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August 23rd, 2009
 The Tompkins Trophy goes to the overall Long Range High Power Champion. Along with bragging rights, the winner receives a Tompkins Trophy plaque, a goldtone medallion, a gold and diamond National Long Range Championship ring, a $500 Visa gift card, a $500 check from Sierra Bullets, a $500 check from Berger Bullets, and a Remington Model 700 Sendero SF2 300 Ultra Mag Rifle.
With a record score of 1245-62x, this year’s winner is Specialist Sherri Gallagher of the U.S. Army. According to USAMU Head Coach Emil Praslick, she was shooting a 6.5×284 with Sierra 142gr Matchkings and in the Palma matches she shot a 308 with the new Sierra 155gr 2156 Palma bullet.
“This win is not mine, at least not mine alone,” said Sherri. “Its all due to the team (Army Marksmanship Unit).”
 Her upbringing probably had a bit to do with it, too. Some might not know that Sherri’s sister (Michelle Gallagher), mother (Nancy Gallagher-Tompkins), and step-father (Mid Tompkins) have all won major National Championships. In fact, there are now 14 National Championships in the family. “It would have been nice to have mom here, but she’s over in England shooting the F-Class Championships.” One could say that shooting is in their blood. This was not Sherri’s first major championship. Sherri won the 2003 World Long Range Championship in Bisley, England.
“Growing up, every summer vacation was spent traveling to the different tournaments and watching my mom compete. After a while, it was either sit in the sun or grab a rifle. It was an easy choice.”
Now that she has a national championship to hang on the wall, what’s next for Specialist Gallagher?
“The shooting season is winding down, so we go into training mode. Most of us won’t even pick up a rifle for a few months. Instead, we’ll travel to different bases, overseas, any place where they’re a group of soldiers with a desire to improve their shot. I think it’s a great position to fill and an incredible opportunity to serve my country.”
Report and photos copyright the NRA Blog, used with permission.
August 19th, 2009
SPC Sherri Gallagher (of the USAMU) triumphed in the Tompkins Trophy Match, earning the title of 2009 NRA Long Range Champion. Gallagher shot a 1245-62X score, a new National Record, topping former champion John Whidden (1239-61X) by six points. Fellow USAMU shooter SFC Lance Dement finished third, with 1238-67X. Proving that accuracy runs in the family, Sherri’s sister Michelle Gallagher finished in fourth place with a 1238-65X, and Sherri’s step-father Mid Tompkins was the High Grand Senior with a 1230-58X.
L to R: John Whidden, SPC Sherri Gallagher, SFC Lance Dement. Photo courtesy NRABlog.com.
Miller Edges Litz on X-Count in Palma Match
The Palma Individual Trophy Match was hotly contested, going right down to the wire. Larry Miller (448-25X) eventually emerged the winner, edging Bryan Litz (448-23X) by two Xs. Bryan has written articles for this website and he is the author of the important new book, Applied Balllistics for Long Range Shooting.
In Team Competition, John Whidden’s Southeast Rifle Club won the Herrick Trophy Team Match, beating the USAMU Praslick Team by just one point, 791-30X to 790-41X. Sherri Gallagher also shot with the Praslick USAMU team, which was the winner of the Roumanian Trophy Match with a 793-42X Team score.
August 15th, 2009
 Norman Houle of West Warwick, Rhode Island, is the 2009 NRA National High Power Champion. Congrats to Norm! His come-from-behind, one-point victory marked his third High Power National Championship. His previous wins coming in 2004 and 2006, Norman was unable to shoot in last year’s competition.
The National Champion is the person with the highest aggregate of scores fired in the Vandenberg Cup, Nevada Trophy and Clarke Trophy Matches, and they receive the Mumma Trophy, a footed sterling silver urn with an ornate top, side handles and spout.
