Joe Graf starts what has now become an HPM tradition...the campfire.
We had a record turnout last night with 20 shooters at last night’s Hopkinton Prone Match. Erik Hoskins took first with a 400-32x, Len Remaly took the second place spot with a 399-27x, and Brad Driscoll took third with a 399-21x. Complete results can be viewed here. Thanks to everyone for coming out to the match and we look forward to seeing many of you at Camp Perry (if not, we’ll see you on August 6th when HPM resumes).
Tonight will be the last HPM match before we take a 2 week hiatus while at the National Matches. HPM matches will resume on August 6th. After this evening’s match we will have the usual waterside supper with riparian entertainment.
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 from observing those about me, most who were gracious enough to share their experience. One of my rules, taken from my Old Man’s seemingly bottomless bag of good advice, was to never say no to any thing that was free. The Old Man believed that, one day, the person you had once said no to might have something you wanted and not offer it to you because of your previous refusal. Simply accept gifts, with profound thanks and later either dispose of it or pack it safely away. It is a good policy to follow, be it an old moldy shooting glove or a valuable piece of advice.
In the old days at Camp Perry, when I first started shooting, we were squadded three to a point and stayed together for the whole week. I was one of two experts, part of a trio that contained what can only be charitably called a “lifetime sharpshooter.” That status, in itself, is certainly no big deal or shame. Many a fine person you meet shooting makes up for a lack of skill with unbounded enthusiasm and love of the sport.
However, this fellow was one of the type who knew everything about high power rifle shooting, except how to hit the center of the target with any degree of regularity and very free with his advice. For two days we had listened to him tell, on a first name basis, of his famous barrel maker, sight manufacturer, and gunsmith. It was followed with tales of his proficiency with the reloading press, flash hole reamer, neck turner, brass tumbler, bullet seating depth tool, concentricity and wall thickness gauge, and other assorted esoteric tools of the trade. One had to admit that his bolt gun and ammo were works of art. Continue reading
The NRA created a Twitter account to communicate with Camp Perry competitors of any changes or new information pertaining to the National Rifle and Pistol Championships. The NRA’s Twitter page will be particularly useful if there are rain delays or other conditions that require competitors to evacuate the range. The NRA will “Tweet” to notify competitors when to report back to the line and any other special events or condition changes (you’ll get a text message on your cell phone). You can sign up to follow the NRA on Twitter by going to: http://twitter.com/nrachamps. If you’re going to the National Matches it may be worth signing up for a free Twitter account for this service alone.
While you’re over at Twitter you can also follow pronematch.com at http://twitter.com/pronematch. We’ll be using Twitter to report more granular tidbits of information during the National Matches like “we’re half way to Port Clinton and stopping for bourbon,” or maybe “look, we found Diamonds on the shores of Lake Erie!” In other words, not particularly useful information but it may provide some entertainment.
It’s not too late to get a little practice in before the trip out to Camp Perry this year. This Saturday and Sunday is the Camp Perry Warm Up Match (a metric regional) at Bell City Rifle Club in Southington CT. You can download the match bulletin here.
Switchy conditions and shifting mirage proved rather difficult to dope at the 2009 Open Bay State Games. Despite the difficult conditions, Bob Lynn shot an impressive 400-33x to win the scope category; and in the irons category, Charlie Trickett took top honors with a 398-24x. Complete results are below.
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To accommodate shooters that are going to the 4pm relay at the Bay State Games Match on Thursday, we are moving the the HPM start time for this Thursday to 6:30pm. A club member should be at the Hopkinton range at 6pm to open up the facilities. This should allow shooters to shoot the Bay State Games match and then shoot the HPM match if they wish.
This is sort of last minute but we just found out that there is going to be an Open Prone match for the Bay State Games this Thursday at Reading. You can shoot either Irons or Scope (40 shots at 100 yards) and there is a 4pm relay and 6pm relay. Space is limited so get your registration in today. You should email Maureen Trickett (mrmttrcktt AT aol.com) and let her know which relay you would like to shoot and then register online at the Bay State Games Website.
Watch the 3P Air Junior Olympic Nationals–LIVE TODAY
From the Civilian Marksmanship Program
Competition in the National Junior Olympic Three-Position Air Rifle Precision Class Championship will conclude today at the Camp Perry (Ohio) Marksmanship Training Center. Three relays of 3×20 three-position com petition will take place with start times of 8:00 AM EDT, 11:00 AM EDT and 2:00 PM EDT. The final round for the top eight individual competitors starts at 5:15 PM EDT. What is especially exciting about this national junior championship is that no matter where you are, you can watch the shots and scores of any individual shooter you choose to follow live on the Internet while they are shooting.
