High Power Shooter Wins Smallbore Regional with Innovative Tube Gun

by
posted on November 2, 2015
** 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. **
hpr_sbr_win.jpg

The five-decade tradition of smallbore rifle competition in Manassas, VA at the Fairfax Rod and Gun Club continues. Thirty-four competitors duked it out at this year’s conventional smallbore prone regional, held Labor Day weekend this past September.

High power rifle shooter (and high master) John Sylvester from Green Lane, PA showed that he can shoot smallbore, too. He dominated the match, placing in seven of the eight fired matches and winning both the Metallic (1599-114X) and Any Sight (1599-130X) aggregates and the Grand Aggregate (3198-244X) as well.

John Sylvester shot an unusual rifle: a “tube gun,” consisting of (pictured above) an Anschutz M54 action in a Gary Eliseo AN1 stock. He shot it very well—and very quickly, too, sometimes finishing a 20 shot string in less than six minutes.

Expert class shooter David Bay of Slidell, LA came to see the clubs baffled range. While he was inspecting the range, he managed to finish second in the Grand Aggregate with a 3194-236X. In third place was former Any Sight National Champion Bill Neff of Parsippany, NJ, with a 3192-225X.

Nicholas Kanellis of Burke, VA was the high expert with a 3192-218X, and second expert was Dan Gray with 3182-198X. Junior shooter James Fees was high sharpshooter, also placing in seven of eight fired matches, with 3187-205X and Bob Gehret of Hampstead, MD was second sharpshooter with 3182-198X. Charles Hazy of Staunton, VA was high marksman with a score of 3096-107X.

You can learn more about NRA smallbore rifle competition here

Latest

Mikehwang Rangebag 1
Mikehwang Rangebag 1

What’s In Your Range Bag, Mike Hwang?

IPSC medalist Mike Hwang breaks down his range bag gear, shooting setup and key tips for new and competitive shooters.

Six Medals for Team USA at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final

USA Shooting’s shotgun squad owned the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final, delivering dominant performances across skeet and trap and collecting a haul of hard-earned medals.

Doug Koenig: Eight-Time World Action Pistol Champion Talks Victory and 2026 Plans

Doug Koenig recounts his eighth World Action Pistol Championship win in New Zealand, training adjustments, travel challenges and 2026 plans.

SK Guns Reveals Its 2025 Gun of The Year: The ‘Jesús Malverde’ Colt 1911

SK Guns announces its 2025 Gun of the Year, a Colt 1911 transformed into a rare collectible that pays tribute to legendary Mexican folk hero Jesús Malverde.

LA28 Shooting Event Finals Will Be Faster and Better Built for Broadcast

ISSF unveils revamped finals for 10 LA28 Olympic shooting events, expanding fields, tightening timing and reshaping mixed-team formats after Paris 2024 review.

New: 2026 Hodgdon Annual Manual

Hodgdon’s 2026 Annual Manual blends expansive load data, new education features and a tribute to co-founder J.B. Hodgdon.

Interests



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