Competitors Enjoy Camaraderie, Ben Avery Hospitality and Arizona Sun at 2011 CMP Western Games

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Some of the West’s best vintage rifle shooters gathered at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility just north of Arizona’s largest city for four days of competition using old school military rifles. The matches attracted shooters from other parts of the country as well and one from as far away as the British Isles.

As many as a dozen hot air balloons could be seen in the clear skies near the Ben Avery Shooting Facility on the northern city limits of Phoenix throughout the CMP Western Games.

In addition to their US M1 Garands, Springfields, M1917 Enfields and M1 Carbines, shooters arrived with foreign military favorites like the Swedish Mauser, British Enfield and Mosin-Nagant to name a few. Some uncased their scoped, pre-1953 military sniper rifles for a fast-growing and challenging new team match. In addition, several shooters brought their favorite .22 caliber sporter guns to participate in the CMP Rimfire Sporter Match.

As with all CMP events, camaraderie amongst the shooters made the eighth annual CMP Western Games matches and clinics a big hit as 495 firing points were squadded over the four-day program, eclipsing 2010 attendance by a few dozen. Though the temperature reached 101 at one point during the event, it didn’t faze most competitors who hydrated regularly in the Valley of the Sun and enjoyed a few days of friendly rifle competition.

Kurt Emken, 69, of Bourbon, Missouri, a member of the Owensville Gun Club, assists a GSM Clinic attendee on the firing line with his position work.

The CMP games matches (15-18 October) were sandwiched between a three-day Garand Collectors Association convention (13-15 October) and the Creedmoor Cup Matches (19-23 October), sponsored by Creedmoor Sports Inc. of Oceanside, California. GCA members had an opportunity to conduct convention business, attend clinics and fire their own Garand match, many for the first time. The close coordination of all three events gave shooters and collectors multiple events to choose from. The Creedmoor Cup brought in some of the nation’s finest match and service rifle competitors - civilian and military alike.

Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus, conducted a GSM new shooter clinic prior to the firing of matches at the CMP Western Games in the Ben Avery activities center. Anderson covered both general and fine points of safely handling and accurately firing as-issued military rifles.

With an emphasis on education and sportsmanship, the CMP Western Games included a John C. Garand-Springfield Vintage Military Rifle (GSM) new shooter clinic conducted by Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus, daily shooting events and awards ceremonies where dozens of shooters were recognized for reaching and exceeding cut scores for each gun.

The Games kicked off with the clinic on Saturday morning which was attended by more than 30 competitors, some of whom had not fired a match before. Some had recently purchased CMP rifles and others looked to enhance their shooting knowledge. The course offered two hours of classroom instruction and demonstration of safe handling of as-issued military rifles; safe range procedures; target shooting positions and shooters’ responsibilities as scorers and target pullers.

A competitor takes a moment to view his target during rapid-fire sitting prep time during the special M1 Garand EIC match.

The clinic moved outdoors to Ben Avery’s highpower range where attendees practiced loading and unloading their rifles and dry firing in the prone and standing positions on the 200 yard line.

The CMP Western Games program, like its Eastern Games cousin, offered shooters seven matches over the four-day period. Some competitors elected to fire one, two or three guns during the GSM series and some also participated in the special As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match, which offered four intro Rifle EIC “leg” points. Several shooters fired the Rimfire Sporter and M1 Carbine matches and some jumped into the newly-added Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match – the final event of the CMP Games on Tuesday.

Stuart “Jake” De Motte readies himself for a rapid-fire phase of the M1 Garand EIC Match. De Motte was the high non-Distinguished shooter in the match.

Competition began on Saturday afternoon with the first of three GSM events. Each GSM match used the 30-shot John C. Garand course of fire (prone slow, prone rapid and standing slow) fired at 200 yards. Shooters could elect to fire the “Three Gun Aggregate” with a different rifle in each of the three matches or they could opt out of the GSM Aggregate and fire the same rifle, (Garand, Springfield or Vintage Military) up to three times on a re-entry basis.

The M1 Garand EIC Match was fired Sunday morning, followed by the Rimfire Sporter Match in the afternoon. About 75 percent of the entries (66 of 87) who fired the EIC match were eligible to earn intro leg points because they had earned no previous EIC points. Stuart “Jake” De Motte, 24, of Kagel Canyon, California, topped the eligible EIC class, firing a 373-8X in the 400-point match.

Arland Anderson, 61, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was the overall EIC match leader and was the high senior in the event. Here he is seen receiving recognition from CMP’s DCM Emeritus, Gary Anderson.

Arland Anderson, 61, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was the overall EIC match leader and was the high senior in the event. Anderson, a Distinguished Rifle Badge holder, was not eligible to win introductory leg points. Aaron Van Hyning, 17, of Snoqualmie, Washington, was the high junior in the EIC match with an aggregate score of 333-1X.

In the afternoon, the Rimfire Sporter Match was fired on the Ben Avery smallbore range by 57 shooters squadded in two relays. Two targets were mounted at a time to allow the consecutive firing of slow and rapid-fire stages for each position which reduced time changing targets. The BASF smallbore range provided shade for the prone and sitting portions of the match. Shooters moved to the 25-yard line for the standing stage.

Rimfire Sporter shooters can choose from telescopic (rear aperture or 6X maximum), open sights or the newest class - Tactical Rimfire, configured on .22 caliber A4 Carbine or AR-15 service rifle platforms or similar.