To make it to the National Junior Olympic Championship, school-age juniors had to qualify in State Junior Olympic competi tions where the top teams and individuals advance to the Junior Olympic Nationals. The national event is taking place on the CMP’s new electronic-target equipped air gun range at Camp Perry. 231 shooters and 43 teams are now at Camp Perry for the two days of competition that end today.
The NRA has removed all of the 2008 Camp Perry Results from their website in order to post the 2009 results as they unfold. Just a reminder that you still view the 2007 and 2008 Camp Perry Results on pronematch.com at http://perry.pronematch.com
2009 Camp Perry Updates
from Mike Krei, Director, NRA Competitive Shooting Division
Important Telephone Contact Changes:
Please use the following numbers to contact NRA Offices at Camp Perry; published numbers in the 2009 Camp Perry Program have been changed.
Entry Office 419-301-4164
Statistical Office 419-301-4161
Volunteer Office 419-301-4160
New NRA Office Building, Building 950
Many of the old building previously used by the NRA during the National Matches were demolished this last fall and winter and one new building put in there place. Building 950 will now house the following NRA Offices: NRA Entry Office, NRA Awards Office, NRA Finance Office, NRA Smallbore Scoring/Challenge area and NRA Bulletin Board Room.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING BUILDING 950
It is very important for you to know that this building will be locked-up each night. It will essential that competitors get into the Bulletin Board Room during Challenge Periods to check your scores. This building will be locked for security purposes.
NRA Competitor Receptions
All competitors and visitors are invited to attend three NRA receptions during the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry. These receptions are free and will include beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Please place these dates on your calendar:
Match Director’s Reception, National Pistol Championship, July 15, 2009, 5:00 PM, 6:30 PM
Match Director’s Reception, National Smallbore Prone Championship, July 27, 2009, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Ring of Freedom (NRA Foundation) Reception, National High Power Championships, August 10, 2009, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
STILL TIME to Register for the 2009 National Matches Online!
Online entry for the 2009 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Matches held at Camp Perry are still available! To enter, visit www.nmentry.com.
The 2009 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championship Program is now ready to view, click here or visit www.nrahq.org/compete/cp-downloads.asp.
Despite the thunderstorms and rain throughout the day, it looks like the weather may actually improve by match time this evening. I should be at the range around 4ish if shooters would like to shoot early.
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 medical office literature: National Geographic, Yankee Magazine, Golf Digest, Yachting, Fortune, and Gourmet-magazines which lead me to believe that that my dentist was doing pretty well on cleanings and fillings-was a recent Newsweek.
As a browsed though it I came upon an essay by Sharon Begley who I used to read when her column “The Science Journal” was in The Wall Street Journal. Begley writes on science issues and has the gift of translating complex scientific ideas and theories into readily readable prose for the hoi polloi.
The article in question discussed a recent finding by two professors of marketing, Leif Nelson of University of California, San Diego and Joseph Simmons of Yale, both of whom, coincidentally, earned doctorates from Princeton.
In this seminal work the authors declare that people like their names so much that they unconsciously opt for things that begin with their initials. Sort of like my sister Leslie opting to drive a Lexus, living in Lexington, and smoking Lucky Strikes. Note that two of the things might be considered positive while smoking Luckies is viewed a negative. This view points to the odd fact that people are even drawn to the undesirable as long as it begins with an initial from the person’s name. Continue reading
The new issue of Shooting Sports USA is now available online here.
Erik Hoskins going into the second stage of the Dewar match at the RI Metric Prone Regional. Erik went on to tie the National Record in this match with a 399-33x.
Dan Makucevich , 2009 RI Metric Prone State Champion.
RI Metric Regional and Prone Championship
By Digby Hand
For a serious shooter a rifle match usually brightens any day and, in spite of seemingly inevitable cloud cover of this dismal spring, a cheery group of prone shooters descended upon the Smithfield Sportsman’s Club for the 2009 Rhode Island Metric Regional and State Championship. Firing an aggregate of three matches, 40 shots at 50yards, a Dewar Course-20 shots at 50 yards and 20 shots at 100 yards, and a final 40 shots at 100 yards on the demanding international targets all of the competitors vied for Camp Perry vouchers, worth 50% of the National Championship entry fee, while the Rhode Island residents were in the hunt for various state titles.
The rustic covered Smithfield smallbore range provided the competitors with shelter from any rain which might appear. The relatively benign conditions, a very light switching wind and an overcast sky, allowed for the line to concentrate on shot execution more than condition doping, but woe betide the shooter who ignored a spinning windmill or the slight flick of a wind flag for the international target is not forgiving of errors.