Houle scored 2387-124X, just one point more than last year’s champion Carl Bernosky (2386-125X). David Tubb finished third with 2385-133X. This year was the closest point differential Norman could recall. High Woman Shooter, and the early leader in the competition, was SPC Sherri Gallagher. Sherri, who finished with a 2382-148X score, has the highest X-Count total among all competitors — by a wide margin.
 Houle, Tubb, and Gallagher are all teammates, along with Ronald Zerr, on Team Creedmoor, coached by Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports. Team Creedmoor won the 2009 RNDC Team match, one of four team events that is part of the championships. Two other events, The Enlisted Men’s Trophy (for military teams of four firing members) and The Rumbold Trophy (for civilian teams whose members belong to the same club or state association), are fired concurrent with the RNDC. The fourth event, The Whistler Boy Trophy (for teams of two, junior-category firing members who represent a state association), is fired during a separate day of competition.
In other Camp Perry Results, SFC Grant Singley (2385-102X) won the NRA National Service Rifle Championship, convincingly over USAMU teammate SGT Brandon Green (2370-90X). Dennis DeMille was High Civilian, posting a 2359-99X. Though she missed out on the big prize, SPC Sherri Gallagher won the Army Cup Match, the Crowell Trophy Match, the Centenary Trophy (Agg), and the Vandenburg Cup. Her 800-53X score in the Vandenburg Cup broke a National Record.
Complete NRA National High Power Championship RESULTS.
August 12th, 2009
 If you were to guess the percentage of Americans who favor Right-to-Carry laws, what you would you say? 30%? 40%? Remember there are more people living in liberal “blue states” than in conservative “red states”.
Well, you may be surprised, but over four-fifths of Americans support Right-to-Carry Laws. A new poll shows that 83 percent of Americans support laws allowing handgun carry by citizens who have passed background checks. The poll also revealed that support for Right-to-Carry crosses party lines, with 86% of independent voters and 80% of Democratic voters supporting Right-to-Carry.
Conducted by Zogby International and The O’Leary Report, the poll looked at Americans’ opinions on some key issues related to the Second Amendment. One of the questions asked: “Currently, 39 states have laws that allow residents to carry firearms to protect themselves, only if they pass a background check and pay a fee to cover administrative costs. Most of those states also require applicants to have firearms safety training. Do you support or oppose [such a] law?” 83% of respondents said they would support such Right-to-Carry laws.
August 10th, 2009
The NRA National High Power Championships has commenced at Camp Perry. Among the early events was the M1A Match. Relatively new, the M1A match was organized in 2007 by the NRA and Springfield Armory to encourage use of the M1A, an M14 derivative that was the weapon of choice for rifle competition for a number of years. With competitors lured by substantial cash prizes plus Springfield Armory gun give-aways, the M1A Match has proved hugely popular, attracting hundreds of shooters, including many of the nation’s top marksmen.
Any configuration of the M1A is allowed in the Match, with the course of fire being 50 shots at 300 yards on the MR-65F as follows: 5 sighters; 20 shots slow-fire, prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, kneeling or sitting; 10 shots slow-fire, standing.
Winner of the 2009 M1A Match was Thomas Rider, whose 484-15x score beat runner-up and 1st Place Civilian Nick Till (482-17X) by two points. Rider earned $2000.00 in prize money for his victory. Fritz Hemplemann (478-16x) was second place Civilian, while Creedmoor Sports General Manager Dennis DeMille was third place Civilian (476-21x). Emily Windmassinger of the USMC earned the High Service Award with an impressive 480-20X. In the video below you can see M1A competitors, including DeMille (0:13, 0:30, 0:42 second marks), in the standing stage.
CLICK HERE for complete M1A Match Results | This report courtesy the NRABlog.com.
