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

Remsportingclaysnitro Sep2026 1
Remsportingclaysnitro Sep2026 1

Remington Adds Two New Loads To Premier Nitro Sporting Clays Line

Remington’s two new Premier Nitro Sporting Clays loads round out the 12-gauge 1-ounce offerings, adding No. 8 shot to a load previously available only in No. 7.5.

New: Comp-Tac International V2 Competition Holster

Comp-Tac’s International V2 thins the Kydex shell of its longstanding competition holster, deepens the optic cut and includes belt, paddle and drop-offset mounts at no extra cost.

Macie Page Wins Third Straight Ladies Helice World Championship

Team B&P shooter Macie Page wins third consecutive Ladies Helice world title in Braga, Portugal.

Gallery: The 2026 NRA National Championships in 16 Photos

Photos from the 2026 NRA National Pistol, Smallbore and High Power Championships, where Jon Shue won a fourth straight title and Mike O’Connor made NRA Lones Wigger Iron Man Trophy history.

Magpul DAKA Range Bags Arrive in Flat Dark Earth

Magpul’s DAKA Range Bags are now offered in flat dark earth in both 20-liter and 40-liter sizes, with welded seams, sealed zippers and a fold-out work mat.

Down To The Wire: Team USA F-T/R Earns World Championship Bronze at Bisley

The U.S. F-T/R team took Richardson bronze at the 2026 F-Class World Championships, swept two team matches and earned five NRA International Distinguished badges.

Interests



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