Happy Valentine’s Day
Today is February 14th, Valentine’s Day. To celebrate this romantic holiday, talented shooter Kirsten Joy Weiss has devised a cool trick shot with her .22 LR Volquartsen semi-auto rifle.
Kirsten wants to create a heart on a paper card. Braving winter weather, Kirsten drills three shots into a heart shape on her target. This trick shot is performed, Kirsten adds, “for the love of shooting”.
See more cool trick shots on Kirsten’s popular YouTube Channel which now boasts 339,000 subscribers. Learn more about Kirsten’s shooting background on her website, KirstenJoyWeiss.com.
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Hornady has opened a second production facility in Nebraska, 6 miles down the road from the main Hornady plant in Grand Island, NE. The new 150,000-square-foot production and shipping facility was christened with a ceremony featuring politicians and 1000 guests. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts commended Hornady during the facility’s grand opening, thanking the company for its significant investments in the state of Nebraska.
Hornady was founded by J.W. Hornady in 1949. The company started in a small shop on Fourth Street in Grand Island. Hornady opened its main plant just west of Grand Island in 1958. The new Hornady ‘West’ facility showcases the company’s growth over nearly 70 years. The Hornady West facility has already started shipping, with products heading out its doors in early October.
Hornady broke ground on the project in 2017 and finally unveiled Hornady West in late October. The 150,000 square-foot building will house Hornady ammunition production, packaging, and inspection, as well as the distribution center. Nestled on 320 acres on the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant, Hornady intends to augment the facility over time, eventually introducing R&D capabilities as well as other support services for production operations.
Bullet and Brass Production Unchanged
The new plant will produce loaded ammo. Hornady bullets and cartridge brass will continue to be made at Hornady headquarters in Grand Island. According to Guns.com: “The company has no intention of abandoning any current manufacturing facilities, instead just moving services such as ammo, loading, packaging and its distribution center to Hornady West.”
Big Time Investments in the Nebraska Economy
“Over the last five years, Hornady has spent nearly a half a billion dollars in Nebraska through payroll and all the other investments they make here in our state. They’ve, over the last several years, contributed $1.7 million to state and local charities. Again, continuing to invest to make Nebraska a great place,” said Governor Ricketts.
“We are extremely excited for this new building, this new facility. It’s a great operation for our employees,” V.P. Jason Hornady told local news outlet KSNB. “It is going to make us a far more efficient company.”
Founded in 1949, Hornady® Manufacturing Company is a family-owned business headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska, that manufactures reloading tools, ammunition, bullets, shooting accessories, and security products.
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Congratulations to the University of Nebraska’s Rachel Martin, the new 2015 NCAA Smallbore Rifle Individual Champion! Competing at an indoor range in Alaska, Rachel fired a Final score of 453.3 to edge runner-up Ryan Anderson of the Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks (452.6). The NCAA Championship Air Rifle matches will be held this weekend. You can view Live target images and results on the CMP Match Results Webpage.
In an interview with NRABlog.com, Rachel gave credit to her Cornhusker team-mates for helping her secure the championship.
NRA Blog: Rachel Martin never wanted to learn how to shoot. But thanks to a little prodding from dad, she eventually found a passion for the sport. A passion that brought her the 2015 NCAA National Smallbore Rifle Championship.
“It’s a little overwhelming right now,” she said after winning the title.
Emerging from a crop of 48 shooters…this Nebraska sophomore blazed through the opening rounds to earn a spot in the coveted final round. It was there that she held steady until making her move for the win.
“I was so nervous going in. Luckily I talked to my teammates and they told me I was here because God let me be here so have fun with it. That’s all I needed to hear.”
Alaska Wins Team Smallbore Event
In Team competition, the University of Alaska Nanooks won the 2015 smallbore rifle team championship. West Virginia University (WVU) finished second and University of Nebraska placed third. Full team results can be downloaded via this link. Currently, in Saturday’s Team Air Rifle Competition, the “home team” Nanooks are leading by a narrow 3-point margin over the WVU Mountaineers.
Rachel Martin poses with Nanook, University of Alaska’s mascot, at 2015 NCAA Rifle Championships.
