMU also supplied pistols and ammo for the pistol students. CLICK HERE for registration and more information.
 The day starts with classroom instruction and covers everything from the functioning of the weapon to proper positioning. The instructors, such as 2009 National Pistol Champion SFC James Henderson, are among the best in their respective shooting disciplines. After a few hours in the classroom, the students trek to the range and get a feel for the weapon in dry-fire simulation. There are two students per military instructor. Upon their return from lunch, students go to the range for live-fire practice.
SFC Jason St. John, USAMU, explained: “The advanced class … covered mental management training, preparing for a competition, and basically what it’s going to take to get to that next level”. Splitting the rifle class into two divisions based on shooter experience has proven to be effective and popular. Said SFC Lance Dement, USAMU: “In previous years we had around 400 students or less (for the rifle class) and now we’re close to 700. With the price of ammo going up, the cost of fuel, the economy the way it is, and people are still coming — that’s a good thing. They are the future of the sport.”
Shooters of All Ages Attend Firing Schools
Persons from all walks of life, young and old alike, have participated in the pistol and rifle Firing Schools. The students range in age from 12 to 70. (Minimum age for Rifle SAFS students is 12; minimum age for Pistol SAFS students is 14.) State junior shooting teams showed up, families planned their family vacations around the trip to Perry, and others flew long distances to learn from the elite marksmanship instructors.
“It’s such a great thing,” said Jim Davis from Indiana. “This is the best place in the country, maybe the world, to learn about shooting and everything that goes with it.” Davis took his son and three other kids from the Dekalb County 4-H Club to the rifle class, stressing how valuable the instruction is to them now and down the road. “I still remember when I came to this school as a teenager,” he said. “I tell my kid that this is something that you’ll always remember.”
This story is based on a report by Michael Molinaro, USAMU public affairs officer.
October 23rd, 2011
This year at the Deep Creek Rifle Range, near Missoula, Montana, the All National Guard Team conducted two very popular (and effective) marksmanship clinics. First, in the spring, All Guard Team members ran an Across the Course (XTC) clinic with individual instruction and live fire at the 200, 300 and 600 yards. Instruction covered shooting positions and techniques /strategy for the various distances involved in XTC matches.
This fall, in conjunction with the sold-out Long Range and F-Class Regional, the All National Guard Team held a long range clinic — which was sold-out as well. In attendance were competitive shooters, Army National Guard sniper teams ,and long-range hunters. With over 50 civilian and military shooters present, the program included basic instruction followed by coached shooting at the 800-yard and 1000-yard lines. Before the shooting began, instructors explained the positions used in sling shooting and F-Class, and also explained the hardware competitors need for these disciplines. The clinic continued with discussions of ballistics and wind reading strategies. For the live-fire portion of the clinic, students were grouped into pairs, with one All Guard Team member assigned to each pair. This worked well — while one student was shooting the other could observe the coach’s instructions.
The All Guard Team provides this service as part of its mission to improve marksmanship among the civilian population. The Remington-Bushmaster Team headed by Ken Roxburgh, and the USMC Rifle Team, can also provide instruction for shooting clinics.
July 25th, 2011
 Former President Theodore Roosevelt was the “founding father” of the NRA National Matches*. Teddy Roosevelt believed the world was a dangerous place. To assure peace, Roosevelt believed that America needed to be prepared to fight. At the Opening Ceremony of the 2011 NRA National Championships, Dr. Joseph W. Westphal, Under Secretary of the U.S. Army, echoed the views of Roosevelt, who believed “The first step in the direction of preparation to avert war, if possible, and to be fit for war, if it should come, is to teach men to shoot.”
“Though the world has changed considerably in the last century, it is just as unsettled as it was when President Roosevelt established this competition in 1903,” Dr. Westphal said. Roosevelt, who served as an Army colonel during the Spanish-American War, witnessed firsthand how unprepared U.S. soldiers were victimized in battle. Despite winning the conflict, the U.S. suffered disproportionate casualties due to the lack of firearms training.
