Sportsman’s Team Challenge This Week on the Pursuit Channel

STC Archive photo. Doug Koenig now shoots with Team Ruger. He did not compete this year, instead dedicating his time to running the match.

Speed on Steel. That’s what’s featured in the latest episode of Doug Koenig’s Championship Season on the Pursuit Channel. This week features steel courses of fire at the 2018 Sportsman’s Team Challenge (STC) National Championships in Ridgedale, Missouri. Teams shot plate racks and various steel targets set at distances from 10 to 90 yards. Adrenaline levels were high as fixed time limits were displayed on digital clocks. These steel stages tested competitors’ speed, accuracy, and rapid-loading skills. With over $125,000 in cash and prizes this year, competitors were highly motivated.

The pistol stage featured brightly painted plate racks, shot with time limits.

At this year’s STC, fifty teams competed in pistol, rifle, combo, and three different shotgun courses of fire. Competitors came from 14 states and three countries. The three-day event is a family-friendly celebration of community and teamwork, with shooters as young as eight years old in the Sub-Junior and Junior divisions. Colorful reactive targets and visible countdown timers make this multi-discipline event spectator-friendly. It’s a great experience for all competitors — from new shooters to top pros.

The STC was directed by 18-time NRA Bianchi Cup National Action Pistol Champion Doug Koenig — now in his third year at the helm of the STC. Koenig said this year’s Big Cedar Lodge venue, home of the Bass Pro Shooting Academy, is a “phenomenal location overlooking Table Rock Lake. [Big Cedar Lodge] demonstrated why it’s a world-class shooting facility … with its stunning vistas and close proximity to nearby entertainment capitol Branson, Missouri.” You can see the lake in this photo:

Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, purchased Big Cedar Lodge in 1987. This Missouri venue now serves as a Nature Park and the Bass Pro Shops’ Outdoor Shooting Academy.

Doug Koenig’s Championship Season can be viewed on Pursuit Channel, available On Demand at PursuitupTV.com. Learn more on Doug Koenig’s Facebook Page or @dougkoenig on Instagram.

There was major industry support for this event. Sponsors included: Berger Bullets, Hornady, Hogue, Lapua, Leupold, Otis Technology, Remington, Ruger, Sierra Bullets, SK Ammunition, Sig Sauer, Starline Brass, and Vihtavuori.