August 7th, 2009
The High Power Silhouette Championships at the NRA Whittington Center (Raton, NM) started Thursday morning (August 6th) with many Smallbore Silhouette competitors taking to their big guns for High Power. Match 1 went well but extreme afternoon winds were blowing silhouettes off the rails so Match 2 was halted. That means the remaining two High Power Hunting Rifle matches over the next two days will jump to 60 shots rather than 40 to close the gap. The top shooters in Match 1 were Joy Cox (35), Defending Champion Angustin Sanchez, Jr (34 – 9 turkeys), and Laura Goetsch (34 – 8 turkeys)
The High Power Silhouette Championships are similar in format to the Smallbore Silhouette Championships held earlier this week. The Standard Silhouettte High Power Rifle matches are shot in the morning with the Silhouette Hunting Rifle Class shot in the afternoon. The main differences between the disciplines are obviously the type of rifle (Centerfire vs. Rimfire) and the distances. For High Power, targets are set at 200 meters (chickens), 300 meters (pigs), 385 meters (turkeys), and 500 meters (rams), while in Smallbore, targets are set at 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters.
A variety of chamberings are popular in the centerfire Silhouette game, including the .243 Win, 6.5 BR, 6.5×47 Lapua, 260 Rem, 7 BR, 7mm-08, and the .308 Winchester. In selecting a caliber, shooters must balance between knock-down power and recoil force. A 6.5mm or 7mm bullet in the 130gr range running 2900 fps is just about ideal. You also need a caliber capable of serious inherent accuracy.
This report courtesy the NRABlog.com
August 4th, 2009
Roughly 130 competitors have gathered at the NRA Whittington Center for the NRA Smallbore Silhouette Championships held August 2-4. Today the final matches will be held for the Smallbore Rifle Class and Hunting Rifle Class Silhouette Championships.
This year, 13 shooters have traveled from Mexico to compete against some of the best Smallbore Silhouette shooters in the United States. Seven of these Mexican competitors made the 20-hour journey together. Surprisingly however, the Mexican contingent did NOT include Agustin Sanchez, Jr. this year. Agustin, the “Tiger Woods of Silhouette” has won the event for the past six years, but now someone else will take his title. “It’s up for grabs,” said NRA Silhouette Program Coordinator Jonathan Leighton. “There are a lot of good shooters here, so it’s anyone’s game right now.”
Above, Gabriel Guerra of Mexico shoots while Carlos Mercado spots for him. Guerra loves Silhouette shooting for the comradery and the challenge: “I enjoy the mental game, and it’s a very fun sport. You meet nice people, here and in Mexico. I like the friendship of the teams.”
Invented in Mexico, Adopted in America
It’s thought that silhouette shooting began in Mexico around 1914 as a marksmanship contest between Pancho Villa’s men. The sport spread throughout Mexico following the Mexican Revolution, eventually making its way to America in the 1960s. Silhouette shooting started as a centerfire sport, but over the years rimfire silhouette has become more popular. CLICK HERE to read about the history of silhouette competition.
If you’re interested in getting involved in smallbore silhouette, a fun yet challenging discipline, you’ll find a Summary of Silhouette Basics in our Daily Bulletin Archives. You’ll also find more information, including current rules, on the Steelchickens.com website.
Smallbore Silhouette Course of Fire and Rifle Classes
At an official Smallbore Silhouette match, you’ll shoot at least 40 shots, ten each at four sets of 1/5th size standard High Power Rifle Silhouette targets. The smallest targets, the chickens, are set at 40 yards, Pigs are at 60 yards, Turkeys are at 77 yards, and Rams are at 100 yards. (Alternatively, metric distances are used.) Though the rams are the largest targets, hitting them is far from easy. At 100 yards, a little bit of wind will blow you off the target. Two classes of rifles are used in Rimfire Silhouette: Standard and Hunter Class. Standard rifles can weigh up to 10 pounds, 2 oz. (with sights) and have no restriction on trigger pull weight. The fore-end shall not exceed 2 1/4″ wide, and 2 1/4″ deep measured from the centerline of the bore.
