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NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championships

VOL. 27 NO. 8 AUGUST 2014

SPORTS

NRAS COMPETITIVE SHOOTING JOURNAL

U.S. ARMY

SWEEPS
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U.S. World Team


VMR Reloading
Garand Part 3

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COMPETITORS CORNER

By Dennis Willing
Director,
NRA Competitive
Shooting Division

I typed this at Camp Perry, one day following the completion of the Pistol
Championship. The U.S. Armys Marksmanship Unit had an impressive showing at this years Nationalsunlike anything that Ive seen before. AMU won the
individual .22 Caliber Championship, the Centerfire Championship, the .45 Caliber
Championship, the Gold, Silver and Bronze in the overall aggregate, and was the
winning team in the .45 Caliber event and the team aggregate. This was AMUs year
and we congratulate them on their fine performances. Im sure AMUs outgoing
Commanding Officer, LTC Don King, and his replacementLTC Bret Tecklenberg,
are both proud of their teams performance. However, this might have just spoiled
LTC Tecklenberg as he will now expect this type of performance everywhere.
LTC Barbara Herrington-Clemens, the former Commander of Camp Perry,
has been promoted to full Colonel and has replaced retiring Col. Dean Brown
as the Commanding Officer of Fort Ohio. The NRA wishes to congratulate both
LTC Tecklenberg and Col. Herrington-Clemens on their new assignments and we
look forward to working with them in the coming years.
The issue of changing the pistol targets at Camp Perry to electronic targets was
a sore point for some, but received a vote of confidence from most people at the
competitors meeting. Two electronic targets were placed on the function range for
competitors to try out. Reports from the range were that about 80 percent of the
competitors liked them, about 15 percent had a wait and see attitude, and about
5 percent hated them.
It is important to understand that the current target system is in such a dilapidated
state that we are in serious danger of not being able to host a championship next
year because the system might not work. Band-Aid fixes have managed to make
the system work for the last two years, but we are now applying Band-Aids to the
Band-Aids as the system is slowly dying. For example, this years NTT match was
moved from Range #4 to Range #3 because of timing problems. A portion of the
individual matches on Range #4 were run by manually turning the targets because
we currently have no backup timers.
In changing to a new system, it became important to move forward and keep
pace with technology. Many ranges across the country are already installing
electronic targets and many more have asked me for information. It is important
that we continue to evolve and move forward with our programs and equipment,
for the quickest way to see a program die is to do nothing. Conventional Pistol is
already having participation problems and we need to change to keep it fresh and
relevant to todays needs.
There were some complaints received at Camp Perrys competitor meeting
regarding the conduct of local events, in that Match Directors were not enforcing the rules. Match Directors are reminded that competitors are monitoring
your actions and that you are expected to enforce rules and to do so fairly
across all competitors.

Competitive Shooting:

Exercising Our Second Amendment Rights


4 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

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CONTENTS // FEATURES

18

National Pistol
Championships
This year saw a rare sweep of
the individual, aggregate and
team pistol events by the
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit,
and a special visit from our
only woman pistol Olympian.
By Chip Lohman

24

NRA Intercollegiate
Rifle Club Championships
The University of Michigan
Wolverines won their second
consecutive NRA Intercollegiate
Rifle Club Championshipsthis
past March at Fort Benning, GA.
Kyle takes us through the rest
of the story.
By Kyle Jillson

26

The Garand
This final piece in our coverage
of purchasing, renovating and
competing with the venerable
57 Chevy of Vintage Military
Rifles takes us to CMPs Eastern
Games at Camp Butner, NC.
By Chip Lohman

ON THE COVER
U.S. Armys Marksmanship Unit
swept the individual .22, Centerfire and .45 caliber
Championships as
well as the Gold,
Silver and Bronze in the overall aggregate,and several team awards. On
the cover are (l. to r.) second place
winner SFC Jim Henderson, first
place SSG Pat Franks and third
place winner SGT Greg Markowski.
Cover Photo: Lars Dalseide

6 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

A Publication of the
National Rifle Association of America
Wayne R. LaPierre
Executive Vice President
The NRA, the foremost guardian of the traditional American right to keep and bear arms,
believes every law-abiding citizen is entitled to the ownership and legal use of firearms,
and that every reputable gun owner should be an NRA member.

CONTENTS // FEATURES

30

The Garand Diet


To complement the final installment
on the Garand rifle series, Art shares
important safety and accuracy insights
about reloading for the Garand.
By Art Merrill

34

U.S. World Team


Kevin gives us an introduction to the
U.S. Team that is headed for the Shooting
World Championships in Spainthe
biggest shooting event leading up to
the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
By Kevin Neuendorf

CONTENTS // DEPARTMENTS

11

4 Competitors Corner
Updates from the desk of Dennis Willing,
Director, and Competitive Shooting Division.

10 Shooters News
Highlights from the world of competitive
shooting sports.

11 Bag Check

14

A mini-series by Barbara Baird, Womens


Outdoor News, on tips about what the Pros
take to the firing line in their range bag.

14 Score Sheets
Local matches from coast to coast.

36 A Page From History

36

Reprints from American Rifleman magazine


on competitive shooting in the early years.

38 Coming Events
Coming Events lists national matches and
provides a download link to the monthly
list of 15,000 local matches each year.

39 Member Info

SUGGESTION BOX:
E-MAIL US AT SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA@NRAHQ.ORG

8 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

SPOR
TS
VOL. 27, NO. 8 AUGUST 2014
PUBLICATIONS DIVISION

Executive Director: Doug Hamlin


Deputy Executive Director: Lourdes F. Kite
Integrated Marketing Director: Marshall J. Flemion
Fiscal Operations Manager: Evelyn Q. Kessler
Sales & Fiscal Assistant; Rachel Carr
Executive Assistant: Terri A. Wolfe
Editorial Director: John Zent
Managing Editor: Chip Lohman
Editorial Assistant: Ann Rezelman
Creative Director: Harry L. Jaecks
Art Director: Susan K. Kilday
Senior Graphic Designer: Jessica Kim
Photography Director: Lloyd Hill
Photographer: Peter Fountain
Associate Photographer: Forrest MacCormack

WEB OPERATIONS

Manager: Michael Pedersen


Senior Web Developer: Tom Rickwalder
Senior Web Designer/Video Editor: Steve Dulco

PRODUCTION AND
ADVERTISING SALES OPERATIONS
Director: Michael J. Sanford
Manager: Michelle Kuntz
Marketing Manager: James C. Handlon
Senior Production Coordinator: Debra Oliveri
Production Coordinator: Andrea Myers
Senior Coord. Ad Services: Samantha Brown
Coord. Ad Services: Tiffany Ngu
Eastern Sales Manager
Tony Morrison (860) 767-9801
Southeast Sales Executive
Stan Yates (850) 619-8148
Eastern Direct Sales Executive
Rachelle Trout (910) 262-0913
Western Sales Manager
Courtney Olson (303) 955-2194
Western Sales Executive
James ONeill (703) 267-1300
Midwest Sales Executive
Tim Hamill (703) 267-1300
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Debbie OConnell (805) 582-9856
Detroit Advertising Sales
Ken Glowacki (313) 779-8504
Official NRA positions are expressed only in statements
bylined by NRA officers or in articles identified as such.
Shooting Sports USA (ISSN 1069-6822) is published monthly
by the National Rifle Association of America, 11250 Waples Mill
Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400; (703) 267-1000. Copyright 2014,
the National Rifle Association of America.
To update your email address for the digital subscrition, simply
re-register at www.shootingsportsusa.com.
No advertised item is intended for sale in those states, or
in those areas where local restrictions may limit or prohibit
the purchase, carrying or use of certain items. Check local
laws before purchasing. Mention of a product or service in
advertisements or text does not necessarily mean that it has
been tested or approved by the NRA.
All rights reserved except where expressly waived.
The editors are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts
or photographs.
WARNING: All technical data in this publication, especially for
handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using
specific tools, products, equipment and components under
specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported
in the article and over which the National Rifle Association
(NRA) has no control. The data has not otherwise been tested
or verified by the NRA. The NRA, its agents, officers and
employees accept no responsibility for the results obtained
by persons using such data and disclaim all liability for any
consequential injuries or damages.

