After a successful first year at the 2022 NRA National Matches, electronic targets are returning to Camp Atterbury for the 2023 Rifle Matches. Shooting Sports USA reports that: “Last year at the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, the High Power Rifle Nationals were fired on electronic targets from Silver Mountain Targets. The e-targets that made their debut last summer … will be returning for use again in competition this year at Camp Atterbury during the High Power … National Championships.”
Cole McCulloch, NRA’s Director of Competitive Shooting explained: “For 2023, we are continuing with range improvements, including 50 Silver Mountain electronic targets to support High Power Rifle and F-Class. We will have these targets in place for the 2023 National Matches.” (NOTE: The 2023 F-Class National Championships will be held Oct. 29 through Nov. 6 at the Ben Avery Range in Arizona.)
The e-targets on Camp Atterbury’s Range Six at Camp Atterbury last summer eliminated pit duty last summer and, importantly, allowed real-time scoring. Competitors could immediately see their shot placements and scores using mobile devices (such as iPads) connected via WiFi to the e-targets. Shooting Sports USA noted that: “After a few hiccups on day one of the 2023 NRA High Power Nationals, which were quickly rectified, the Silver Mountain electronic targets performed without any major issues for the duration of the championship.”
Camp Atterbury competitors last summer were generally impressed with the electronic targets: “E-targets were a godsend, as they totally eliminated the need to pull in the pits, which was especially valuable this summer in the scorching Indiana heat,” Charles Rowe, a longtime NRA High Power shooter, said.
At the 2023 NRA Nationals at Camp Atterbury, the High Power Rifle matches (Over the Course (OTC), Mid-Range, Long-Range) will have electronic targets. That means faster relays, quicker scoring, and NO PIT DUTY! Relays can proceed much more quickly and efficiently, so matches can be completed in significantly shorter time-spans.
Silver Mountain Targets Electronic Targets at Camp Atterbury
The Silver Mountain Targets (SMT) electronic target system is an OPEN SENSOR system fitted to conventional wood target frames. It uses four sensors to plot shot location (and score value) with great precision. Scores are transmitted via a WiFi network to mobile devices placed at each shooting station. Along with shot location, the score values are listed and recorded on the receiving devices.
The electronic target systems from Silver Mountain Targets provide instantaneous scoring, with scores instantly transmitted to WiFi monitors at each station on the firing lines. This shows competitors their shot locations immediately. That helps with wind calls. For the most part, the system worked very well in 2022 after some glitches on Day One.
Silver Mountain Target’s David Schnelle explained “The system is designed to be easily expandable and provide a high level of reliability. System components are battery-powered to simplify deployment on a military range and allows the system to even operate if there is a power outage. Communications between targets and the firing line is via a highly reliable WiFi connection, utilizing any WiFi-capable device to display competitors’ shots.”
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Online registration for the 2022 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury is still available via the NRA Competitive Shooting Web Portal. Consisting of the NRA National Championships for Precision Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, and High Power Rifle, the NRA National Matches will kick off its second year in the Hoosier State on July 10 and conclude August 7. Also coming back after a hiatus is the NRA Extreme Long-Range (ELR) Championship. Click HERE to Register for 2022 NRA National Matches.
Updated 2022 National Matches Calendar
Here is the updated 2022 NRA National Matches calendar, which adds Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association events occurring in conjunction with the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, indiana. Click the link below or the calendar image to launch a printable, zoomable PDF that is easier to read.
At the NRA National Championships, shooters from across the country can compete shoulder-to-shoulder, continuing traditions going back to the 19th century. To showcase the National Championships, NRA Publications has created a great 36-page 2021 NRA National Matches commemorative magazine. This provides complete coverage of the inaugural year at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. There are plenty of photos along with interviews with top shooters. CLICK HERE for related story.
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The NRA has released the final 2022 National Rifle and Pistol Match schedule. The 2022 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships will be held July 8 through August 7, 2022 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. A National Match Calendar for next summer has been released, which we publish below.
