For the third consecutive year, the NRA National Matches—including the NRA Precision Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and High Power Rifle National Championships—will be held at Camp Atterbury, Ind., a National Guard facility located about 37 miles south of Indianapolis.
The 2023 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury are set to begin July 8 and conclude August 6. Once again, the NRA High Power Nationals will feature electronic targets from Silver Mountain Targets. The e-targets proved to be popular with competitors and staff, as they eliminated pit duty. Additionally, last month the NRA announced the return of the NRA World Shooting Championship. Scheduled for April 2024, the match will be conducted for the first time ever at Camp Atterbury.
Silver Mountain E-Targets
After a successful first year at the 2022 NRA National Matches, electronic targets are returning to Camp Atterbury this summer for the NRA High Power National Championships. Last year, the High Power Rifle Nationals were fired on electronic targets from Silver Mountain Targets.
“For 2023, we are continuing with range improvements, including 50 Silver Mountain electronic targets to support High Power Rifle and F-Class,” NRA’s Director of Competitive Shooting, Cole McCulloch, said. “We will have these targets in place for the 2023 National Matches.”
The National Rifle Association used the Silver Mountain Solo system, an open-sensor electronic target from Germany that retails for $850 per unit. David Schnelle, the owner of Silver Mountain Targets’ U.S. distributor, was at Camp Atterbury during the 2022 NRA National Matches to assist with the transition from the paper targets. “It was very nice to work with NRA on its first venture with e-targets at the National Matches,” Schenlle said. “We had a few bumps to work through the first day, but things ran perfectly smooth afterwards.”
The number-one request of NRA High Power Rifle National Championship competitors, the addition of e-targets to Range Six at Camp Atterbury last summer not only eliminated the chore of pit duty, but also provided for real-time scoring. Shooters on the firing line could view the results with live targets online using tablets or smartphones connected to Wi-Fi originating from the Solo e-target systems. After a few hiccups on day one of the 2023 NRA High Power Nationals, which were quickly rectified, the Silver Mountain electronic targets performed without any major issues for the duration of the championship—including Across-the-Course, Mid-Range and Long-Range.
High Power Rifle shooters at Camp Atterbury last summer expressed their happiness about the introduction of electronic targets at the 2022 NRA National Matches. “E-targets were a godsend, as they totally eliminated the need to pull in the pits, which was especially valuable this summer in the scorching Indiana heat,” Charles Rowe, a longtime NRA High Power shooter, said. “And, after the first day of setup and teething issues, the e-target systems generally ran flawlessly. Well done and thank you to the NRA for listening to competitors.”
In addition, by employing electronic targets, the daily matches at the High Power Nationals go by much faster than with paper targets. While there is much to be said about the camaraderie found during long days on the range spent with friends, having extra time each day is something that all High Power Rifle competitors should take note of. Last year, shooters at the NRA High Power Nationals had the opportunity to use the time saved by the use of e-targets to enjoy everything that Camp Atterbury and the local area offers.
Since the 2021 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, the National Rifle Association of America and its partners have been working tirelessly to improve the state of the competition. This hard work has been noticed—in 2022, there was a year-over-year increase in entries at the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury across all three disciplines. High Power especially has enjoyed significant improvements at the National Matches, which McCulloch explained is due to “exceptional communication between NRA staff and competitors, sponsor support and range improvements, and support from the Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association (ISRPA).”
Register for the 2023 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury at the NRA Competitive Shooting Division website: competitor.nra.org.
2024 NRA World Shooting Championship
Next year, the NRA World Shooting Championship presented by Walther Arms will be held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, April 4-6. Being held for the seventh time, the NRA World Shooting Championship is the ultimate all-encompassing tournament which crowns the undisputed “World Shooting Champion” from amateur and professional shooters. With more than $250,000 total in cash and prizes, a $25,000 check will be awarded to the World Shooting Champion, along with $1,000 for each stage winner. The NRA, match sponsors and the State of Indiana are again showing their continued commitment to supporting competitive shooting and the Second Amendment.
“NRA’s storied history of organizing and executing premier shooting competitions will continue next spring as top shooters convene in Indiana for the NRA World Shooting Championship,” Joseph P. DeBergalis, Jr., executive director of NRA General Operations, said. “Competitors of every background and skill level, whether a professional or amateur shooter, will be challenged through a variety of shooting disciplines with the goal of being declared the ‘World’s Greatest Shooter.’ NRA is excited for the return of this highly popular championship, and we are grateful for the support from Walther Arms and our partners in the State of Indiana.”
Indiana’s First Lady, Janet Holcomb, will help kick off this historic event and will be joined by executives from Walther Arms, NRA officials and Board Members, and Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association President Charlie Hiltunen.
“The NRA World Shooting Championship is the ultimate challenge for competitors in any shooting discipline, and I was absolutely thrilled to learn that Indiana will play host in 2024,” Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb said. “Camp Atterbury continues to expand its facilities and capacity for events of this nature, making it the perfect location for this elite competition. I know for certain that spectators, and competitors from around the globe, will be greeted with two things; an immensely challenging course of fire, and the Hoosier hospitality that is the trademark of our great state.”
“The Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association is proud to be a part of the NRA World Shooting Championship, which is one of the greatest competitive shooting events in the world,” Charlie Hiltunen, Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association president and NRA board member, said. “NRA and ISRPA, the State Affiliate of the NRA, working with the State of Indiana, Indiana National Guard, and our amazing shooting competition and youth shooting sports community are laying the foundation for establishing Indiana as the shooting sports capital of the world.”
“Walther is involved in a wide array of competitive shooting sports, and we are thrilled to support this event and the range of competitions which it represents,” Rob McCanna, president and CEO of Walther Arms, Inc., said. “Support for the shooting community and support for the NRA go hand-in-hand and we look forward to the return of this one-of-a-kind competition.”
All firearms, optics and ammunition are provided to the competitors at the NRA World Shooting Championship in order to level the playing field for this unique competition. Participants will compete in 12 stages of fire spanning multiple shooting sport disciplines.
Registration for the 2024 NRA World Shooting Championship will open at 1:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Competitors who are planning to shoot this match are encouraged to secure their spot as soon as registration opens, as this match has filled within moments in past years. Go to wsc.nra.org.