MEMBERSHIP ACCT. INFORMATION:


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SHOOTERS NEWS

CMP South Change of Command

CMP

After 17 years with the


CMP, Chief Operating Officer
Orest Michaels is handing over
the baton of the Anniston, AL,
operation to former Deputy
Chief Operating Officer
Mark Johnson (left). Michaels
will join the CMP Board of
Directors. Johnson began his
CMP career as an armorer in
2000, completed his education
and rose through the ranks,
having served as Deputy
Chief Operating Officer for
a number of years.

USA Shooting

Army Shotgunners Earn ISSF Honors

Staff Sergeants Glenn Eller and Jeff Holguin claimed the silver
and bronze medals, respectively, continuing an impressive
run early in the season. The AMU team members competed in
Double Trap at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF)
Munich World Cup on June 9.
10 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

Summer Poll

$20M Talladega
Marksmanship Park
Nears Phase I
Completion

The 500-acre Talladega, AL,


Marksmanship Park has reached
95 percent completion. CMP
plans include state-of-the-art
electronic targets with electronic
lifters. The wooden frames for
the 600-yard range are already
complete, while construction on
the 300-yard frames will soon
be underway. The parks official
opening to the public is scheduled for April 2015.

BAG CHECK

Whats in Your Range Bag, Kim Rhode?


By Barbara Baird, www.womensoutdoornews.com

lready an icon in the shooting world,


Kim Rhode claimed the superstar title
of being the only Olympic athlete to
win five medals in five consecutive individual
Olympic sports at the 2012 London Summer
Games in International Skeet. Hailing from
southern California, a place where she can
practice year-round, Rhode grew up hunting
and shooting with her family. She has also
competed on the U.S. International Double Trap
and International Bunker Trap teams.
Rhode shoots a Beretta DT11 with 30-inch barrels, Beretta chokes and a custom Wenig stock.
I use a Nike sports bag for my shooting gear.
This one has straps that make it into a backpack,
which frees up my hands to carry my gun case
and shells. She also prefers this bag because it
fits into her suitcase. Heres what she carries in
her range bag:

Plessinger Place shooting vest made by


Chuck Dietl

Nike footwear, an assortment of Cabelas


clothing and a USA Shooting baseball-type
hat. I like a hat that is a dark color under
the bill, said Rhode.

Nike Element rain gear top and bottoms:


They are a soft material so that I can move
in them easily. I dont like shooting with a
collar, so my top has been altered and the

collar on my right side, where I mount


my gun, has been removed.

A set of Cabelas womens thermal


underwear: Thin, so I can wear them
under my rain gear and still fit my vest
over everything if I need to.

Pilla Performance Eyewear (Panther X)


with multiple color lenses (42ED, 78HC,
88ED, 22ED and 44N) plus a backup pair

Custom-molded earplugs

Otis Upland Wingshooter cleaning system

USA Shooting award uniform


(top and bottom).

Rhode added that she chose to have a TruckVault


installed in her vehicle, ever since someone stole
her prize shotgun a few years ago. It is very
handy to lock up anything valuable such as tools,
fishing gear and especially guns that you may
be carrying, said Kim.
Kim will be competing at the U.S. National
Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
World Championships in Granada, Spain;
Championship of the Americas in Guadalajara,
Mexico; and World Cup Finals in Gabala,
Azerbaijan. While traveling, Rhode plays
what else? The Kim Rhodes Outdoor
Shooting game from iTunes by Naughty Bits.
Follow Kim Rhode socially on Twitter, @KimRhode.

Rhode competing in Korea a few years


ago. She mentioned that she arrived
totally unprepared for that weather.

USA Shooting

custo

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 11

SHOOTERS NEWS

Partners Corner
This section of Shooters News is where we list companies who display the Shooting Sports USA logo and
link on their website. Here, we return the favor. To join the partners list, please contact us using the magazines
e-mail address on page 8.
NRA Competitions:
http://competitions.nra.org
Berger Bullets: http://www.bergerbullets.com/links/
Larrys Guns: http://larrysguns.com
Ammoman: http://www.ammoman.com/2a-friends
Black Hills Ammo: http://blackhillsammo.wordpress.com/tag/shooting-sports-usa/
Pronematch: http://pronematch.com/category/other/
Krieger Barrels: http://www.kriegerbarrels.com
Schneller Manufacturing: http://schnellermanufacturing.com
Lee Precision: http://www.leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/651/0/industry-news
Shoot VMR: http://www.shootvmr.com
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SCORE SHEETS

2013 X-Mas Snowbird Mid-Range Prone


Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club
Palm Bay, FL
Dec. 27-30, 2013
Submitted by Eric Kennard
# competitors (not reported)

The Christmas Snowbird Match (refered to by our shooters as the X-Mas match) is an annual event
between Christmas and New Years Day on the 600-yard range at Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club. The
match is three days of prone and team shooting. With the generally great weather, two reigning world
champions attended with a host of shooters from Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina,
Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Ontario, Canada.
Mid-Range
Winner

Kent Reeve

Cary, NC

1646-108X

2nd

Sam Yarosh

Palm Bay, FL

1645-97X

3rd

Paul Larson

Indian Rocks Beach, FL

1636-95X

High Senior

Sam Yarosh

Palm Bay, FL

1645-97X

Grand Senior

Paul Larson

Indian Rocks Beach, FL

1636-95X

Winner

Kent Reeve

Cary, NC

1646-108X

2nd

Sam Yarosh

Palm Bay, FL

1645-97X

3rd

Paul Larson

Indian Rocks Beach, FL

1636-95X

High Senior

Sam Yarosh

Palm Bay, FL

1645-97X

Grand Senior

Paul Larson

Indian Rocks Beach, FL

1636-95X

F-Class

International Air Pistol Sectional


Newport Rifle Club
Middletown, RI
Mar. 22
Submitted by Richard Ashmore
16 competitors
Winner

David Fontaine

Westbrook, CT

552

2nd

Kevin Winters

Easton, MA

531

3rd

Rick Sten

Pembroke, MA

530

1st M

Jamie Delory

Rehoboth, MA

503

1st EX

Paul LaLancette

Attleboro, MA

526

1st SS

John Green

Bow, NH

528

1st MM

Robin LaLancette

Attleboro, MA

483

14 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

Rhode Island State


Indoor 3 Position
Metric Championship
Smithfield Sportsmans Club
Smithfield, RI
Mar. 30
Submitted by Digby Hand
22 competitors

