Author Archives: Hap Rocketto

About Hap Rocketto

Hap Rocketto is a Distinguished Rifleman with service and smallbore rifle, member of The Presidents Hundred, and the National Guard’s Chief’s 50. He is a National Smallbore Record holder, a member of the 1600 Club and the Connecticut Shooters’ Hall Of Fame. He was the 2002 Intermediate Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion, the 2012 Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion a member of the 2007 and 2012 National Four Position Indoor Championship team, coach and captain of the US Drew Cup Team, and adjutant of the United States 2009 Roberts and 2013 Pershing Teams. Rocketto is very active in coaching juniors. He is, along with his brother Steve, a cofounder of the Corporal Digby Hand Schützenverein. A historian of the shooting sports, his work appears in Shooting Sports USA, the late Precision Shooting Magazine, The Outdoor Message, the American Rifleman, the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s website, and most recently, the apogee of his literary career, pronematch.com.

Day One of the Black Hawk Open

Day One of the Black Hawk Open has concluded.  Winner of the English Match was Eric Uptagrafft with a 597-39X, followed by first Master Howard Pitts, 589-36X, second Master Patrick Sunderman, 589-32X close behind.  F-Class was a tight race with … Continue reading

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Day One: The 2017 Mid Atlantic 6400

Day One: The 2017 Mid Atlantic 6400   The 2017 Mid Atlantic 6400 began today as one would expect the premier east coast 6400 to begin, hard and fast. In the first event, 40 shots with metallic sights at 50 … Continue reading

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Edgar Martinez, Ron Blomberg, Ed Jensen, And Me

by Hap Rocketto While leafing through an old Sports Illustrated magazine, as I waited for Dr. Ron Serra, my optometrist, to call me in for my annual pre-outdoor shooting season checkup. my eye caught an article celebrating the fortieth anniversary … Continue reading

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2017 Rhode Island NRA Conventional Prone Regional

2017 Rhode Island NRA Conventional Prone Regional Spring in Rhode Island had been long in coming. The long awaited sun warmed the smallbore range at the Smithfield Sportsmen’s Club as shooters unrolled mats and began assembling their equipment for the … Continue reading

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Joe Farmer – Smallbore Prone Shooting’s Rip Van Winkle

Joe Farmer – Smallbore Prone Shooting’s Rip Van Winkle By Hap Rocketto Joe Farmer, who passed away on April 30, 2017, was raised in Rifle, Colorado and, perhaps, that is all that might need be said about this outstanding octogenarian rifleman, but … Continue reading

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Morton Mumma, Mr. Bryson, and Me

by Hap Rocketto While researching an article on the Herrick Trophy I ran across an old photo taken at the National Matches featuring ‘Kernel Mumm’s Amateurs.’ LTC Morton C. Mumma, the National Match Executive Officer, had organized a pick-up team … Continue reading

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New England At JORC Three Position Rifle Championship

New England At JORC Three Position Rifle Championship Five New England Women represented Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire in the 2017 Women’s Division of the 2017 National Junior Olympic 50 meter Rifle Three Position Rifle Championships. Kaitlyn Kutz, … Continue reading

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JORC Men’s Final

The 2017 USA Shooting Junior Olympics has ended for the men shooting both three position and prone. New England representation thinned out after air rifle but five New England riflemen and a transplant gave a good accounting. Jared Desrosiers left … Continue reading

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2017 USA Shooting Junior Olympics Men’s 10 meter Air Rifle

The 2017 USA Shooting Junior Olympics Men’s 10 meter Air Rifle tournament, in which New England fielded a solid contingent, was con tested April 7-9, 2017 at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rhode Island’s Marcus Mojica, representing the … Continue reading

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Three-Oh-Eight or 7.62mm

by Hap Rocketto One of my passions is aviation. It is often said among true aviators that, even in these days of jet powered stealth aircraft; that real airplanes have axles. This harkens back to the early days of flight … Continue reading

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Western Wildcat Wrap Up

Western Wildcat Wrap Up Note: Because of atmospheric conditions, or some such other problem-probably euphoria, our Assistant Correspondent in the Field, Mark Del Cotto, was only able to send the aggregate results. In a hard fought contest between national champions … Continue reading

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The 59th Western Wildcats Championship, Day 3

The 59th Western Wildcats Championship Day Three The third day of the 59th Western Wildcat Championship saw iron sight replace scope. The conditions were ratcheted up a bit more providing no relief from the desert heat while the winds continuing … Continue reading

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The 59th Western Wildcats Championship, Day 2

The 59th Western Wildcats Championship Day Two Note: I have been very remiss in not citing my sources for these reports. Many think I am enjoying the warm sunshine of Arizona watching the matches when, in fact, I am hold … Continue reading

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The 59th Western Wildcats Championship, Day One

The 59th Western Wildcats Championship Day One The 59th Western Wildcats Championship, the longest continuously running 6400 prone tournament, got underway at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona in March 16th. Hard on the heels of the NRA … Continue reading

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Metric Prone Championship

With the command “Commence Fire!” the 2017 Anysight Smallbore Rifle Metric Prone National Championships got underway. The pack of a half dozen competitors knotted up for the lead for the grand aggregate knew that every shot would count any there … Continue reading

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In Memoriam: Elmer Schweitzer

Pennsylvania’s senior statesman of the sport and  shooting icon Elmer Schweitzer passed away on February 28, 2017 at the age of 93. Schweitzer was well known for his  shooting skill as well as high quality gunsmith work, coaching, teaching, mentoring, and … Continue reading

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The Westchester Trading Post

The Purple Heart was authorized by George Washington as a special mark of distinction to Revolutionary War soldiers while he was encamped at Newburgh, New York on August 7, 1782. Only three were presented and the award disappeared into the … Continue reading

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Let the Good Times Roll

by Hap Rocketto My wife Margaret was getting tired of me shooting a rifle match at least one day every weekend all summer long. In desperation she finally me asked if she could accompany me one weekend to see what … Continue reading

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2017 Smallbore Nationals

The official dates for the 2017 Smallbore Nationals are:   July 8                     Check in/Packet pick up/Practice July 9-12               Conventional Prone July 13                   Dewar, Randle, Mentor –Awards July 14-15            Conventional 3P July 16-17            Metric 3P, Whistler Boy, Drew Cup … Continue reading

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CT: Swanson Memorial Match Results

27th David L. Swanson Memorial Match   In pursuit of excellence and glory, juniors from across Connecticut filled the Quaker Hill Rod and Gun Club rifle range on December 3rd and 4th at the 27th annual David L. Swanson Memorial … Continue reading

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All the People Like Us are We…

by Hap Rocketto I am a man whose hobby is collecting expensive hobbies. Shooting, flying, and baseball are my three favorite avocations. We all know how much treasure it takes to complete a summer’s shooting campaign. An hour spent aloft … Continue reading

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