It Was Wicked Cold in Alaska
Yes it was cold in Fairbanks. A member of the Jacksonville State University (JSU) rifle team snapped this image on Thursday. The caption said it all: “It’s just easier to make a sign out of ice than paper here I guess. It was -35° F when we got to the range this morning!
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Based on Report by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog.com
I first read about Lauren Phillips in 2012. Back then she part of a spitfire quartet known as the West Seattle/Vashon Thunderbirds. Fresh off her team’s NRA National Junior Sectional victory, she decided to start taking a more serious approach her shooting career.
Since then, she hit the road for matches in Fort Benning, Georgia, Anniston, Alabama, Camp Perry, Ohio, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. What did that travel catalog get her? How about a scholarship to the University of Nebraska and a spot in the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships. Once she earned that Junior Olympics spot, well, let’s just say she’s been difficult to stop. So much so that she walked away with the overall Women’s Three-Position Rifle title yesterday.
To get a full breakdown of Phillip’s performance at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships, take a look at the press release from USA Shooting:
Phillips Dominates Women’s Three-Position Rifle at NJOSC
No one could catch Lauren Phillips. Before she even stepped on the line for the Women’s Three-Position Rifle Final at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships (NJOSC), Phillips (Seabeck, Wash.) already had the title in the bag.
Phillips, a freshman at the University of Nebraska, built a dominating eight-point lead over the closest competitor in the 66-shooter field. Champions at this year’s NJOSC are determined through a modified selection format similar to that of USA Shooting’s National Championships: Points are awarded points earned in each day of competition with Nebraska freshman Lauren Phillips takes a moment at the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships additional points awarded for performance in the Final – Eight for first, seven for second and so on. Phillips finished fifth in the Final, but it didn’t really matter.
“The Qualification was just like I was planning for – build an early lead so it takes the pressure of the Final,” Phillips said. “That’s just what I did. Went in Day One with a personal best and Day Two two points lower, but stayed consistent…I went in gunning for a record Final but it didn’t happen today. There were some excellent performances by my fellow collegiates.”
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Valentine’s Day is almost here. To celebrate this romantic holiday, Kirsten Joy Weiss has devised a very special trick shot with her .22LR Volquartsen semi-auto rifle.
Braving winter weather, Kirsten manages to drill three shots into a heart shape on her target. This trick shot is performed, Kirsten adds, “for the love of shooting”. See more cool trick shots on Kirsten’s website, KirstenJoyWeiss.com.
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Shoot like a girl? That’s a source of pride at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Nebraska Huskers womens’ shooting team, Nebraska Rifle, has a strong tradition of excellence. Led by Coach Stacy Underwood, the Huskers are ranked among the top teams in the country. In the past 10 years, the Huskers have earned four Top-5 finishes in the NCAA Championships, and Nebraska has had over 30 All-American selections, as well as individual national champions.
This video spotlights some of the current members of 2013-14 Nebraska Rifle Team: Alexandrea Lorentz, ReAnn Wilson, Magdalena Mical, Lauren Phillips, Rachel Martin, Denise Martin, Sunny Russell, Marissa Major, Jaycee Carter, and Kelsey Hansen.
Nebraska Rifle Team Member Kelsey Hansen
The 2014 season is going well for the Nebraska Team. Just this past weekend the No. 8-ranked Huskers completed a sweep of two matches against Air Force, scoring a 4,679-4,671 win over the Falcons. Follow the team via the Nebraska Rifle News Page
Here is a more detailed video that shows the Nebraska Training Range, complete with electronic targets. This is one of the most advanced collegiate shooting facilities in the nation.
Getting to Know Coach Stacy Underwood
Q: What is your coaching philosophy?
A: Rifle is the only NCAA sport where you compete against yourself without awareness of how your fellow competitors are doing, until you’re finished. Only then are scores compared. So my athletes have to be totally self-contained — in motivation, discipline, and focus.
Even more, my athletes have to be supremely calm. A minute waver of even hundredths of a millimeter at the rifle barrel end can throw a shot way off a center target that’s the size of a pin head at 10 meters away. Very slight differences in breathing, heart rate, pulse strength, and muscle twitch amplify that waver.
