Post #1-8/23/2019

In this blog I will try to keep all of you up to date on what is happening with NRA High Power shooting disciplines. Some information you will already be aware of while other information might be

a little vague. I will try to be clear and accurate but please realize I am not briefed daily by the NRA competitive shooting division staff. As we progress down this road please feel free to make suggestions on how we can improve the shooting disciplines as well as increase attendance. Share this information

with others who may not be on my list, it now is only those of you who competed in the 2019 national matches at Camp Atterbury.

My first area of discussion surrounds mainly range 6. We have noted the discrepancies that needed improvements and will be working shortly with range improvement personnel to implement them. The one I think you all would like to see is a stone path down the center of the range so moving from one distance to another would not be so difficult. Another item in the plan is to move the target frames from 12’ on center to 8’ on center. In doing so we have asked that the overhang in the pits be extended, targets

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moved back slightly and a platform be constructed to make it safer when pulling targets. Another improvement is to clear trees and brush behind the targets from 50 to 100 yards so as to get more circulation of air in the pits. Another general item is leveling some areas between firing lines and rolling the entire range to take out the bumps and ruts.

For general information the state of Indiana has appropriated $4.1 million dollars to the National Guard to build the new pistol and smallbore range for those two disciplines. It indicates to me Indiana wants us to be there and everyone involved is being very helpful. Since we have been there everyone has helped us make the matches successful.

The NRA has signed a 10-year contract to be at Camp Atterbury. The Welcome Center across the street from the main entrance to the base has been assigned to NRA and will be developed as NRA headquarters. A competitive firearms museum is possibly in the works for that building also. The Entry and Stat office will be moving to a building behind the future pistol/smallbore ranges in an area to the West of the high-power ranges. If you follow the road in front of the 600-yard line on range 6 in a westerly direction you will come to this building.

Another item that has been a sticking point at Atterbury has been the housing for juniors on teams. Previously an adult was required to reside with a junior in every room occupied by a junior. We now have two buildings behind our current NRA Office (Bldg 109) to house junior teams. One building for males and the other for females. It is two barracks type dorms with 48 beds each with showers and bathrooms in between. There are lockers for storage and can be locked with locks furnished by the competitors. The cost will be $40 per night per team no matter how many members. Sheets will be available for rental for $5.50. The costs are subject to change but these numbers are in the ball park. Teams will be required to have at least one chaperone in the dorm.

There is nothing new planned for this discipline at this time. We are pleased with the way it is

currently being run and the rules are what we need to run it. No rule changes this year.

This year we had a big change in how we determined the national champion. It seemed to work out alright and you competitors appeared satisfied with the rules, program and procedures of

running the championship. I foresee no new rule/program/procedure changes in this national championship discipline.

Over the past few years we have tweaked this discipline. This year we very well except for the rules for the Mustin Trophy. The committee will take a look at this and see what can be done

to improve this match.

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We are still trying to get a handle on the service rifle problems caused by two matches requiring metallic sights only. By the time the program comes out next year we will solve that problem

Before I continue with the shooting disciplines let me explain Amazon Smile. This is a method we are using to raise money for

our International Rifle Teams. Here is how it works. You can go on Amazon Smile and select your charity, in this case it would be “Palma Promotions, Inc.” After you do this, everything you buy through Amazon will result in Amazon donating 0.05% of your purchase price to Palma Promotions, Inc. It cost you absolutely nothing and the International teams benefit from the plan. We need you to sign up for this charity program. The more people who sign up the more we benefit from Amazon’s charitable donation. Here is the link to sign up. Please pass this on to all your friends and club members. We will be eternally grateful:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/homepage?q=palma+promotions&orig=/&ie=UTF-8

Just a small change planned for this discipline. In 2020 we plan to move the national Mid-range and Long-Range nationals from the

Whittington Center in Raton, NM to the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, AZ. Normally it would be for two consecutive years but with the 150th Anniversary of the founding of NRA and the America Match schedule we will have the F-class nationals at Camp Atterbury in 2021. If will only be for that year and then go back to Phoenix for the second year.

For fullbore we are hoping to have the rulebook format changed on the NRA web site to the standard rulebook format so you can stick it in your back pocket while on

the range. We have no changes planned for 2020 but in 2021 we will move fullbore to Camp Atterbury for that year because of the 150th anniversary of the founding of NRA and the America Match schedule. If will immediately follow the F-class nationals and include the Fullbore F-class nationals as well as the Target Rifle nationals. Please plan on shooting both of them if you are an F-class shooter.

In 2020 we are planning of integrating Target Rifle as well and F-class into this championship. This will be a duel championship and national champions will be named in both at the end.