The Quincy Herald-Whig brings us the following from the great state of Illinois:

Shot in the Arm: Donated hunt for raffle gives QHS rifle team financial boost

The Quincy High School rifle team just received a welcome shot in the arm.

Because of budget cuts, the team lost its funding by the Quincy School District earlier this year. So its only income now is from donations.

After hearing about the team's financial plight, the Olin Corp., which makes Winchester products and ammunition, donated a hunting package valued at $3,500 as a way to help the team raise some money through a raffle.

Ticket sales are under way now, and the winner will be drawn Oct. 1.

Jim Holtman, rifle team coach, said he was floored when he heard about the offer from Olin Corp. "I never dreamed that they would give us a hunt with that kind of dollar value," he said. "It's just way more than I expected. I just can't say enough about them standing behind us."

The hunt will be for two people at NILO Farms, a hunting/shooting facility near Alton owned by Olin Corp. The two-day hunt package will include lodging, meals, live birds (pheasant, chukar and ducks), dogs, guides, ammunition, shotguns if needed and "all the clay birds the winner can stand," Holtman said. If the winner doesn't have the needed license, they will furnish that as well," he said.

Read the entire story here.

Dwight Hayes is a regular at the Bracken Rifle & Pistol Range in San Antonio, Texas. With his Lone Star cap snugly in place, he goes to the range to work on guns, organize shoots, and gather with friends. It's a long way from his time as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but it's time well spent.

"If you're in San Antonio, Bracken is the place to be," said Hayes. "Bracken and the folks at Alamo Mobility have been great to us disabled vets."

Working with disabled veterans is of great importance to Dwight. It's an attitude he developed while hospitalized after a failed High Altitude Low Opening, or HALO, jump. Having more than a hundred such jumps under his belt, this one should have been all but routine.

"I broke one of my rules," smiled Hayes. "Gotta stick to the rules."

So what are the rules?

"During a HALO jump, you're okay if you can see the road. If you see the cars, you're still okay. If you can make out the color of the car, you're still okay. If you can tell the difference between a Ford and a Chevy, you're still okay. If you can make out the gender of the driver, you're still okay. But if you can make out the license plate, then you're in trouble."

Before there's a chance to react, Dwight rocks his wheelchair with laughter and slaps my back. Apparently the story is a standard.

"They love that one back at Audie Murphy."

More...

NRAblog is pleased to present the final scores from the Air Gun competition at this week's 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado. Our congratulations to everyone who pulled a trigger -- an extra nod goes to Carl Cortright and Walter Evans, Jr. for attaining top marks in their respective classifications.

Divisions for this competition were divided into two separate classifications; SH1 and SH2. SH1 are shooters who don't require the use of a support stand when firing their rifle and SH2 are shooters who do. Each category was additionally divided by gender and experience (novice, open, and master.)

SH1 Shooters
Name	Class	Division	Results	Place
Thomas Strang	SH1	Masters - Male	515	1
Harlan Ebert	SH1	Masters - Male	496	2
Larry Foster	SH1	Masters - Male	491	3
Dawn Mattson	SH1	Novice - Female	371	1
Linda Hutchinson	SH1	Novice - Female	352	2
Christie Hill-Smith	SH1	Novice - Female	333	3
Robin Brown	SH1	Novice - Male	487	1
David Holland	SH1	Novice - Male	459	2
Alberto Velasco	SH1	Novice - Male	452	3
Chatriex Goodson	SH1	Open - Female	547	1
Holly Koester	SH1	Open - Female	529	2
Deborah Dones	SH1	Open - Female	410	3
Carl Cortright	SH1	Open - Male	594	1
Hugh O'Donnell	SH1	Open - Male	488	2
Michael Guilbault	SH1	Open - Male	484	3

More...

The Air Gun portion of the 2010 National Veterans Wheelchair Games are over, but NRAblog coverage of the event is not!

Stay tuned for more profiles of the folks who competed and additional photo slideshows.

As of Thursday, June 7, 2010 at 10:55 a.m., Christie Hill-Smith of Memphis, Tennessee is a three-time National Veterans Wheelchair Games medalist; quite the feat for a first time participant. With victories in 9-Ball, Bowling, and Swimming, the only thing left on the table is Air Gun – and those results should be released any second now.

As part of the U.S. Army Military Police, Christie's life took a turn in September of 2001.

“After that happened, I thought to myself there was no way I was going to sit this out,” said Christie. “It was time to get in the action.”

Soon she became one of the first Combat MPs in Iraq. Not one to sit behind the lines waiting to hear about the missions of others, she immediately jumped into the fray.

“I had Kid Rock playing on my iPod, firing that M2 49 and singing at the top of my lungs,” she said.

Now her goals and musical choices have changed. More...

