CAMP PERRY, OH – At the Small Arms Firing School in 2011, new shooter Matt Lovre’s dad told him that if he beat the man next to him on the line, he’d buy him his own AR. The man, though equipped with a top-of-the-line shooting jacket, head gear and all of the other gadgets and gizmos, was outshot by a newbie that day – and Matt got a new gun.
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Marine Corps shooters were on hand to instruct the juniors on proper techniques on and off the line.
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“Two years later, here we are,” said Matt’s dad, Matt Sr., as he watched his son participate in the CMP-USMC Junior Highpower Rifle Clinic held July 26, 27 and 28, just prior to the start of the highpower events at the 2013 National Matches.
The clinic is geared toward youth marksmen who are involved in service rifle shooting or are members of state association junior highpower teams. This year, the clinics were conducted to a class of over 150 junior shooters.
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USMC instructors used fun and engaging techniques to better show the fundamentals of rifle shooting.
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Shooters who participate in the clinic must have some prior highpower rifle competition experience and must have attended the Rifle Small Arms Firing School or the Eastern Junior Highpower Clinic at Butner, NC.
“This is such an inexpensive way to learn. My son loves it,” Matt Sr. went on.
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Matt Lovre decided to attend the clinic after having shot in the Small Arms Rifle School in 2011. He said he enjoyed the clinic and would like to move on to the Advanced course within the next few years.
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The clinic is organized by the Civilian Marksmanship Program and led by members of the U.S. Marine Corps Rifle Team. Classroom instruction was held in the Camp Perry Clubhouse by USMC Rifle shooters Cpl. Neil Sookdeo, Sgt. Joshua Peterson, SSgt. Sean Pickle and SSgt. Mark Altendorf before live firing began.
SSgts. Pickel and Altendorf each discussed elements of rifle competition outside of gun handling, such as pit procedures, sportsmanship and mental health, as well as briefly covering weapons maintenance. Cpl. Sookdeo touched on topics like fundamentals and the effects of weather, while Sgt. Peterson, chief instructor for the course at Camp Perry, briefed the class on rifle safety, zeroing and positioning.
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Remington hosted a pizza party for the junior clinic attendees before awards were given on the final day of instruction.
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“The biggest thing we want to teach the juniors is responsibility, safety, and since they obviously they get to meet a lot of others, we want them to learn to be nice to each other,” said Sgt. Peterson. “But, firearms safety is one of the most important things we teach them, because of recent events in the country.”
Along with the fundamentals of rifle mechanics, Sgt. Peterson said they also want to teach elements to the juniors that can be used on and off the range.
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Sgt. Peterson, right, was the lead instructor for the course. He and his team set out to teach the juniors responsibility, safety, fundamentals and respect during the course.
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“They like competition, and we stress competition, mental management, attention to detail, and things like that can actually carry on through the rest of their lives,” he said. “They may not think about it now, but 10 years from now, they’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, I learned things like that when I was shooting.’”
Having also taught in the Marine Corps, Sgt. Peterson has a lot of experience instructing others. To him, it’s more than a job – it’s a way of shaping the futures of these young shooters.
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Morgan Fadeley, who has attended the clinic five times, won the overall gold in the EIC Match, held at the end of instruction.
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“I get a lot of satisfaction seeing the light in their eyes and the smiles on their faces when they come off and they’ve shot a good score. Not necessarily a winning score, but even if they’ve bettered themselves in some way,” he said.
Once class work was completed, days two and three were spent on the range, firing from 200, 300 and 600 yards while being coached by a Marine Shooter. Juniors were also given the opportunity to shoot in an Introductory Excellence-In-Competition Match (EIC). Qualified shooters were eligible to compete for 4 introductory EIC points, which are the same points offered in the Rifle Small Arms Firing School.
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Ryan Richileau, 16, of Plain City, OH, was the top eligible competitor in the USMC Clinic EIC Rifle Match and earned his first four EIC points. Eleven other clinic participants also earned their first EIC points.
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Winning this year’s match was Morgan Fadeley, 18, of Phoenix, AZ, with a score of 382-6x. Fadeley has taken the clinic five times in the past, but this was his first time winning the EIC Match.
“I really like this clinic. That’s why I keep coming back. I’m going to keep doing it until I age out,” he said with a smile.
Coming in second place was Morgan Owen, 17, of Sonora, CA, with a score of 381-8x. Ryan Richileau, 16, of Plain City, OH, fired a 381-7x for the third place spot. Richileau was also the top competitor with no EIC points and earned his first 4 EIC points. Eleven other junior shooters received their first 4 points. The cut-socre was 368-1X.
More information on the CMP-USMC Junior Highpower Rifle Clinic can be found by visiting
http://thecmp.org/NM/JrHPClinic.htm. Photos may be viewed at
http://cmp1.zenfolio.com/p495037277.
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