Reading Rifle Hosts Expert, Junior Highpower Clinic in April

Reading Rifle and Revolver Club, one of New England’s oldest highpower clubs, is always promoting the shooting sports and helping competitors improve their skills, with the hopes of encouraging more participation in matches at home and away.

On Sunday, April 14, 2024, Reading put on a combination clinic for adults with some experience and juniors, beginning and advanced. Our coaches all had master to high-master qualifications and came from Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut and, of course, Massachusetts to volunteer their time. Such qualified coaches included CMP’s Highpower Manager, Brian Williams, CMP Maine State Director, Brian Murphy, and Massachusetts State Director, Maureen Trickett. All three coaches shoot at Reading on a regular basis, along with many other great shooters, and all are willing to help new individuals at any of the matches.

We like to run clinics early in the season to help new shooters so they have a great new season where they can see improvements in their scores and gain more experience.

The clinic started with an introduction to electronic targets: how to set them up and how they work. The students then proceeded to the 200-yard line with their coaches. We were able to have a two-to-one ratio and, in a few cases, a three-to-two ratio of students to coaches. Our left-handed shooters were also placed with a lefty, Coach Larry Cabana, who could analyze their position better and probably faster than a right-handed instructor.

Students were run through slow prone, rapid prone, rapid sitting and offhand. They watched as their coaches demonstrated the position first before being put in the position and corrected, if necessary. Participants then fired approximately five to 10 rounds to practice the position. Questions were answered, and zeros were written down in data books. This part of the clinic took about 3.5 hours.

We took a short 20-minute break to hydrate and snack. Now was the time to pit coach against coach and see the results of the coaching skills, just to give the students a taste of competition and timing.

The match started in offhand, with each student given two sighters and 10 record shots in 12 minutes. Coaching was permitted. Next was sitting rapids (staying in position), with two sighters and 10 shots rapid in 63 seconds. This was a challenge for each student’s focus, not only for time, but concentrating while a coach is yelling “good” or a correction “favor right” while shooting. The expressions on both the student and the coach after firing was priceless.

Prone rapids came next (again in position), with two sighters and 10 record shots in 73 seconds. Determination to clean the target could now be seen on the competitors’ faces. Fun exchanges and challengers could be heard between students and coaches. The best part was all firing was done in both relays, leaving over 15 seconds left on the clock. A little adrenaline rush, maybe, but the scores were impressive.

We were going to do a round of slow prone, but it started to rain and the radar showed more coming in. We did not want to end the clinic soaked, so we ended the match after rapids. Some caught in the competition wanted to go on, and others, at that point, were happy to finish.

Students cleaned up the yard lines and helped take the electronic targets down. Back in the clubhouse, the match results were tallied, and medals were handed out. Teams were surprised at how well they did, and students and coaches were congratulated by all.

The day ended with a quick show to new competitors heading out to Camp Perry for this summer’s National Matches on how to pack a stool, contents and suggested items to carry in their backpacks. Group photos, a few handshakes, and the day was done – started at 9 a.m. and finished at 3 p.m. And, of course, the sun came back out after we put the targets away. But, that is okay. There are a lot more matches to come.

We hope all who attended the clinic take what they learned and apply it to future matches. Reading runs matches almost every weekend in the season. Check out the schedule on www.readinghighpower.com.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.