The name of our junior shooters team is the Whipper-Snipers. We have at present eight members (this gives us two sub-teams of four each). We are looking for more. The age limit is from 14 through 20 inclusive. However, there can be waivers for those who are younger, but show a maturity and knowledge of safety and marksmanship skills.
The juniors shoot Caliber .223 AR-15's, service type rifle. We practice for both the Across the Course (ATC) NRA matches and the Excellence in Competition (EIC) CMP matches.
The Across the Course (ATC) consists of shooting 88 rounds, using the standing, sitting, and prone positions. They learn to use the sling and will be shooting both slow fire and rapid fire at ranges of 200 yards, 300 yards, and 600 yards.
The Excellence in Competition (EIC) is a 50 shot course of fire, similar to the ATC. In this course of fire they shoot from the same positions also using the sling in sitting and prone positions. They shoot from the same yard lines as the ATC, 200, 300, and 600 yards. The EIC provides for the opportunity to eventually be awarded the coveted Distinguished Rifle Marksmanship Badge.
The badge is won by attaining a total of 30 award points accumulated by winning "Leg" points. Leg points are won by winning several matches. The most leg points that can be won at any one match are 10 for 1st place (Gold), 6 for 2nd place (Silver), and 4 points for 3rd place(Bronze). The points are only awarded for the top 10% of participants and apportioned by a set of CMP rules. The CMP also awards medals with certificates for those individual leg events. There are approximately 2,000 rifle shooters in the nation,who hold this award, of which a small percent are junior shooters. Here, in Arizona, Rico Tyler from Tucson, is one of the youngest holders of the Distinguished Rifle Marksmanship Badge.
For more information on the Junior Program, please contact Jerry Brooker, at 928-305-9681.
