Close finishes marked the conclusion of rifle competition—both Smallbore and High Power—at the National Matches at Camp Perry, which ran from late July into the first half of August. The National Matches, conducted annually by the National Rifle Association, Civilian Marksmanship Program, and the Ohio National Guard concluded with the Long Range High Power Rifle competition, won this year by S/Sgt. Tyrell Cooper of the US Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Fort Benning , GA.
SSgt. Tyrel Cooper, USAMU, stands alongside the Tompkins Trophy at NRA’s Long Range High Power Rifle Awards Ceremony. (NRABlog photo)
The overall national champion in 3- Position Smallbore held earlier was US Army Specialist Joseph Hein of Fort Benning , GA, who fired 2378- 141X out of a possible 2400.
Second place went to Tarl Kempley of Carson City, NV, with a 2376-142X, and third was US Army Specialist Matthew Rawlings, also of Fort Benning, who shot a 2373-141X.
Hein also won the Smallbore Prone overall national champion as well with a 4790-354X, even though Englishman Richard Fowke outshot him at 4790-355X. By rule, however, a national championship must go to a US citizen. Fowke was awarded the title of Civilian Champion.
Third place in Smallbore Prone went to Reya Kempley of Carson City who also was awarded the title of High Woman Champion at 4789-374X. Hein also was awarded the title of Service Champion. Kemply had won the Prone Metallic Sight phase with a score of 2400-202X.
Fremont, OH, marksman Greg Drown fired his way to a national championship in 3-Position smallbore, and he did it from a wheelchair. Drown, who copes with multiple sclerosis, scored 1195-73X out of a possible 1200 among 324 competitors to win the any-sight phase of the smallbore competition.
By rule, Drown is allowed to use what are called adaptive positions to compete from a wheelchair. “I developed multiple sclerosis gradually between 1995 and 2000. It was a shock,” said Drown, 49, in an interview with the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the hosts of the annual National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry. The others are the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the Ohio National Guard.
The Mid-Range National Championship went to veteran shooter and Camp Perry champion David Tubb of Canadian, TX. Tubb shot a 2396-149 score to win that High Power title, beating out Robert Gustin, who finished second with a 2391-159X and third-place finisher Nancy Tompkins, who was just two Xs back with a score of 2391-157X.
The Match Rifle High Power championship went to S/Sgt. Brandon Green, USAMU, who scored 2384-126X to win the gold with a tie-breaker. Carl Bernosky Jr. of Ashland, PA, was second, also with a score of 2384-126X.
Third place went to Norman G. Houle of Warwick, RI, who fired at 2381-111X.
Cooper of the US Army Marksmanship Unit won the NRA’s National Long Range High Power Rifle Championships with a final score of 1243-71X. Cooper also won the Service Rifle Championship with a score of2380-105X.
“It’s a long time coming,” said Cooper with a smile. “Years of shooting and now here it is.” A native of California, Cooper edged out USAMU teammate Brandon Green for the win. Though both ended with a final count of 1243, it was Cooper’s X count that pushed Green into second place—71 to 64.
Rounding out the top five in the overall Long Range Championships are Bob Gustin, with 1239-76x, who was third, followed by Shirley Mcgee with a 1238- 65x, and Eric Smith with a 1236-55x.
In recognition of his win, Cooper will receive a gold tone National Championships Medallion, a Tompkins Trophy laminated plaque, and (if tradition holds) a rifle to add to his collection.
Competitors came together as Day Two of NRA’s 2013 Long Range High Power Rifle Championships drew to an end. Though the scores were already totaled, there was still a list of champions waiting to be crowned. That is done via a shoot-off.
Unlike the Smallbore matches, a majority of NRA’s Long Range High Power competitions are decided by a shoot-off. At the end of the match, the top three scorers return to the firing line. In thirteen minutes, they are allowed three sighter shots and ten shots for record. Top score wins.
At the Leech Cup shoot-off, Michelle Gallagher edged out Cooper by a single X with her 200-12X score.
“This is the first time I’ve shot this year in a sling at a 1,000 yard match,” said Gallagher.
“I’ve been shooting F-Class, so this is pretty special.” While F-Class shooters fire at the same distances, there are a few distinct differences—the targets are smaller and the rifle is shot with support from a bipod.
Though Cooper was her closest competitor on paper, last year’s Wimbledon Cup winner, Bob Gustin, was on hand to mount a charge of his own. But Gustin’s efforts were hampered by another one of those freak Camp Perry mishaps.
“Everything was fine at the end of the match, but when Bob took his first sighter shot, he wasn’t even on paper,” explained one observer, according to NRABlog.
“Maybe someone bumped his rifle, messed up the sights, but whatever happened, Bob made a great recovery to find his wind in three shots.”
