NATIONAL MATCH AIR RIFLE UPDATE

CMP efforts to develop the new National Match Air Rifle (NMAR) shooting discipline continue to advance. The CMP has just revised the NMAR Monthly Match program that it offers at Camp Perry. The CMP introduced a new 30-shot NMAR Sporter-Garand Course that was designed especially for new and recreation-oriented shooters and was first fired during the April Camp Perry Monthly. A special NMAR webpage is now posted on the CMP website to give anyone interested in the new discipline a ready source of updated information. A revised edition of the CMP Guide to National Match Air Rifle with the latest rule changes was recently released and can be downloaded from the CMP website; printed copies can also be requested from the CMP. New NMAR Achievement Pins are now available to match sponsors. The National Matches Air Gun Events Program featuring a month of daily NMAR opportunities during the National Matches has also just been released.

April Camp Perry Monthly Match

Robert Sherer, Middle Point, OH, was the top shooter in the AR-Clone Class at the Camp Perry Marksmanship Center’s April Monthly Match.

A new program format with two competitor tracks was tried for the first time in the 24 April Monthly NMAR Match at the Camp Perry (OH) Marksmanship Center. Competitors were offered a Track A schedule for experienced shooters who fired a full NMAR 80-Shot Aggregate and a Track B schedule for new, less experienced or recreation-oriented shooters who fired the new 30-shot Sporter-Garand Course plus a 20-shot prone event. The schedule was arranged so that separate one-hour clinics were offered to each group. Track A shooters attended an “Advanced Standing Clinic,” fired their 60-shot Full Course and then acted as on-the-line coaches for Track B competitors while they fired their Sporter-Garand Course. Track A competitors ended their day by firing a 20-Standing Course to round out the NMAR 80-shot aggregate.

A total of 22 individual shooters participated in the April Monthly, but that number is expected to grow in future months. Top scores in the Track A 80-shot NMAR Aggregate were a 789-25X fired by 16-year-old junior Aaron Ward from Ypsilanti, Michigan in the Match Rifle Class, a 761-19X aggregate posted by Robert Sherer of Middle Point, Ohio in the AR-Clone Class and a 632-4X by Steve Newcomb of Elyria, Ohio in the Sporter Class

Richard Bohn, Metamora, MI, became the winner of the first Sporter-Garand Course ever fired when he scored 267-6X in this event at the April Camp Perry NMAR Monthly. The Sporter-Garand Course must be fired with sporter class air rifles only. It consists of 10 shots slow-fire prone, 10 shots timed-fire prone and 10 shots standing.

Richard Bohn from Metamora, Michigan, fired a 267-6X total in his first competitive shooting event to become the first match winner in the new Sporter-Garand Course. 15-year old Brian Bursley from Wakeman, Ohio, was the top junior in the 30-shot event with a 255-1X.

All scores for the April Camp Perry NMAR Monthly Match are posted on the CMP web site at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=5521.

New Camp Perry NMAR Match Program

A revised series of monthly NMAR matches at the Camp Perry Marksmanship Training Center began with the 24 April Monthly Match. The next match in this series will take place on Saturday, 15 May. The official program for these matches is posted at http://www.odcmp.com/NMAR/CampPerry.htm. The on-line registration page for this match is at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchInfo.cgi?matchID=5956. 

The Camp Perry Monthly NMAR Matches will continue on Saturday, 19 June, and then will resume again in September after a break for the National Matches Air Gun Events in July and August.

The Camp Perry Monthly NMAR Matches now offer two tracks of competition, one for advanced shooters and a second track for new, less experienced and recreational-oriented shooters. Track A includes a one-hour Advanced Shooter Clinic, a 60-shot NMAR Full Course (standing-sitting-prone) and a 20-shot Standing Course. Track A shooters are asked to coach or mentor new and inexperienced shooters while they shoot their 30-shot Sporter-Garand Course. Track B for new and inexperienced shooters and for shooters whose primary interest is in As-Issued Military Rifle Matches includes a New Shooter Clinic, a 30-shot Sporter-Garand Course (prone-prone timed-fire and standing) where they are coached by Track A shooters and a chance to fire a 20-shot prone course with AiR-15 AR-Clone rifles.

The Advanced and New Shooter Clinics each last one hour and are taught by Olympic, World and National Champion and retired CMP Director Gary Anderson. The Advanced Clinic on 15 May will focus on advanced prone position techniques. The New Shooter Clinic is designed to get new and less experienced shooters started in firing the prone and standing positions used in the Sporter-Garand Course.

A new awards program featuring CMP gift certificates called “CMP Bucks” is also being instituted for these matches. CMP Bucks are presented to the winners in each class and category according to a schedule that increases the award amount as the number of entries in that class or category increases. CMP Bucks can be redeemed in the CMP Stores at Camp Perry or Anniston, through CMP Catalog or E-Store orders or they can be used to pay entry fees in CMP matches.

The CMP Guide to National Match Air Rifle has just been revised. The latest version includes recent rule changes, rules for the new Sporter-Garand Course, 2010 Achievement Pin cut scores and updated range commands and firing procedures

The new official program for the Camp Perry Monthly NMAR Matches is posted at http://www.odcmp.com/NMAR/CampPerry.htm.  Sign up online for the next NMAR Monthly Match on 15 May at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchInfo.cgi?matchID=5956. When you register, be sure to select Track A or Track B.