The 2022 NRA Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Atterbury will start with OTC (Over the Course) High Power Rifle competition. This is unlike 2021 when the Nationals at Atterbury started with Smallbore events. In 2022 the Smallbore 3-position event runs from July 25 through July 29. Some competitors have lamented that this overlaps with the Long Range Championship (July 23-28), so shooters will have to choose one or the other. The 1-Mile Extreme Long Range Challenge match returns to the National Matches Calendar after being dropped in 2021.
High Power OTC Events and Championship: 8-14 July, 2022
Precision Pistol Championships: 17-23 July, 2022
High Power Mid-Range Championship: 16-21 July, 2022
High Power Long Range Championship: 23-28 July, 2022
Smallbore 3-Position Nationals: 25-29 July, 2022
Smallbore Prone Nationals: 30 July – 7 August, 2022
Extreme Long Range Challenge: 5-7 August, 2022
The 2022 NRA High Power Across the Course, Mid-Range, and Long Range Championships will be fired on the ranges of Camp Atterbury. Matches will begin on July 8 and run through August 7. This year the NRA revives the Extreme Long Range Challenge, which will run August 5-7. All registrations will be handled through the NRA Competition Portal.
The new covered range at Camp Atterbury was a big hit in 2021 during the Precision Pistol and Smallbore Rifle Championships. This was built with the help of the State of Indiana, Indiana National Guard, the NRA, and the Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association.
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Paul Phillips is now best known as an Extreme Long Range (ELR) ace shooting large caliber “boomers”. He was the King of Two Miles in 2019. But Paul has also competed in F-Class and other disciplines. This week he is at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, participating in the NRA F-Class National Championships in F-TR division. He is currently in fourth place, with the final invidual competition to take place this Friday, July 30, 2021 (today 7/29/21 is Team Competition). SEE Current F-TR Standings.
Paul has good skills with a camera as well as a rifle. On his Facebook Page, Paul recently posted images from the F-Class Nationals. He observed: “My First National Match string since 2018. Feels like a .22 rimfire compared to the big bruisers. Lots of fun.”
Mid-Range Team Match at 600 Yards
This photo from the Mid-Range Team Match by Forum member “Turbulent Turtle”.
Paul Phillips also shot the 600-yard Team Match on July 26, 2021. Shown below are score-cards for Paul Phillips and his team-mate Jeff Rorer. Both shot “clean” (not dropping a point), in this particular event, Team Match 6311. Paul’s 200-13X was the second highest score among all competitors on the line, but he didn’t want to take full credit: “I’m just a trigger-puller. Dan Pohlabel was making the wind calls.”
Paul wanted to credit his sponsors: Creedmoor Sports, Manson Precision Reamers, Nightforce Optics, Berger Bullets, Lapua, Vihtavuori, CROSSTAC, Kestrel Ballistics, Labradar, Longshot Cameras, Applied Ballistics LLC, Bullet Central, Bix’n Andy, and Ryan Pierce.
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NRA Competitive Shooting has released the Official Calendar for the 2021 NRA National Championships at Camp Atterbury. The 2021 NRA Nationals at Camp Atterbury start with registration for the Smallbore Championships on Tuesday, July 6. The Smallbore Nationals continue through Sunday, July 18. The Precision Pistol National Championships begin on Tuesday, July 20, with the F-Class Mid-Range Nationals starting July 22 (registration/practice), with F-Class Long-Range commencing on July 27. Moving on to High Power Rifle, the Fullbore event runs August 1-7, while the Mid-Range Nationals begin on Tuesday, August 9, followed by the Long-Range Nationals starting on August 14, 2021. Finally, the NRA Extreme Long-Range (ELR) Championship begins on Friday, August 20 and concludes Saturday, August 21. The last week of the month, August 22-27 is slated for OTC competition.