Prone began with a three-way,


198 tie between Shawn Carpenter,
Jeff Doerschler and Bailey Urbach.
With no center shots on the
NRA/USA 50 target to break the
tie, scorer Nicole Panko compared
scores on bulls eyes, in reverse
order, Sharpshooter Urbach fell
first as her 19th shot was a nine
and settled for class honors.
Carpenter and Doerschler hung
together for another seven shots
but Carpenter prevailed. Marksmen
Sophia Cuozzo, 191, Tyler Lefebvre,
189 and Zach Wambganss topped
their class.
Moving to the standing position,
Doerschler narrowly bested Intermediate Junior Maggie Flanders for
match honors, 186 to 182, and gave
himself a ten point pad on the pack,
led by Carpenter and Flanders, who
were nipping at his heels.
Carpenter and Flanders both
carded 187s in kneeling, but
Doerschler slammed the door
with a 195 for a match winning
aggregate of 579. Finding his
second wind, Hap Rocketto challenged Doerschler, both starting
with a 98. Doerschlers 97 gave
Rocketto no room to move up
with his 93. Flanders took high
junior honors with her 562, while
Urbachs 555 was the best in the
Sharpshooter class.

Nebraska Pistol Championship


Weeping Water Gun Club
Omaha, NE
May 17
Submitted by Dr. Schlichtemeir
# competitors (not reported)

We had a top ten weather day to begin our outdoor


pistol season.
Winner

Jon Rosene
Cortland, NE

2591

2nd

Dwane Hurt
Red Oak, IA

2534

3rd

William Schlichtemeir
Omaha, NE

2525

Mid-Range Championships
Michigan Rifle and Pistol Association
Cadillac, MI
May 24-25
Submitted by Bill Bruske
16 competitors
Iron Sights
Winner

John Wier
Sand Lake, MI

566-14X

2nd

Greg Vest
Vestaburg, MI

564-9X

3rd

Bob Elka
Willis, MI

559-14X

Winner

Jodi Decker
Imlay City, MI

569-15X

2nd

Paul Behe
Mt. Clemens, MI

560-17X

3rd

Steve Decker
Imlay City, MI

545-13X

Scope

Tollofson (Heavy Gun)


Winner

Bill Bruske
Glen Arbor, MI

542-4X

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 15

SCORE SHEETS

Cumberland Rifleman BPTR Mid-Range Match


Cumberland Riflemen Club
Millville, NJ
May 25
Submitted by Glenn Davis
12 competitors

After our first Black Powder Target Rifle mid-range match was washed out with three inches of rain,
twelve shooters were able to pull themselves away from Memorial Day BBQs to shoot the match. With
beautiful skies and light breezes to start, the weather turned into 10+ mph winds by the time we moved
to the 600 yard line. Congratulations to Paolo Amedeo for his high score overall.
Position
Winner

Paolo Amedeo

Damascus, MD

269-5X

2nd

Vince DAlesandro

Flemington, NJ

247

3rd

Carl Leisinger

Ewing, NJ

239-1X

Winner

Pete Romanik

Millville, NJ

263-4X

2nd

Glenn Davis

Mays Landing, NJ

260-5X

3rd

Michele DAlessandro

Flemington, NJ

259-2X

Prone

16 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

Governors Trophy Ultimate


Long-Range
Michigan Rifle and Pistol Association
Grayling, MI
May 31-June1
Submitted by Bill Bruske
11 competitors
Winner

Barbara Walters
Houghton Lake, MI

416-4X

2nd

John Wier
Sand Lake, MI

411-3X

3rd

Tina Bruske
Glen Arbor, MI

407-5X

1st M

Lew Owen
Clarkston, MI

259-2X

1st EX

Bill Bruske
Glen Arbor, MI

315-1X

1st SS

R.K. Scott
Davison, MI

247-1X

High
Woman

Barbara Walters
Houghton Lake, MI

416-4X

Muzzle Loader

Paul Bunyan Rifle & Sportsmans Club


Pullyup, WA
May 31 June 1
Submitted by Bob Wendt
47 competitors
Match Rifle
Winner

Rick Cram
Bonney Lake, WA

1569-53X

1st HM

Mike Maurer
Renton, WA

1550-52X

1st M

Brent Olsen
Enumclaw, WA

1504-38X

1st HM

Michael Schwartz
Kent, WA

1539-36X

1st M

Dick Elliott
Auburn, WA

1532-39X

Mike Rockett
Marysville, WA

399-31X

Service Rifle

F-Class
Greg Galla
Maple City, MI

Winner

Washington State High Power


Rifle Championships

37-1X

Winner

Rhode Island Metric 3 Position Championships


South County Rod and Gun Club
Escoheag, RI
June 1
Submitted by Hap Rocketto
20 competitors
Winner

Jeff Doershler

Wethersfield, CT

1159-46X

2nd

Mackenzie Martin

Fairhaven, MA

1152-41X

3rd

Brendan Whitaker

Bridgewater, MA

1131-28X

1st M

Maggie Flanders

Assonet, MA

1079-17X

1st EX

Bailey Urbach

Hudson, NH

1074-24X

1st SS

Alex Muzzioli

Tiverton, RI

1106-33X

1st MM

D.J. Tins

West Greenwich, RI

844-4X

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 17

FEATURE // NATIONAL PISTOL

Lars Dalseide

Leading the AMU sweep were the


three aggregate winners (l. to r.)
SFC Jim Henderson, SSG Pat Franks
(who also won the Interservice
Pistol Championships in June)
and SGT Greg Markowski.

NATIONAL PISTOL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
On the eve of the 2014 National Pistol Championships,
742 entries had been tabulated. Four of those were within
a few days of learning they would stand on the NRA awards
stage for the first time. And the Army Marksmanship Unit?
They may well have sensed that a clean sweep was in the air.
PHOTOS AND STORY BY CHIP LOHMAN, MANAGING EDITOR

18 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

fter Mother Nature nearly


blew the targets out of their
carriages during the revolver
matches on Tuesday, July 8,
the weather calmed down
for the rest of the week to 5-10 mph winds.
Temperatures never climbed higher than
the 80s. There was only one rain delay
(that I counted), and one relay shot
through a 20-minute downpour. Humidity
was lowby Camp Perry standards.
As is typical, the warm-up regional
pistol match at Canton, OH, did not forecast the changes that were in store for
Camp Perry in the week that followed. The
top three aggregate winners at the Canton
matches were John Zurek (2656-146X),
SFC Jim Henderson (2656-135X) and
Brian Zins (2653-139X). This years
National ChampionSSG Pat Franks,
fired a 2652-155X at Canton, while
Camp Perrys third place winner
SGT Greg Markowski, shot a 2647-139X.
The top Canton women were Amira
Sleem (2596-86X), Kimberly Hobart
(2567-94X) and Kara Krauss (2545-86X).
When Franks, Henderson and Markowski
all made the Mayleigh U.S. Postal Team following the .22 cal. Championships, no one
thought much of it. Then, AMUs Franks
fired a 97/100, followed by a 96/100on
the International 50-meter target (smaller
10-ring). When asked, Franks said: Have
you seen the movie The Legend of Bagger
Vance where the players (Joel Gretsch)
focus centers 100 percent on the golf ball
and the hole? Thats how it was for me. I
didnt even hear the other guns going off.
Army was on a roll.