There may just be one relay left, but there's still plenty of material in the pipeline; more pictures, more stories, and - soon enough - the final scores.

NRAblog will post the scores as soon as they're available, but until then, here are a few more images from the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado.

Brigadier General William E. Hudson, Assistant Adjutant General of the Colorado Air National Guard, stopped by the Air Gun competition at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado.

"We gave him a brief run down of the competition, how the ten meter shoot is part of both Olympic and Paralympic games," said one volunteer. "He was impressed that these every day competitors are shooting on the same course as those highly trained athletes."

Having previously encountered disabled veterans at locations such as the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas, General Hudson was also shown how those with higher levels of impairment shot without use of their hands. Pictured to the right with NRA Disabled Shooting Manager Vanessa Ross, the crew introduced General Hudson to the sip-and-puff.

"The sip-and-puff is a great tool for these veterans," said NRA Disabled Shooting Manager Vanessa Ross. "With just a single release of air, and the assisted aiming of a volunteer, they can fire their guns right on target."

Stay tuned to NRAblog as we continue to follow the action here at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado.

There's a constant crowd here at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado. In the lobby, in the halls, and at every event are hundreds of volunteers. With camouflage pants and white T-shirts, those in the Capitol Ballroom, where the Air Gun event takes place, are from the 244th Engineer Battalion out of Aurora, Colorado.

“Lt. Colonel Henning thought it would be a good way to get our soldiers more involved in the community,” said 2nd Lieutenant Keith Robinson. “It’s also a helpful way to remind them of the sacrifices countless others have made in the defense of our country.”

At 52 soldiers strong, the work of the 244th has not gone unnoticed.

“It blows my mind,” said one shooter from Hampton Roads, Virginia. “They could be at home, watching television in the air conditioning, instead they're here making it possible for us to run into our old friends and help us compete.”

And getting here, to paraphrase, was more than half the battle. It took three months worth of negotiations between the Reserves, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and other branches of the military to make their participation possible. It was the memory of a meeting in Iraq that let Lt. Robinson know it was worth the effort.

“There was a meeting with the Joint Chiefs,” Robinson recalled. “One of their aides had a prosthetic foot. There, serving in a combat zone, with a prosthetic foot. If he could do that, then we could certainly find a way to volunteer at this event.”

But for some it means more than that. It’s more than posting targets, listening to stories, or carrying rifles. For some it’s about respect.

“When I came back from Vietnam, we didn’t get near this level of recognition,” said the Hampton Roads competitor. “When I go home, I’m going to tell all they guys back at the VA what they missed.”

First shot at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado went off with a plink. That’s exactly how it sounds here at the Air Gun competition. Competitors display a wide array of emotions; some are intense, some are smiling, and some are satisfied with the mere act of competing.

“We’ve seen a wonderful change in our guys,” said a group leader from California. “They find a sport in which they can flourish and their smiles are contagious.”

The stories are as diverse as those who are shooting; An Army ranger injured post-retirement, an officer with multiple sclerosis, an enlisted man wounded in combat. They come from California, from Ohio, from Texas, and more.

Each competitor shoots three rounds of twenty shots in thirty minutes. Only one shot per target … with exceptions of course. No matter what the results, they find a way to make it through.

With the first round complete, all that’s left is the scoring. We’ll post any updates as soon as possible.

NRA’s Training Department is always busy running a bevy of firearms training programs, and three staff members recently traveled to North Carolina and New Mexico to add to our cadre of trainers. Thanks to our own Steve Hoback for the following report:

On June 22-24, Mark Richardson and Steve Hoback with NRA’s Training Department conducted Chief Range Safety Officer Training for a group of 28 Wildlife Enforcement Officers and Hunter Education Specialists from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC). The three day training covered the NRA Range Safety Officer (RSO) Course, Basic Instructor Training, and the Chief Range Safety Officer Course.

The training was initially coordinated through Moe Aguilar with NRA’s Hunter Services Department, and Travis Casper, NCWRC Coordinator/ Assistant Hunter Education Coordinator and YHEC volunteer. NCWRC identified the need for all of their personnel involved in firearms instruction to be certified as Range Safety Officers, and the training was coordinated to make the program as self-sustaining as possible. By having a core cadre of Chief Range Safety Officers, the NCWRC can conduct training and certify their own RSOs as needed.

The training was held at the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources Mountain Training Facility’s B.H. Corpening Forestry Training Center in Crossnore, NC. The facility offered a modern classroom, lodging and dining all at one location, allowing training time to be maximized.

Across the country in Albuquerque, New Mexico, NRA Instructor Program Coordinator Andy Lander provided RSO training to 12 volunteers with the NRA National Junior Air Gun Championships to help work the firing line during the competition and serve as RSOs at their local gun clubs.

Thanks for the report, Steve! Interested in training for your organization? Call (703) 267-1428 or send an email to training@nrahq.org.

