The Lapua Monarch Cup, one of the most prestigious smallbore rifle silhouette competitions in North America, has officially announced its 2025 schedule. Now in its fourth year, the Cup features a two-part series of smallbore standard rifle silhouette matches contested in the United States and Canada. For registration details and complete information on the Lapua Monarch Cup, visit Lapuamonarchcup.com.

The Lapua Monarch Cup includes the annual U.S. Smallbore Rifle Silhouette National Championships, along with a second host country event, this year in Canada. The 2025 competition schedule is as follows:

Competitors earn scores from each match within their respective classifications (Master, AAA, AA, & A), allowing participants to compete for a share of $25,000 in cash prizes across the two events.

“We are excited to continue the tradition of the Lapua Monarch Cup and provide competitors with an unparalleled competition experience,” said Adam Braverman, Lapua’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing and an advisor to the Cup. “This event not only showcases top-tier marksmanship but also fosters camaraderie among shooters across North America.” The Lapua Monarch Cup Board consists of esteemed members of the shooting community, including Erich Mietenkorte, Daniel Salazar, Jason Marsh, Jose (Pepe) Valdes, and Chris Cawthorne, with Adam Braverman serving as an advisor.

Basics of Smallbore Silhouette Competition
Smallbore Silhouette shooting is a fun and challenging shooting discipline that has competitors taking aim at a variety of steel chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. Shooters, standing and unsupported, take aim at four banks of silhouettes at increasing distances, shooting 40 targets in all. For every silhouette knocked down, the competitor earns one point. Smallbore Silhouette competitors typically shoot at distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters at metric matches.

For more info on the North American Silhouette Shooting Association (NASSA), visit NASSAsilhouette.org.

*NOTE: The official Monarch Cup webpage lists June 20 as the Canada event start date. However the official graphic states the event runs June 29 through July 1, 2025.

The Lapua Monarch Cup is a prestigious smallbore silhouette rifle competition with events in both the USA and Mexico. We congratulate Finland’s Marko Nikkos on winning the first event of the 2024 Lapua Monarch Cup. Nikkos, who scored a 107/120X shooting Lapua Midas+ ammo, edged out Team SK’s Jake Stine in a shootout to collect the $1,000 top prize. Over the three stages (sub-matches) of this event, Nikkos scored 33/40, 36/40, and 38/40, then winning in a final shootout.

The Lapua Monarch Cup is a two-leg, multi-national smallbore silhouette series with the winner earning the title of North American Champion. Competitors are scored by division (Master, AAA, AA, & A), giving all shooters an opportunity to benefit from $100,000 in cash and prizes. With such valuable awards for participants, the Lapua Monarch Cup is a hugely prestigious and popular competition in the smallbore silhouette shooting world.

The first segment of the Lapua Monarch Cup was conducted at the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, Pennsylvania at the 2024 NRA Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Championship, held July 28-30, 2024. The second leg of the Lapua Monarch Cup is slated for October 5-6, 2024 at the Club Saltillo in Mexico.

Basics of Smallbore Silhouette Competition
Smallbore Silhouette shooting is a fun and challenging shooting discipline that has competitors taking aim at a variety of steel chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. Shooters, standing and unsupported, take aim at four banks of silhouettes at increasing distances, shooting 40 targets in all. For every silhouette knocked down, the competitor earns one point. Smallbore Silhouette competitors typically shoot at distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters at metric matches.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Lapua Monach Cup, with information on rules, entries, and venues.

Congratulations to Lapua’s Rimfire Performance Center Manager, Luke Johnson, on winning the Lapua Silhouette Super Shoot. Johnson won the Standard Rifle class with a score of 176 out of a possible 200 and a shot a perfect 40 out of 40 in the Hunter Rifle to win the class with an aggregate score of 185.

With Johnson’s perfect score in Hunter Rifle, he joins the elite 4-member club of registered masters who have shot a perfect score in both Standard and Hunter Rifle silhouette disciplines. Johnson obtained his perfect score in Standard Rifle at the 2017 National Silhouette Championship.

The Lapua Super Shoot took place May 29-30, 2021 at the “Silhouette Capital” of the USA, Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, PA. It consisted of 3 x 120 round relays, all fired from the standing position. For each relay, shooters engage ten chickens at 40 meters, ten pigs at 60 meters, ten turkeys at 77 meters and ten rams at 100 meters.

“This was my 3rd perfect 40/40 of my silhouette career, all have been shot with tested Lapua Center-X,” stated Johnson, “There have only been 10 different competitors to ever fire a perfect score in registered competition. This was a special 40/40 with it being my first in Hunter Rifle class.”

Choosing the Perfect Ammo for His Rifle
Johnson’s Lapua Center-X .22 LR ammunition is matched to his firearms at Lapua’s Rimfire Performance Center indoor facility. Unique lots of ammunition are tested at 50 and 100 meters simultaneously, identifying the best performing ammunition for purchase. This service is available to all shooters who wish to gain a competitive advantage. Readers take note — you can do this type of ammo testing for your own rimfire rifles. CLICK HERE to schedule ammo testing at either of Lapua’s Rimfire Performance Centers located in Mesa, AZ or Marengo, OH.

About Luke Johnson — Past National Silhouette Champion and All-American
Johnson, a native of Marysville, PA, brings a long background of competitive shooting and hunting to Capstone. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. While pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree, Luke was a 4-year letterman for the University’s D1 Rifle Team. In addition to his 3P/Prone shooting pedigree, Luke is a High Master rifle silhouette competitor. Highlights of his competitive background include: NRA Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Champion, NCAA & CRCA All-American, USA Junior National Champion (50 meter rifle).

About Lapua Bullets, Brass, and Ammunition
Lapua produces the highest-quality, small-caliber cartridges and components for civilian and professional use. Lapua is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.

Add another major National Rifle Championship to the list of shooting events cancelled in 2020. We’ve lost the CMP matches at Camp Perry, and the NRA High Power and Smallbore Championships at Camp Attebury in Indiana. Now the 2020 NRA National Silhouette Championships in Pennsylvania have been cancelled due to Pandemic concerns. Here is the official statement from the NRA:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the many ensuing federal and state safety regulations and mandates, the Ridgway Rifle Club has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 NRA National Silhouette Championships which was to be held July – August 2020 at the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, Pennsylvania.

The NRA and the Ridgway Rifle Club share your disappointment that these competitions had to be cancelled.

A decision regarding the 2021 NRA National Silhouette Championship dates and location(s) will be announced later this year. The NRA and the Ridgway Rifle Club wishes everyone good health and the best of luck. For more information please visit Competitions.nra.org.