WED | OCTOBER 2, 2024

HEYDUDE X Realtree EDGE camo slip-on shoes are designed for those who thrive on outdoor adventures and appreciate the blend of style and comfort. These shoes come in a variety of colors, including bright orange, pink, black, classic white, and the ever-popular standard camo, ensuring there's a perfect pair for everyone.
Hornady® congratulates competitors of the 2024 International Precision Rifle Federation World Championship held on September 12-17, 2024, at the Cameo Shooting Complex in Grand Junction, Colorado.
The Paris Games brought the first Olympic Medal to a Team USA woman this summer as Casey Kaufhold took home bronze with teammate, Brady Ellison, in the Mixed Team competition at the Summer Games.

Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR) is the most popular junior rifle program in the USA. 3PAR Rules are revised and reissued on a bi-annual basis. The newest version of these rules, the 15th 2024-2026 Edition, has just been released. An electronic version of the new rulebook is posted on the CMP website.
Browning Ammunition announces that, for a limited time, consumers can earn $5.00 back for each box of eligible Browning waterfowl loads purchased. Total maximum rebate amount is $150.00 per household. The offer is valid on qualifying purchases made between October 1, 2024 – November 30, 2024.
Attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation and its partners in parallel cases challenging California’s ban on gun shows held on public property have filed an emergency application with the U.S Supreme Court asking that a Ninth Circuit Court mandate be recalled, and a stay be issued pending an appeal to the high court later this year.

Cynthia Martinez, chief of the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) system, and Marjorie Chiles, chief for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service infrastructure and management division, joined the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) and more than 160 union tradeswomen at Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 27, to dedicate a new fishing pier with a ribbon cutting ceremony and fishing event.
Dead Air Silencers is set to attend the 2024 Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) SWAT Competition. This event, running from October 2 to October 6, 2024, at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Academy in Humble, Texas, will gather the toughest and most skilled tactical teams in the nation to compete in high-stakes, real-world SWAT scenarios.
Target Sports USA has begun an influencer partnership with Tony Sentmanat, aka RealWorld Tactical, beginning October 2024. Tony is a United States Marine Corps Veteran and a retired S.W.A.T. Operator with an impressive background in law enforcement.

Cupped Waterfowl’s SRG Hammer Call produces incredibly realistic sounds sure to bring in birds this season. Featuring excellent low-end control and a full volume range, the SRG (short reed goose) Hammer is versatile and effective in any goose hunting scenario.
High Speed Gear® was honored to host David Acosta Jr., an industry leader from Allegiance Defense Solutions, at their headquarters in Swansboro, North Carolina. During his visit, Acosta toured the state-of-the-art facility, gaining exclusive insight into the production of High Speed Gear’s latest innovation: the Lo-V Mag Pouches.
Mossy Oak® is excited to announce a new collaboration with Final Flight Outfitters, naming Mossy Oak the Official Pattern and Camouflage Partner.
Discover essential tips in our upcoming webinar to ensure compliance with the OSHA Noise Standard and avoid penalties. NSSF Compliance Consultant and OSHA Coach Dale Krupinski will share a roadmap for managing noise exposure designed to guide range owners and management staff in recognizing the potential noise risks at their facilities and understanding the related OSHA regulations.
Scent Thief® announces its new partnership with The Outdoor Business Solutions Group (OBSG) as its official sales representative agency. This strategic partnership will strengthen Scent Thief’s retail presence across key markets.
During a National Hiring Event on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and Thursday, Oct. 10, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s retail locations across the U.S. and Canada will conduct on-site interviews for local retail and restaurant positions from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Streamlight® introduced the TLR-1 HL®-X USB/TLR-1 HL®-X, a versatile weapon light for full-size handguns and long guns with rails, that features multi-fuel capability while delivering up to 1,500 lumens for extreme brightness in a variety of tactical uses.
Gemtech announced the release of direct thread mount Abyss and Neutron suppressors. Now available with the Abyss 5.56 and 7.62, and Neutron 7.62 are direct thread adapters compatible with HUB 1.375-24” thread pitch.
Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc. (POF-USA) announces the release of their newest rifle product offering, the P-15 BASE Rifle. The BASE Rifle combines the high-quality craftsmanship that POF-USA is known for, offering a feature-rich AR platform at an extremely competitive entry-level price.

Mammoth Coolers expands its lineup of high-quality drinkware with the addition of its 20 oz Ascent tumbler for sipping on the go. The durable stainless steel construction resists dust, corrosion, and impact for long-lasting performance and features double-wall insulation to keep drinks hot or cold for extended periods.
The same barrel technology at the heart of the incredible AR-X Lightfighter rifles are now available separately for agencies and hobbyists looking to get the most out of their AR. A big part of that rifle's recipe is the Trident barrel.
Mission First Tactical (MFT) announces the new MFT Mag Coupler. Designed for AR/M4, it’s the perfect accessory for practicing quick reloads at the range and a secondary option if you have a magazine failure without reaching into your chest pack, pocket, or vest for another magazine.

