Remembering When Michelle Gallagher Won Her 3rd Long Range Championship

by
posted on October 11, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
1-gallagher-throwbackarticle.jpg
Editor's note: The 2001 NRA National Long Range Championships at Camp Perry saw Michelle Gallagher successfully defend her title. On a roll, this was the third long range title the 20-year old shooting prodigy added to her collection. Here’s our coverage, as published in the November 2001 issue of Shooting Sports USA.

Michelle Gallagher, a Prescott, AZ, native and member of a high power family dynasty, successfully defended her NRA Long Range Rifle Championship against nearly 600 competitors. Her aggregate score of 1436-63X was enough—by a mere three Xs—to best the 1436-60X posted by second-place finisher Norman Crawford, of Fayetteville, NC, and the 1434-79X fired by Gallagher's mother, former NRA High Power Champion Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher. The win gave Gallagher the Tompkins Trophy, which is named for Nancy's husband and former NRA High Power Champion Middleton Tompkins.

"The biggest challenge was that I was shooting my [AR-based] space gun through half of it, so I didn't know how I was going to deal with it," said Gallagher afterward while humbly acknowledging, "I guess it turned out OK."

As expected, members of the U.S. Armed Forces also figured strongly at the 2001 Long Range competition. SFC Kevin McMahon, of the Fort Benning, GA-based U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, posted a score of 1395-40X to earn the title of NRA Long Range Service Rifle Champion.

The Long Range Championship aggregate includes scores for six selected matches—three consisting of 20 shots each at 600 yards, two consisting of 20 shots 

Latest

Fed 2026 Southerngrand 1
Fed 2026 Southerngrand 1

Team Remington Dominates Junior, Veteran Divisions at 46th Southern Grand American

Team Remington captures two championship titles at the 46th Southern Grand American at Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Florida.

USA Shooting Junior Program Gets a Boost From MidwayUSA Foundation Lones Wigger Endowment Grant

A grant from the MidwayUSA Foundation’s Lones Wigger Endowment will cover ammunition, targets, entry fees and travel for USA Shooting’s junior athletes, including the 2026 ISSF Junior World Championship in Germany.

Your NRA In Your Pocket: Official App Now Available on iOS and Android

The NRA’s new official app offers a digital membership card, NRA-ILA news, digital magazines, local event search and exclusive member benefits on iOS and Android.

Historic Runs and Budget Storm Clouds: 1991 National Matches

The 1991 National Matches featured dominant performances by David Tubb Steve Reiter and Lones Wigger amid budget uncertainty and extreme weather.

NRA America’s Rifle Challenge: Kyle Lamb’s Guide to Using a Sling for ARC

Kyle Lamb breaks down how a two-point quick-adjust sling stabilizes prone, kneeling and standing positions while enabling fast transitions during ARC competition.

NRA Honorary Club Recognition Has Returned

NRA announces Honorary Club recognition for Precision Pistol shooters who achieved elite scores from 2018 through 2025 after a six-year pause.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.