“Let us all go to Florida in 1915 and show the South…that we appreciate what has been done in the construction of this great Southern range.” From the January 1915 issue of ‘Arms and the Man’ magazine.
To avoid conflict with the even-years Army maneuvers schedule, in 1914 National Divisional Matches were held at five sites across the country instead of at Camp Perry. The Sept. 1914 issue of 'Arms and the Man' said in part, "They were an experimental substitute for the great National Matches … As a substitute they have proven a failure."
In 1912, government neglect temporarily altered the course of the National Matches. Thankfully, the NRA was there to pick up the pieces and moving the NRA Championships back to Sea Girt, N.J.
After 1910, Camp Perry was taking shape as a premier shooting facility, but in 1911 its future as the National Match site faced a daunting new challenge. Nevertheless, the NRA added to the tournament program.
Enlarged in 1905, Sea Girt was nonetheless too small to support growing National Championship attendance. The search for a new venue wouldn't take very long, however.
The United States Cartridge Company led the way for ammunition makers to contribute funds for the 1908 U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. Part 1 in our series on the London 1908 Olympic Games.