Today, October 20, 2021 Shooting USA TV features the Talladega 600 held this past January. Shooting USA notes: “Competition is back, as America gets back to normal again. For the Civilian Marksmanship Program … the Talladega 600 brought competitors from across the country — all glad to be back shooting. Dozens of competitors are on the line at the Talladega Marksmanship Park, the impressive home range of the CMP.”
Shooting USA noted that this event was a welcome return to normalcy: “After a year of cancelled competition, the Talladega 600 offered days of shooting in matches for most everything you might own, from rimfire to High Power. That had shooters from across the country emptying their gun-safes, and driving down to Alabama to shoot.” After being postponed due to storm damage from Hurricane Zeta, the CMP’s 2020 Talladega 600 event was rescheduled to January 2021.
SHOOTING USA TV Air Times
View Shooting USA on the Outdoor Channel: Wednesdays 9:00 PM (Eastern and Pacific); 8:00 PM Central.
NOTE: If you miss the 10/20/2021 broadcast, you can still view the show on Vimeo for a small 99-cent fee, or just $1.99 per month unlimited. LINK HERE: Shooting USA on Vimeo.
About the Talladega 600 — Southern Classic
The Talladega 600, “A Southern Classic”, is held annually. Though typically fired in November, the 2020 Talladega 600 was rescheduled to January 2021, due to storm damage from Hurricane Zeta. This year, matches included Garand, Springfield, M1A, Carbine and Vintage/Modern rifle events, and versions of prestigious National Trophy Rifle Matches. There was also an Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) match, 4-Man Team match, and .22 Rimfire Sporter match.
NEW Garand Benchrest and Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Matches
Two new types of matches were conducted at January’s Talladega 600: a Benchrest Garand Match and a Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Match. Competitors at these events can use sandbags to support their rifles. The Benchrest Garand match was very popular, and is likely to become a regular event.
Pistol Matches Were Popular
The Talladega 600 included .22 Rimfire EIC and Service Pistol EIC matches, along with As-Issued 1911 and Military & Police matches.
State-of-the-art Kongsberg target systems are used at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park.
About Talladega Marksmanship Park
The 500-acre CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park is one of the most advanced outdoor shooting facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The facility includes a 600-yard rifle range, a 100-yard multi-purpose range, and a 50-yard pistol range, equipped with Kongsberg electronic targets and scoring monitors. Since the 54 targets at each line register hits and calculate the scores instantly, no pit duty is required at Talladega. The park regularly hosts rifle, pistol and shotgun events throughout the year.
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This week’s Shooting USA TV episode features CMP High Power competition. High Power Rifle, sometimes called XTC from “Across the Course”, is a shooting sport using centerfire (aka “fullbore”) target rifles. Major High Power matches are run by the CMP and NRA, as well as state rifle groups. The sport is divided into classes by equipment, and popular classifications include Service Rifle, and Open Class. This episode of Shooting USA focuses on High Power competition at the Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama.
This episode of Shooting USA airs Wednesday, July 7, 2021, 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. Shooting USA is also available On Demand via Vimeo.com.
This week Shooting USA TV features CMP High Power competition from the Talladega Marksmanship facility in Alabama. High Power is a challenging discipline that requires high accuracy in the rifle and great marksmanship skills in three positions — standing, sitting/kneeling, and prone. The CMP competition involves slow- and rapid-fire at 200, 300, and 600 yards in all three positions. There are separate Service Rifle and Open divisions.
Young 15-year-old Tyler Fisher from Arizona shot superbly at the 2020 CMP Western Games Match in Phoenix (Ben Avery). His impressive marksmanship secured second place overall (and High Junior) at the Western Games EIC Match shooting Service Rifle, a subclass of High Power.
High Power Open division Tubb 2000 with a shortened handguard, and custom hand support bracket forward of mag well.