August 3rd, 2009
Veteran pilot, rifle shooter, hunter, and AccurateShooter forum member Dave Funk is running as a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Iowa. Dave Funk, known as ‘Captain Dave’ by many, served as Co-chair of Iowa Sportsmen for McCain-Palin and has been active in conservative political circles for most of his adult life. He recently serviced as co-chair of the Iowa Sportsmen for McCain-Palin. He is also is the current President of the Iowa Chapter of Safari Club International.
 Now working as an aviation security consultant, Dave served for nearly ten years as an attack helicopter pilot with the Iowa Army National Guard. He has over three decades of aviation experience, most recently as a Boeing 757 Captain for Northwest Airlines.
Why does a family man, living in rural Iowa with his wife and children, want to go to Washington? Dave Funk, a “tried and true conservative”, believes the country is at a crossroads and basic American values and freedoms are being challenged.
Dave explained: “Last fall, in the President’s Message in the Safari Club International’s Iowa Chapter quarterly newsletter, I wrote the following regarding the then-pending election: ‘As a nation we are at a fork in the road, one turn, towards the left, is in a direction much like our European allies have gone, to more government intrusion, higher taxes, fewer individual rights, and unrelenting attacks on our traditions as hunters and, to top it all off… stagnant economies. The other turn is toward the right, to freedom and liberty, lower taxes, [and] a vibrant economy.'”
Dave continued: “The ‘hope’ and ‘change’ thing sold to the American people last fall is not really working out. Democrats took control of Congress… and through a series of legislative missteps have increased the costs of doing business for all of us through higher taxes, excessive spending and massive federal intrusion into the private sector — including taking over banks and manufacturing companies.
I don’t want to face my son 20 years from now when he asks me, ‘Dad, in 2010, when there was still time to save this country, why didn’t you do something?’ It’s time that real Americans step up… before it’s too late. That’s why I’m running for Congress.” To learn more about Dave Funk and his campaign visit www.FunkforCongress.com, or call (515) 966-2066.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Whatever your political leanings, you have to admire Dave for undertaking this campaign. We applaud the fact that a fellow shooter is making the effort to get involved in the national politics. It is easy to sit back and complain about the state of affairs in the nation. It takes courage and commitment to do what Dave is doing.
July 23rd, 2009
 July 22nd was smallbore practice day at Camp Perry, Ohio, site of the NRA National Championships. In this video, provided by the NRA Blog, junior three-position competitors practice their prone, standing, and kneeling positions, even as rain fell on the range. NRA correspondent Lars Dalseide reports that: “unless there’s lightening in the air, rain does little to stop things at Camp Perry.” The NRA Smallbore Championships begin with the three-position events (July 23-25), followed by a variety of prone matches running July 26-30. The CMP Rimfire sporter match is scheduled for the 26th also.
CLICK HERE for NRA National Championships Information and complete Match Schedule.
June 23rd, 2009
 The NRA has released the latest edition of the Club Connection, a publication aimed at helping shooting club managers run their programs more effectively. This issue of the Club Connection, available as a free, downloadable .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) file, has many useful articles. Highlights include:
– Answers to Common Club Range Liability Insurance Questions.
– An NRA-endorsed Credit Card program that can reduce processing fees by 30%.
– Guide to the NRA/Winchester Marksmanship Qualification Program.
– Explanation of how to apply for the NRA Range Grant Program which offers qualifying clubs up to $5000.00 per year in direct funding.
– NRA Business Alliance programs (Fedex shipping etc.).
If you are involved in running a shooting club or gun range, you should definitely download the Club Connection. The information in this issue could save your clubs hundreds of dollars annually, and improve your insurance coverage for club members and guest.
This report courtesy the NRA Blog. Forum member Tim B. notes that: “I just wanted to brag a little. That fine-looking young man on the cover of the Club Connection online magazine is my son Carl. PHoto taken last year at the Camp Perry Junior Pistol Camp.”
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