NRA Qualifier A Real Blast!

[Dave Rosenthal]

Took the brand new Uberti Colt 3RD Model Dragoon to our first ever NRA BP Qualification Match today at one of the local clubs that I belong to. We ran two 13 round relays each for both the Pro Marksman and the Marksman class. Very nice results with the shoot, came in second or third in the entire match with a gun that I'd never shot before today! Did a two-handed hold for the first match instead of using the bench rest that you're allowed. The second match for Marksman was all "Duelist" style shooting, so I mixed it up a bit and shot part of the second string with just the weak hand. Had a very good time and would recommend this type of competitive match for any league that shoots BP. Came home with a shoulder patch and two rockers & hats pins to boot! :grin: Over the next several months the league will run more qualifiers for both 25 and 50 yards for the next class, and so forth.

Once we get good enough, we might even get a mention in the American Rifleman Magazine.

Has anyone on this Forum ever competed in one of these Matches and if so could you share any pointers?

Thanks so much!

Dave

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings Smoking 50,

In 1983, the NRA had just announced their NRA BP Qualification Awards Program. A few weeke later, two friends and I headed off for Friendship, Ind. for the NMLRA 50th Anniversy ChampioNship matches. One of my friends, Frank Collins, and I decided to use some of our practice target to qualify for the ML Rifle Qualification Awards.

After making a telephone call to NRA Headquarters, I was told we could submit our practice targets, since they were shot during the competition and could be witnessed and signed by a NMLRA range officer.

Frank and I did this, managing to mail the necessary forms, targets, and money on the third day of shooting.

Also enclosed was a letter asking if Frank and I might possibly the first persons to receive these awards?

Upon returning home about 10 days later, in my mail box was a mailing envelope containing my patches for Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert, and a letter stating Frank Collins and I were indeed the first two shooters to receive the NRA ML Qualification Awards for any type of ML firearm.

I immediately got on the telephone to call "Pancho" Collins to ask if he had opened his mail. He had not, so informed him of the awards.

Also told him that since I had already opened my mail, I was technically and factually the first person in the country to receive all three awards, and he would just have to settle for being second; something "Pancho" seldom was in those days.

Anyway, I have shot for those awards as well as other NRA Qualification Awards. When I was helping to coach a 4H Small Bore Rifle team back in the late 70's and early 80's, I used to the NRA Qualification Awards to keep up the interest of my Junior shooters who could not qualify for a place on the first three shooting teams.

Many a young shooter stayed with the program because of those awards and two - four years later, made one of the first three traveling teams.

Best regards and good shooting - especially to you S.G.,

John L. Hinnant

If you are not an NRA or NMLRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.

Politicians Lie!! US Freedoms Die!!!

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

First of all congratulations on being the first to receive these awards! :thumbsup: :hatsoff: Second, what a wonderful thought-provoking story of how to keep younger shooters interested in the shooting sports, even though they themselves didn't make the "first string" on the Team that went on to compete.

As of now our club is just doing the pistol portion of the Qualification Matches. After we torture ourselves with this endeavor, we will then move on to do the rifle part. Firing and cleaning for more than half a box of balls did take a lot out of us, but we did all qualify for both the Pro Marksman and Marksman classes.

Our BP League Chairman told us that the next set of Matches would be 25 yard and 50 yard combined score were we need 70 points out of 26 balls sent to the target, with the worst three of each 13-round string to be thrown-out. Does this sound familiar to you? I know that this is the next step, but I didn't get a chance to ask anyone or look it up on the web as to what class we would be going for. Do you know off-hand?

Did you also do the pistol qualification too at some point in your shooting career? Also any tips on how to approach this feat would be sincerely appreciated.

Congats again on your awards! I look forward to keeping in touch with you regarding our League's progress.

Thanks again for your time and your response! :thumbsup:

All the best,

Dave

 

[jeepwj992002]

Once we get good enough, we might even get a mention in the American Rifleman Magazine.

I guess I will have to keep on getting American Rifleman then! Congrats Dave!!
David

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Thanks! It was a lot of hard work, shooting all of those balls. Only sorry that my Son was away at college and couldn't yet participate, but once he's home for a break, I'll be bugging the League to have another day, maybe for others to do a make-up day also! :wink:

Thanks again for your post!

Dave

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Evening Smokin.50,

Thank you for the kind words.

I am strictly a rifleman, so have only the ML Rifle Qualification Awards. For me, a handgun in my hands, is a firearm that is shot at a maximum distance of 20 feet and then only as an act of sheer desperation.

I certainly applaud your efforts and successful results and hope you will follow through to a successful completition of receving all of the awards.

If more of the ML shooters would try for those awards, I believe it would give them to the confidence to compete in "shoulder-to-shoulder competition and open up to them. a new world of black powder shooting and new friends.

Keep up your good work; you will succeed. Only those who never try do not succeed.

My Daddy always said, "If you don't try, I can guarantee you won't succeed".

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

If you are not an NRA or NMLRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.

Politicians Lie!! US Freedoms Die!!!