HIGHPOWER CLINICS
The CMP conducts a number of High Power clinics each year. The CMP offers a pair of High Power clinics in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps Rifle Team and members of the Remington-Bushmaster rifle team. There is a Junior Clinic as well as an advanced High Power clinic. Both focus on service rifle disciplines.
USAMU PRO TIP: Bullseye Pistol Competition
In addition to the High Power rifle feature, this week’s Shooting USA episode has a good USAMU Pro Tips segment about bullseye pistols. Staff Sergeant Ryan Franks with the USAMU Service Pistol Team shows the fundamentals of bullseye shooting, the classic pistol competition shot from a one-handed standing position. In this Pro Tip, SSG Franks focuses on proper stance and grip.
Shooting USA will air Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific (8:00 PM Central) on the Outdoor Channel. Shooting USA is also available On Demand via Vimeo.com. Watch a single episode for $0.99, or get a full-month subscription for $3.99 and watch as many shows as you like with limited commercial interruptions.
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Over the past six days the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) conducted a major spring shooting event — the Talladega Spring Classic held at the Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. This year’s event was a success, with participants enjoying a wide range of pistol and rifle competitions, plus training courses.
TALLADEGA SPRING CLASSIC 2021
Spring has sprung! From March 16 through 21, the CMP has hosted a major series of rifle and pistol matches at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. The March 2021 Spring Classic event at Talladega included a mix of both new and traditional rifle matches, along with pistol competitions, and a variety of training courses.
On the rifle firing lines were Service Rifles, Vintage Military Rifles, and Rimfire Sporter Rifles. And there were even M1 Garands being shot from the bench. In the pistol areas, both rimfire and centerfire matches were held.
Spring Classic Featured New Benchrest Garand Match
The Talladega Spring Classic featured traditional matches plus some notable new events. Debuting this year was a Benchrest Garand Match. In addition there was a new Mid-Range 3×600 Rifle Match, and new Pistol 2700 Match. Along with the new events, the Spring Classic including CMP staple events including: Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match, .22 Rimfire Pistol EIC, Service Pistol EIC, and GSMM (Garand/Springfield/Vintage and Modern Military) Rifle matches.
There were also multiple training sessions including: Long Range Rifle Clinic, Team CMP 600-Yard Clinic, Rifle Marksmanship 101 Course/M16 Match, and Pistol Marksmanship 101 Course/M9 Match. These classes allow participants the opportunity to learn marksmanship from skilled, certified instructors.
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TALLADEGA SPRING CLASSIC (March 16-21, 2021)
The show goes on at Talladega! Next month the CMP will host a series of rifle and pistol matches at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. The March 2021 Spring Classic event at Talladega includes a mix of both new and traditional rifle matches, along with pistol competitions, and training courses. There will be many new events not previously held at Talladega. CLICK HERE for full details.
NEW EVENTS include First-Ever Benchrest Garand Match
The Talladega Spring Classic will feature traditional matches plus innovative NEW EVENTS. Debuting this year (for the first time at Talladega) will be a Benchrest Garand Match, Mid-Range 3×600 Rifle Match, and Pistol 2700 Match. Along with the new events, there will be CMP staple events including Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match, .22 Rimfire Pistol EIC, Service Pistol EIC, and GSMM (Garand/Springfield/Vintage and Modern Military) Rifle matches.
There will also be multiple training sessions including: Long Range Rifle Clinic, Team CMP 600-Yard Clinic, Rifle Marksmanship 101 Course/M16 Match, and Pistol Marksmanship 101 Course/M9 Match. These classes allow participants the opportunity to learn marksmanship from skilled, certified instructors.
COOL VIDEO — This 22-second drone video shows the Talladega Rifle Range — Worth watching!
Electronic Targets + No Pit Duty = More Fun
Competitors will be firing all matches on electronic targets for pistol and rifle matches. Each firing point of the 500-acre facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art, KTS electronic target and scoring monitor. Located beside the shooter, on the firing line, each monitor allows the competitor to see his/her shot value in a matter of seconds. Spectators can view the results in real time on large monitors.
