Grant Kunkel Sweeps Area 5 Steel Challenge Championship

by
posted on June 18, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gkunkel-1.jpg

Team Federal’s Grant Kunkel had a stellar performance at the 2021 Area 5 Steel Challenge Championship that netted him six first place trophies, plus the Rifle Master and Rimfire Master titles.

The match, held at the Riley Conservation Club in Terre Haute, Ind., on June 11–13, had 364 shooters competing across six divisions.

Kunkel’s wins in the Area 5 Steel Challenge Championship include first place in Rimfire Rifle Optic (RFRO), Rimfire Rifle Iron (RFRI), Rimfire Pistol Optic (RFPO), Rimfire Pistol Iron (RFPI), Open and Pistol Caliber Carbine Optic (PCCO) divisions.

According to the main match results posted to the Practiscore website, Kunkel's best stage in Open division was Smoke and Hope with a time of 8.01 seconds. His total Open division time was 74.75 seconds, about six seconds ahead of runner-up Ryan Wagner.

As for the Rifle Master award, it's given to the competitor with the fastest Rimfire Rifle and PCC combined time, while the Rimfire Master award is for the fastest combined time in RFPO, RFPI, RFRO and RFRI combined. As mentioned, Kunkel won both awards.

Kunkel gave high praise to his Federal Syntech ammo for Open division, while for the rimfire portions of the match he was shooting CCI Mini-Mag.

“For the handgun Open division, I was shooting Syntech Action Pistol, because it’s extremely soft recoil, accuracy and absolute reliability allow me to concentrate fully while making quick shots and staying on target. I relied on CCI Mini-Mag ammo for the rimfire events.”

Learn more about Steel Challenge. Visit federalpremium.com and cci-ammunition.com for more information about Federal and CCI.


Read more: Mastering Steel Challenge Stages: Five To Go

Latest

Sa 35 Oct2026 2
Sa 35 Oct2026 2

New: Springfield Armory SA-35 4" Polished Blued 9 mm Pistol

Springfield Armory’s new SA-35 4" Polished Blued pairs the shorter 9 mm Hi-Power-pattern pistol with a high-gloss finish for $799.

USA Clay Target League Opens Its Doors To Club Teams

Youth groups and local clubs can now field USA Clay Target League teams for grades 6-12, no school approval required.

Four Collegiate Competitive Shooters Go Perfect In Air Rifle

West Virginia and Navy shooters fired four perfect air rifle 600s Oct. 3-4, and WVU’s Griffin Lake shot a 598 smallbore.

Applications Open for 2027 NRA Youth Education Summit in Washington, D.C.

High school students can apply through Jan. 10 for the 2027 NRA Youth Education Summit, where attendees compete for up to $40,000 in scholarships.

New: Trijicon REAP-IR-50 Thermal Riflescope Series

Trijicon’s REAP-IR-50 thermal riflescope pairs an in-house 1024x768 core with optional laser ranging, onboard recording and Wi-Fi streaming.

Collegiate Rifle: Akron Falls to No. 4 Nebraska in Season Opener

No. 4-ranked Nebraska tops No. 15 Akron 4743-4673 in season opener, with McClimans, Moran and freshman Maddie Allen leading the Zips.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.