Many of the world’s top pistoleros are in Missouri this week competing in the 2018 NRA Bianchi Cup, the USA’s most prestigious action pistol match. This year’s Bianchi Cup event, which follows the NRA National Action Pistol Championship, runs May 22-25, 2018 in Hallsville, Missouri at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club. Today there will be registration and a Special Multi-Gun Match. The official First Shot Ceremony is on Wednesday, May 23rd, at 7:45 am. Then Cup competition begins promptly at 8:00 am on Wednesday.

Due to the high accuracy required in each stage of the Bianchi Cup, the tournament is widely considered one of the most difficult handgun championships on the planet. To finish on top, you have to be near-perfect.

As in 2017, this year’s match will feature a second “Championship” Round. There will be no multi-gun aggregate match. After completion of the match’s 192-shot, 1920-point aggregate, the top 36 competitors will fire an additional 192-shot Championship Round. Scores from the Championship Round will combined into an overall Aggregate to determine each category’s champions. CLICK HERE for 2018 Bianchi Cup Program Guide.

Watch Colt Speed Event at 2013 Bianchi Cup Championships:

Ace Shooter Jessie Harrison (from Bianchi Photo Archive)

About the Bianchi Cup
The Bianchi Cup is the NRA National Action Pistol Championship, a major tournament held every May in Columbia, Missouri. The premier action pistol championship, the Bianchi Cup boasts the largest purse of any tournament on the action pistol calendar. The Bianchi Cup is the only major shooting tournament that has retained its original Course of Fire since its inception. The Course of Fire consists of four separate matches:

• The Practical Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at distances from 10 yards to 50 yards under varying time limits.
• The Barricade Event: From within shooting boxes and behind barricades, a shooter fires at targets on either side of the barricade at different distances and under varying time limits.
• The Falling Plate Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at 8 inch round steel plates arranged in banks of six at distances from 10 to 25 yards under varying time limits.
• The Moving Target Event: From within shooting boxes at distances ranging from 10 to 25 yards, the shooter fires at a target moving from left to right with the target being exposed for only 6 seconds.

At the Bianchi Cup, there are six categories for individual competitors: Civilian, Police, Service, Junior, Woman, Senior, Grand Senior, New Competitor, International, and Revolver.

Competitors need plenty of ammo at the Bianchi Cup. Look at that collection of magazines.

Want to see the best semi-auto pistol and revolver shooters on the planet in action? Then check out Shooting USA TV later today. Today’s broadcast features in-depth coverage of the 2017 Bianchi Cup. Shooting USA’s John Scoutten and Julie Golob report from the NRA Action Pistol Championship, better known as the Bianchi Cup, after one of its founders, John Bianchi.

ShootingUSA AIR TIMES FOR 2018 (Outdoor Channel)
Wednesday 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 PM Central
NOTE: Shooting USA is listed as a one-hour show in your cable menu.

In the past 30 years the Bianchi Cup has become the richest handgun event in the world, with cash and prizes for the best scores on four stages of fire. Shooting USA will spotlight top male and female Bianchi Cup competitors in both wheelgun and and semi-auto pistol divisions. Along with North American shooters, the Bianchi Cup draws top handgun competitors from around the globe.

In 2017 shooters from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and Japan traveled to Columbia, Missouri in search of the perfect 1920 match score. Each round is the aggregate of the four (4) fired events: Practical, Barricade, Falling Plate, and Moving Target Events. Each of the four events requires 48 shots to complete. 480 points possible on each event. Three of the four are scored on the NRA tombstone P1 target. You must hit in the 10-ring or inner X-Ring on EVERY shot to shoot a “clean” 1920.

27 Years ago Doug Koening set the standard with a 1920. Since then, every Open shooter knows that he or she must “clean” this match (i.e. score a “1920”) to have a chance to take the title of “Champion”. The X-Count is the tie-breaker.

In this video, 18-Time Bianchi Cup Winner Doug Koenig demonstrates Fast Follow-up Shots

Here are the top four women shooting the Practical Event during the Colt Championship Final. From top: 2017 Bianchi Women’s Champion Cherie Blake, third place SFC Katie Bahten, second place Anita Mackiewicz, and fourth place Jessie Duff. Shooting Sports USA Photo

This Bianchi Cup Preview offers the perspective of newcomers to the game…