Listed among the .22 cal. U.S. Mayleigh Postal Match scores,
the names of Franks, Henderson and Mararkowski would appear
again on awards nightwith identical round counts.

I DIDNT EVEN
HEAR THE OTHER
GUNS GOING OFF.
SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 19

FEATURE // NATIONAL PISTOL

DAILY LEADER BOARD


.22 cal. Match (Day 1)
Overall

Women

SSG Larry Cleveland, USA

894-51X

Brenda Silva

880-36X

SFC Keith Sanderson, USA

890-48X

Sue Carter

870-28X

SPC Nick Mowrer, USA

890-47X

Amira Sleem

869-29X

Centerfire Match (Day 2)


Overall

Women

SFC Jim Henderson, USA

882-34X

Brenda Silva

871-33X

SSG Pat Franks, USA

880-47X

Amira Sleem

834-28X

David Lange, CIV

879-43X

Judy Tant

828-26X

.45 cal. Match (Day 3)


Overall

Women

SGT Greg Markowski, USA

885-40X

Kimberly Hobart

855-20X

SFC Jim Henderson, USA

884-48X

Kathy Chatterton

846-25X

SSGT Jon Shoe, USMC

884-47X

Sue Carter

840-23X

Aggregate
Overall

Women

SSG Pat Franks

2649-147X

Brenda Silva

2567-82X

SFC Jim Henderson

2649-131X

Amira Sleem

2546-82X

SGT Greg Markowski

2649-127X

Kimberly Hobart

2544-73X

FOR ALL THE INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM SCORES, LOGON TO:

http://competitions.nra.org/championship-results/nra-national-outdoor-rifle-pistol-championships-results.aspx.

20 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

THE FUTURE
OF OUR SPORT
RESTS ON OUR
SHOULDERS,
THROUGH
MENTORING
YOUTH
SHOOTERS.

As NRA leadership plans for the expensive replacement of


an obsolete target system for which broken parts can no longer
be replaced, shooters were given the chance to see and use
sample electronic targets (above) staged on the practice/function
range (Range #1). (See this months Competitors Corner column
for more details.)

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 21

FEATURE // NATIONAL PISTOL

SPECIAL CATEGORIES

(Selected entries, in final bulletin sequence.)

NEW SHOOTER RADAR


Watch for these names in
future National Championships.

High Civilian: Team Zero member and


National Champion John Zurek was
this years High Civilian Champion with
a 2639-117X.

World War II prisoner-of-war


Huts (below, top) are being
replaced with modern, air-conditioned Hutments (middle).
Long range wind shooters will
be greeted on the 1,000-yard
range by a new wind generator
(bottom). Rumor has it that the
big fan can be used to generate horrendous winds, just
in case Mother Perry is
caught napping.

Expert Class Amira Sleem, of the


Richmond Police Department, won
second place in the Womens category with a 2546-82X. Watch for her
next year as she likely wont be classified as an Expert for much longer.

Lars Dalseide

High Senior: Team Zero member,


10-time Police Pistol Champion and
2011 National Pistol Champion
Phil Hemphill took home the titles of
Police Champion and Senior Champion
with a score of 2630-117X.

OUT WITH THE OLD,


IN WITH THE NEW

This years Civilian Woman Champion


was Brenda Silva with a 2567-82X. In a
special appearance, Silva is seen here
receiving her award from none other
than Olympian Ruby Fox (left). Ruby
received a spontaneous standing
ovation at the NRA Awards Ceremony
when she was introduced as the
presentera tribute to both her
accomplishments and the many friendships she has created in the sport.

SPC Nick Mowrer was a three-time


NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Champion
in free pistol and the NRA National
Rifle Junior Champion at Camp Perry
in 2008. Mowrer qualified for the
mens 50m pistol at the 2012 Summer
Olympics. Now shooting with the
Army Reserves, Mowrer was the
top Service Master Class competitor and 15th overall this year with
a 2616-118X.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED THIS YEARS CHAMPIONSHIPS,


AND WELCOME BACK! ATTENDANCE IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE RISE.
22 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

THAT IS WHY WE REMAIN


FAITHFUL TO OURS

THE FIRST 200 YEARS OF MARINE CORPS


HISTORY COME TO LIFE IN THE NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS. NOW
WE MUST COMPLETE THIS NATIONAL
TRIBUTE BY ADDING THE STORIES OF
MARINES FROM 1975 THROUGH TODAY.

TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP COMPLETE THIS MISSION, CALL 1-800-397-7585 OR VISIT MARINEHERITAGE.ORG.

2014

FEATURE // RIFLE CLUB

NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championships


Photos and Story by Kyle Jillson

The University of Michigan Rifle


Team poses for a group photo after
receiving their 2014 NRA Intercollegiate
Rifle Club Championships trophy.

24 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

he University of Michigan Wolverines


won their second consecutive
NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club
Championshipsthis past March at
Fort Benning, GA, after shooting a
combined smallbore and air rifle score of 4404
out of a possible 4800.
Hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
at their world class Pool International Range
Complex, the championships featured more than
50 shooters representing 14 college rifle clubs
from all over the United States. Michigan has now
won three national titles since the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championships began in 2010.
North Dakota State University placed second with
a team score of 4235 and Clemson University
finished third with 4131.
Georgia Yarbrough, a sophomore from Central
Piedmont Community College, took this years
Overall Aggregate, scoring 1128 out of 1200.
Yarbrough had only recently taken up the shooting
sports, possessing just a year and a half experience with an air rifle and six months on smallbore.
I was surprised by how well I did, Yarbrough said
with a chuckle. I was just focused on making sure
I had my fundamentals down and not worrying
about my score.
In the first days
Smallbore Championship, the Wolverines
established a practically
insurmountable 60-point
lead aftershooting a
2146 of 2400. Despite
the comfortable margin,
Michigan was determined not to relinquish
their advantage, no
matter how comfortable the standings
appeared. Only after a
solid team effort in the
second days Air Rifle
Championship, sealing

the national title with a 2258, did the Ann Arbor


shooters relax.
Im extremely proud of my team, said Coach
Michael OConnor. They all worked so hard and
pushed each other to reach the championships
qualifying scores.
The camaraderie among Michigans shooters
wasnt just developed on the firing line. Between
the half-hour drives to and from their range and
the team-building exercises in the off-season, the
team really knows one another and works hard to
become the best shooters they can be.
Talent runs deep in the Michigan roster, as
demonstrated in their back-to-back wins. Theyll
need it next year when theyre forced to replace
six seniors, but OConnor has confidence that
the team can step up and be just as competitive.
There are some freshmen and sophomores that
need a tiny bit more to reach the level of our current seniors, he said. Their goal is to shoot this
same score next year, and I think they can do it.
Not all of the seniors who graduated will disappear, though. Former Team President Tyler Hughes
recently started a job with the University of
Michigan after graduating and plans to return as
an assistant coach, passing his knowledge of the
firing line on to the next
generation of Michigan
shooters. This years
championships couldnt
have been better, said
NRA Manager of
Collegiate and School
Programs, Tori Croft.
Each year we get a
little bigger and the
students always look
like theyre having fun.
At the end of the day
were trying to get
more new faces enjoying the shooting sports
and thats exactly
whats happening.

Overall Aggregate winner Georgia Yarbrough (foreground)


takes aim during the Air Rifle Championship.

