Entries Open for 2007 Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches - The 2007 Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches will be held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility near Phoenix, Arizona on 20-28 October. This announcement reflects the fact that Creedmoor Sports Inc. and the CMP recently made a decision to move these fast-growing competitions from Camp Pendleton, California to the Arizona facility.

U.S. Army Junior Air Rifle Championships - On 8-11 August 2007, many of the country’s best junior air rifle shooters gathered at Fort Benning, Georgia for the first annual U.S. Army Junior Air Rifle Championship. The Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) hosted the event at its Pool Range Complex.

What Sight Picture Is Best For You? - By SSG Tobie Tomlinson, USAMU Service Rifle Team Member - Which is correct? There are a myriad of sight picture options that shooters have used to great effect over the years. The sight picture that allows you to consistently shoot the smallest group, with a minimal shift in zeros, is the correct one. In the next few paragraphs we will explore a few of the more commonly used sight picture options. Remember, for any shooter to be successful, consistent sight picture must be complemented by front sight focus and sight alignment.

“M1 for Vets” Camp Perry 2007 - The “M1 for Vets” project concluded another successful trip to Camp Perry, Ohio. Fifteen fine young veterans participated in the M1 Carbine, Springfield, and M1 Garand Matches. Many medals were won, and some excellent marksmanship skills were exhibited during the three days of competition.

2007 American Legion National Championship - USA SHOOTING RANGE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Noel Maxwell, a thirteen year-old female shooter from Bowling Green, Kentucky performed under intense pressure in the final shoot-off to capture the sporter crown at the 17th annual American Legion Junior Air Rifle National Championship, August 9-11. One record was broken as thirty junior air rifle competitors met at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

2007 “Camp Perry Centennial” National Matches Close - National Matches Highpower Match Director Jim Hill had the honor of firing the canon that signaled “colors” at the Matches one last time on 14 August as the 2007 “Camp Perry Centennial” National Matches came to a close. It was Hill’s last day as Match Director after serving in that capacity for the CMP and NRA highpower rifle championships for the past 13 years. It was a memorable ending to a great National Matches and one more special experience in one of the most remarkable careers in marksmanship.

2007 National Matches Were a Record Year for CMP Matches - Now that the 2007 “Camp Perry Centennial” National Matches are over, it is a good time to look back on the matches to assess what happened and to give accolades for the most outstanding performances. The biggest stars of the 2007 Matches may well have been the competitors because they came to the matches in record numbers. A total of 4,123 unique individuals participated in CMP events during the pistol, smallbore rifle and highpower rifle phases of the Matches. This number was up two percent over the 2006 total, which was the previous high for participation in all CMP National Matches events.

National Matches Team Matches - Team Matches are a big part of the National Trophy Rifle Matches program. Many shooters and coaches regard the National Trophy Team Match, in particular, as the most important trophy and team championship in American marksmanship. The National Trophy, which was commissioned by the U. S. Congress in 1903, goes to the overall winning team in the National Trophy Team Match, but the Soldier of Marathon Trophy for the top Civilian team, the Hilton Trophy for the top Reserve Component Team and the Minuteman Trophy for the top Junior team, along with the Infantry, Hearst and Whistler Boy Trophies represent especially prestigious team titles that service rifle teams all over the country put great effort into trying to win.

2007 CMP Games Matches Set Records - A full three days of CMP Games Matches now take place at the end of the National Trophy Rifle week during the National Matches. For large numbers of shooters, the John C. Garand, Springfield, Vintage Military Rifle and M1 Carbine Matches are the high point of their shooting year and the experiences they have at Camp Perry while firing in these matches will fuel their enthusiasm for the shooting sports for the whole year to come. The 2007 CMP Games Matches were highlighted by record numbers of competitors in all four of these fast-growing events. The Games Matches also featured lots of fine shooting by competitors who took home record numbers of Gold, Silver and Bronze Achievement Medals.

Marine Corps Shooter Wins National Matches Daniel Boone Trophy - Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Jason Benedict was in CMP Headquarters a few days before the National Trophy Rifle Matches to plan a clinic the Marine Corps Rifle Team was to conduct during the Matches. While he was there, he wrote a prophetic message on a large whiteboard the CMP staff uses to list important tasks to be accomplished. Benedict’s message stated, “prepare M1 Garand for SSgt Benedict.” It referred to the special presentation M1 Garand that the CMP and the National Match Armory of Rendon, Texas would award to the winner of the National Trophy Individual Match that took place at Camp Perry on 31 July.