Scopes adorned the rifles of almost all of the seniors and at least one of the Juniors. Jeff Doerschler, many times a national Champion in both individual and team competition, jumped out to an early lead in the 50 yard match with a 396-27X which was remarkable for its consistency, a pair of 198s. Sitting right behind him was Dan Holmes who shot a pair of 197s for a 394-23X as was Dan Makucevich and Intermediate junior Brian Jylkka with 393s. Right behind them was Massachusetts veteran Chuck Cannon, Chet Ruscio-Jeff Doerschler’s running mate, and Rhode Island’s venerable smallbore rifleman, Hap Rocketto.
With the start of the Dewar match Erik Hoskins began his play. Coming back from a mediocre 390 in the first event he posted a near perfect 200-17X in the first stage at 50 yards. The second stage is at 100 yards with a one inch ten ring and it is here that the rubber meets the road. Hoskins cleaned his first bull and leaked one out a for a 199-16X. He won the match handily. The member of the Norwich University Athletic Hall of Fame added one more line to his shooting resume by tying the National Record for this event set in 1991. Jylkka, who elected to shoot in the open class with a scope, was second with a 394-26X while Holmes cruised into third posting a 393-18X. While Jylkka was in firm control of the junior category the regional winner was shaping up as a race between Hoskins-down 11, Makucevich-down 14, and Doerschler-down 16, going into the last 40 shots, not a large margin on the metric target, scope shooting or not. Continue reading
Prone Pics from USA Shooting Nationals
By Erik Hoskins
Here are some pictures I took of the Men’s prone event at Ft Benning. Enjoy! -Erik
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, the wheel lock, the flintlock, the percussion cap, and now the self contained metallic cartridges.
The barrel started out as a smooth iron tube. Later it was grooved laterally to help in reloading, the grooves filling with the black powder fouling allowed for more shooting before a cleaning was required. Smokeless powder more or less ended that problem but some how the grooves became twisted and the resultant rifling increased the accuracy of the firearms.
All firearms were originally loaded from the front but innovative minds came up with primitive breech loading mechanisms that increased the rate of fire. With the development of the metallic cartridge breech loaders quickly moved from single shot actions to self loading. The advancement in actions brought about a transformation of the cartridge from pin or rim fire to the centerfire cartridge as the need for a faster and more powerful cartridge grew. Continue reading
Cease Fire? Somethings wrong with this picture! I had the shooters get into position last night with bolts open and fingers off the triggers so we could get a few rare photos from in front of the firing line. Photo by James Lee
Don Norris having a hell-of-a-time at last night's HPM
Thank god the sun came out last night…I was about to crack after a week of rain. And boy did we have a beautiful evening to shoot; warm, sunny, and little wind. We had a record 16 shooter turnout last night as well, because I imagine everyone just wanted to do something outside after all the rain. I took the third place slot with a 399-23x with iron sights and Chuck Cannon secured second place with a 399-28x. Erik Hoskins emphasized the fact that he really, really likes shooting scope by hammering a 400-36x (with a 200-20x on the second stage) and taking top honors. Complete results can be viewed here.
After the match everyone had a great time eating pizza, popcorn on the campfire, and chatting with friends. I took a TON of pictures last night and you can see them on Flickr or in the slideshow below.
Rumor has it that the sun is going to make an appearance here in New England this afternoon. So why not get out, take a break, and do some belly shootin’? If you’re in southern New England, chances are there is a 40 shot prone match near you tonight. Quaker Hill in CT, Bell City in CT, Hopkinton in MA, and Reading in MA are all having matches tonight.
At Hopkinton we’ll be starting shooting around 6pm and then we’ll have dinner and a campfire sing-a-long….well, at least a campfire. Hope to see you there.
Just a reminder that this Sunday is the RI Metric Prone Championship (and Regional) at Smithfield Sportsmen’s. You can download the match program below.
28 June-RI Metric Prone Championship at Smithfield ( Match Program)
Several people I have spoken with never received their printed copy of the 2009 NRA Sectional Results even though it was requested. I never got mine but I called the NRA and had a copy within 5 days. Of course all of the results are posted on the NRA’s website but they can be a bit tricky to find and I believe they will disappear when the 2010 results are posted (similar to what happens to the Perry results). So…I have taken the time archive the 2009 Sectional Results (for all disciplines) and posted them on pronematch.com at http://sectionals.pronematch.com
Just a reminder that the Camp Perry results archive (started in 2007) is available at http://perry.pronematch.com