As promised, here are complete results from the NRA National Junior Air Gun Championships in both the Sporter and Precision classes. Check out each of the Excel spreadsheets below and click on the tabs at the bottom of the sheet for scores from Day 1, Day 2, each position, and teams. Congratulations to all of our competitors for another exciting year of competition, including Precision Gold Medalist Landon Shankles of La Cueva High School's Marine Corps JROTC Team, pictured with NRA Board Member Dr. David Bennett.

2010 PRECISION National Air Gun Championship Worksheet.xls (1.32 mb)

2010 SPORTER National Air Gun Championship Final.xls (4.99 mb)

The preliminary results from the 2010 National Junior Air Gun Championships are in! Here are your top three individual and team winners from both the Sporter and Precision classes. Keep in mind that these results are preliminary, and are not final until the challenge period has ended. NRAblog will bring you a complete list of winners in all age groups and team categories once results are finalized and the challenge period has ended.

Precision:

Individual Aggregate:

Gold- Landon Shankles, LaCueva MCJROTC - 1179 out of 1200

Silver-Abigail Stanec- Ohio Rifle & Pistol Association- 1177 out of 1200

Bronze- Dan Lowe, Washington State Rifle & Pistol Association- 1172 out of 1200

Team Aggregate:

Gold-Ohio Rifle & Pistol Association- 4667 out of 4800

Silver-LaCueva MCJROTC- 4634 out of 4800

Bronze-Washington State Rifle & Pistol Association- 4633 out of 4800

Sporter:

Individual Aggregate:

Gold- John White, Maryland State Rifle & Pistol Association- 1106 out of 1200

Silver-Dahkota Hayes, Montana Rifle & Pistol Association- 1094 out of 1200

Bronze- Shaley Clements, Ohio Rifle & Pistol Association- 1085 out of 1200

Team Aggregate:

Gold- Montana Rifle & Pistol Association-4267 out of 4800

Silver- Venture Crew 123 Aloha Council BSA Gold- 4223 out of 4800

Bronze- Maryland State Rifle & Pistol Association- 4156 out of 4800

Congratulations to all our winners! Check back with NRAblog on Monday for photos from the awards banquet and a complete listing of final results.  

At the 2010 National Junior Air Gun Championship, a record number of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) groups are competing. Eight different JROTC programs have teams, including the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

The Volcano Vista High School Air Force JROTC Sporter Team from Albuquerque has only had a shooting program since October of 2009, but has already seen tremendous success. The Sporter team took first in the Air Force JROTC Service Championships at Camp Perry after just five months of shooting experience. For this team, shooting isn’t only part of JROTC, it’s a program that has changed their lives.

“It gives us something better to do,” said 16-year-old rising senior Jocelyn Caro (pictured above). “If you don’t have a program like JROTC, you can find your way into trouble.”

Teammate Channda Mitchell agrees. “Shooting helps keep us line,” she offered.

Major Mark Hendricks is the coach of the West Mesa Navy JROTC Sporter and Precision teams, and knows the benefits of a shooting program after 12 years with West Mesa High School.

“Number one is life skills, and the second thing is focus, as well as perseverance,” said Major Hendricks. “If you don’t shoot well today, shoot better tomorrow.”

It may be a competition, but Major Hendricks reminds his shooters that hard work learned in shooting and JROTC will always help overcome obstacles.

“Our team motto is ‘Don’t get mad, get busy’,” said Major Hendricks.

Who will walk away with the top honors in the JROTC team category? Check back with NRAblog as final results will be in soon.

As the second and final relay of the day shoots, aggregate results are in following the first relay of the day at the National Junior Air Gun Championships. Here are the top individuals and teams in both the Sporter and Precision classes as of the end of the first relay. Keep in mind that the second relay is still shooting, so these aggregate results can change once all shooters have finished.

Precision:

Individual: Remington Lyman -1155 out of 1200

Team: El Dorado Rifle Club- 4574 out out 4800

Sporter:

Individual: John White, Maryland Rifle & Pistol Association- 1106 out of 1200

Team: Venture Crew #123 Aloha BSA Gold- 4223 out of 4800 

The second relay is getting ready to shoot their final position, so stay tuned for final results!

As the first relay relay of shooters begins their final shooting position, let's take a look at what the winners of the 2010 National Junior Air Gun Championships will take home. 

The top Sporter team will receive a Daisy Avanti air rifle (pictured above) while the top Precision team will walk away with a Crosman Challenger air rifle.

Individual winners in both classes will receive medals (gold, silver, or bronze) and teams will receive crystal trophies. Other prizes include Monard shooting gloves and kneeling rolls courtesy of Try & Bom, Inc. and scope/lens cleaning kits from LensPen.

Check back with NRAblog soon for scores from the first relay!