The CMP Clinic and initial preperation
Recently I decided to take the proverbial plunge into High-Power competition. It all began September of 2011 with a Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) clinic, followed by an introductory "match". The clinic was very informative and went over the basic function and nomenclature of the M1 Garand rifle, as well as various shooting positions that best utilized the structure of the human body and the military web-sling.
For those of you who are unaware of what the CMP is, it was created by Congress in 1903 with the goal of providing civilians with an "opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called on to serve in the U.S. Military." The CMP was formed with the precipitation of the adoption of the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle as the national service arm. Most civilians up until this time were more familiar with the more popular lever-action rifles and were unable to achieve the same level of marksmanship and rate of fire with the new and unfamiliar bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifle.
The CMP's goals over the years remained. Much like the NRA, the CMP offers programs to help youth and adults alike learn the fine art of marksmanship with military and match style rifles. The CMP also offers members the opportunity to purchase surplus U.S. Military rifles at a fraction of retail costs.
For those of you who are unaware of what the CMP is, it was created by Congress in 1903 with the goal of providing civilians with an "opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called on to serve in the U.S. Military." The CMP was formed with the precipitation of the adoption of the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle as the national service arm. Most civilians up until this time were more familiar with the more popular lever-action rifles and were unable to achieve the same level of marksmanship and rate of fire with the new and unfamiliar bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifle.
The CMP's goals over the years remained. Much like the NRA, the CMP offers programs to help youth and adults alike learn the fine art of marksmanship with military and match style rifles. The CMP also offers members the opportunity to purchase surplus U.S. Military rifles at a fraction of retail costs.
I had originally decided to get into shooting high-power with my Springfield Armory M1A Loaded. I went through the clinic using this rifle and did fairly well, though I quickly discovered the shortcomings and possible handicap of using this type of rifle vs. the AR15 platform. It is heavy, not very ergonomic, the mag changes can be cumbersome and while the recoil is extremely manageable, it's still considerably more than that of an AR15. Ammo costs were also a consideration here for me as well, and while I do reload the vast majority of my ammo, components are more costly for .308 vs. .223.
If you couldn't tell from the paragraph above, I ultimately decided on the AR15 platform as my competition rifle of choice, which means I will be competing in Modern Rifle. I have a plain-jane 20" Stag AR15 A2 that I wasn't doing anything special with and I decided to use it for these competitions and upgrade as I go. I also acquired a shooting mat from Dillon-Precision and a couple of military style cotton web-slings from Creedmoor Sports, and set out to shoot my first NRA "Across the Course" match.
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You can find out the competition rifle in competitive quantity as competition rifles are manufactured by expert and experienced engineers.
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Completely different type of competition and completely different type of rifle setup. NRA High-Power and CMP require an "As Issued Appearance" for the rifles. This means iron sights, GI handguards, GI pistol grip, GI stock, etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info though.
Are you willing or interested to participate in any shooting competition, for this you need a Gun.
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