Wednesday, 17 August 2011 21:41

2011 NRA SMALLBORE 3P & PRONE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - CAMP PERRY

The SSAA Australian Shooting Team departed Australia 15 July on their way to compete in the NRA Smallbore National Championships.  This was the fourth time a smallbore team from Australia has competed at Camp Perry.  It was a humble beginning in 2007 when the team only competed in the Any Sight 3 Position Championships.  Now in 2011 the SSAA Australian Shooting Team competed in the 3Position Iron Sight and Any Sight Championship (Aggregate 1200 points), followed by the Iron Sight and Any Sight Prone Championships (Aggregate 4800 points).


2011 SSAA Australian Shooing
Team Back: Matthew Boots, Trevor Gulvin
Front: Rod Frisby, Daniel Tarbard

The team flew direct to JFK Airport, New York, arriving after just over 30 hours of air travel.  A further 2 hours drive north to the township of Meridan, Connecticut and we had arrived at our destination for the first week in the USA.  David Lyman, direct descendant of the original Lyman family was our host for the week.  David and his wife Debra are the owners of the only fully commercial shooting range in the US, Blue Trail Range.  We had full use of the range to practice and begin getting used to the time difference and climate.  We arrived in full northern summer with temperatures in the 90’s and some day approaching the old 100 degrees F.  A dramatic difference to what we had left behind in Australia.

The hospitality and welcome we received had to be experienced to be believed.  Full use of the range, targets supplied and an account at the Range shop for anything we needed.  In the evening other members from the range arrived for a meet and greet including a BBQ, with of course, sweet corn and lobsters.

Even in America, David Lyman has had his share of problems with difficult neighbours trying to get the Blue Trail Range closed.  Does this not sound familiar?  The range has had to be baffled to ensure a round cannot leave the range boundaries.  Allegations were made, that shell casings found on the adjoining property had come from Blue Trail Range.  Well yes they did, but the range had not been used for testing military ammunition since the 1950’s.  Several years of expensive court cases have ensued and while we were there news came through that the Court had found in favour of the Blue Trail Range, so looks like the range is now secure for years to come.

We had some fun at Blue Trail Range as well as serious practice.  Exploding targets were great fun.  Once hit in the exact centre the target explodes with a bang that pretty much destroys the target.


Exploding targets Blue Trail Range

After a week at Blue Trail Range we headed through Pennsylvania to Ohio and Camp Perry.  We were able to hire a house on Lake Eire water front.  Just a stone throw from the nuclear power station.  It does not matter much where you are in the Camp Perry area, the cooling tower from the power plant over-shadows everything.  Note the size of the semi-trailer in the foreground.


The cooling tower from the nuclear power station dominates the sky line

Before the competitions commenced the team had some serious financial business to do.  A visit to Cabela’s Mitchigan store, the largest outdoor outfitters store on the planet is a must.  Camp Perry also has what is known as “Trade Alley”.  Firearm manufacturers and accessory retailers set up their wares in a series of army huts.  Everything for shooting is available, if you have ever seen it in a catalogue or somewhere online, most likely it is there for immediate sale.  Yes, they all take Visa and with the Aussie dollar at around $1.10 US, this was the year to buy, buy, buy!
The days went quickly and it was soon down to the serious end of the trip.  Every member of the team shot well at some stage of the 10 days of competition.  Full results are online.  To give an idea of the level of competition, most days there would be 10 to 15 of the 360 competitors that would score a perfect 400 out of 400 in each match.  Shoot one 9 and drop back as far as 27 places.
Congratulations to Matthew Boots who won the 3Position Championship and the Prone Championship in Civilian Category in Sharpshooter classification.  Rod Frisby won the High Senior Any Sight 3Position Championship.


Rod Frisby, High Senior 3P Any Sight Championship receives winner’s wall plaque.

The team will have many memories from this trip.  If you want to be part of a future trip, this is what you have to do.  The next Field Rifle and 3 Position National Championships will be held in Canberra over Easter 2012.  These will be selection matches for teams to attend the 2012 Pacific Regional Shooting Championships and Camp Perry in 2013.  The top placed competitors at the Nationals are nominated to the SSAA Board for selection in the SSAA Australian Shooting Team.  So, if you think a trip like this would be for you, the first step is to get to Canberra and shoot well at the National Championships.  You never know if you do not try!
Good shooting
Rod Frisby

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