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.

CT: The Over the Hill Match

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

The Over the Hill Match is an annual match that is open to shooters 50 years of age or older. Complete results are below: 2009-ct-over-the-hill Fellow Seasoned Competitors; Yesterday was a great day! The weather was great – just a … Continue reading →

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The “Tutsie-Fruitsie” Wagon

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto My loyal fans will remember that I am a classic movie fan.  I have just finished watching the Marx Brothers’  A Day At The Races.  While trying to regain my breath after the gut wrenching comedy a … Continue reading →

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Rock and Roll legend “Devious Nevius”

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Hap Rocketto
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A Short History of Camp Perry and The National Championships

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

A Short History of Camp Perry and The National Championships By Hap Rocketto Seven men stood looking north over swampy hummocks and cattails at the white capped surface of Lake Erie on a cold rain swept day, early in April of … Continue reading →

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The Good Old Days

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto When I made my first trip to Camp Perry I was overwhelmed by the long awaited and anticipated experience.  Day after day of shooting, free meals three times a day in the Mess Hall, a Spartan but … Continue reading →

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The Feng Shui of the Shooting Mat

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto It was a typical early morning ride to a rifle match.  As the sun was breaking free of the horizon I was at the wheel, as always.  My brother Steve was riding shotgun and was awash, as … Continue reading →

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A Gunrunner in the Family

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto When I was about 12 years old The Old Man got tired of catching me in the spider webs of untruths that I regularly spun to avoid, unsuccessfully I might add, being punished for the illicit acts … Continue reading →

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2009 US Roberts Team Photo

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

A related story can be viewed here: http://pronematch.com/sixth-roberts-trophy-match-wrap-up/

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Sixth Roberts Trophy Match Wrap-up

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto The British won the Sixth Roberts Trophy Match, 3842 to 3806. Any team can survive an error but the United States had three problems which may have cost them the match. The first was a problem with … Continue reading →

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US Roberts Team Update-3

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

from Hap Rocketto The 2009 Roberts Team is: Nevius and Gideon coached by Fleeman Sprecher and Gray coached by Tracy Dubis and Chrostowski coached by Rocketto T. Kempley and Delcotto coached by Cramer Tompkins and McLemore coached by Wigger T. … Continue reading →

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A Breif Tale of Cleaning Patches

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto My brother is fond of giving books for presents and passed a volume entitled Floating off the Page to me for my last birthday.  It contains a series of articles taken from the Wall Street Journal’s “middle … Continue reading →

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The Lake Erie Dead Zone

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

By Hap Rocketto It was a dreary Sunday early in October and we were heading up to Blue Trail Range for a Connecticut Big Bore League make up match.  It had rained cats and dogs in April on the day … Continue reading →

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The Team Match Day Speech (Team Day at Camp Perry)

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

The Team Match Day Speech, for the benefit of Team Digby Hand By Hap Rocketto If we are mark’d for defeat, we are enow To do Digby Hand loss; and if to win, The fewer men, the greater share of … Continue reading →

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2009 Dewar, Randle, and Drew Team Results

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

By Hap Rocketto Dewar Joseph Hein 196 196 392 2 Henry Gray 199 193 392 3 Reya Kempley 198 196 394 X 4 Richard Curtis 196 191 387 5 Sarah Beard 195 196 391 6 Matthew Rawlings 197 196 393 … Continue reading →

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Good Gear does not always a Good Shooter Make

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

By Hap Rocketto As a rule I am a very patient sort of guy with people I am meeting for the first time, especially if they are new shooters.  I was a tyro once myself and learned a great deal … Continue reading →

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Initial Preference

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

Initial Preference By Hap Rocketto While sitting in the dentist’s office, awaiting a routine cleaning, I was surprised to find a magazine which was not yet old enough to be eligible for Medicaid.  Amid the haystack like pile of typical … Continue reading →

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The Wussification of the High Power Shooter

Posted on June 27, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

The Wussification of the High Power Shooter By Hap Rocketto American high power shooting has gone through many changes, much of it evolutionary and the natural progression of technological development. The earliest shooters used matchlocks which led to the snaphaunce, … Continue reading →

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An Army Breakfast is no Mess to Haul….

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

An Army Breakfast is no Mess to Haul…. by Hap Rocketto In my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I did a cruise in the Navy and a hitch in the Army. The one consistent element, other than … Continue reading →

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Concentration

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

Concentration By Hap Rocketto  Concentration is a critical skill in shooting. One must be able to shut out a variety of outside distractions while still maintaining an acute situational awareness of things going on about you. We even use earplugs … Continue reading →

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Oh, Yes I have….

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

Oh, Yes I have…. By Hap Rocketto Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. and Norma Jeane Mortenson were on a honeymoon visit to Japan in January of 1954 when Norma, more popularly known as Marilyn Monroe, was asked to entertain US troops … Continue reading →

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NCAA Rifle Championships

Posted on March 13, 2009 by Hap Rocketto

The NCAA will be webcasting the NCAA Rifle Championships. You can help competitive shooting by going to the webcasting tomorrow (Saturday 3/14) to view the video of the air rifle championships. The NCAA will be counting the visitors to the … Continue reading →

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