Cathy Winstead-Severin Dominates NRA Silhouette Rifle Championships

by
posted on August 14, 2017
** 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. **
2017severin-hpr.jpg

At Ridgway Rifle Club in Pennsylvania this summer, Cathy Winstead-Severin dominated the competition―winning four NRA National Silhouette Rifle Championships—Smallbore Standard and Hunting Rifle, and the same two at the Silhouette High Power Rifle Championships.

High Power Silhouette at Ridgway Rifle Club, PA
The Silhouette High Power Rifle Range at Ridgway Rifle Club in Pennsylvania.


During Smallbore Standard Rifle, her final score was 114 out of 120, dropping one turkey and one ram the first two matches, and in match five she dropped two rams. For Smallbore Hunting Rifle, she finished with a score of 110 out of 120. Her performance was similar to the Standard Rifle matches, but in Hunting Rifle she dropped four rams in match six.

Cathy Winstead-Severin Wins both guns at 2017 NRA Silhouette Smallbore Championships
From the Silhouette Smallbore Championships.


In High Power, Winstead-Severin finished Standard Rifle with a score of 101 out of 120. Match one was her best with a score of 35, missing one pig and turkey, and three rams. In Hunting Rifle, she scored 103 out of 120, her best round was match two where she dropped two chickens and three rams for a score of 35.

Winstead-Severin: 2017 NRA National Silhouette High Power Rifle Championships
With fellow Team Lapua Shooters at the NRA National Silhouette High Power Rifle Championships.


Three weeks later, the Team Lapua shooter dominated again―this time north of the border, winning the Canadian NFA National Smallbore Silhouette Championship. On her rifle for the large bore competitions (Standard and Hunter class) was a PROOF Research medium contour, cut-rifled steel barrel chambered in 6 mm BR.

“I swept all four guns in the U.S., and then I swept all four in Canada,” Winstead-Severin said of her recent victories. “It’s kind of surreal, me being at the top of my game and having everything come together for so many matches.”

Cathy Winstead-Severin at the Canadian Silhouette Championships
At the Canadian NFA National Smallbore Championships. Photo by PROOF

This is Winstead-Severin’s first year shooting a PROOF barrel, but she said it was a good match from the very beginning. In fact, since switching to PROOF, she’s done nothing but collect championship wins.

“I debuted it in Montana, up in Missoula, and we shot the Iron Man,” she explained. “I shot three new national records up there on its debut, and I believe I got five new national records with it at the U.S. Nationals, so in its first summer, I set eight new national records.”

Her Canadian victory marked the end of the season for Winstead-Severin until next year, when she will undoubtedly begin racking up the wins once again.

Learn more about Silhouette competition at this link: compete.nra.org/news-and-events/silhouette-programs.aspx

Photos by Greg Engel

Latest

Federal Mein Oct2026 1
Federal Mein Oct2026 1

Mein Doubles Up at 2026 NSCA South Central Regional

Team Federal’s Derrick Mein won FITASC and Five-Stand at Providence Hill, dropping just one target in Five-Stand along the way.

New: Savage Revel Tactical Puts an MDT Stock on a Rimfire Lever Gun

Savage’s new Revel Tactical outfits the rimfire lever gun with an MDT stock, threaded barrel and optics rail, from $629.

Kate Estes Wins 2026 IPRF Ladies World Title

Proof Research shooter Kate Estes won the Ladies world title at the 2026 IPRF Centerfire World Championship, where Team USA swept every individual division title.

Suppressor Cleaning Starts At The Workbench

Your suppressor is dirtier than you think.

Team Remington’s Connor Thigpen Sweeps 2026 World Skeet Championships

High schooler Connor Thigpen won High Over All, High All Around and Mini World HOA at the 2026 World Skeet Championships.

A Summer Of Legends: 1999 National Matches

Nearly 3,800 shooters attended the 1999 National Matches, where Steve Reiter, Troy Bassham, Lones Wigger, Jr., and G. David Tubb won national titles.

Interests



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