The CMP expanded the Range which included 110 firing points for the 2009 National Rimfire Sporter Match. This was the 8th Annual National Rimfire Sporter Championship and it drew records numbers.

CAMP PERRY, OHIO – There were sunny skies and a steady wind that swept the Lake Erie shoreline for the eighth annual CMP Rimfire Sporter Match held on Sunday, 26 July. Though the 15-mile-per-hour wind did not prevent a record turnout of 333 shooters from posting strong scores and making the event a huge success.

Rimfire Sporter is a recreational games event that introduces shooters to a course of fire similar in format to match competition, yet is conducted at a pace acclimated to new shooters. The match is fired with off-the-shelf bolt-action or semi-automatic .22 caliber rifles which feature no specialized target shooting equipment such as heavy target barrels, thumbhole stocks or match-grade sights and must meet weight and trigger-pull restrictions.

Competitors eagerly check scores in the 2009 National Rimfire Sporter Championship, which took place at Camp Perry, Ohio on 26 July.

Divided into Open (O-Class) and Telescopic (T-Class) sight classifications, shooters of all ages compete in either or both classes in separate relays, giving participants an optimal opportunity to shoot their favorite plinking rifles for scores and medals in what has become an extremely popular CMP match.

With some shooters firing both in open and telescopic sights classification, a total of 421 scores were recorded in this year’s match, the largest participation since the event’s inception in 2002. A total of 157 scores were logged in O-Class and 264 in T-Class.

Duane Tallman served as the CMP Chief Range Officer for the National Rimfire Sporter Championship. He also assisted Director of Civilian Marksmanship, Gary Anderson, with a Rimfire Sporter Match Clinic, which was held the day before the Championship.

On Saturday, 25 July, CMP Chief Range Officer Duane Tallman and Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM), Gary Anderson, conducted a Rimfire Sporter Match Clinic, which covered safety, course of fire and the fundamentals of three-position shooting.

This year CMP significantly increased scoring and range efficiency by mounting two targets on each stand, greatly reducing time needed to change targets between prone, sitting and standing phases. The range was expanded to 100 firing points and four relays to accommodate the larger gathering. Also, Lapua provided 50 rounds of Standard Plus and Center-X .22 caliber rimfire ammunition to every competitor.

The overall High O-Class competitor was CSM Steven Slee firing a 584-25X.

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Steven Slee, US Army Reserve, 45, of Dimondale, Michigan, firing a bolt-action CZ-452, shot an aggregate score of 584-25X out of a possible 600 in the 60-shot match to win the O-Class. Slee scored 99-5X in prone slow-fire, 97-2X in prone rapid-fire, 96-6X in sitting/kneeling slow-fire, 93-1X in sitting/kneeling rapid-fire, 97-2X in standing slow-fire and 97-4X in standing rapid-fire. All prone and sitting/kneeling shots are fired from 50 yards and unsupported standing stages are shot from 25 yards.

The defending High Junior O-Class champion, Charles Opalewski, 19, of Vicksburg, Michigan once again won his division by firing an aggregate score of 577-18X with his CZ 452 bolt gun, based on scores of 99-6X, 94-2X, 97-2X, 93-3X, 97-2X and 97-3X in the same stages, respectively. Opalewski was also the High 4-H Junior in the event.

In the O-Class Senior division, David Lantz, 71, of Saginaw, Michigan took top honors with a 564-22X aggregate score using a CZ-452SE. Lantz fired a 100-8X, 100-4X, 94-4X, 94-3X, 93-2X and 93-1X, respectively. He narrowly defeated Ronald Springsteen (564-13X), 72, of Otsego, Michigan in a X-ring tiebreaker.

The High Woman shooter was Jennifer Butcher, 41, of Grafton, Ohio with a 547-8X aggregate score. She used a Ruger 10/22 to post scores of 94-2X, 95-2X, 91-1X, 91-3X, 90-0X and 86-0X, respectively.

The Overall and Junior division winner of T-Class was Lucas Boord, 19, of New Stanton, Pennsylvania who fired a 593-34X aggregate score. Boord used a Kimber Hunter to post individual stage scores of 100-9X, 100-4X, 98-5X, 98-6X, 100-6X and 97-4X, respectively, edging out Steven Slee by one-point and defending junior champion Eric Curavo by one point as well.

Ashley Young, 18, of Dublin, Georgia fired an aggregate score of 579-23X to post the high score in both the 4-H Junior and Woman's divisions with a break down of 100-8X, 99-2X, 98-4X, 99-6X, 92-2X and 91-1X, respectively.

The High Senior shooter in T-Class was Steve Gossage, 63, of Wooster, Ohio with an aggregate score of 589-21X. Gossage fired individual scores of 100-4X, 100-4X, 98-5X, 100-4X, 97-1X and 94-3X, respectively. Ronald Springsteen also challenged for the Senior T-Class title but fell to Gossage by one-point.

This was the first Rimfire Sporter Match For Don Duda and his son Donny of Berlin Center, Ohio. The elder Duda served in the Ohio National Guard for 20 years and has shot at Camp Perry, but this was his first match.

It was the first Rimfire Sporter Match For Don Duda, 44, and his son Donny, 12, of Berlin Center, Ohio. The father and son outing included shopping commercial row for parts and ammunition. The elder Duda served in the Ohio National Guard for 20 years and has shot at Camp Perry, but this was his first match.

"It was a neat match and a lot of fun. My favorite part was getting to shoot three positions and rapid fire was the best" Said Donny who is a member of 4-H and shoots with his club at home.

The experience was so good for the Dudas that they have already planned to return in 2010. "Absolutely, we didn't get a medal but we had a lot of fun," said Don.

Susen, Zachary, Will and Jim Roth of Grafton, Ohio made their first family trip to the National Rimfire Sporter Championship this year. In 2008, Mom and Dad visited Camp Perry to checkout the event and liked what they saw, so this year they decided to enter their oldest son, Zachary, into the match.

Jim Roth, 41, his wife Susen, 38 and their sons Zachary, 12 and Will, 9 of Grafton, Ohio made their first family trip to the National Rimfire Sporter Championship this year. In 2008, Mom and Dad visited Camp Perry to checkout the event and liked what they saw. This year they decided to enter their oldest son, Zachary, into the match.

"It's an inexpensive and fun way for the family to do something together. We like what shooting teaches kids, especially responsibility," said Jim.

The Roths are allowing their son Will to get a little older before trying-out the match, and they have daughters Emma, 10 and Abigail, 5 waiting in the wings.

Zachary and Will also had an opportunity to try their hand at airgun in the CMP Competition Center, and now look forward to many trips back to Camp Perry.

Ernest Oelker, 63, of Youngstown, Ohio has participated in all eight Rimfire Sporter matches. He intends to return next year and hopes to bring additional shooters with him.

Ernest Oelker, 63, of Youngstown, Ohio has participated in all eight Rimfire Sporter matches. "I keep thinking I can shoot better than last year," he said jokingly. "This has been lots of fun and I plan to bring my sweetheart next year."

Oelker shoots high power rifle and pistol at Beaver Valley Rifle and Pistol Club, the Youngstown Rifle and Pistol Club and has participated in revolver matches with the Greater Pittsburgh Revolver League. "This rimfire match is very rewarding and lots of fun,” he added.

Dwight Pilkilton and Chelsea Torbert made their first trip to Camp Perry with the North Alabama Shooting Association to shoot the National Rimfire Sporter Championship. Torbert was the only junior in the eight-person group that made the trip from Florence, Alabama but the group plans to bring more junior shooters next year.