Finally, rifle is a sport of slight differences. A perfect individual match score is 1200 points. A perfect team score is 4800 points. Perform at 96 percent of perfection and you’ll be marginally competitive. Perform at 98 percent of perfection and you’ll be setting NCAA records. It’s in that two percentage point spread that you find greatness in rifle.
So, given these rigors, I’ve organized my coaching philosophy around the idea of “just 1 percent more”. I’m asking each team member to give just 1 percent more in all areas- academics, personal development and performance.
Sounds simple, but think about what’s involved. Every team member has to deliver. To deliver, they’ll have to organize all the areas of their lives so they’re always ready mentally and physically. Any issues that come up can be referenced by “what will get us just 1 percent more”. They can learn from each other what works. Their lives – mind and body – will be in sync and at peace. That will give them calm. So my efforts will focus on helping each one achieve their goal. I expect great individual surprises, and from that, a great team result.
Photos courtesy NU Media Relations.
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It’s nice to see a leading firearms industry company fund “good works” and help charitable organizations. Hornady Manufacturing recently donated $38,009 to GRACE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their families. Founded in 1949, Hornady is a family-owned business in Grand Island, Nebraska. The donation came from proceeds of the sale of Hornady® Critical Defense® Lite™ ammunition from November 2012 to November 2013.
“We at Hornady Manufacturing wanted to play an active role in the fight against cancer,” said Renae Waltemath, Director of Sales. “By donating a portion of the proceeds of each box of Critical Defense Lite ammunition sold over a 12 month period, we can directly assist organizations devoted to that cause. Choosing GRACE Foundation to receive a donation was easy since they help so many people in the Grand Island area, some of whom may be Hornady employees or family members affected by cancer.” Lisa Willman, co-founder of GRACE Foundation, said the gift significantly expands the number of people the organization can serve. “To give you an idea of what this means,” Willman explained, “the GRACE Foundation gave out over $21,000 in assistance over the entire third quarter of 2013. So a gift of $38,009 from one source is a huge help.” The Hornady gift is the largest single donation the organization has ever received.
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Hornady Mfg., with help from the Nebraska Army National Guard, is hosting Pandemic 2012, a zombie-themed fun shoot on June 29 through July 1, 2012. The “Zombies in the Heartland / Pandemic 2012″ three-gun event will be held at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. This event will feature $160,000 worth of prizes — the largest prize table in Nebraska shooting sports history.
Complete information on the match is available at ZombiesintheHeartland.com. The match, limited to 375 participants, includes combined pistol, rifle, and shotgun stages. Two entry levels are offered. A $175.00 fee buys entry into the eight (8) main Pandemic 2012 stages. For another $100.00 ($275.00 total), shooters can compete in the six (6) Sidematch Stages. Targets will be mostly reactive, with “Hordes of steel Zombie targets [that] will either, fall over, move or blow apart.” The maximum target distance (for rifles) will be 45 yards, so this is very much an close-in speed shooting event.
“Zombies in the Heartland / Pandemic 2012 has been extremely well received by our friends in the industry who have generously donated over $160,000 in prizes,” said Neil Davies, Hornady Marketing Director. “Thanks to all the sponsors, everyone who participates in the match will have the opportunity to claim a prize.” The prize table will include pistols, rifles, shotguns, scopes, AR uppers, gun parts, and gear of all kinds. A complete list of sponsors and merchandise values can be found on the Pandemic 2012 Prize Table Webpage.
Pandemic 2012 should provide a fun and entertaining shooting event unlike anything competitors have experienced before. The Sportsman Channel and the Outdoor Channel will cover the event. In addition to the main stages, an optional Charity CQB Shoot House will feature a maze of walls, smoke, lights and sound, and reactive zombie targets. Competitors will be armed with a green-laser-equipped airsoft M-4 with over 100 rounds of airsoft ammunition. A run through the CQB Shoot House costs $5.00 extra, with all proceeds donated to the Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) charity.
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Happy Valentine’s Day
In an interview with 
A: Rifle is the only NCAA sport where you compete against yourself without awareness of how your fellow competitors are doing, until you’re finished. Only then are scores compared. So my athletes have to be totally self-contained — in motivation, discipline, and focus.
