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MAY 08
2008
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MAY 08
The 2008 U.S. Army Junior Open Air Rifle Championship - The competitor field is set for the 2008 U.S. Army Open Air Rifle Championship. Over 1,541 shooters sent in targets to the CMP for the Postal stage of the competition, this stage determined the State Champions who then advance to the U.S. Army Open Air Rifle Nationals that will be held at Fort Benning, GA 7-9 August.
Howell Gun Club Holds Second CMP Sanctioned Rimfire Clinic & “Half-Match” - Record numbers of families attended the second CMP Rimfire Sporter Clinic & Half-Match held at the Howell Gun Club (HGC), CMP Affiliate #56164. The event was held on 13 April 2008 in Howell, MI. News of the club’s comprehensive and “novice” friendly shooting clinic is spreading throughout Southern Michigan and Northern Ohio, and contributing to the greater attendance numbers. The events have earned the reputation of being well organized, comprehensive and full of “hands-on” instruction.
APRIL 08
2008 National Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches Programs Available, On-Line Entry System Open - It’s hard to believe that the time to make plans for another National Matches is already here. The Official Program for the CMP National Trophy and CMP Games Matches that will take place this summer at Camp Perry, Ohio, is now posted on the CMP website and the CMP Competitor Tracker system is now open to receive on-line entries. Competitors who want to secure their places in this year’s matches can now do so.
Air Rifle Tournament at Winterfest 2008 - On 1-3 February 2008 the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, TN was converted into a rifle range for the Boy Scout Explorer and Venture Crews Winterfest 2008. Winterfest is an exciting weekend focusing on competitive events for all Boy Scout Explorer Posts and Venture Crews, and this year the event drew over 2,600 participants. Of those, over 300 took part in an air rifle tournament that was set-up at the request of the Northeast Georgia Boy Scout Council and USA Shooting Manager of Youth and Coach Programs, Bob Foth.
2008 National JROTC Championship - Pool Range at Fort Benning, GA is known as the Home of Champions, a name that usually refers to the Army Marksmanship Unit’s International Rifle Team that calls Pool Range their home. On 27-29 March 2008 the range was home for the 6th annual National JROTC Three-Position Air Rifle Championship. 140 JROTC cadets and 26 Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force JROTC unit teams qualified for the championship. Reaching the National Championship was an outstanding achievement for all athletes and JROTC Units involved, they were all champions in their own right.
2008 Small Arms Firing Schools Enrollment Now Open - One of the best ways for new shooters to learn good pistol and rifle marksmanship skills and get started in service pistol or rifle target competition is to attend the Small Arms Firing Schools at Camp Perry, Ohio during the National Matches. The official program for the 2008 schools is now available and on-line entry in the CMP Competitor Tracker system is now open.
MARCH 08
Qualifiers for the JROTC Nationals - 144 JROTC Cadets representing 62 JROTC units in 25 states and one Defense Department high school in Germany qualified for the 2008 National JROTC Air Rifle Championship that will take place on Army Marksmanship Unit facilities at Fort Benning, Georgia on 27-29 March. This year’s qualifiers include, for the first time, Air Force Cadets. The JROTC Nationals now take place in early spring and culminate the shooting seasons for Army, Marine Corps, Navy and now Air Force JROTC Cadets.
2008 CMP Competition Rules Released - Final decisions have now been made on proposals for changes in the CMP rules for service rifle, service pistol and as-issued military rifles. The 12th 2008 Edition of the CMP Competition Rules is now posted on the CMP web site at http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf. Printed copies of the 2008 rulebook can also be ordered from the CMP.
2008 JROTC Western Region Championships - On 21-23 February, the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO hosted the 2008 JROTC Western Region Three-Position Air Rifle Championship. This competition was the final qualifying round for the 2008 JROTC National Championship, which will be held at Fort Benning, GA on 27-29 March. In all 324 juniors and 61 teams qualified for the Western Region from a pool of nearly 6,000 competitors in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force JROTC Postal Competitions that took place in November and December 2007. Only the top ten percent of the competitors who fired the postal advanced to the Eastern and Western Region Championships. The Eastern Region took place at Fort Benning on 14-16 February, and those shooters will join the qualifiers from the Western in the upcoming JROTC National Championship.
