Chad Heckler connected on 171 of 200 shots across 20 stages to win Limited at the 2026 IPRF Centerfire World Championship, held Sept. 24-28 at Gravestone Precision Shooting in Lipan, Texas. South Africa’s JC Robertson finished two impacts back with 169, and Team USA’s Kyle McCormack took third with 165. Willem Van Biljon of South Africa (164) and Canada’s Nathan Wiggins (161) rounded out the top five.
“It could have easily gone the other way, as the competition was stacked with shooters from around the world who are experts in the sport, including professional match winners and even a Golden Bullet winner,” Heckler said.
The win makes Heckler a two-time world champion in the division. He took his first Limited crown at the 2024 IPRF Worlds in Grand Junction, Colorado, beating Scott Peterson by five points, and called this year’s title “the culmination of two years of hard work.”
Shooters from more than 20 countries worked through 200 rounds at targets set from 300 to 1,000 yards under the IPRF’s standardized international rules.
Heckler’s scorecard had few soft spots. He cleaned five stages, among them Cattle Panel Pan, Concrete Pipes and Telephone Poles, and went 9-for-10 on eight more. His toughest stage was Big/Small, where he hit just five of 10, but he never dropped more than three shots on any other stage.
A Team Vihtavuori shooter, Heckler ran a load built on Berger’s 185-grain .30-caliber Hybrid Target bullet, Lapua .308 Win. brass and Vihtavuori N150 powder. His rifle came out of his own shop, 5x5 Precision: a Lone Peak Arms action and Bartlein barrel in an MDT ACC chassis, topped with a Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25X 56 mm riflescope.
Heckler’s win was part of an American sweep of the individual division titles in Texas. The U.S. Precision Rifle Association picks the athletes who represent Team USA at the IPRF Worlds, and its Limited roster this year paired Heckler with McCormack, Austin Orgain and Joe Thielen.
“I am incredibly proud of Team USA for coming out on top in every division category,” Heckler said. “I’m also proud of the shooters from other countries who worked their way onto the podium alongside us. The world is watching, and we must lead by example and remain humble at all times.”
Complete results are available at impactscoring.net.
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