Michael O’Connor, the winner of this year’s Three-Position title at the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships, is featured on the September cover. Not only did O’Connor win the Frank Parsons Trophy this summer at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, he also landed one of the most prestigious awards in all Smallbore Rifle competition: the NRA Lones Wigger Iron Man Trophy for posting the highest aggregate across the NRA Conventional Prone and Three-Position Championships. Read all about this year’s competition in my match report.
In its Oklahoma debut, this year’s NRA National High Power Rifle Mid-Range Prone Championship delivered record-breaking performances in June. Hosted by the Oklahoma City Gun Club, the event saw Tanner Burrows claim his first national title and set a new iron sight record, while Brandon Green—just ahead of his historic King’s Prize win at Bisley in July—and the USNRT Rowe team added their own marks to the record books. Read the full championship recap and standout moments from the range.
Smallbore competitors know that finding the perfect .22 Long Rifle load can be a frustrating game of trial and error. Eley’s new Trial Packs take the guesswork—and some of the cost—out of testing, offering curated selections of their top-tier match, hunting and semi-automatic .22 offerings. Field Editor Art Merrill dives into Eley’s rigorous ammo testing process and how these new packs might just help you find your next winning rimfire load in Product Focus.
For his first Shooting Sports USA article, new contributor Patrick Gray shares insights about Run and Gun competition. Blending trail running, tactical shooting and land navigation, these events test both fitness and marksmanship skills. Earlier this year, Gray tackled a grueling 12-mile Team Gun Run event through the North Carolina backwoods. Read the full after-action report from the competition.
Unlike traditional steel targets that require resetting after every hit, Throom Targets’ new self-healing Smallbore Silhouettes repair themselves and can withstand hundreds of rounds, including round-nose and hollow-point rimfire ammo. Easy to install, they offer a quieter, more convenient practice option for Smallbore Silhouette and NRL22 competition. Don’t miss Frank Melloni’s detailed evaluation.
John Parker
Editor-in-Chief, Shooting Sports USA
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