Each year, the Rimfire Sporter Match attracts hundreds of shooters to the shores of Lake Erie. If there is a single CMP event at Camp Perry that offers the highest level of shooter satisfaction, the most diverse group of competitors, and the lowest cost of entry, that would be the annual Rimfire Sporter Match. This year’s match will be held on Sunday, July 22, 2018 on the Viale Range. The Rimfire Sporter Match is for smallbore rifles that weigh 7 1/2 pounds or less with sights. Firing is done at 25 and 50 yards in prone, sitting and standing positions, in slow and rapid fire modes.

Register Online for 2018 Rimfire Sporter Match | Download Printable PDF Registration Form

On Saturday July 21st, Rimfire Sporter Competitors will check-in, have their rifles weighed, triggers checked, and receive their squad assignment. Also on Saturday there will be a free Rimfire Sporter Seminar held at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center.

Rifles may be manually operated or semi-automatic, in three classes: the standard “O Class” for open-sighted rifles, “T-Class” for telescope-sighted rifles, and the “Tactical Rimfire” Class. Firing is done at 50 and 25 yards on a target with a 1.78″ ten-ring. The target is simple enough for a beginner to hit, yet challenging enough that only one competitor in the history of the match has ever fired a perfect 600 score. Here’s the young man who did that, Samuel Payne:

Download CMP Rimfire Sporter Guidebook | View AccurateShooter’s Rimfire Sporter Page

FREE Ammo from Lapua (One 50rd Box per Entrant):
Lapua has graciously donated 50 rounds of Lapua .22 smallbore ammunition for each competitor in the National Rimfire Sporter Match, but this ammunition will not be enough to shoot the entire match. Competitors will need a total of 60 rounds to fire the Rimfire Sporter Match plus any sighters or range alibis.

Getting Ready for the 2018 Rimfire Sporter Match

Preparing for the Match: You need to bring your own .22 cal. Rimfire rifle(s) and ammunition. Special target shooting equipment, shooting jackets, or shooting gloves are not permitted, but feel free to bring a spotting telescope and ground cloth or shooting mat. You will be shooting on a grass firing point. Competitors are strongly urged to you wear hearing and eye protection.

A free Shooters’ Clinic will be held Saturday the 21st from 4:00-6:00PM (no equipment is needed for the clinic). The Clinic covers Rimfire Sporter rules, safety instructions, course of fire, and competition procedures. The Clinic will also demonstrate the firing positions, use of the sling, as well as slow and rapid-fire techniques. Shooters who have not previously attended a CMP Rimfire Sporter Match are strongly encouraged to attend.

Rimfire Sporter Course of Fire

Competitors will complete slow fire prone, rapid fire prone, slow fire sitting or kneeling, rapid fire sitting or kneeling, slow fire standing, and rapid fire standing shot sequences. To learn more about the National Rimfire Sporter Match, CLICK HERE.

Three different classifications of rifles can be used in Rimfire Sporter competition: “O Class” for open-sighted rifles, “T Class” for telescope-sighted rifles and the recently-added “Tactical Rimfire” class. Awards are offered to High Juniors, High Seniors, High Women as well as Overall winners are named for each class.

Do you want to see more match photos? CLICK HERE to view the CMP Zenfolio Archive with 500+ photos from 2016 National Rimfire Sporter Match.