Century Arms continues to push the boundaries of the AK platform by collaborating with John Sharps of Sharps Bros on a new milled receiver AK47, the MB47. The MB47 features a case-hardened billet 4140 milled receiver with manganese phosphate finish and optic ready side mount.
New for 2024, Buck Commander and Barnett® have combined forces on the Hyper Raptor BCX™ crossbow. The Hyper Raptor BCX uses self-timing infinity cams, a hunter-friendly feature that improves consistency and accuracy. Adding a light, crisp, premium TriggerTech™ trigger improves the shooting experience while providing critical anti-dry fire technology.
The In-Wall Safe by SnapSafe®, a Hornady® company, is the perfect solution for anyone looking for security in a discrete and easy-to-install home safe designed for items like jewelry, legal documents, coin collections, and even a small frame pistol.

The Traffic Jam Wooden Grunt Call from Dead End Outdoors provides hunters with the versatility to lure in deer in a variety of scenarios. Featuring a wooden barrel that creates a more tone compared to plastic calls, everything from soft, mellow sounds to loud, aggressive grunts to buck growls, the Traffic Jam produces incredibly realistic calls.
Springfield Armory announced the release of the XD Mod.3 OSP 9mm pistol. The new XD Mod.3 OSP offers enhancements and upgrades designed to take the proven design to the next level — and all at an MSRP of just $325.The hammer-forged, Melonite-finished slide of the pistol features a factory-milled OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) cut designed to accept a wide variety of popular red dot optics.
Winchester announces that for a limited time consumers can earn $5.00 back for each box of Winchester Xpert Waterfowl loads purchased and earn $7.00 back for each box of Winchester Blind Side 2 and Drylok loads purchased. Offer is valid on qualifying purchases made between October 1, 2024 – November 30, 2024.
Gear up for hunting season with great deals on the SEVR two-blade lineup of broadheads. Archer’s can take advantage of some of the best pricing of the year during the SEVR FALL SALE that is going now for a limited time.
Taurus USA, Heritage and Rossi announced that from October 1, 2024, through January 15, 2025, when you purchase a Rossi R95, Rossi R92, or Heritage 92 firearm, you’ll receive a free Rough Rider Revolver.
FN America, LLC announces the FN Season of Savings rebate program, launching October 1 and featuring cash-back offers on purchases of most new models in the FN 509, FN 510, FN 545 and FNX-45 series.
NSSF® announce that Molon Labe Cigars™, the only premium cigar brand offering curated pairings of cigars, coffee, and spirits, is the official cigar of the 2025 SHOT Show®. Molon Labe Cigars will sponsor the Molon Labe Cigar Lounge at SHOT Show on Caesars Forum Plaza, offering a free cigar to attendees that visit the lounge.
Benjamin Airguns announces its sponsorship of the American Airgunner Challenge, which can be seen on the Outdoor Channel or streamed on FrndyTV.com. The thrilling competition showcases eight skilled competitors, including Benjamin's sponsored contestant, Larysa Switlyk, as they vie for the 2024 title and a $25,000 prize.
This Week on Shooting USA it’s the most popular division of USPSA competition, Carry Optics, and once again the national is a stand-alone single division contest. More than five hundred competitors have gathered at the Cardinal Shooting Center to find out who will be the National Champion. Then, it’s the next in the series of new Colt ProTips to improve your shooting.
Stream “Quick Shots,”?MyOutdoorTV’s newest addition to its streaming platform, offering segments that aim to capture and showcase the most exciting moments from the world of outdoor hunting, shooting and fishing adventures.
‘Full Draw Fridays’ is where every bowhunter should be on Friday nights beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsman Channel. Tune in for the best hunts featuring tried-and-true personalities, such as Tim Wells, Chris and Casey Keefer, Mike Pelletier, and many more.
 

Today's feature is from the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

Hello! To kick things off, this particular article will focus on Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) matches: how to go about them, general history and maybe a little personal history thrown in for good measure.

The CMP and clubs across the country hold multiple EIC matches throughout the year.

The Excellence-In-Competition matches started over 100 years ago. Since then, record keeping started out very sporadically but has improved over the decades. As far as we can tell, per the records we have, the first badge was awarded to 1LT H R Anderson, USA. It looks like the badge was earned in 1884, and there were a total of 23 badges earned that year.

Jim Henderson, a veteran of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, has achieved several national-level wins and holds current national records.

Now, keep in mind that in some years there are people listed twice in the same year or consecutive years. Computers were a little sketchy back in the late 1800s. As it stands today, there have been 16,441 badges presented. Again, take that as you will, as some of the early record keeping was different than it is today.

As the CMP continues to increase its footprint in the shooting sports, more and more people are hearing about becoming a Distinguished shooter. There are several Distinguished Badges under the CMP umbrella. As we grow, more people are asking for a “how to” on the EIC matches. If you're a seasoned competitor or a brand new shooter, you should be able to find something of interest in this article.

