Akron rifle team shooter Erin Schnupp watched her scores rise during her five-year collegiate rifle career, culminating in an individual invitation to the 2025 NCAA rifle championship. Learn what this five-time Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Scholastic All-American keeps in her range bag.
What are your first memories of handling a firearm?
I started shooting when I was eight years old with my dad and my siblings. The first gun I ever shot was a pink Crickett .22 cal. rifle that my dad got for me. He thought it would be a good gun to start out with, and I loved the color.
Tell us how you began in competitive shooting.
I started competing at the Cumberland Rifle and Pistol 4-H club when I was nine. It was important to my parents that we knew proper firearm safety. As my siblings and I progressed, we constantly competed with each other. This pushed us to keep competing and always wanting to do better than each other.
What firearms and other gear do you use for competition?
I have two rifles. My smallbore rifle is a Walther KK500 (.22 Long Rifle). I use it to shoot three positions: kneeling, prone and offhand. I have the heavy weight barrel with the standard extension tube to increase sight radius. I like having more weight in the front of my Walther KK500, especially in the kneeling and standing positions. Lapua Center-X ammunition works the best in my KK500.
For air rifle, I shoot a Feinwerkbau 800X. The air rifle portion of the competition is shot in the standing position. I have several custom-made weights that attach to the rifle for adjusting the balance point.
Tell us about your range bag and what you carry in it besides your firearms.
For my range bag, I use a blue waterproof Ogio RIG 9800 travel bag, which I’ve had for about 10 years. It’s still in near perfect condition, and I have serious mileage on that bag between going to practice and matches around the country. The bag is waterproof, which I like, especially when shooting outdoors. I have also accumulated a lot of stuff throughout my career, and I love how many compartments and storage it has.
My Ogio bag is filled with all the equipment I need to compete. This includes a kneeling roll and pad, Sauer shooting boots, three buttplates for my Walther KK500, two shooting gloves (one for sling positions and one for standing), my trigger glove, a TECHRO offhand stand and an ammo box filled with Lapua Center-X match ammo. I also keep a Pelican box in my bag to protect my sights. Additionally, I have some tools, as well as my book for writing down my adjustments.
My favorite accessory is my kneeling buttplate, which has a custom-made carrier that fits an Anschutz buttplate into my Walther KK500. I am constantly amazed that my teammates and coaches made me a whole custom carrier just because I wanted a third buttplate.
What would you tell someone interested in finding out more about your sport?
Go to matches, find out what it’s all about and ask questions. Many shooters and coaches are willing to tell you anything you want to know about the sport and the best ways to get involved.
Any tips for new shooters?
Do not be afraid to ask coaches or more experienced shooters questions. They have all been where you are and have probably heard and helped solve many problems. You always need to try new things with an open mind, which allows you to grow and overcome obstacles. I wish I had learned sooner not to give up on something when you do not see immediate improvement—it takes time. You will have good days and bad days, but they get better. Just because something may have worked yesterday does not mean it will work today, so always be prepared to shift and adjust.
Anything you want to add?
I love my sport and competing. During my time at Akron, I met someone who ended up being the love of my life. Teammate Gavin Perkowski and I are getting married in July.
Congratulations to Erin and Gavin from NRA and Shooting Sports USA on their upcoming nuptials!
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