NMAR Rules and Guide Updated

NMAR is a new discipline where rule changes will be made as soon as new experiences are gained from competitions. A few rule changes were recently adopted after experiences from earlier NMAR matches were evaluated. There are two primary rule changes included in the latest NMAR rules that are part of the CMP Guide to National Match Air Rifle that is posted on the CMP website at http://www.odcmp.com/NMAR/Guide.pdf.

Front sight inserts in Sporter Class rifles can now be either posts or rings (apertures). The original rules required the exclusive use of posts to keep this class of rifles in line with military rifle shooting. It turned out that so many shooters, especially juniors, were coming to NMAR matches with aperture experience only so the change was adopted.

15-year old Brian Bursley from Wakeman, Ohio was the top junior in the 30-shot Sporter-Garand event with a 255-1X.

A new Sporter-Garand Course has been added. This course of fire closely duplicates the popular 30-shot John C. Garand Course that is fired outdoors with As-Issued Military Rifles. It starts in the prone position where unlimited sighters and 10 shots for record must be fired in 20 minutes. A second timed-fire prone stage is then fired where shooters have four minutes to go from standing to prone and load and fire ten shots. Shooters with pneumatic (pump) rifles have five minutes. The third stage is ten shots standing in ten minutes. The Sporter-Garand Course is fired with Sporter Class rifles only. All three stages of this course are fired on the AR-SR (200-yard reduced) target. This new course is designed expressly for new and inexperienced shooters and for As-Issued Military Rifle shooters who want a rifle event that duplicates what they will shoot outdoors. This new course of fire is now included in the Camp Perry Monthly NMAR Match program as a Track B entry option.

National Matches Air Gun Events

The biggest NMAR events to date have taken place during the National Matches Air Gun Events that are offered during the annual National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. In 2009, 112 shooters fired one or more scores in the Sporter Class 20-shot standing match while 135 competitors fired one or more scores in the AR-Clone 20-shot standing event. Since these were both reentry events, most competitors fired several 20-shot scores in order to post their best possible scores.

The official program for the 2010 National Matches Air Gun Events has now been posted at http://www.odcmp.com/NM/AirEvents.htm. The 20-shot standing reentry matches open on 12 July, the day for the Pistol Small Arms Firing School and National Matches First Shot Ceremony, and will remain open until 7 August. During this 27-day period, NMAR shooters can fire the 20-shot standing course as many times as they wish with either Sporter, Match or AR-Clone rifles.

During the National Matches Highpower Rifle Phase, from 30 July through 7 August, a special AiR15 Challenge Match will be offered. Competitors in this match can fire reentry scores with AR-Clone rifles throughout the week. At the end of the week on Saturday, 7 August, the 20 competitors with the highest scores will meet to fire a final 20-shot challenge match where $1000 in cash prizes is guaranteed. If entries (or reentries) in this match exceed 150, the cash prize pool and the number of cash awards will increase. Also available during that week is a NMAR Full Course Reentry Match. See the National Matches Air Gun Events program at http://www.odcmp.com/NM/AirEvents.htm for full details.

NMAR gold, silver and bronze achievement pins are now available for match sponsors to award at CMP-sanctioned NMAR matches. These pins can now be earned at the Camp Perry NMAR Monthly Matches.

NMAR Achievement Pins

The popular CMP Achievement Pin program that is being used by many match sponsors for CMP-sanctioned As-Issued Military Rifle and Rimfire Sporter Matches is now available for National Match Air Rifle too. New Gold, Silver and Bronze NMAR Achievement Pins were awarded for the first time at the April Camp Perry NMAR Monthly Match. Cut scores for earning the pins are posted in the Monthly Match Program at http://www.odcmp.com/NMAR/CampPerry.htm and in the CMP Guide to National Match Air Rifle posted at at http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Programs/NMARGuide.pdf.

Article on AR-Clone Rifles in Shooting Sports USA

The January 2010 edition of Shooting Sports USA, http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/ShootingSportsUSA/, the NRA magazine for competitive shooters, published a detailed article, written by Jock Elliott, about the Creedmoor AiR-15 and Pilkington Competition Equipment BF-15 AR-Clone air rifles. Shooters who have access to this magazine and who are interested in NMAR should check out this article if they have not already read it.

NMAR Introductory Matches

The CMP staff has started to schedule a special series of NMAR Introductory Matches that will be hosted by shooting clubs in other parts of the country. The objective of these “introductory matches” is to bring NMAR to other parts of the country. The CMP is looking for host clubs for these matches and will provide event promotion, staff to assist in running the match and loaner air rifles (both AR-Clones and Sporters). Host clubs must have sufficient air gun range space to set up a 12-25 point range. The CMP can provide target backstops if necessary. CMP affiliated clubs that are interested in hosting an NMAR introductory match this coming fall or winter should contact Lue Contreras, 419-635-2141, ext. 1107 or lcontreras@odcmp.com.

Don’t neglect to sign up now for the next major NMAR opportunity, the Camp Perry Marksmanship Center Monthly NMAR Match on 15 May. Register on-line for this match at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchInfo.cgi?matchID=5956.

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