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 25

FEATURE // GARAND

arand
GCompetition
The
in

Part 3 of 3

Photos and story by Chip Lohman, Managing Editor

CMP Armorer and rifle enthusiast Scott Woody begins


at the 200 yard line from the prone position, per CMP rules.

26 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

For four days of perfect weather, about 160 of us met on the 200 yard line
each morning to shoot the U.S. M1 Rifle, Caliber .30. Its a tough life being
a shooting sports journalist, full of sacrifice and hardship. Right.

n conclusion to Part 1 where we chronicled the purchase of our 1944 Garand, and
Part 2 for the restoration and barrel replacement, I registered for the four as-issued
Garand matches at the CMP Eastern Games,
Camp Butner, NC, during the first week in May.
Using the Nikon SPOT On ballistics calculator,
I zeroed the guns iron sights (all shooting is from
200 yards) with both Hornady and American
Eagle Garand-specific, 150 gr. ammunition.
(CMP no longer issues free ammunition, but
sells it at the match for a reasonable price.)
I transferred the leather sling from my AR-15 to
the Garand and noted the new sling adjustments
for the prone, sitting and standing positions
(shot in that sequence, per CMP rules). I learned
how to avoid Garand Thumb as a southpaw.
Its an awkward, but manageable, sequence of
retracting the operating rod handle with the left
thumb, pressing the en-bloc clip (or follower for
single shots) down with the left index finger, and
then releasing the thumb. Picture the guy at
the animal park removing his hand from the
alligators mouthquickly. The Garand maneuver is done with similar urgency.

Next, I practiced loading the en-bloc clip


with eight .30-06 cartridges. Steve Cooper,
CMPs Marketing and Advertising Manager,
gave me a dedicated 2-round clip that makes
rapid fire easier than loading two rounds loosely into a standard 8-round clip. (This is the
origin of CMPs 2 and 8 rapid fire loading
rule, whereas NRA allows either 2/8 or 5/5.)

The Games:

Camp Butner has the usual high level of maintenance associated with a military base, with wellmanicured ranges. The target pits use garage-door
opener lift systems that work reliably and save
wear-and-tear on older shoulder muscles.
As the name infers, the Games are intended
as an introduction for new shooters and a fun
match for all, with an emphasis on education
and achievement. From the match program:
The Games are ideal events for shooters who
have not participated in previous competitions.
Shooters are permitted to coach or assist each
other in these matches. Experienced shooters are
encouraged to assist new shooters with posi
positions, slings, loading and the rules. There
were several CMP staff who had participat
participated in the Small Arms Firing School earlier in
the week that were seen helping new shoot
shooters on the line to ensure they were enjoying
the experience. Triggers are weighed and
guns are inspected for safety, but scoring
and awards are aimed at encouraging folks
to have funand to return to shoot again.
From Olympic Rifleman, former
CMP Director and Games Master of
Ceremonies Gary Anderson: About
eight years ago, we observed that the

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 27

FEATURE // GARAND
CMPs Marketing
and Advertising
Manager Steve
Cooper coaches
a new shooter.

Signed by National Rifle and


Pistol Champion Carl Bernosky.

Being surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts, Garand owners in this case, was a lot
of fun and helped the author learn more
about the 57 Chevy of Service Rifles.

majority of shooters participating


in the National Championships at
Camp Perry were commuting
from within a 250-300 mile radius
of Port Clinton, OH. The Western
CMP Games (Phoenix, AZ)
and the Eastern CMP Games
(Camp Butner, NC) were created
to take the championships to
the more distant shooters.
The Games include a mix of
.22 rimfire rifle categories, an
M16 rifle match, service pistol and
various vintage rifle matches.
Creedmoor Sports conducts a shooting clinic, sanctioned EIC matches
and other NRA Registered events
immediately following the Games,
thus providing a higher level of competition for experienced shooters.

Shooting the
M1 Garand:

Former USAMU Service Rifle Team


Coach Don Heuman took command of
the Games as the Chief Range Officer.

28 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

When competing with an AR-15, I


use my distance glasses and a rear
sight optical insert to simultaneously see the target and the front
sight post. On the first day of the
CMP Eastern Games, I was having
trouble with my Garand sight picture because, without a rear hood
insert, I saw the bullseye clearly but
the front post was fuzzy. At the end
of the first day, I purchased a nonprescription set of safety glasses at
the local big box store that allowed
me to see the front post (Im nearsighted and dont use glasses to
read). With the safety glasses and
a clear front post again, my scores
improved. Thanks to the Games
cut score system whereby roughly
40 percent of the contestants go
home with a medal, the $8 safety
glasses allowed me to shoot well

enough to earn a few medals, while having a


lot of fun.
Because I learned to shoot with an M14 in the
1970s, the chicken wing standing position
(elbow high) came naturally to accommodate
the straight stock design of the Garand. During
rapid fire, I used the modern two-round en-bloc
clip, but a standard eight-round version does
work. It just takes some finesse when loading the
partially filled clip into the rifles magazine. During the single fire standing stage, I inserted one
round into the chamber and used the southpaw
thumb-and-index feeding the alligator routine
described previously.
Compared to the mildly complicated Garand
loading sequence, retired Marine SSgt Isaac
McCaskill put us all to shame by successfully
firing an authentic 1873 Springfield Trapdoor
rifle during rapid fire, no less, and getting all
10 shots on paper. He was shooting hand-loaded,
405-grain .45-70 cartridges. Watch for yourself.
The accuracy of the Garand never held me
back. I did manage a string of seven 10/Xs from
the standing position, so the investment in a new

barrel and tighter-fitting stock was worthwhile.


The following stock ammo groups were shot
from a sandbag rest with a scope.
American Eagle
3.6 MOA

Hornady
3.9 MOA

All-in-all, I enjoyed this Garand series beyond


expectations. What began as giving recognition
to an American icon, turned out to be a lot of fun
on the range. The Garand is accurate with commercial ammunition (see the reloading article on
page 30), functions reliably and will be passed
along as a family heirloom for future generations
to enjoy.

UltiMAK M12 Optic Mount


Thus the concepts of as low as possible, absolutely stable,
simple, user-installable and with no modifications to the original
rifle or its manual of arms became our design philosophy, and
we started UltiMAK (informally, starting circa 2000). We now
design mounts on that credo for the
Mini-14 (because Ruger makes more

wanted to try optic sights on some


of them when I realized that it was
often a dubious prospect at best, so
I hand-fabricated the first mounts
and later realized that I had something other people would want.
With help from my younger brother
as draftsman, we created the CAD
files to have the new AK mount
mass-produced, while simultaneously working on the patent. Another relative (our older brothers
wifes sisters husband) had been a CNC machinist for many
years, making complex shapes, cut into tool steel, to very tight
tolerances. His shop still does a lot of our production machining.

guns for private sale than anyone in the


U.S.), followed by the M1 .30 Carbine,
M14/M1A and the M1 Garand. If it
doesnt violate the laws of physics,
then it is certainly possible, was our
guiding principle. Thus, these wonderfully designed, proven, highly useful
and numerous rifles and carbines can
now be fitted with modern optic sights
without alterations that might reduce
their collectability.And, in many cases, they can be set up to
co-witness a 1x optic with the original iron sights.
For more information, or to purchase an M12 mount, logon to:
www.ultimak.com.
Peter Fountain

