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Taking first place honors in this year's Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match was the Hornady Over the Hill Gang consisting of Robert Schanen and Jerome Van Treeck.
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CAMP PERRY, OH – The Hornady Over the Hill Gang outshot the rest of the competitors to take the first place spot in the Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match, held July 31 during the 2013 National Matches. Robert Schanen, 64, of Brookfield, WI, and Jerome Van Treeck, 66, of Racine, WI, shot a combined score of 394-13x to claim the honor.
Second place was obtained by the two-man team of Douglas Armstrong, 53, of Lexington, NC, and Glendale Rutherford, 61, of Tallapoosa, GA, with an aggregate score of 393-18x. The team currently holds the Vintage Sniper record score of 398-17x, set during the 2012 Matches.
Sooner Schooner nearly caught Rutherford-Armstrong, but fell short, losing in the x-count with a score of 393-14x. Jerry Penn, 63, of Edmong, OK, and Wesley Fentress, 28, of Oklahoma City, OK, are the members of the team.
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SGM Doug Withus, USAR, and SSG John Arcularius Jr., USAR, pose for a photo in their Ghillie suits during the Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match. They received the “Best Dressed” award for the team match and Silver Achievement Medals for their score of 379-9X.
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The most important award of the day was given to SGM Doug Withus, USAR, 54, of Lagrangeville, NY, and SSG John Arcularius, USAR, 39, of Stafford, VA, who won the new coveted “Best Dressed” prize. The pair garnished themselves in Ghillie suits, blending into the grassy range during their prone positions and resembling Sasquatch brothers as they moved firing lines.
“I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s so much fun,” said SGM Withus. “We just wanted an excuse to dress up.”
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All shooters fire from sand bags provided by CMP for stability. Firing is done
at 300 and 600 yards. |
Andrew Giegold, 62, of Garrett, IN, didn’t know if he would be able to shoot in the Vintage Sniper Match after just recently having surgery on his right shoulder. But, having attended the National Matches for years, he wasn’t about to let a healing wound keep him from the firing line.
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In the more relaxed setting of the Vintage Sniper Match, shooters even take the time to sit back and smile.
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“My doctor told me I could shoot again starting August 1. Well, here I am,” he said with a smile on his face. “I kept flinching my shoulder at first, and it was really messing me up. But I just calmed down and realized that it didn’t hurt, and I shot much better. I just have to get back into the habit. I’m a little rusty.”
D’Arcy Egan, 67, a writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, also decided to make a place for himself on the firing line during the match. Having never shot the match before, Egan attended a clinic held the night before the match and was paired up with veteran shooter and Air National Guard Shooting Team member Stuart Mackey.
Egan later furnished a story of his experience shooting in his first-ever Vintage Rifle match, saying in the article, “Our combined score was definitely not good enough for an award, but I’d already declared myself a winner for the chance to enjoy an afternoon with a friendly group of shooters.”
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Robert Depp of Owensboro, KY suffered an injury as a Marine Sniper in Vietnam, rendering him completely paralyzed from the neck down. Through the years, he has completely gained back the ability to move except for his left arm. In order to be able to shoot, Depp has transformed his cart into a shooting stand.
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Whether in it for the competition, the outfits, tradition or a new experience, the Vintage Sniper Match has undoubtedly become a favorite amongst the National Match events. It continues to grow in popularity year after year and is expected to further develop in future events.
For a complete list of results for the Vintage Sniper Rifle Team
Match, go to
http://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=getMatchResultsDetail&MatchId=9827&EventId=26&AwardId=1&mode=Print. Photos can be viewed at
http://cmp1.zenfolio.com/p20838845.
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