William Aten, 59, of Kingwood, Texas, won the Rimfire Sporter O-Class championship with an aggregate score of 567-10X.

William Aten, 59, of Kingwood, Texas, won the O-Class championship with an aggregate score of 567-10X and Rubin Ortiz, Sr., 48, of Pine Valley, California, won the T-Class title by scoring a 575-20X. William Ellis, 46, of Slough, England, repeated as the Western Games Tactical Rimfire Class winner with an aggregate score of 556-7X.

At the conclusion of the Rimfire Sporter Match on Sunday, 17 October, the CMP held a barbecue dinner for all participants.

On Monday, Day 3, competitors fired the second GSM Match in the morning. Shooters participating in the GSM “Three Gun Aggregate” are not required to shoot specific rifles in order – many save their best gun for the third and final GSM match.

Lyle Drenth, 58, of Apple Valley, California, fired a 362-1X to win the 40-shot M1 Carbine Match. CMP board member Bill Willoughby presented the award.

In the afternoon, Lyle Drenth, 58, of Apple Valley, California, fired a 362-1X to win the 40-shot M1 Carbine Match. Edward Hotz, 57, of Costa Mesa, California, the 2010 winner, placed second with a 353-3X.

The CMP Western Games concluded on Tuesday with the final GSM Match and Vintage Sniper Rifle test match.

By rifle match event, here were the winners for each:

The high John C. Garand Rifle Match shooter was Brian Dobish, 36, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, who fired an aggregate score of 284-6X, edging Maury Krupp, 59, of Tucson, Arizona, (283-8X). Krupp squeaked by Jeffrey Schneider, 60, of Tucson, Arizona, in an X-ring tiebreaker (283-2X). Schneider was the high senior in the match and Richard Layton, 20, of Phoenix, Arizona, was the high junior.

Don Rutherford won the overall GSM Three Gun Aggregate championship with an overall score of 852-12X of a possible 900. Rutherford won an M1903A4 Replica sniper rifle donated by the Gibbs Rifle Company. Match Director Dennis DeMille presented the award.

The high Springfield Rifle Match competitor was James Denovchek, 57, of Tucson, Arizona, who compiled a 285-8X aggregate, topping Glendale “Don” Rutherford, 59, of Tallapoosa, Georgia, (284-6X). Lyle Drenth placed third with a total score of 282-5X. The high senior in the match was Mike Miller, 64, of Downey, California. No juniors fired the Springfield match.

Bob Schanen and Harris “Leon” Rutherford won the first official Western Games Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match with an aggregate team score of 372-10X.

Rutherford captured the Vintage Military Rifle title with his 6.5mm Swedish Mauser with an aggregate score of 289-5X, including a 99-2X prone and a 96-2X offhand. Schneider placed second (283-6X – Swiss K-31) and Lee McKinney, 64, of Rio Rico, Arizona, placed third (281-6X – US Krag). Schneider was also the high senior in the match and no juniors participated.

Winning one of the three GSM matches and staying near the top of the other two gave Rutherford the overall GSM Three Gun Aggregate championship with an overall score of 852-12X of a possible 900. Bill Poole, 50, of Scottsdale, Arizona, placed second with an aggregate total 839-16X. Lee McKinney placed third with an 835-16X.

The two-man team of Bob Schanen, 63, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Harris “Leon” Rutherford, 66, of Tallapoosa, Georgia, won the first official Western Games Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match with an aggregate team score of 372-10X. Schanen fired 99-4X and 96-2X at 300 yards and Rutherford fired 82-2X and 95-2X, respectively.

Each of the four days ended with a reception and opportunity to socialize with fellow competitors, a chance to shop the gun and ammo selection at the CMP sales tent and the presentation of awards.

Several prizes were donated to top shooters during the CMP Western Games including the following:

• Garand Match High Junior (Richard Layton) – Criterion Barrel, donated by Criterion Barrels, Inc.
• Garand Match High Senior (Jeffrey Schneider) – Criterion Barrel, donated by Criterion Barrels, Inc.
• Garand Match Winner (Brian Dobish) – Fancy Grade M1 Stock, donated by Dupage Trading Company
• As-Issued Garand Match EIC No Pointers Winner (Stuart De Motte) – DCM-XR Rifle, donated by Bushmaster Firearms
• Springfield Match Winner (James Denovchek) – Fancy Grade M1 Stock, donated by Dupage Trading Company
• Springfield Match Winner (James Denovchek) – Fancy Grade M1 Stock, donated by Dupage Trading Company
• Three-Gun Aggregate Winner (Don Rutherford) – 1903A3 Arsenal Rifle, donated by Gibbs Rifle Company
• Rimfire Sporter O-Class Best Center Shot (Phil Randall) – Model 597 .22 Rifle, donated by Remington Arms Company
• Rimfire Sporter T-Class Best Center Shot (Ronald Meyers) - MK I or MK II SVT Rifle, donated by Savage Arms Company

All scores fired by competitors in the 2011 Western CMP Games are posted at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=6478. 

Selected photographs taken during the CMP Western Games and awards ceremonies are posted at http://cmp1.zenfolio.com.

The next CMP Games and Matches Event will be the CMP Games at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on 11-15 April, 2012, followed by the CMP Eastern Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches, North Carolina on 5-13, May. The CMP Western Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches will return to Ben Avery Shooting Facility on 13-21 October, 2012.

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