We used a scope for accuracy testing of our Garand and


chose the UltiMAK M12 for a non-destructive installation. From
inventor Lyle Keeney: Id been doing repair and custom work
on musical instruments for decades when, in response to the
1994 assault ban, I started buying
military-type rifles and carbines.I

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 29

FEATURE // VMR RELOADING

PART 1

THE GARAND DIET


STORY AND PHOTOS BY ART MERRILL

rarely speak in absolutes, but Ive got one for


you here: Do not shoot standard commercial
.30-'06 in your Garand.
The semiautomatic cycling of the Garand is
driven by the gases produced by the burning cartridge propellant. The rifles gas system is ported
and balanced for a specific range of gas pressure,
volume and burn rate, and commercial .30-'06
intended for hunting and bolt action rifles could
exceed that range, causing damage to the operating rod, and worse. Perhaps not coincidentally,
according to gunsmiths and former armorers
Ive talked with or read, the most common cause
of cycling problems in Garands is a bent op rod.
The op rod connects to the bolt which, of course,
rides in the receiver; shoot enough overpressure ammo in your Garand and you can damage
these, too.
30 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

Certainly not all commercial .30-'06 hunting


ammo is bad for the Garand, and independent testers have found that most commercial
.30-'06 ammo pressures are actually low
enough for the M1. But, even if a particular
brand is thought to be adequate, remember
that pressures can change from lot number
to lot number of powder or ammunition.
So what was OK five years ago may no
longer be so.
Our safe choices are to stockpile everdwindling supplies of surplus M2 Ball ammunition; snatch up all the Frankford Arsenal
and Lake City M72 military match ammo that
comes within reach; shoot commercial ammo
specifically loaded for the Garand; or handload.
I do all four. Theres another interesting option
available, but Ill save that for last, in Part 2.

Gas
The foundation for no commercial ammo
in the Garand advice lies with the Garands
design, coupled with the difference between
Army specifications for ammunition pressures
and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (SAAMI) specifications
for modern .30-'06 ammunition pressures.
The Armys maximum allowable pressure for
its .30-'06 ammunition (M2 Ball) is 50,000 psi,
with a maximum proof test load pressure set at
67,500 psi1. In testing, Townsend Whelen found
that M2 Ball breech pressures were actually only
about 42,000 pounds.2 The SAAMI standard for
.30-'06, however, is 60,000 psi maximum average pressure, and the SAAMI standard for rifle
cartridge proof loads is 33 to 44 percent above
the maximum average pressure (MAP) for any
particular cartridge (in the .30-'06, that proof load
pressure is as high as 86,400 psi).3 As you can
see, at 60,000 psi the SAAMI allowable pressure
is almost half again as much as M2 Balls actual
pressure and is 20 percent higher than the maximum allowed in the Garand. So, its not too much
of an exaggeration to think of shooting commercial .30-'06 hunting ammunition in the Garand
as possibly feeding the rifle a diet of proof loads.
Again, the caution against using commercial
.30-'06 in the Garand lies in the pressures SAAMI
allows for commercial .30-'06. The brand or lot
number that you buy off the shelf may or may
not exceed the Garands design limits. About the
only way for the layman to find out, is to shoot it
in his Garand and see if it eventually buggers up
the rifle.
When we talk about safe gas pressures in the
Garand, were concerned not with just peak pressure, but also the pressure curve. That is, were
concerned about the combination of force (gas
pressure) and the rate at which it is applied to the
gas system. John C. Garand designed his rifle to
operate properly with a pressure curve that wont
bash the gas system components around too
hard. More specifically, Mr. Garand designed his
rifle to shoot the M2 Ball already in manufacture
for the then-current issue M1903 rifles.

As the M2s original 42,000 psi pushes the


bullet down the bore, the increasing volume
between the chamber and the bullet drops the
pressure to about 8,000 psi2 near the muzzle,
where the port taps off about 6,000 psi
(+/- 2,000 psi)5 worth of that to operate the
Garands gas system. As we know, the gas
pushes on the op rod, essentially a long piston
connected to the bolt, driving the bolt backward
to extract and eject the empty case and compressing the recoil spring inside the op rod. The recoil
spring then pushes the op rod forward again,
pulling the bolt with it to strip off and chamber a
fresh cartridge. All of this is in balance the gas
pressure, the port size, the op rods mass and the
recoil spring strength. Vary any one of these too
much, and the system fails to operate properly.
Now that weve established what we dont
want, lets talk about whats appropriate for
shooting in the Garand. Lets handload.

Powders
The cartridge, of course, started life as the
".30 Government" or the ".30-03," indicating it
being a .30 caliber cartridge intended for the
then-new 1903 Springfield rifle. Today, that heavy
220 gr. bullet seems slow at 2,300 fps, but it was
pretty high performance for its day. By shortening the neck a bit and lightening the bullet to
150 gr., velocity went up to 2,700 fps, and the
Army adopted the improved .30 Government in
1906, giving us the .30-'06. When ballisticians
found that a heavier bullet with a boat tail
extended the effective range of .30 caliber
machine guns, the bullet weight went up to
172 gr. at a slight cost in velocity, which dropped
to 2,640 fps. With the advent of the semiautomatic Garand and its gas system, however, the
government reduced bullet weight back to
150 gr. and designated the cartridge M2 Ball.
Military M2 Ball ammunition launches a
150 gr. FMJ bullet at 2,740 fps, using 50 grains of
IMR 4895.1 Military M72 Match ammunition
featured a 173 gr. bullet launched at 2640 fps.
The powder was, again, IMR 4895 and, again,
SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 31

FEATURE // VMR RELOADING


listed as a 50-grain charge.1 This next bit is
extremely important, and the reason why there
is sometimes confusion over powder charge
weights in military .30 caliber ammo. Though the
Army ostensibly set IMR 4895 charge weights at a
nominal 50 grains, the powder charge weights
in the M2 and M72 loadings actually varied over
the years because of variances in the burning
properties of different lot numbers of powder.
Interestingly, in the nine years of M72 production
using IMR 4895 (1957-1966), the charge weights
apparently never even reached 50 grains, instead
varying from 46 to 48.5 grains.4
Another place where confusion arises and elicits naughty words from anonymous gun forum
posters is with other military ammunition used in
the Garand. Tracer ammunition utilized IMR 4895
or WC 852. Armor piercing and armor piercing
incendiary ammo used WC 852 powder. The frangible round was loaded with SR 4795; the blank
round for launching grenades used 45 grains of
IMR 4895; and the standard proof test round was
loaded with 52 grains of IMR 4198 for that wincing
67,500 psi of overpressure.1 Ive seen forum posters ask about these loadings, but none of them
are appropriate for duplicating M2 or M72 loads,
though its interesting to note that the grenadelaunching blank round is in the ballpark.
Powders, of course, burn at different rates
(speeds), producing not just different peak pressures, but also differing in the amount of time it
takes to reach a maximum pressure level. This is
why we have fast powders for pistol cartridges
and slow powders for magnum cartridges.
If peak pressures were our only concern, there
would only need to be a handful of different
powders out there. Instead, we have more than a
hundred to choose from, and they are classified
by burning ratefastest to slowest.

