Hi-Lux Optics created three videos that will be of interest to service rifle and across-the-course competitors. The first video highlights the appeal and features comments from 2021 Camp Perry competitors. The second video provides five tips for new service rifle shooters. The third video is about the Camp Perry CMP matches this summer. This video gives a great overview of Camp Perry and allows you to share in the experience. Four Reasons to Shoot Service Rifle Service rifle shooting is challenging but fun. You will need to be able to use multiple positions and make quick wind calls. The modern AR-based service rifle has a low recoil and is very affordable. Modern service rifles are highly customizable and can be fitted with adjustable stock options and optional magnified optics. Older military rifles like the M1A or M1 Garand present different challenges due to heavier-recoiling ammunitions, heavier weights, and classic metal sights. Hi-Lux asked participants at Camp Perry’s 2021 summer games about their favorite aspects of competition with military rifles and service rifles like the M1 Garand. The four main themes that emerged from the shooters’ responses were Self-Improvement (comradery), Comradery, History, and Challenge. Five Tips for New Service Rifle Shooters Hi-Lux reporters posed the question to competitors at Camp Perry: “What advice would you give new shooters looking to get into the service rifle shooting?” Below are the most popular responses: Keep Learning, Don’t Quit. Stay Calm. Practice Fundamentals. And “Get Started!” These tips can be applied to many shooting disciplines. 00:21 Keep Learning
Every shot is an opportunity to learn. There are many ways to learn: talk to other shooters, watch training videos and attend training clinics such as those held at the CMP Regional Games. Never stop learning and ask questions. 01:38 Don’t Give Up
You might reach a plateau in your performance. You shouldn’t let this stop you. You can only improve by moving forward. Keep going and keep training off-season. 03:10 Keep Calm and Focused
Take each shot with an open mind and a clear head. You and your rifle are the only ones on the line while you’re there. 04:20 Practice Fundamentals
Practice will improve your fundamentals if you have the right mindset. Dry firing can reveal problems with trigger pull and follow-through that may not be obvious under recoil. Offhand shooting is particularly vulnerable to this. 05:48 Get Started
You don’t have to be too old to learn a new skill. There are many free clinics and local ranges offer regular service rifle competitions that will help you improve your skills. Find out more about Service Rifle Shooting Clinics on the CMP Website. The 2021 National Matches At Camp Perry — Return of the Games. After being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID issues, the CMP National Matches At Camp Perry returned in the summer 2021 with a full range of matches for rifle and pistol. This video shows Camp Perry, the most prestigious venue for American marksmanship competitions since 1907. The video includes different disciplines such as Service Rifle and M1 Garand matches. Vintage Sniper is also covered. History of Camp Perry “In 1907, the machinery of the National Matches was grown to enormous proportions and was moved to Camp Perry.
–August 1911, James Drain, Arms and the Man. The National Matches were first launched by Federal legislation. The 1903 legislation established the National Matches and commissioned the National Trophy. It also provided funding for the Matches. Since 1907, the National Matches are held at Camp Perry. The range is located near Port Clinton, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie. In 1906, the site was purchased to provide a larger facility for military training as well as the NRA’s shooting programs. Adjutant General of Ohio Gen. Ammon B.Crichfield ordered the construction of a new shooting range on the shores Lake Erie 45 miles east from Toledo, Ohio. The original land for Camp Perry was bought in 1906. The reservation was named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who was an American naval commander who won Battle of Put-in-Bay during World War I. Cpl. L. B. Jarrett shot the first shot at Camp Perry Training Site. In 1907, Camp Perry hosted its first National Pistol and Rifle Championship events. Since then, the annual National Matches have been held at this location (though they were cancelled due to COVID in 2020). The National Matches attracts over 4,000 competitors each year, making them the most popular shooting competitions in the western hemisphere.