So, what does earning the badge look like?

The specific score percentages, minimum score and the minimum number of non-distinguished competitors to have a legal match can all be found in the current CMP Pistol Competition Rules, available on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/. A straightforward way to explain the process is that you shoot the EIC matches to earn points towards the Distinguished Badge. There is a minimum score that must be met, even if you win the match, to earn points. You can shoot all the EIC matches you want in a year, but you can only earn points at five with the addition of one more opportunity at the National Matches. That makes a total of six per calendar year.

Over the years, the course of fire has changed, the requirements have changed and the allowed list of pistols has changed dramatically – especially in recent years as firearm and ammunition technologies have had an influx of many needed improvements.

Individuals are awarded prestigious Distinguished Badges after earning enough EIC points.

I started in 1989 when they issued the ammunition on the line at Camp Perry during the National Matches. My thought process was to separate all the like headstamps together and shoot those as a group in slow fire. I felt like I had to really pay attention to that first shot at 50yds, it could be an eye opener!

These changes were driven by the firearm industry with a growing number of pistols and the lack of reloading components. You can find all this information in the CMP Pistol Competition Rules on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/.

So, with that basic introduction, here we go on the details...

Course of Fire.

You can find the exact course of fire and range commands in that same rulebook mentioned above. The short of it is that it is a 30-shot match fired at 50yds and 25yds.

One string of 10 shots in 10 minutes, fired at 50yds on the NRA B-6 target. Go down and score, then move your target to the 25yd line.

Then, you will shoot two five-shot strings in 20 seconds at 25yds on the NRA B-8 target. Go down range and score.

Then, you will shoot two five-shot strings in 10 seconds on the NRA B-8 target. Go down and score.

Once the targets are scored, make sure you verify every shot value, not just the string total. It’s a good practice to do this after every string of fire, since you cannot go back and challenge a shot value after the target has been shot on for the next string.

Henderson suggests only purchasing the basic necessary equipment to get started in pistol competition

Equipment.

Pistol shooting has its own specific rabbit holes on this topic, but what you truly NEED to get started is very simple. You need a pistol that meets the rules. Again, you can find those rules in the CMP Pistol Competition Rules on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/. You'll need ammunition and magazines as well.

If you're going to shoot a revolver, make sure you have the proper set up for your ammunition. Moon clips or speed loaders, for example. After those things, the list is fairly easy and short: eye and ear protection, a screwdriver to adjust your sights, staple gun and staples, something to write on and with.

You can throw it all in a small backpack. There will be people that say you have to have a scope. A scope to view your impacts on the target is a nice thing to have but isn't mandatory. A gun box of some kind is nice to have as well, but they can be expensive. If starting on a budget, make this a later purchase.

Speaking of a budget, I would suggest starting with a pistol that you currently own or have access to. This is another rabbit hole danger zone. You will hear all manners of advice on what you need and just “have to have.” You can spend thousands of dollars chasing equipment points. In my opinion, I suggest spending that time and energy on ammunition and training.

Preparation and Training.

Most bookstores have one if not more aisles dedicated to sports psychology and mental management. I mean, there are A LOT! Most are not, but some are specifically shooting related, and all information is useful information. Take everything, all advice and information, with a grain of salt. Not everything that worked for someone else will work for you. There is a great deal of advice available on the web as well. If someone shares an experience that has caused them pain, respond with "thank you" and then step away; shooting should not inflict harm.

I mention the mental management topic first, as this is the most important part of the shooting sports, in my opinion. The physical part of shooting has its issues, but if your mind isn't on the same page, progress will be very difficult.

Before the competition, do what you normally do. If you drink coffee, drink it. If you feel that it makes you jittery before matches, it is probably more the additive of the competition elevating your anxiety and not the caffeine. Not having coffee has been proven to have a far larger negative effect on your body and mind. Shooting can be summed up simply as a love affair with monotony.

You should strive to do the same thing every single time you raise the pistol. Dry firing or live fire, doesn't matter. Do it the same way every time. This will help build a shot process. This process is a living document either in your head or written down. If you are just starting out, I suggest writing it down for now. The only goal I believe in is to deliver my proven shot process to the best of my ability at any given moment. Period. No more, no less.

Once you've amassed all the things you need for the match, be early to the range. By that, I mean if the match starts at 8:00 a.m., be there no later than 7:15. This will give you enough time to pay your match fees, find your firing point and get your target placed if need be. This should give you a sense of calm. You are where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to do.

Focusing on the task at hand without becoming hyper-focused is a huge benefit.

Join in on the conversion on the CMP Forum.

I hope this will at least start the conversation and become a great place to learn and discuss the most complicated easy thing I’ve ever done in my life! Join us on the CMP Forum for Pistol at https://forums.thecmp.org/forum/cmp-competitions/eic-pistol.

- - Jim Henderson, CMP Pistol Manager

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