In the Garand, a too-fast powder can produce


too much pressure before it sends the bullet
downrange at a decent velocity. A too-slow powder may not get you the velocity or the pressure
you need. Powders with a burn rate appropriate
for the Garand are those between IMR 3031
(fastest) and IMR 4320 (slowest).
According to the Hodgdon chart of propellant
burn rates, there are 22 different powders available that fall within this parameter. IMR 4895,
used in the M2 Ball and M72 Match loads, falls
smack in the middle of the group and its a logical
place for handloaders to startand finish, for
that matter, unless you want to fine tune a match
load or are entertained by reinventing the wheel.
Keep in mind that trying to work up an awesome
match load for an ordinary surplus Garand
becomes a pearls-before-swine thing at some
point, because the battle rifle is not a precision
accuracy machine.

Bullets
Changing the powder charge will obviously
change the gas pressure, but so will changing
the bullet weight. Generally, increasing the
bullet weight increases pressure. This is why
we typically see a charge of any given powder
decrease as bullet weights go up. For example,
using Lake City Match brass and IMR 4895,
48.5 grains of the powder gives a 150 gr. bullet
2711 fps of muzzle velocity. Changing to a 190 gr.
bullet gives us 2571 fps with 46 grains of powder.1
Note the loss in velocity necessary to keep pressure levels acceptable with the heavier bullet.
Unlike M2 Ball, neither bullet nor primer are
heavily crimped in place in the M72 match loads,
but theyre seated solidly enough to withstand
the recoil and cycling of the Garand action

TABLE: Comparison of Allowable U.S. Government M2 and SAAMI .30-'06 Pressures


M2 Ball
max psi

SAAMI
.30-'06 max psi

M1 Garand
proof psi

SAAMI .30-'06
proof psi

50,000

60,000

67,500

86,400

32 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

without backing in or out of the case and causing


jams, something youll have to consider when
building your own cartridges. Bullet crimp, of
course, is another variable affecting pressures.
Im not aware of any manufacturer making the
M72s 173 gr. match grade bullets today, but
Sierra has a 175 gr. MatchKing, and Berger,
Nosler and a few other premium bullet manufacturers offer match grade bullets in this weight, as
well. There are plenty of 150 gr. and 168 gr. match
bullet offerings, the former being routinely used
in .308 Win. by long range Palma match shooters.
The longest distance fired in Civilian Marksmanship Program Garand matches is 200 yards,
so the lighter bullets are totally adequate for
competition. So are cheaper, non-match grade
FMJ bullets, for that matter, and there are beaucoup of em in the 150 gr. and 168 gr. class. Hunting bullets may suffice, but exposed lead noses
can be damaged when you tap them on a hard
surface to seat cartridges fully in the en-bloc clip.

Primers
Conventional wisdom has it that handloaders
should use hard primers in Garand ammunition to reduce the possibility of a slam fire or
an out-of-battery firing. All the discussions and
conventional wisdom notwithstanding, what is
important is that you use standard or match primers, not magnum primers (which could change
the pressure curve or peak), and that primers be
seated correctly in their pockets. That means the
primer face is slightly below the face of the case
head and seated snugly in the pocket. While a
primer that protrudes above the case head might
be cause for a slam fire or out-of-battery firing,
there are other likely culprits for these undesirable events. A slam fire occurs when the cartridge

fires as the Garands bolt slams closed. The single


most common cause of a slam fire is improper
handling, and Ive personally witnessed this. A
shooter pushes a single cartridge all the way into
the Garands chamber, then lets the bolt slam
onto it full force when he releases the op rod.
Instant bang. The proper method is to push the
cartridge only about halfway into the chamber,
ease the bolt forward until it depresses and rides
over the carrier, then release the bolt to go forward into battery. This way, with the bolt traveling a shorter distance (less momentum), coupled
with the friction of chambering the cartridge, you
preclude a slam fire. Some shooters make or buy
Garand en-bloc clips modified to hold just one
cartridge, but these arent really necessary.
Slam fires might also be caused by poor
maintenance or a broken firing pin, improper
headspacing or poor handloading technique,
like failure to resize the entire base of the case.
The latter could, in theory, even lead to an outof-battery firing, an event in which the rifle fires
before the bolt is fully closed. The potential for
injury is pretty good, as you can imagine, but
out-of-battery firings are rare, and many of those
conclusions are only speculation.
Any standard (not magnum) rifle primer will do
for a start when handloading. I use Winchester
Large Rifle primers or Federal 210Ms. Other
shooters go for CCI 34s or 200s. Use whatever
trips your trigger, and try something else if your
accuracy isnt what you want.
In the fall, Part 2 will cover brass and address
a generic handload recipe for the Garand;
a few options when shopping for Garandspecific commercial ammo; and two aftermarket
drop-in devices that allow safely shooting any
.30-'06 ammo in the Garand.
Contact Art at shootvmr@gmail.com.

FOOTNOTES
1

2
3
4
5

Department of the Army (29 April 1994). Technical Manual TM 43-0001-27 Army Ammunition Data Sheets,
Small Caliber Ammunition, FSC 1305.
Colonel Townsend Whelen, Small Arms Design, Vol. 2, (1934). (Reprint 1990). Prescott, AZ: Wolfe Publishing Company.
ANSI/SAAMI (1992). Z.299.4, Centerfire Rifle.
American Rifleman (1969, September). Cal. .30 National Match Ammunition.
John R. Clarke (1986, March) Reloading for the M1 Rifle American Rifleman. 50-53, 78.

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 33

FEATURE // US WORLD TEAM

U.S. WORLD TEAM


SETS SIGHTS ON SPAIN
STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN NEUENDORF,
MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR, USA SHOOTING

(l. to r.) Josh Richmond,


Jeff Holguin andGlenn Eller,
otherwise known as the
Triple Double, are the best
double trap trio in the world.

By some accounts, the origin of the word Spain means


the land where medals are forged. For 81 USA Shooting Team
athletes set to compete at the 2014 International Shooting
Sports Federation (ISSF) World Championships, Sept. 8-20,
they hope that meaning serves as a prophetic reality.

34 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

epresenting 37 states,
the USA Shooting
Team includes
30 shotgun team
members, 23 in pistol
and 28 rifle competitors, 15 of
whom are Olympians. Per usual,
there is a large military presence
on this USA Shooting Team
with 15 members residing at the
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
based at Ft. Benning, GA.
With more than 2,000 competitors set to compete, the Shooting World Championships are by
far the biggest shooting event
in the quadrennial of Olympic
qualification. With 64 Olympic
quota spots riding on the World
Championships, the matches
in Spain represent twice the
quotas available in any other
competition during the next
two years leading up to the
Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Here is some information about
a few of the athletes that will
represent the United States.

Shotgun
The U.S. team is poised for
great success in the shotgun
events as they have earned 13 of
the 48 possible shotgun medals
during 2014. All 15 members of
the Junior Team will also compete in Spain. The elite Army
Marksmanship combination
ofJosh Richmond, Hillsgrove, PA,
Jeff Holguin, Yorba Linda, CA,
and Glenn Eller, Houston, TX,
rarely visits any range in the
world without prospecting some
hardware, with the trio earning
five of the 12 World Cup medals
handed out this season.

Following a stellar start to her season


with three World Cup medals that included two golds, Kim Rhode, El Monte, CA,
(see page 11) will be looking to win another World Shotgun Championship medal in
Spain. Rhode has earned three World
Championship medals in her career
including gold in Munich, Germany, in
2010. Reigning two-time Olympic gold
medalistVincent Hancock, Eatonton, GA,
will compete and will be joined in the
Mens Skeet event by his 2012 Olympic
teammate and friendFrank Thompson,
Alliance, NE. Hancock has already earned
three World Championships medals in his
storied career, including two world titles.