Coats, Gloves, and Mitts - By PFC Evan Hess - Sight Alignment and Trigger Control are the two principles of shooting. A properly constructed shooting position supports these principles. In Highpower rifle competitions, we use both artificial support (either a leather or webbed sling) and bone support (letting the weight of the rifle be supported by your bones instead of your muscles) to help us build a solid shooting position. Some important factors in achieving this solid shooting position are the use of a shooting coat and a glove or mitt. The choice to use a coat made entirely out of canvas, canvas and leather or solid leather is up to you. The same goes for gloves and mitts, some prefer different combinations than others but most importantly, everything must fit and be comfortable.
CMP North Store Re-Opens - The CMP North Store at Camp Perry officially re-opened on 12 March. A line with anxious customers formed outside in the 30 degree Ohio March weather. The North Store closed at the end of January for remodeling to give the store a “new look” which increased the size of the rifle selection area, improved physical security and the customer shopping experience
CMP Introduces New Competitor Handicap System - Many competitive shooters who recently looked at competition results posted on the CMP website noted new Handicap Results lists that included scores fired by competitors in that match plus a new Handicap number and Handicap Aggregate. Most CMP competitors who looked at these new results lists have been wondering what these Handicap numbers are and what they might mean to competitors in CMP sanctioned matches.
2008 Eastern U.S. Junior Highpower Clinic and Championship Enrollment Now Open - The Eastern U.S. Junior Highpower Clinic and Championship will take place 22-27 June at Camp Butner, North Carolina. The Eastern U.S. Junior Highpower Clinic and Championship offers a full week of clinics, coaching and competition for junior service rifle competitors. Juniors attending the clinic will have the opportunity to expand their current level of experience and expertise as well as build friendships and camaraderie within the sport. This event is sponsored by the Civilian Marksmanship Program and Sir Walter Junior Highpower Team with the co-operation and support of the NC National Guard Training Site, North State Shooting Club (NSSC) and the USMC Rifle Team.
Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association First CMP GSM Clinic of the Year - The Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association (ORSA) held its first Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) rifle clinic on Saturday 23 February. The clinic was instructed by CMP-certified instructors. Attendance was high with 23 new shooters braving the cool winter weather. The clinic consisted of a 4-hour class covering CMP History, Range Safety, Range Procedures, Pit Operations, Shooting Equipment, Shooting Positions, and Purchasing Rifles and Equipment from the CMP. Along with the new shooters, more than 20 experienced shooters acted as coaches to assist the new shooters on the range after the classroom session.
FEBRUARY 08
Eastern Region JROTC Championship - JROTC Rifle Shooting Continues to Grow - There could be no better proof of how much junior rifle shooting is growing in the USA than to see the signs of growth on display at the 2008 Eastern Region JROTC Air Rifle Championship. The Championship was conducted by the CMP on U. S. Army Marksmanship Unit facilities at Fort Benning, Georgia on 15-16 February.
Keep it Steady-The Elements of a Good Prone Position - Part 1-Building the Position - By SPC Matthew Sigrist - Imagine the following scenario: You are at the last stage of fire in the National Trophy Individual Match, firing at the 600 yard line in the prone position and every point matters. What should you reflect on as you prepare to shoot this final string? As your eyes cloud from sweat, you realize that all you have to rely on is your experience and knowledge of the fundamentals. During the National Trophy Individual Match, you will fire 60 percent of your shots from the prone position. This article will address the fundamentals of a good prone position and help you learn the techniques required to be successful in both the slow and rapid-fire stages of National Match competition.
2008 Palmyra Invitational - The 9th Annual Palmyra Invitational took place over 12-13, 19-21 and 26-27 January 2008 at the Palmyra Sportsman’s Association in Palmyra, PA. This smallbore and air rifle match has gained tremendous popularity in recent years attracting some of the top collegiate and junior shooters from across the country.
JANUARY 08
CMP Hosts 2nd Annual Camp Perry Junior Open - For the second year in a row CMP’s newest three-position air rifle event, the Camp Perry Junior Open, was filled to capacity with juniors from different parts of the country. Travelers from as far away as Auburn, Alabama and Waukegan, Illinois made the trek to Camp Perry, Ohio, the home of CMP North, for the sanctioned precision and sporter air rifle match.
