Precision, patience and a wood-stocked Remington bolt gun carried Kenny Lankford to the top of American rifle shooting.
In a field stacked with the best marksmen in the nation, Lankford emerged as the 2025 NRA National High Power Rifle Across-the-Course (OTC) Champion, posting a commanding score of 2370-99X over a grueling weeklong test at the Winnequah Gun Club in Lodi, Wisconsin. From June 1 to 7, competitors faced targets at 200, 300 and 600 yards in standing, sitting and prone positions, all under the watchful eye of the newly installed Shotmarker electronic target system.
Lankford, from Albany, Wyoming, not only claimed the overall championship but also claimed the Match Rifle National Championship and topped the High Grand Senior category leaderboard. His efforts brought home the prestigious Mumma Trophy, the Wright Trophy, the Vandenburg Cup (793-40X), the Members Trophy for 200-yard standing (198-7X), and both the Scott and Coast Guard Trophies for 200-yard sitting rapid fire (200-12X).
Behind his dominant performance was a straightforward, reliable rifle setup that Lankford described with the same clarity he brought to the firing line:
“The rifle is a Remington 700 chambered in .223 Wylde made by Mo Defina that I bought in 2012. He built it with an Alex Sitman XTC Masterstock with an AR magazine setup. I’m shooting a Geissele 700 single-stage trigger. The barrel was a Bartlein Gaintwist 5r with 5,300 rounds at the start of the Nationals. I shoot Lake City brass with 77-grain Sierras at 200-300 yards, while shooting Sierra 90-grain Match Kings at 600. My short range was giving many failures to fire the first three days and, at the suggestion of a fellow shooter, I went and bought 100 rounds of Federal Premium 77-grain Sierra ammo to finish the match without further problems. My scope is a 30 mm Leupold LRP 8.5-25x with Burris mounts. A simple, functional wood stocked bolt gun.”
Lankford’s closest challenger was Nick Till, who took home the NRA National Service Rifle Championship and the Dupont Trophy with a score of 2359-91X. Till also won the Nevada Trophy (793-36X), Navy Cup (196-4X), Marine Corps Cup (200-12X) and McGann Trophy, showcasing consistency across multiple matches.
Jeremy Graves claimed the Erdman Trophy (588-15X) and the D. I. Boyd Trophy (1179-44X), while Bob Gill dominated several key matches including the Centenary Cup (596-34X), Clarke Trophy (793-44X), Coast Artillery Trophy (200-13X), Army Cup (199-10X), Crowell Trophy (200-11X) and Cavalry Cup.
Emerging junior Samuel Ruiter captured attention with his win in the Air Force Cup (199-13X), while Trace Weisenburger earned the Appreciation Cup Trophy (200-14X) and Aaron Grimm brought home the Crescent Cup (197-8X).
In the team competition, the Rochester National Defense Contingent (RNDC) Trophy went to Team USCMU—featuring Lankford, Till, Grimm and Gill—the quartet securing victory with a combined score of 1962-93X.
This year marked the first time that Winnequah Gun Club hosted the NRA National High Power Rifle OTC Championship. With newly expanded ranges and electronic scoring, the Wisconsin venue proved ready for prime time, delivering a seamless experience in a sport where precision is everything.
2025 NRA NATIONAL HIGH POWER RIFLE OTC CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD
CIV. MATCH RIFLE
- Kenny Lankford, 2370-99X
- Bob Gill 2364-111X
- Jeremy Graves, 2338-73X
CIV. SERVICE RIFLE
- Nick Till, 2359-91X
- Trace Weisenburger, 2340-82X
- David Friedman, 2311-67X
SER. SERVICE RIFLE
- Aaron Grimm, 2354-92X
- Adam Stauffer, 2324-70X
- Robert James Farrell, 2257-46X