Off of the firing line, the Club House holds a fully-stocked Pro Shop that includes a collection of rifles, ammunition, marksmanship accessories and CMP memorabilia.
NOTE Regarding Health and Safety: Although it is CMP’s hope to hold our upcoming events, please keep in mind that we may have to cancel due to COVID-19 issues. For those events that we do conduct, we will follow the appropriate state’s guidelines and recommendations. We continue to monitor the venue states’ guidelines and adjust our procedures based on those guidelines and common sense. As always, the safety of our customers and employees is our priority.
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Finally… some good news in the shooting world. One of the most important ranges in the nation re-opens next week. Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama will open its gates on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has announced that its outdoor rifle, pistol and shotgun facility in Alabama, the Talladega Marksmanship Park, plans to resume activity in May with updated protocols for staff and guests. These requirements are designed to ensure the public well-being and safety during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Starting Wednesday, May 13, the facility will be open to the public Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am – 5 pm and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am – 5 pm.
Special Health Procedures
All park visitors will be required to have his/her body temperature checked and will also need to answer questions about current health and recent activities that could relate to COVID-19 before being permitted to use the ranges. The number of guests within the Clubhouse will also be monitored, and those on the ranges will adhere to social distancing guidelines put in place by CMP personnel.
Though staff members of Talladega Marksmanship Park will be equipped with face masks, they will not be required for visitors to the facility. However, for the protection of everyone present, masks are highly recommended. The CMP also asks that guests stay mindful of social distancing and hygiene practices in all areas of the grounds.
No Classes, Clinics, or Matches in May
While the park will be open effective 5/13/20, the regularly-held monthly classes, clinics, and have been cancelled for the entirety of May and June. All activities scheduled after June 30th will be reassessed at a later date. For updates on Talladega status, visit the Talladega Marksmanship Park webpage.
About Talladega Marksmanship Park:
The 500-acre Talladega Marksmanship Park features a 600-yard rifle range, 100-yard multi-purpose range, and 50-yard pistol range, each equipped with Kongsberg electronic targets and scoring monitors that allow shooters on the firing line to review shots in a matter of seconds. The Park also includes 15 action pistol bays and a trap field, 5-stand field, and a 15-station sporting clays field — all with automated trap machines. All firing lines are covered, so competitors and guests stay dry and shaded.
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M1 Garand Springfield Armory July 1941 production. Facebook photo by Shinnosuke Tanaka.
My father carried a Garand in WWII. That was reason enough for me to want one. But I also loved the look, feel, and heft of this classic American battle rifle. And the unique “Ping” of the ejected en-bloc clip is music to the ears of Garand fans. Some folks own a Garand for the history, while others enjoy competing with this old war-horse. Around the country there are regular competition series for Garand shooters, and the CMP’s John C. Garand Match is one of the most popular events at Camp Perry every year. This year’s Garand Match will be held Saturday, August 1, 2020. SEE CMP 2020 NM Calendar.
The CMP also has a John C. Garand Match each June as part of the D-Day Competition at the Talladega Marksmanship Park. Here’s a video from the inaugural Talladega D-Day Event in 2015. This year’s Talladega D-Day Matches run June 3-7, 2020.
Watch Prone Stage from the Inaugural Talladega D-Day Match in 2015
M1 Garand Manual
Recommended M1 Garand Manual
Among the many M1 Garand manuals available, we recommend the CMP’s U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1: ‘Read This First’ Manual. This booklet covers take-down, reassembly, cleaning, lubrication, and operation. The manual, included with CMP rifles, is available for $3.25 from the CMP eStore. The author of Garand Tips & Tricks says: “It’s one of the best firearms manuals I’ve seen. I highly recommend it.”