8th Annual SMGC/CMP "SNOW SHOOT" Vintage Rifle Match - The cold snowy weather didn't stop the diehard shooters from enjoying the friendly competition and supporting the M1 for Vets Program, which provides M1 Garand Rifles to disabled vets of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan. In all a total of 52 shooters participated in rifle match, along with 20 pistol shooters and 15 period dressed competitors, and over $1000 dollars was raised for the M1 for Vets Program.
2008 Camp Counselor Announcement - The Civilian Marksmanship Program is seeking qualified individuals to fill counselor positions for its Three-Position Air Rifle Summer Camps. This premier program has a long established history of providing the highest quality air rifle instruction for high school athletes in the country.
The First Allied Carbine Match? - A little-known sidelight in the history of the U.S. Cal. 30 M1 Carbine during WWII is an impromptu “Carbine Match” that was precipitated by Great Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He was an avid firearms enthusiast and owned several carbines, including a pre-production prototype.
Registration Opens for 2008 Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches - In 2007 the Inaugural Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches drew over 300 competitors to Camp Butner, North Carolina for the nine-day shooting event. The Eastern Games was modeled after the popular Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches that have been held each Fall in the Western United States since 2004. This event is co-sponsored by the Civilian Marksmanship Program and Creedmoor Sports. North State Shooting Club (NSSC) hosts the event at their home range at Camp Butner, North Carolina, which is located north of Durham. The 2008 Eastern CMP Games will take place on 3-6 May, followed by the Creedmoor Cup Matches on 7-11 May.
Junior Smallbore Rifle Available Through Special Purchase Program - The CMP and Savage Arms Company have just announced a new special purchase program that makes the Savage Mark I-FVT junior smallbore rifles available to CMP-affiliated organizations sponsoring junior shooting activities. This program is part of a CMP effort to make it possible for more of its affiliated junior clubs and youth marksmanship programs to obtain the basic target shooting equipment they need to expand their programs and serve more youth with rifle instruction. The CMP tested numerous rifles that might fulfill this need and concluded that the Savage Mark I-FVT offers the best overall combination of features and price that make it especially suitable for junior training and entry-level competition.
A Primer on Scoring Gauges - A frequently asked question at CMP concerns what are the correct gauges to use for scoring different targets and where can they be obtained. This is not a simple question to answer. There are inward gauges and outward gauges for most 10 meter and 50 foot targets and when each must be used varies from target to target. There are actually three different smallbore or .22 cal. inward gauges. And in highpower rifle matches governed by NRA Rules, the gauge used depends upon the caliber of the rifle being fired at each target. Moreover, ISSF and USA Shooting Rules give legal gauge dimensions in millimeters and NRA Rules use inches, while National Three-Position Air Rifle Council gives both. With so many rulebook variations, it is not difficult to understand why questions about scoring gauges are commonplace.
2008 Achievement Medal and Achievement Pin Cut Scores - 50-Shot Cut Scores Now Available for Sanctioned Matches - One of the most popular goals for participants in CMP As-Issued Military Rifle Matches is to fire a score that earns a Gold, Silver or Bronze Achievement Medal or Pin. Competitors in the CMP Games Matches at the National Matches are awarded medals with neck ribbons when they fire scores that exceed Achievement Medal cut scores. Competitors in the Eastern and Western CMP Games Matches also are awarded medals with neck ribbons. Clubs that sponsor As-Issued Military Rifle or Rimfire Sporter Matches can award, Gold, Silver and Bronze Achievement Pins for scores fired in matches sanctioned by the CMP.
CMP College Scholarship Program Enters Eighth Year - The Civilian Marksmanship Program annually provides one hundred $1000 scholarships to current Army, Marine Corps and Navy JROTC seniors and ROTC cadets who are underclassmen enrolled in college Army or Navy ROTC programs. Applicants must also have a good academic record and have a record of success as a member of a college club, ROTC or varsity rifle team. This highly-acclaimed program has allowed the CMP to reward JROTC and ROTC cadets who display leadership and excellence both in the classroom and on the rifle range.
2008 CMP Three-Position Air Rifle Summer Camp Registration Opens - As the holiday break ends and schools start back across the country, it is already time for students to begin planning how they want to spend their summer vacation. For air rifle shooters we hope that one of the events that will be marked on their new 2008 calendars will be a CMP Three-Position Air Rifle Summer Camp. To help make this planning easier, the 2008 schedule has already been posted online, and registration forms will begin being accepted on 14 January.