In a weekend where precision met perseverance, Team Lapua’s Erich Mietenkorte walked away from the 2025 Lapua Super Shoot with the Hunter Rifle title. Hosted this year at Pennsylvania’s Ridgway Rifle Club over a cold, wet and windy Memorial Day Weekend, the Lapua Super Shoot is considered one of the most grueling rimfire silhouette competitions on the calendar.
Mietenkorte earned his spot on top of the Hunter Rifle leaderboard with a score of 175/200.
In addition to his Hunter Rifle triumph, Mietenkorte was the runner-up in the Standard Rifle aggregate with a score of 168/200, further establishing his dominance in the silhouette shooting world. His score was only six points behind the Standard Rifle winner, Kaleb Santiso.
Over the course of two days at the 2025 Lapua Super Shoot, competitors fired 400 rounds for record in Standard Rifle and Hunter Rifle—a staggering total in the world of silhouette shooting. Saturday’s six 40-shot matches mirrored the full length of a typical, three-day NRA National Silhouette Championship, while Sunday’s four-match finale demanded every ounce of focus and stamina left in each competitor.
Known for its premier facilities and expert match operations, Ridgway Rifle Club once again hosted a flawless event. But the range and its quirks were familiar for most of the silhouette shooters present—it was the unpredictable Allegheny Plateau weather and Lapua Super Shoot format that turned this year’s competition into a mental and physical endurance test.
The Lapua Super Shoot isn’t just a test of aim—it’s a trial of gear, durability and discipline. Mietenkorte credited much of his success to the meticulous matching of rifle and ammunition at the Lapua Rimfire Performance Center in Mesa, Arizona. The custom pairing ensured that even in the most unforgiving conditions, his setup delivered shot after shot. That kind of consistency allows a shooter to focus on reading the wind and executing shots in rough weather.
“None of this would have been possible without the exceptional performance of my Lapua Midas+ rimfire ammunition. Its precision and reliability were crucial for navigating both the challenging weather and the demanding match format,” Mietenkorte said. “Knowing my rifle and ammunition were tested and matched at the Lapua Rimfire Performance Center in Mesa gave me complete confidence that my setup would deliver, even in the toughest conditions.”
Mietenkorte’s latest win builds on an already decorated silhouette shooting résumé. He’s no stranger to the podium—in 2024, he captured his fourth straight victory at the prestigious Iron Man Silhouette Championships, one of the sport’s most physically demanding events.
While the Lapua Super Shoot is a modern spectacle, the sport itself has deep roots. Silhouette shooting began in Mexico in the early 20th century, where live animals were once used as targets. The practice crossed into the United States in the 1960s, where it evolved into the precision-driven discipline recognized by the NRA and other organizations today. Instead of animals, shooters now aim at steel targets shaped like chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams—a nod to the sport’s origins.
With his latest championship victory, Mietenkorte adds another chapter to the growing legacy of modern American silhouette shooting—one built on heritage, grit and exceptional marksmanship skills.
As Lapua continues to produce high-performance rimfire ammunition, their shooters continue to deliver on the sport’s biggest stages. And once again, Erich Mietenkorte proved he’s one of the best rifle silhouette shooters in the world.
See the full results of the 2025 Lapua Super Shoot silhouette match at the Ridgway Rifle Club website.
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