M1 Garand Slow-Motion Shooting Video
What really happens when an M1 Garand fires the final round and the En-Bloc clip ejects with the distinctive “Ping”? Well thanks to ForgottenWeapons.com, you can see for yourself in super-slow-motion. The entire cycling process of a Garand has been captured using a high-speed camera running at 2000 frames per second (about sixty times normal rate). Watch the clip eject at the 00:27 time-mark. It makes an acrobatic exit, spinning 90° counter-clockwise and then tumbling end over end.
2000 frame per second video shows M1 Garand ejecting spent cartridges and En-bloc clip.
M1 Garand History
Jean Cantius Garand, also known as John C. Garand, was a Canadian designer of firearms who created the M1 Garand, a semi-automatic rifle that was widely used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. The U.S. government employed Garand as an engineer with the Springfield Armory from 1919 until he retired in 1953. At Springfield Armory Garand was tasked with designing a basic gas-actuated self-loading infantry rifle and carbine that would eject the spent cartridge and reload a new round. It took fifteen years to perfect the M1 prototype model to meet all the U.S. Army specifications. The resulting Semiautomatic, Caliber .30, M1 Rifle was patented by Garand in 1932, approved by the U.S. Army on January 9, 1936, and went into mass production in 1940. It replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield and became the standard infantry rifle known as the Garand Rifle. During the World War II, over four million M1 rifles were manufactured.
Credit: NPS Photo, public domain
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Looking for places to shoot — out to 1000 yards and beyond? Well the folks at Desert Tech have created a very powerful web-based, Range Locator System. Simply type in town name or Zip Code, and the Desert Tech Range Locator plots the nearest ranges on a Google Map interface. Use plus/minus controls to zoom in and out. This handy, online mapping tool includes thousands of shooting ranges, with max target distances for each. As Shooting Sports USA explains, you can find “the exact mileage and directions to the range, then call the contact for information about hours and protocol. Pretty simple.”
How to Use Range Locator
All ranges are marked with “ice cream cone”-shaped markers. Ranges which allow shooting at 500 yards or greater have orange icons. Other ranges limited to shorter distances are marked in blue. When you click on a range icon, the name, address, phone number, and website are displayed. Simply click on the web link to get more info.
NOTE: The system works remarkably well. This Range Locator is our first stop when we are looking for a rifle range in another part of the country. The connection with Google Maps makes this database way more user-friendly than other options. In seconds, you can find rifle ranges anywhere in the nation, including those that specialize in Long Range, and Extreme Long Range shooting. If you are traveling to a shooting match, this will also help you get to your destination. Many undeveloped shooting ranges may not show on your GPS or on AAA maps.
Are there shortcomings? Yes — there are some notable omissions. We searched the Phoenix, Arizona area, and for some reason the Ben Avery Shooting Facility did not show up. Considering that Ben Avery may be the most important outdoor range West of the Rockies, that’s troublesome. That just shows the range locator needs some updates. Overall it is still very impressive. See Ben Avery Map Omission.
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GAP Grind PRS Competition and Vintage Sniper Rifle at Talladega — that’s what you get in a double-feature episode of Shooting USA TV, now available on YouTube. This is a killer episode, with great coverage of two rapidly-growing shooting sports. The GAP Grind is the biggest PRS tactical match of the year, while Vintage Sniper Rifle matches have proven popular with competitors of all ages, from 18 to 80. Learn all about these shooting disciplines in this 48-minute Shooting USA production. Photos, unless otherwise indicated, come from Ramia Whitecotton’s GAP GRIND 2016 photo album
PRS Competition — the GAP Grind
This Shooting USA episode features the Bushnell GAP Grind Pro-Am, a tough tactical/practical match in Tennessee with 300 competitors. Conducted in association with the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), the GAP Grind features a Pro/Am format — new shooters partner with an experienced shooters for the two-day, 25-stage event. This year John Scoutten teamed up with novice shooter Jen Hodson.
Yes this video includes the GAP Grind PRS match. Click the arrow and it should begin with the PRS segment, 28 minutes into the episode:
One stage required the use of “human support” by one’s team-mate. Here Shooting USA’s John Scoutten provides a strong shoulder for female competitor Jen Hodson.
