2017 NRA Bianchi Cup Grand Senior Champion John Sanders

by
posted on August 18, 2017
sanders8.jpg

 “screwed it all up,” I heard John Sanders mutter to his buddies after finishing the Practical Event at this year’s NRA Bianchi Cup Colt Championship Final. He was being rather hard on himself (typical for him), however—Sanders was actually on his way to winning the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup Grand Senior Title. In fact, the eighty-year-old Sanders is a force to be reckoned with in NRA Action Pistol. This is the third time he has won the Grand Senior Championship at the Cup, and he did it this time with a score that shooters half his age would envy: a most impressive 1908-135X. Even more impressive—on May 27, 2016 Sanders had quadruple bypass heart surgery. His big victory this year was exactly one year later to the day.

At the conclusion of Match X Sanders was trailing, dropping four plates and was also 19 shots down in the mover. “I shot a miserable Match X this year. I was fortunate to come in second place by one point in my division before the Colt Championship Final,” he remarked. Although he was not present, Coach Martin Johnson performed as a psychologist of sorts for him this year. “I was in bad shape, feeling down, depressed and angry with myself after Match X. Martin sent me a few text messages that jump started me into shape before the Final on Saturday. He said ‘You’re a Marine. Act like one.’ That comment did it to me.”

Bianchi Cup Grand Senior Champion John Sanders
Sanders thinks his athletic background helped make him a top NRA Action Pistol competitor.


A track and field competitor for 40 years and also a former wrestler, Sanders thinks his athletic background has helped him to become a top Action Pistol competitor. He certainly has the right attitude. “Anything that I’ve ever wanted to do that was important to me, my career, wrestling, shooting—I’ve never wanted to be a scrub. I’m going to do it right or I’m not going to do it at all,” mentioned Sanders. He added, “I was a runner because I wanted to compete, I shoot because I like to compete. I don’t have a mindset—I want to do the best I can.”

Fittingly, at the awards ceremony Sanders was recognized for his competitive spirit—continuing to participate in the sport he loves—and winning at the same time.

John Sanders at his very first and also his latest Bianchi Cup Awards Cermonies
John Sanders was the very first Grand Senior Champion at the NRA Bianchi Cup when the award debuted in 2010 (left). Presenting Sanders his 2017 Grand Senior Cup is Kenn Boyd. Photo by John Rickards


NRA Competitive Shooting Division Director Cole McCulloch said, “John Sanders is a testament to the broad appeal of the shooting sports. Where else but at Bianchi can someone his age go out and shoot a winning score that any competitor would be proud to call their own.”

Being able to run with the big dogs of Bianchi at age 80 brings a wide grin to the face of John Sanders. Perhaps even more so, the feeling of self-satisfaction. “I’m not sitting in a rocking chair and watching life go by me—I’m involved in things. I take a great deal of pride in that,” he commented.

Beginning competition

Sanders is a retired banker and USMC veteran. A self-described country boy who was raised on a farm in southwestern Pennsylvania. he is proud to call himself a 412 boy (the old area code of southwestern Pennsylvania). Recreational shooting first entered the picture for him in 2000. Subsequently, a buddy, Andy Rayland, took him to his first NRA Action Pistol match. “My first action pistol score was in the 1200s. I kept working on it. I can’t explain how I began to post better scores —except for good equipment, and a lot of great people helping me along the way—Kevin Angstadt, Martin Johnson, Jon Stoehr (second place Senior at this year’s Bianchi Cup), and Andy Rayland.”

John Sanders at the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup
Sanders shooting the Practical Event at the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup. Photo by John Rickards


He caught the eye of long-time Action Pistol shooter Martin Johnson. He has been his coach ever since. “Martin ran an NRA Action Pistol match at the Fairfax Rod and Gun Club. I guess he recognized some talent. He took me under his wing and I’ve called him ‘Coach’ ever since.”

Sanders gives credit to the tight-knit NRA Action Pistol community’s tradition of assisting others to help him reach such lofty heights. “To me, the interesting thing about this sport is the community. I received a lot of help from the community, no one had to but they did because they wanted to.”

