Since its inception 150 years ago, the National Rifle Association has supported and organized competitions in pursuit of its goal to increase marksmanship skills. The cherished tradition of competition will continue this summer at the world-class ranges of Camp Atterbury, where the NRA has partnered with the State of Indiana to conduct the 2021 National Championships. Here, I would like to focus on this important event that is part of the NRA’s history of leadership in competitive shooting.
Since 2017, the NRA High Power Rifle Nationals have been held at Camp Atterbury, an active Indiana National Guard base about 45 minutes south of Indianapolis. Last year, the Smallbore and Precision Pistol Nationals were set to join High Power Rifle there, re-uniting the NRA National Championships at a single venue, but this was delayed due to COVID-19. I’m looking forward to the matches this summer at Camp Atterbury, where the Indiana National Guard and NRA match officials have been working tirelessly to prepare the facility for the debut of Smallbore Rifle and Precision Pistol.
The NRA is no stranger to hard work in keeping the National Matches afloat, especially during the early years. In 1912, when the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice concluded that Army maneuvers conflicted with the proposed National Matches schedule that year, the NRA held firm and conducted its own championships at Sea Girt, independent of the War Department. By doing this, the NRA ensured the continuity of the trophies and maintained legacy of the National Matches. And, in 1914, another year when it faced a lack of military support to conduct a combined National Match, the NRA conducted its own National Divisional Matches with events held across the country. Nearly a century later, the NRA continues to anchor summer competitions with its National Championships.
For the 2021 NRA National Championships, shooting will commence with the NRA Smallbore Rifle Championships at Camp Atterbury, starting July 6 through July 18. The Championship will include 3-Position, Metric Position, Conventional Position, Prone and F-Class, and Metric Prone and F-Class.
After Smallbore Rifle, the NRA Precision Pistol Nationals at Camp Atterbury will begin July 20 and end July 25. The schedule includes the .22 LR Championship, Centerfire Championship and .45 ACP Championship, along with the Team Matches.
As for High Power Rifle, the 2021 NRA Mid-Range, Long-Range, F-Class Long-Range, F-Class Mid-Range and International Fullbore Championships will also be conducted at Camp Atterbury. The matches will begin July 23 and run through Aug. 29. Plus, the Extreme Long-Range Championship is slated to return on Aug. 20, prior to the High Power Across-the-Course matches. This popular ELR event that debuted in 2017 at Camp Atterbury is a must for shooters looking to engage targets at one mile and beyond.
For more information about the 2021 NRA National Champ-ionships at Camp Atterbury, visit competitions.nra.org.
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