Lots of Action, with 20+ Stages
The GAP Grind is a notoriously challenging, “high tempo” match with minimal down-time between stages. Over the course of 20+ stages, competitors will fire 200+ shots at a variety of steel, paper, moving, and reactive targets out to 1,200 yards. Targets vary in size/difficulty based on the shooter’s position, distance, and time allotted. Most stages include “stressors” — i.e. time limits or required movement(s).
On the first day of the Bushnell GAP Grind, teams are scored together. On the second day team members still work together but scores are logged individually. This is a difficult event with awkward positions, barriers, and other challenges. Targets vary in size, shape, and distance. One of the toughest targets is the 500-Yard Mover. And the shooting platform (below) offered a double-decker challenge…
Here’s a “Dawn Patrol” shot from Bryan Sikes. He mastered this stage: “6:00 am cold bore — nailed it!”
Vintage Sniper Rifle Competition at Talladega
In this episode, Shooting USA features the Vintage Sniper Match at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park. This is a popular two-man team event, for shooter and spotter, using military rifles in service up to 1953. One added challenge is the time limit. The team has only 20 seconds to complete each shot — That’s 20 seconds for the spotter to read the conditions, and for the shooter to pull the trigger.
File photo from Vintage Sniper match at Camp Perry. At Talladega, there are video target monitors at each shooting station.
Guns of Grandfathers…
In this episode two USAMU marksmen, SGTs Daniel Crody and Robert Shoup, compete with an Springfield M 1903 A4 reproduction topped with a vintage optic. “For me it holds a little bit of sentimental value,” says SGT Crody. “I did have two grandfathers in World War II. It is definitely a pleasure holding a piece of history… and to be able to see and feel what these guys had as far as tools to operate with.”
“It’s a match that brings a different type of competitor out. It brings a nostalgic competitor out. You’ll see World War II time-period rifles, sniper-type rifles that were used during World War II, Korean War era,” says the CMP’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Johnson. “The optics are either original optics or current reproduction of old optics.”
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Are you from a Northern state that’s snowbound in the winter? Looking for a fun December diversion (and a break from cold weather)? Then consider a trip to Talledega, Alabama. This December, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) hosts the Second Annual Talladega 600, “A Southern Classic”, at the Talladega Marksmanship Park. This event for rifle, pistol, and shotgun shooters kicks off Tuesday, December 6, 2016, and concludes Sunday, December 11th. It should be fun for the whole family. For more info, visit the Talladega 600 Webpage.
Competitors of all ages and skill levels are welcome at the Talladega 600. Events will include popular CMP Games Matches: Garand, Springfield, and Vintage Military Match, as well as the Vintage Sniper, Carbine and Rimfire Match. There will be a Small Arms Firing School with an M16 Match, the Congressional 30 (similar to President’s Rifle Match), the Dixie Double Highpower Match, and an EIC Rifle Match. Pistol events will include the .22 Rimfire EIC Pistol Match, the Service Pistol EIC Match, the As-Issued 1911 and the Military & Police Matches. Shotgunners can enjoy a Sporting Clays Shoot and a 5-Stand Shoot.
Talladega Marksmanship Park
The 500-acre CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park is one of the most impressive shooting venues in North America. Talladega boasts superb facilities and state-of the-art electronic target systems. Each rifle firing point is equipped with a modern KTS electronic target and scoring monitor. Located beside each shooter on the firing line, these monitors allows competitors to see shot locations and scores instantly — no more waiting for targets to pulled and then marked with with a spotter disc.
For spectators following the action, large monitors inside the comfortable 13,000-square-foot Clubhouse will display scores from the shooting matches as they are being fired. Scores are also viewable online through the CMP’s Competition Tracker.
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TALLADEGA SPRING CLASSIC 2021
How to Use Range Locator
Guns of Grandfathers…
