Camp Butner's 1000 yard range hosted the Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches. Photo courtesy of Eric Sossoman.

The Inaugural Eastern Creedmoor Cup Matches was held on 9-13 May at Camp Butner, a North Carolina Army National Guard Base, in conjunction with the Eastern CMP Games, which were held earlier in the week. The North State Shooting Club (http://www.northstateshootingclub.
com) along with the North Carolina Army National Guard hosted the events.

Over 200 competitors took part in the five-day schedule of Creedmoor events that started off with a free Highpower Clinic on Wednesday. Creedmoor General Manager CWO3 Dennis W. DeMille, USMC (Ret.), the 2005 NRA National Highpower Champion, and members of the U. S. Army Service Rifle Team conducted the clinic. It featured lectures, demonstrations and dry-fire activities with hands-on coaching during the dry-fire sessions. A practice match was held on Thursday to allow competitors to sight in their rifles and prepare for the matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Creedmoor EIC Match was a regular CMP-sanctioned EIC or “leg” match. The top 10% of all eligible non-distinguished competitors firing a service rifle received EIC or “leg” credit points. SPC Matthew Sigrist, USA, was the high Non-Distinguished shooter; he fired a 485-14X and took the Gold Medal (10 EIC points). A total of 8 legs were awarded: Lewis Makison, Jeffrey Clark and John Schudel earned Silver medals (8 EIC points) and Amanda Elsenboss, James Bowen, Jr., Douglas Armstrong and SSG Daniel Pettry, USA, all earned Bronze medals (6 EIC points). With the six point leg, Amanda Elsenboss earned her Distinguished Rifleman Badge during the Creedmoor EIC Match.

The Creedmoor Cup 800 aggregate match was fired on Saturday. The match was shortened to a 600 aggregate when severe thunderstorms after the 300 yard prone rapid stage prevented the completion of the 600 yard slow fire stage. SSgt Daniel Duitsman, USMC, was the overall Creedmoor Cup Match winner with a Service Rifle with his 597-16X total. Troy Lawton, a High Master from Columbus, Georgia, fired the high score of 595-30X in the Match Rifle Class.

The Creedmoor Cup High Senior winner was Douglas Morrison of Moneta, Virginia. He fired a score of 581-18X. The Creedmoor Cup High Junior was Kevin Trickett of Woburn, Massachusetts. His score of 590-20X also earned him an award for being the top junior firing .223 ammo. He was awarded a case of .223 ammo. Both Morrison and Trickett received Bushmaster DCM Competition Rifles as prizes; the rifles were donated by Bushmaster Firearms.

Despite the weather, competitors enjoyed a BBQ at the conclusion of the Creedmoor Cup when the match awards and $15,000 worth of door prizes were awarded!

The Creedmoor Cup Matches concluded on Sunday with a 4-Man Team Match. The USAMU-Praslick Service Rifle Team coached by SSG Emil Praslick III took first place honors with a 1948-73X score. Team members were SFC Grant Singley, SFC Lance Hopper, SFC Norman Anderson, and SPC Elliot Farro. The USAMU – Heuman Team fired a 1948-69X to post the same score with fewer Xs. The USMC Team finished third with a 1923-52X. The New Holland Rifle & Pistol Club finished first in the Match Rifle Team Championship. Coach Kent Reeve and his team mates John Harrison III, Paul Irvin and Carl Bernosky combined to fire a score of 1951-65X. Finishing second in the Match Rifle Division was Lake Norman HP Club with a 1927-58X and Richards Associates placed third with a 1913-66X.

Full results and pictures from the Creedmoor Cup Matches can be viewed at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=1841. The Western Creedmoor Cup Matches will be held at Camp Pendleton, California, on 17-21 October. The Official Match Program and on-line registration will be available on the CMP web site later this month. Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2008 Eastern Creedmoor Cup Matches at Camp Butner, North Carolina, on 7-11 May.