They don’t just shoot—they compete with razor-sharp precision. As the 2025 NRA National F-Class Championships approach, four rifle teams from Illinois are heading to Wisconsin’s Winnequah Gun Club from August 2-9: “Sweating Bullets!,” “Old Dogs,” “Lucky Dogs” and “Underdogs.” After months of practice and fine-tuning every detail, these squads are dialed in and ready to square off in Mid-Range and Long-Range matches against top talent from across the country.
Leading the charge is “Sweating Bullets!,” captained by Geoff Bushelle and a seasoned lineup of F-Class shooters, including Wind Coaches Sean Hughes and Kevin Mull, Plotter Arron Hamilton and fellow shooters Tim Putnam and Jim Marcum.
The “Old Dogs” team is loaded with experienced competitors, led by Team Captain Steve Zagrodnik, Wind Coach Bill Sears, Assistant Coach Mike Symmers and Plotter Jerry Rowe.
“Lucky Dogs,” a family-influenced team, is captained by Ernesta Vaitkevicius, with Brian Anderson on wind, Bill Baltas as assistant coach and Alvydas (AV) Vaitkevicius plotting the shots.
Rounding out the group from Illinois is the “Underdogs,” an F-T/R team captained by Greg Coyle, supported by Wind Coach Doug Kollar, Assistant Coach Ciprian Fatol, Plotter Alex Vacek and fellow shooters Dan Stone and Wayne Walusiak. (Unfortunately, no picture of the “Underdogs” was available.)
All four teams have been preparing for months and look forward to the camaraderie, competition and challenge of the 2025 NRA F-Class Nationals. As this event approaches, all eyes in the F-Class community will be watching these teams as they aim for excellence and a shot at the podium in one of the most respected precision rifle competitions in the country.
The 2025 NRA F-Class National Championships will be held at the Winnequah Gun Club and are set to be a premier event in competitive shooting, sponsored by Brux Barrels, Criterion Barrels, Krieger Barrels and ShotMarker Electronic Targets. The Mid-Range Championship will take place from August 2-5, followed by the Long-Range Championship from August 6-9. The ShotMarker electronic target system will be used on NRA MR-1FC targets at 600 yards and LRFC targets at 1,000 yards. Competitors will be divided into F-Open and F-T/R divisions and classified under standard NRA F-Class rankings. Those without a classification card must compete in the Master class. Awards—including cash, medals and trophies—will be presented daily and at awards banquets (Mid-Range on August 5, Long-Range TBD), with special recognition for top Juniors, Women, Seniors and Grand Seniors in the grand aggregate. Awards must be collected in person, and any unclaimed will be donated to a junior club.
Learn more about the NRA’s F-Class Nationals and Winnequah Gun Club.
Want to see your team featured in Shooting Sports USA? Email us your story and pictures at [email protected].
Article submitted by Geoff Bushelle
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