On the cover is the Texas Christian University women’s rifle team, who last month won the NCAA rifle championship for the fourth time after previously capturing collegiate rifle shooting’s top title in 2010, 2012 and 2019. The TCU Horned Frogs, coached by shooting legend Karen Monez and anchored by top shooters Stephanie Grundsøe and Katie Zaun, also won the air rifle title at this year’s NCAA championship, held at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia, in March. Read my match report to learn more about this year’s competition.
In Product Focus, Field Editor Art Merrill reviews the new Elex X-Shot scoring app and target system. This new app for iOS and Android can score proprietary paper targets (sold by Eley) with your mobile device’s camera, and allows shooters and clubs anywhere in the world to compete against each other. Additionally, shooters can use the X-Shot app to record and track their own performances. Don’t miss Art Merrill’s review of this remarkable new software that offers a modern take on the cherished postal match.
There are several mistakes that shooters—especially beginners—should avoid making prior to a competition. Field Editor Chris Christian outlines some of these common oversights that can hinder performance in his article this month, along with his solutions that will help you in preventing consequential mistakes before competing at a big match.
In his article about the U.S. Marine Corps MC-58 rimfire training rifle, Art Merrill calls it “an interesting footnote to American and Marine Corps history.” For his examination of the MC-58, Merrill goes in-depth into the history of this training rifle that was designed to mimic the feel of the M1 Garand for recruits, as well as its performance in the field and desirability as a collector’s gun.
This past January after the USA Shooting Olympic Trials, five pistol shooters qualified for the U.S. team, including Katelyn Abeln and Alexis Lagan. Author Bob Reinert recently interviewed these two talented shooters who will be traveling to the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer. Learn more about how they prepare for big matches, plus some interesting facts about them in his article.
Finally, a note about the 2024 NRA World Shooting Championship. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at the competition in Camp Atterbury, Ind., this month. If it’s your first time visiting Camp Atterbury, you’re in for a treat, as it is one of the top venues in the country for a large-format match. Be sure to visit ssusa.org for the latest match updates.
John Parker
Editor-in-Chief, Shooting Sports USA
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