He’s passing it on, too. Mentoring others to excel in the sport is something Sanders is adamant about. “That’s just the way I am. You help other people. If you have stumbled upon something that helps you improve, you pass it on.”

Guns and gear

Although considered to be a difficult choice for a gun at the Bianchi Cup, Sanders is a revolver specialist who competes with his Smith & Wesson Model 586. He was using this revolver at the Cup this year. “My revolver is on its second barrel, I’ve shot a lot through it, and the first one burned out. I won my first championship with it. Sandy Garrett of Northern Virginia Gun Works did the work on it.”

John Sander's Smith & Wesson Model 586 revolver for Action Pistol
This customized Smith & Wesson Model 586 revolver is what Sanders used at the NRA Bianchi Cup this year.


The custom work on the 586 revolver includes: trigger pull lightened to 6.5-lbs., smoothed-out action, one-piece barrel with the compensator cut in, and a “hoof” for stability when going prone. It also has front padding suggested by his Coach. “The wrap around my revolver, I call it the MJ barricade wrap. We were practicing one day prior to the championship and I was having problems shooting the barricade event with the under lug that was on the revolver. Coach said take the under lug off and he wrapped a paper shop towel around the barrel and duct tape and it became much easier for me to shoot.”

John Sander's Model 586 includes a “hoof”
Notice the “hoof” platform at the base of Sander's revolver—an aid for stability when shooting prone.


For an optic, he uses an old Bushnell Holosight. “It takes N batteries, and it eats them up. But the reticle on the sight was designed by Coach in conjunction with Bushnell. It has a diamond with a dot in the center and a dot to the left and to the right of the center dot. The dots to the left and right of center provide the lead you need for the mover when running ammo around 1,000 fps.

This is what I’ve always used—we call it the MJ reticle.”

The future

Even though he put himself through intense training prior to this year’s championship, Sanders plans to work on getting into better shape for 2018. “I want to get back into cardiovascular work, strength training, and work on my flexibility. I want to be in better shape next year. You have to train hard to compete if you want to win.”

AccuracyX Bianchi Open Pistol
Sanders also competes with this AccuracyX Bianchi Open semi-auto pistol.


NRA Action Pistol is a tough sport. It’s also expensive—with the average open gun costing $3,000-$4,000. Although successful, Sanders is not a sponsored shooter and pays for his competition expenses out of pocket. “I was on the road 11 days for this year’s championship. Those costs add up—hotel rooms, transportation, etc. It’s tough to go out there and be competitive without quality gear.”

Sanders doesn’t consider himself a great person, but strives to become one. “I told Martin Johnson that I want to be an exceptional person—it’s a goal of mine. I’m working with a guy right now that is close to my age, helping him with his shooting skills. For me, it doesn’t get better than that.”

His next goal: win a NRA Action Pistol regional medal. “I want to win a medal!”

Photos by Forrest MacCormack

Latest

Rangebag Madisonchampion 1
Rangebag Madisonchampion 1

What’s In Your Range Bag, Madison Champion?

U.S. Paralympic air rifle competitor Madison Champion captured gold and silver medals at the 2019 Junior Olympic Nationals. She also competed with her Walther LG 300 Alutec air rifle at the 2023 Parapan American Games.

Breakthrough Year For Competition Shooting: 1963 National Matches

The 1963 NRA National Matches featured several milestones, including Gail Liberty successfully defending the women’s pistol title and Bill Blankenship landing a fourth consecutive national pistol championship.

A Survival Guide For USPSA Range Officers

A new USPSA shooting season is right around the corner. Here’s a primer for rookie Range Officers that plan to work long matches in 2025.

Precision Defense: Rimfire Raceguns To The Extreme

All about Precision Defense, the Lancaster, Ohio, builder of 2011-pattern rimfire raceguns chambered in .22 Long Rifle.

USA Clay Target League Participation Reaches 53,250 Student-Athletes In 2024

More than 14,000 new high school and college students took part in USA Clay Target League activities in 2024, many of them taking their first steps into clay target shooting sports.

Hillsdale College’s Halter Shooting Sports Education Center Dedicated To Competition

The John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center at Hillsdale College in South Central Michigan features 113 acres of ranges for archery, action rifle and pistol, trap, skeet, sporting clays and more.

Interests



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