At Camp Atterbury this year during the NRA High Power Rifle National Championships, shooters from across the U.S. were treated to six weeks of intense competition. The matches commenced with the F-Class Mid-Range and Long-Range Championships in July, then in August came the International Fullbore Championship, followed by the High Power Mid-Range, Long-Range and Across the Course championships.
The High Power Nationals are a part of the 2021 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Ind. The three phases of the NRA National Championships—Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and High Power Rifle—kicked off in July with the First Lady of Indiana, Janet Holcomb, firing the ceremonial first shot.
F-Class
At the conclusion of the NRA F-Class Long- Range Target Rifle Nationals at Camp Atterbury, Ian Klemm was crowned the 2021 match champion with a score of 1571-65X. The match was held July 27–30. Classified as a High Master competitor, Klemm previously won the NRA F-Class Long-Range T/R Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Hailing from Alexandria, Va., Klemm’s score of 1571-65X was seven points ahead of the runner-up, Matthew Schwartekopf of Waddell, Az., with 1565-54X. In third place was Carl J. Matthews of Houston, Texas, with 1560-55X.
On the Open side, Tod S. Hendricks of Anacortes, Wash., is the 2021 NRA F-Class Open Long-Range grand aggregate winner with a score of 1591-89X. Classified as a High Master, Hendricks topped the match runner-up, Keith Glasscock of Lake Stevens, Wash., by four points: 1591-89X to 1587-79X. In third place was Jason Pagan of Owensboro, Ky., with 1587-71X.
Here is what Hendricks said about his victory during an interview with AccurateShooter.com: “Being able to refocus myself and only drop three points in the last six relays is something that I will forever use as a mental tool … I never felt like I choked at the end, but after a while you start to question yourself a little. Of course, this win got that monkey off my back.”
International Fullbore
Daniel Altman won the 2021 NRA International Fullbore Target Rifle National Championship with a score of 1792-100X. Altman’s score was one point ahead of the runner-up, Matthew Griffin, who had a score of 1791-113X.
The battle for 2021 International Fullbore Nationals runner-up was close, with Griffin’s score ahead in the X-count over third-place finisher Larry Sollars, who scored 1791-101X.
Mid-Range
Larry Sollars of Cumming, Ga., is the 2021 NRA National Mid-Range Rifle Champion with a score of 2392-165X. Classified as a High Master, Sollars won the shoot-off to take this year’s Mid-Range aggregate title. The match was held August 9–13.
In second place with 2392-165X was Oliver Milanovic of Gilbert, Ariz. Rounding out the top three at the Mid-Range Nationals this year was John Wilson from Ankeny, Iowa, who scored 2389-143X. Wilson’s score also garnered him the High Military Veteran award. Both Milanovic and Wilson are classified as High Masters.
The High Woman award was taken by Shirley McGee of Brookville, Kan., with a score of 2384-135X.
Long-Range
With a score of 1245-73X, Oliver Milanovic of Gilbert, Ariz., is this year’s NRA National High Power Rifle Long-Range National Champion and winner of the Tompkins Trophy. Classified as a High Master, Milanovic’s score also garnered him the High Palma Rifle award.
Milanovic’s Palma .308 Win. gun is an Eliseo chassis with a Borden action, and he also mentioned that he uses 155-grain bullets. When I asked him to elaborate about his Palma load, Milanovic said: “There’s nothing special about my load, it’s very simple. I have used the same load for a long time now. Since it works, I just keep shooting it. If you keep chasing your load, it will never get much better. When you find something that works, just stick with it, and then work on your game.”
Taking second place was SSG Amanda Elsenboss, formerly with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and now competing with the with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Team. Completing the match with a score of 1245-69X, the High Master-class shooter was only a few Xs down from Milanovic. Regular readers will remember when Elsenboss won the 2019 NRA Long- Range Nationals. Finishing in third place was High Master Jeffrey Miles from Phoenix, Ariz., with a score of 1244-73X.
Remington Trophy Match
Staff Sergeant Erin McNeil of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit is this year’s Remington Trophy Match champion after winning the shoot-off with a score of 100-6X. The match was fired at the NRA High Power Rifle Long-Range Nationals on Thursday, August 19.
The Remington Trophy is awarded to the winner of the 1,000-yard Any Sight Match at the NRA National Long-Range National Championships. This is a prone match with 20 slow-fire shots at the NRA LR target.
McNeil, who arrived at Camp Atterbury unclassified in NRA High Power Long-Range, ended the regulation match with a score of 200-10X. (In NRA competition, unclassified shooters are placed in Marksman class until they receive a classification.)
Andrus Memorial Trophy
Charles Rowe secured first place in the Edward D. Andrus Memorial Trophy Match after winning the shoot-off with a score of 150-9X.
The Andrus Memorial Trophy Match is a slow-fire, 20-shot prone match with targets at 1,000 yards. Competitors use Palma rifles under NRA High Power Rifle Rule 3.3.1. The match has a 30-minute time limit.
Rowe, who traveled to Indiana from Wadsworth, Ohio, holds a High Master classification in the NRA High Power Rifle Long-Range discipline. Prior to winning the shoot-off, his regulation score was 197-8X.
Across the Course
SSG Amanda Elsenboss is the 2021 NRA High Power Rifle Champion after winning the grand aggregate with a score of 2386- 133X. The victory capped a successful competition season for her at Camp Atterbury, after winning the Canadian Cup and finishing second overall at the 2021 NRA Long-Range Nationals, held just prior to the High Power Rifle Nationals.
The runner-up was SSG John Coggshall of the Army National Guard with a score of 2380-125X. Coggshall, who hails from East Hampton, Conn., is classified as a High Master in the NRA High Power Rifle discipline.
In third place was Kenneth Lankford of Laramie, Wyo., with a score of 2379-104X. As with Elsenboss and Coggshall, Lankford holds a High Master classification in NRA High Power.
Both Elsenboss and Coggshall were competing in the Service Rifle category, while Lankford was a Match Rifle shooter.
2021 NRA High Power Rifle Nationals Leaderboard
See the full results of the 2021 NRA High Power Rifle National Championships.
Top photo: Samuel Freeman fired a new national record score (100-6X) in a shoot-off to win the George Farr Trophy Match.
Read more: 2021 Precision Pistol Championships At Camp Atterbury
