On July 2, the NRA National High Power Rifle Long-Range Championship made its debut at Alliance Rifle Club in Malvern, Ohio. Stepping up to meet the moment was Jerry McDonough, shooting a Palma rifle—a choice that demands precision and skill—who stayed locked in through shifting winds and rising heat. McDonough posted a 1245-73X to clinch the national title, along with both the Tompkins and Sierra trophies. His steady hand and sharp eye across the field—including a 796-48X in the Sierra Trophy race—made it clear: when the stakes were highest, McDonough was unstoppable.
McDonough’s win didn’t come easy. Just one point behind in the overall standings was Bob Gill, who finished with 1244-81X—more Xs, but not quite enough to overtake McDonough. Gill, however, didn’t leave empty-handed. Among multiple match wins, he captured the Canadian Cup with a 796-50X, edging out McDonough by two Xs in that aggregate. Hot on Gill’s heels was Zevin Linse of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, who closed out the championship with a 1243-72X.
The NRA High Power Rifle Long-Range Nationals feature some of the most historic trophies in all of competitive shooting, including the Wimbledon Cup, Leech Cup, Herrick Trophy, Roumanian Trophy, Mustin Trophy, Remington Trophy and more. The exceptional scores on this year’s leaderboard echoed the prestige and rich tradition embodied by these storied trophies.
After a delay caused by early morning fog, the 2025 Long-Range Nationals got underway under nearly perfect conditions. With near-zero wind, competitors were treated to an ideal start, and the calm weather translated into some eye-popping scores. One of the most notable came from Zevin Linse, who fired an outstanding 200-17X with his Palma rifle—setting an early benchmark for the field. As is tradition, top shooters from each relay and category advanced to the afternoon shoot-offs, which opened with competition for the Remington and Mustin trophies.
The first day progressed smoothly into the high-stakes shoot-offs, where precision under pressure made all the difference. Bob Gill claimed the Remington Trophy with a commanding 100-5X, while Logan Frost took the Mustin Trophy with a score of 200-11X. As the action continued into day two, Gill stayed hot, adding the Leech Cup to his growing trophy haul after defeating Charles Rowe, Brandon Green and Aaron Grimm in the shoot-off. Jason Epperly also made his mark, delivering a stellar score of 100-8X with his Palma rifle to win the Andrus Trophy. In the Service Rifle division, Jonathan O’Neal continued his dominant form, securing the Porter Trophy with a strong 194-5X.
Another highlight of this year’s championship was the Wimbledon Cup shoot-off on July 4—an unforgettable showcase of long-range marksmanship skills on Independence Day. The initial shoot-off—with a course of fire of three sighters, followed by 10 shots for record in 13 minutes—ended in a rare three-way tie. Bob Gill, Tom Sloan and Jarrod McGaffic of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit all posted perfect 100-5X scores, forcing an immediate tie-break.
The shooters remained in position and rolled straight into the next phase: a five-shot shoot-off under a tight five-minute time limit, with no sighters and no prep time. This round narrowed the field but still didn’t break the deadlock—McGaffic and Sloan matched each other again with identical 50-3X scores. A third five-shot tie-break followed, and once again the two fired identical scores—49-2X—pushing the contest into an extraordinary sudden-death round.
With one shot per minute, the pressure couldn’t have been higher. Both shooters fired Xs in the first round. Finally, in the second sudden-death shot, McGaffic edged out Sloan, delivering an X to Sloan’s solid 10—securing a dramatic and hardearned victory. In total, the two finalists fired 42 record shots to determine the 2025 Wimbledon Cup Champion, capping off one of the most intense and memorable shootoffs the event has seen in recent history.
On the team side, “USNRT/VFB-Gill” delivered a dominant performance, pulling off a clean sweep of all the 2025 NRA National Long-Range Team Championships. The squad completed the coveted Grand Slam by capturing the Palma Team Match (Cowboy Trophy) on July 6 with a score of 1789-96X. Earlier in the week, they secured victories in the Herrick Trophy Match (798-45X), the Roumanian Trophy Match (788-35X) and the Port Clinton Trophy, the latter awarded to the High Civilian team in the Herrick. The team—Bob Gill, Brandon Green, Kimberly Rowe and Charles Rowe—showed remarkable consistency, even during stretches of unrelenting July heat, to lock down their wins.
2025 NRA NATIONAL HIGH POWER RIFLE LONG-RANGE CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD
With high-caliber performances on the firing line and a fresh start for the championship’s new home, the 2025 NRA Long-Range Nationals set a new benchmark for the high power rifle community.
ALLIANCE RIFLE CLUB
One of the most significant developments of the 2025 NRA High Power Rifle Long-Range Championships was the introduction of a new venue: Alliance Rifle Club. This marked a major transition, as all NRA High Power Rifle Championships—Across the Course, Mid-Range and Long-Range—were relocated. For the Long-Range Nationals, Alliance became the new home, a milestone nearly 100 years in the making.
Affiliated with the NRA since 1922 and incorporated in 1937, Alliance Rifle Club has long been a respected name in High Power Rifle competition. Nestled in Brown Township, Ohio, just west of Malvern, the club has built a strong reputation through decades of dedication to the shooting sports. With members competing nationally and internationally—including on U.S. Palma and F-Class teams—Alliance was a natural choice. “As a club solely focused on NRA High Power competition for over a century, it was fitting that Alliance was chosen,” said Charles Rowe, a longtime member and key organizer.
Alliance boasts a range complex that stretches from 200 to 1,000 yards, featuring below-grade pits and mechanical target hoists—ideal for large-scale position shooting matches. The 2025 event also marked the first time ShotMarker electronic targets were used across all stages, adding modern scoring to a tradition-rich discipline.
Learn more about Alliance Rifle Club at alliancerifleclub.org.
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