In his speech at Camp Perry, Dr. Westphal observed that President Roosevelt was a strong advocate of marksmanship training:
“Reflecting with regret on the casualties the U.S. took in the Spanish-American War, President Roosevelt said: ‘The great body of our citizens shoot less as time goes on. We should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys and indeed among all classes as well as in the military services, by every means of our power. Thus and not otherwise may we be able to assist in preserving peace in the world. The first step in the direction of preparation to avert war, if possible, and to be fit for war, if it should come, is to teach men to shoot.’ “
 Westphal Invokes History
at Camp Perry Ceremonies
Westphal cautioned that we should not forget the lessons of the past: “So I bring these old historic notes of long-forgotten battles, not because they are curiosities, but because they remind us of why Americans began gathering here over a century ago. It was because they knew the terrible consequences of not being ready for war. In establishing the National Matches at Camp Perry, they promoted the importance of marksmanship in the nation’s defense.”
“Today the Civilian Marksmanship Program trains some 400 marksmanship instructors a year. In addition, 200,000 to 300,000 young people and adults receive training in marksmanship and firearms safety through clubs and junior ROTC,” Westphal said. “The thousands of competitors who will take part in these matches follow on the heels of millions who have benefited directly … from the marksmanship training and safety programs promoted here.”
*In February 1903, an amendment to the War Department Appropriations Bill established the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP). This government advisory board became the predecessor to today’s Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety, Inc. that now governs the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). The 1903 legislation also established the National Matches, commissioned the National Trophy and provided funding to support the Matches. This historic legislation grew out of a desire to improve military marksmanship and national defense preparedness. President Theodore Roosevelt, Secretary of War Elihu Root and NRA President General Bird Spencer were among the most important supporters of this act.
Story based on report by Steve Cooper in CMP First Shot Online Magazine.
April 9th, 2011
 The winter 2011 digital edition of the CMP’s On the Mark Magazine is now available online for free in PDF format. This latest edition of On the Mark contains a number of interesting articles for competitive shooters including a great article on the “mental game” by Gary Anderson, former Director of Civilian Marksmanship. In addition to recent match reports, you’ll find:
- Mental Performance and Sports Psychology, by Gary Anderson, DCME
- Motivation: How to Stay ‘On the Mark’, by Lisa Markland
- Three-Position Air Rifle Rule Interpretations
- Profile of SFC Josh Olson, USAMU Paralympic Competitor, by Steve Cooper
- CMP Summer Rifle Camp Preview, by S. Wood
CLICK HERE to download On the Mark Digital Edition
February 17th, 2011
For a limited time, McMillan has extended its free Marksmanship Training Program Offer. The two-day course, a $500.00 value, is conducted at the McMillan Range in Arizona, where participants can shoot out to one mile and beyond. The next class, scheduled for April 26-27, 2011 has filled up, but McMillan is taking reservations for fall sessions, to be held in October (dates TBA). Here’s how it works: Any owner of a complete McMillan rifle is entitled to attend a two-day Marksmanship course at no charge (food, lodging, ammo not included). Each McMillan rifle owner may also bring one guest, who also shoots for free (not counting food, lodging, ammo). The regular price for this course is $500.00.
McMillan Marksmanship Course Video (WARNING: Turn down speakers if at work.)
Course Title: FREE Marksmanship Training Course
Next Open Date: Fall, 2011 (October dates TBA)
Cost: Free for owners of McMillan rifles and their guests. $500 for non-owners.
Contact: Maura McMillan, (623) 582-9635
The McMillan two-day Marksmanship Training Course is free for owners of any McMillan rifle. Taught on McMillan rifle ranges in Arizona, the course covers the fundamentals of marksmanship, including properly sighting a rifle, adjusting your scope, and shooting out beyond 1,000 yards. The course will also cover the mil-dot system, doping the wind, competing with other participants in a long-range, timed event, and firearms maintenance and range safety. You’ll work one-on-one with qualified McMillan instructors engaging targets from a hundred yards out to a mile or more. And you will spend a memorable two days with fellow McMillan owners of all skill levels.
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Story Sourced by Edlongrange.
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