Long Range Rifle Title Draws International Teams

There’s bound to be a few unfamiliar faces where ever you go. Even for those who’ve made the trek out here to Ohio for the NRA National Rifle & Pistols Championships time and time again, new people will pop out of the crowd at each and every turn. That’s especially true this year.

“We have 81 international shooters for F-Class and Long Range in the competition right now,” said NRA’s High Power Rifle Match Director Sherri Judd. “A good portion of those competitors will be shooting in this year’s America Match.”

Participating in this year’s match are teams from Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. A bi-annual event, this is the first year for the match in Camp Perry. After all the attention garnered by the Olympic’s shooting events, this is a heck of a way to add to the international excitement.

Not sure about that? Well wait to you see these people shoot.

Australia, Canada, Japan & England send eight man teams for NRA trophy

To take part in the event, each country sent eight shooters here to the states. Categories include an F-Class section, an Under-25 section and an Open section. Now the rules are a little different for each section … so stay with me.

The Under-25 section is open to all 4-man rifle teams, the Open section is (excuse the verbiage) open to 8-man rifle teams, and the F-Class section is limited to one 8-man rifle team per country. So if Australia, for example, sent 16 shooters to compete in the America Match, only one of those 8-man teams could compete in the F-Class section while both would be allowed to shoot in the Open. Make sense?

The actual course of fire is the same for every section. Under-25, F-Class and Open sections all allow for two sighting shots followed by fifteen shots for record at 300, 600, 900 and 1,000 yards. Competitors rifles must be chambered in .308 with a maximum bullet weight of 156 grains.

Until then, Wednesday the 15th of August, the shooters will go about their business against Camp Perry’s finest. Testing their mettle here at the Long Range High Power Matches with every opportunity to go home with a medal or plaque from the Match. For them, coming to the NRA Championships is more of a warm up for the America Match.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t be pushing for another title or two.

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