Competitors’ Corner: September 2021

In this month’s edition of the Shooting Sports USA digital magazine, the Product Focus section (page 12) is a must-read. Field Editor Chris Christian reviews the new Ruger Custom Shop Left-Hand 10/22 Competition rifle. This new southpaw rimfire is much more than a simple right-to-left parts swap with the iconic 10/22. The new Left-Hand 10/22 Competition’s key parts, such as the receiver and the magazine, were basically transformed for left-handed applications. In the words of American Rifleman Senior Executive Editor Kelly Young, “it is essentially an entirely new gun.”

Let’s face it: It’s not just what you shoot that gets you enthused, it’s also where you shoot. After what seems like a lifetime without a national championship, it was nice to head to Camp Atterbury this summer for the 2021 NRA National Matches. Indiana is beautiful during the summertime, with near endless daylight and big, blue skies. And at Camp Atterbury during the NRA Precision Pistol Championships, the new 100-point covered range came in handy for anyone seeking shade from the plentiful sunshine, myself included. Check out my match report (page 22) from this year’s NRA Pistol Nationals to learn the results of the different aggregates, team matches and more.

Between investing in a new Arkansas ammunition manufacturing facility and purchasing Baschieri & Pellagri, Fiocchi’s growth over the past 18 months has been exponential. What you may not know is that with these acquisitions, Fiocchi USA has actually doubled its footprint and is in the process of consolidating its U.S. supply chain. Earlier this year, I talked to Anthony Acitelli, the president and CEO of Fiocchi USA, who shared more details about the company’s ongoing renaissance (page 28).

When it comes to high power rifle competition, the name Kelbly’s is synonymous with excellence. Three generations have worked at the family machine shop in North Lawrence, Ohio, building actions that are popular with benchrest, prone rifle, modern tactical and precision rifle shooters. Author Serena Juchnowski sat down with all three generations of the Kelbly family (page 34) to learn more about the company and the family legacy.

Finally, I hope you’re already a fan of our Steel Challenge stage breakdowns (page 38), which are chock-full of information that will help you plan for the speediest of shooting sports. This month, Chris Christian shares his top tips on how to tackle the lightning-fast Roundabout stage. Although this is a quick stage, Chris says that with the right approach, it’s not difficult to shoot.

John Parker
Executive Editor, Shooting Sports USA

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