Smallbore Rifle Championship: 6-18 July, 2021
Precision Pistol Championship: 20-25 July, 2021
F-Class Mid-Range Championship: 21-25 July, 2021
F-Class Long Range Championship: 27-30 July, 2021
Fullbore Championship: 1-7 August, 2021
High Power Mid-Range Championship: 9-13 August, 2021
High Power Long Range Championship: 14-19 August, 2021
ELR 1-Mile Championship: 20-21 August, 2021
OTC Competition: 22-28 August, 2021
NOTE: Listed dates include registration/sign-up and/or practice day, and award ceremony.
See full 2021 Camp Atterbury NRA National Championships calendar below. CLICK to view larger, full-screen printable image that is easier to read. ENLARGE (+ with mouse) after loading to read small print.
CLICK CALENDAR to VIEW Full-screen PDF then click Enlarge (+)
To learn more about the 2021 NRA Nationals, visit compete.nra.org. And for the latest updates, subscribe to the free Shooting Sports USA Insider newsletter.
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We learned last week that the CMP had closed the Camp Perry CMP Championship Matches. Now the NRA has followed suit, cancelling the Pistol, Smallbore, and High Power National Championships slated for summer 2020 at Camp Perry (Pistol) and Camp Atterbury (Rifle). We know readers will be disappointed. The NRA High Power Championships were slated for mid-August — over three months away. Many shooters were hoping some normalcy would be restored by then. However the potential health risks of having hundreds of shooters in close proximity lead to the cancellation decision. On 4/29/2020, the NRA stated:
Due to the current state of affairs surrounding COVID-19, the uncertainties associated with this pandemic at present, and shutdowns across our country that have impeded vital preparatory work, the National Rifle Association has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 NRA Precision Pistol Championships scheduled for July 1-5, 2020), 2020 NRA High Power Championships scheduled for August 9-25, 2020, and the 2020 NRA Smallbore Championships scheduled for July 23-August 4, 2020.
We are trying to make the best of the current situation by moving forward with range construction and other improvements as we look towards the 2021 NRA National Championships season. The NRA is also exploring the feasibility of hosting a variety of new NRA events at Camp Atterbury (if conditions are favorable) [in] the state of Indiana later this year.
We share your disappointment that we had to cancel these competitions. The NRA wishes everyone good health and the best of luck. Stay safe and healthy. For more information, visit Competitions.NRA.org.
The NRA had previously cancelled all sanctioned matches through April 30, 2020. Read story HERE.
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Story based on report by Kyle Jillson forNRABlog
NRA Competitive Shooting’s big event of the year, the National Matches, has commenced. The Remington/NRA National Rifle and Pistol Matches are considered the World Series of the shooting sports. Here you will find the nation’s top pistol, smallbore and high power rifle shooters (and many elite shooters from overseas as well). The six NRA championships, Pistol, Smallbore Position, Smallbore Prone, High Power Rifle, High Power Rifle Mid-Range, and High Power Rifle Long Range are broken up into five legs with High Power and Midrange held simultaneously.
This week’s Pistol Championship sees competitors jockeying for the coveted Harrison Trophy, the aggregate of a Preliminary Pistol Championship, .22 Caliber, Centerfire, and .45 Caliber championships. The all-time winningest shooter of the National Pistol Championship, with 11 titles, is Brian “Gunny” Zins, a featured contestant on the History Channel’s Top Shot All-Stars TV show.
Thunderstorm Halts Preliminary Pistol Event
With the Preliminary Pistol Championship (PPC) cancelled due to a tremendous thunderstorm, the national championship’s standings (thus far) are based on the .22 Caliber Championship completed on July 11th. Leading the way at this stage in the Pistol Championships is Chad Ranton with a 879-42X. There’s still plenty of shooting left to do as Friday (July 12) ushers in the Centerfire Championship and Saturday (July 13) brings the .45 Caliber Championship.
Paul Phillips is now best known as an Extreme Long Range (ELR) ace shooting large caliber “boomers”. He was the 
