Marksmanship Skills
Well known shooter and many time National Champion Bill Blankenship presenting me with the National Guard Trophy
(high Natl. Guard shooter in the CMP matches). Picture taken at the 2000 Camp Perry Awards Ceremony.
Aaron's Index
My number one hobby used to be competitive marksmanship. I have been involved with shooting since I was old enough to hold a rifle.
I owe so much to my parents and especially the Northland
Sportsman's Club of Gaylord, Michigan and it's members. Several
members I owe thanks to are Jim Monforton, Walter Owen, Bill Meyer, the late Charles Radtke
and many others.
I began shooting
indoor .22 cal rifle when I was about 15 years old. In school sports, I
was the last picked for the team so my enthusiasm towards the conventional sporting
events was not
that great. In fact, I really disliked them! My self confidence was
very poor, at least until I got
involved in marksmanship.
My first marksmanship win
was in 1988, and I was hooked! My shooting progressed into some
air pistol, indoor .22 pistol, and then Service Rifle (using a
Springfield Armory M1A). When I joined the army, I wanted to go
shoot for the Army team. However, they did not want me at the time. I did not know anyone
there, and back then the Army had
(and still does to an extent) a good 'ol boy system. Without knowing someone there it was impossible for me to get a
foot in the door. So, I joined the Army anyway and was out of the
shooting circuit for about five years. I did get to shoot in the 17th
International Military Police Pistol shoot in Seedorf, Germany. That
was about it. Then, while stationed at Fort Bragg, I began to shoot in some
local combat matches. My
first year doing that, I was told by the USAMU that I would be "picked
up" for the Army team's summer trip. Well, again, I didn't
know anybody at the USAMU, so I got passed over. I was told, "Oh,
we already have enough shooters for the summer." Then, the next year I
actually did get picked up for the summer trip. This time it
was only because another fellow shooter (that was known to the Army
team) told them to "be sure to pick this guy up." I am
forever grateful to SFC Dennis Newby (Retired) for putting in that good word for
me.
After shooting with the army for a
summer, they decided to
assign me as a permanent shooter. I reenlisted for two years, and I spent three years shooting for
the army team. I was on the Service Pistol Team (or NRA
conventional outdoor pistol). It was a great place to shoot and
develop some marksmanship skills. The Army team was also the first to
accurize the Beretta M9 pistol for competitions. Check
out this article at GunTest.Com! So why did I leave the army
team? It was my decision to go, which was a difficult decision to make. I suppose I just wanted more
out of life!
The last team I shot for was the National Guard Bureau's pistol team. The All Guard Pistol team was really a super team. The attitude of the shooters and support personnel were great (much better than the USAMU)! Also, with the Guard Team, I didn't have to mow lawns, clean toilets, buff floors, or silly stuff. I hated to leave the team, but my shooting skills were declining due to lack of practice and budget cuts were really knocking the schedule back to just a couple matches a year. So, with my graduation from college and getting married, I decided to leave the team.
Unfortunately, sometimes fellow shooters won't listen to good marksmanship advice if they don't know the background of the shooter. So, I'm including a list of some of my accomplishments in shooting (this also helps me keep track of those things, otherwise I would forget most of them)....
Some of my shooting accomplishments include:
- MI state air pistol champ (1990)
- Winner of the 17th International Military Police Pistol Shoot in Seedorf, Germany (May of 1992)
- Distinguished Pistol shot (1995)
- LEG credits towards Distinguished Rifle
- President's Hundred (Pistol) in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Note: I was second place in 1998 and also again in 2000 at the President's Hundred pistol match
- I shot on the winning Mayleigh Team in 1997
- I am a part of 4 national team records on the "short course" (USAMU Blue Team)
- Shooting member of the winning 1997 Centerfire Pistol Team championship (USAMU Blue, Camp Perry)
- Firing member of the winning team (USAMU) of the 1998 Gold Cup Trophy (hardball match at Camp Perry)
- In 1998 at the Wilson Matches I made the Chief's 50 in Combat Pistol
- Firing member of the .22 cal. winning team at the 1999 Interservice Championships (the All Guard Silver)
- Firing member of the Overall Team Aggregate wining team at the 1999 Interservice Championships (the All Guard Silver)
- In 2000 at Camp Perry, I was the high National Guard shooter for the CMP matches
- There are other numerous individual and team trophies from the Interservice, Regional, and the National Championships not mentioned here
Pictured above: The 1999 All Guard Pistol Team
Back Row: SSGT Dave Jenness, SFC Fred Little, SSG Charles Allen, SSGT Ed Carroll, CSM Danny Estes, SFC John Brinkley (NCOIC), SSGT Kevin Johnson, SFC Hal McCollum, SGT Shane Clevenger, SGT Matthew Jerry, MSGT Daniel Norwood (gunsmith)
Front Row: SSGT Krag-Stevens Cash, CW3 Ray Gabiola (OIC), SGT Aaron Schreiber, MSG Stu Smith, SSGT Joe Urish (Coach)
Not pictured: SGT Douglas Gumm, SGT Nathan Wade, SSG Eric Wilson, MSG Wayne Eyre
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These photos were taken using some of the new equipment we had at the USAMU. We wore a helmet that had a screen in front of our eyes and in front of the helmet was a small video camera. So, the camera recorded exactly what we saw when we were shooting! Another camera took video from the side! Here is my shooting with a Hammerli 208s and Aimpoint 3000 optics. |
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Another screen capture, this time with our .45 cal. "wadcutter" gun that was used in the centerfire portion of our competitions. Note the red dot is dead center! |
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And a final screen capture using a .45 cal. "Hard-Ball" gun. These are open sights. Note the sights are clear but the target is out of focus. This is actually the way you are supposed to shoot. This minimizes any error in sight alignment which is much more important than seeing the target clearly. Even though the target is fuzzy you can still line the sights up "center mass" of the round bullseye! |
As many others are, I am worried from the way things are heading with our firearm laws. It seems that our right to own firearms may soon be limited extensively and possibly gone entirely. I urge you to help in the fight to keep our heritage of gun ownership by joining the NRA and writing your Congressman. And most of all, if you are "pro-gun," please VOTE (if you are not, please DON'T vote at all)! ;-)
If you have any marksmanship questions, please email me using the link below.
Happy Marksmanship!
Click to send me an email (must remove NOSPAM from address)
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Last updated: 27 Feb 2008.