Rifle
Admittedly, theres a youth movement going on in the rifle program
of USA Shooting. But with youth
comes optimism and Matt Emmons,
Browns Mills, NJ, will provide plenty
of leadership to show the young sharpshooters the right path. The three-time
Olympic medalist has given up Air Rifle
since the 2012 London Olympics, which
means more time behind the smallbore
gun he loves most. Hes made it to the
finals in three of the four World Cup
events hes competed in and hopes to
earn his first international medal since
London, and his fourth World Championship medal come September. Emmons
and his Olympic rifle teammates Michael
McPhail, Darlington, WI, Eric Uptagrafft,
Phenix City, AL, Sarah Scherer, Woburn, MA,
andAmanda Furrer, Spokane, WA, will
lead a team long on talent, but short on
experience. As an Olympic newcomer
in 2012, Scherer was strong, making the
finals of Air Rifle and finishing seventh
overall, despite a severe elbow injury that
nearly forced her withdrawal less than
two weeks before her event. Scherer,
Furrer and her other U.S. teammates will

look to break a U.S. womens medal


drought in the open division that dates
back to 1998, when Elizabeth Bourland
earned a bronze medal in the 50-meter
Prone event. AddSarah Beard, Danville, IN,
to that mix who has shown that she
can come up big, as she did during the
2010 World Championships, winning a
silver medal in junior prone competition.

Pistol
The pistol team will be led by the
resurgence of Rapid Fire Pistol shooter
Keith Sanderson, Colorado Springs, CO,
who has managed his way into all three
World Cup finals this season with a gold
medal at the World Cup at Ft. Benning, GA.
Two-time Olympian Sanderson has battled a
forearm ailment throughout the last quad,
but a surgery in 2013 seems to have helped
get him back to the form that saw him lead
his Olympic qualification match in 2008 and
finish fifth overall in Beijing, China.Sanderson,
along with OlympiansJason Turner,
Rochester, NY and Sandra Uptagrafft,
Phenix City, AL, will help try to end a
U.S. World Championship medal drought in
pistol that dates back to 1981 for the open
(non-Junior) division when Don Nygord
won a world title in Air Pistol. (The last pistol
World Championship medalist of any kind
was junior pistol shooter Laura Santibanez,
a 1998 bronze medalist in the junior
25-meter Pistol event.)The U.S. squad will
have a member of its team that does have
world championship hardware, in Rapid Fire
Pistol athleteEmil Milev, Temple Terrace,
FL, who earned a silver medal in 1994 as a
member of the Bulgarian National Team.As
a 1996 Olympic silver medalist, Milev has
been competing for USA Shooting since
2009, earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic
Team in 2012 and winning the World Cup
Finals last year.
For more information, check out
www.usashooting.org.
SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 35

A PAGE FROM HISTORY: AMERICAN RIFLEMAN, MARCH 1959

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 37

COMING EVENTS

NRA SANCTIONED

TOURNAMENTS
To be listed, NRA must sanction matches by the 15th of
the month, two months prior to the month of the magazine
issue. If you are interested in entering a tournament, contact
the individual listed. For any cancellations or changes to
this listing, please contact Shelly Kramer: (703) 267-1459;
mkramer@nrahq.org, NRA Competitive Shooting Division.

2014 NATIONAL RIFLE &


PISTOL CHAMPIONSHIPS
CAMP PERRY, OH

Jul. 30-Aug. 3 NRA Long Range High Power


Rifle Championship
Aug. 5-10
NRA Fullbore Championship
Online Registration for the National
Championships went online in May at:
www.nmentry.com (select the 2014 Camp
Perry Online Entry link). Entry forms and programs are available on the NRA Competitive
Shooting web site or will be mailed to competitors. To request an entry form and program
either: (A) Call (877) 672-6282 and press 1;
(B) E-mail a request indicating your desired
phase (pistol, smallbore or high power rifle)
to compadmin@nrahq.org; or (C) Mail a
request indicating your desired phase to:
NRA Competitive Shooting Division,
Attn: National Matches Request,
11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030.

2014 SPIRIT
OF AMERICA
FULLBORE PRONE
CHAMPIONSHIP
RATON, NM

SEPTEMBER 5-12, 2014


For information please contact:
John W. Gaines, 122 Hidden Haven Dr.,
Boerne, TX 78006; jrgaines@gvtc.com.

2014 F-CLASS
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
PHOENIX, AZ

OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 2, 2014


For information please contact:
Middleton Tompkins, P.O. Box 11684,
Prescott, AZ 86304; (928) 776-8576.

Click here for the entire Coming Events list.


Click this box to download the entire Coming Events list in a smaller file size (without page turning).

38 SSUSA AUGUST 2014

NRA MEMBER INFORMATION & BENEFITS


MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT INFORMATION: (877) 672-2000
NRA Headquarters: (703) 267-1000
INTERNET ADDRESS: www.nra.org
MEMBER SERVICE (800) 672-3888
NRAstore.com (888) 607-6007
MEMBER PROGRAMS
Hertz Car Rental CDP# 166609
(800) 654-2200
AVIS Car Rental AWD# A832100
(800) 225-7094
NRA Endorsed Insurance Programs
(877) 672-3006
NRA Endorsed Prescription Plan
(888) 436-3700
NRA Endorsed Check Program
(888) 331-6767
NRA VISA Card
(866) NRA-VISA
NRA Real Estate/Relocation Services
(800) 593-2526
NRA Endorsed Moving Program
North American Van Lines (800) 524-5533
Allied Van Lines (800) 871-8864

CMP Eastern matches at Camp Butner.

INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION


Grassroots/Legislative Hotline
(800) 392-8683
OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT
(877) NRA-GIVE
THE NRA FOUNDATION (800) 423-6894
GIFT PLANNING (800) 672-4521
EDDIE EAGLE GUNSAFE PROGRAM
(800) 231-0752
FRIENDS OF NRA
(703) 267-1342
WOMEN ON TARGET
(800) 861-1166
REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM
(800) 861-1166
INSTRUCTOR/COACH
(703) 267-1500

Chip Lohman

COMPETITIVE SHOOTING
(703) 267-1468
FIELD OPERATIONS/RANGES
(877) 672-7264
GUN COLLECTOR PROGRAMS
(703) 267-1601

2014 NATIONAL SILHOUETTE


CHAMPIONSHIPS
RATON, NM
Aug. 1-2
Sep. 13-20

Black Powder Cartridge Rifle


Black Powder Target Rifle

Program and entry cards became available April 1, 2014.


Write now for yours and be sure to specify the Championship(s)
you wish to attend. Write or call: NRA Silhouette Dept.,
11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030; (703) 267-1474 or
silhouette@nrahq.org.

NRA AFFILIATED CLUBS


(800) NRA-CLUB
HUNTER SERVICES (703) 267-1500
LAW ENFORCEMENT
(703) 267-2640
NATIONAL FIREARMS MUSEUM
(703) 267-1600
EDUCATION & TRAINING
(703) 267-1500
MEDIA RELATIONS
(703) 267-1595
YOUTH PROGRAMS (703) 267-1505
PROGRAM MATERIALS CENTER (800) 336-7402

SHOOTINGSPORTSUSA.COM 39

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