Is it THAT hard to shoot the X-ring of a moving target?

Columbia, Missouri - Sig Sauer is the longtime sponsor of the Bianchi Cup's third event, Moving Target. Its straightforward name perfectly describes the match: firing at a moving target. While the description is simple, the match is anything but.

Like the other events, Moving Target is shot from varying distances, in this case 10, 15, 20 and 25 yards. Competitors position themselves in marked firing squares with their pistol holstered and hands shoulder high. Once the target begins traveling, the shooter may draw and start firing. The target isn't just putzing along either. It travels the 60 feet of track at nearly seven miles an hour, disappearing behind a barricade after six seconds.

At 10 and 15 yards, competitors take six shots each time the target makes a pass. Moving back to 20 and 25 yards, the course of fire is reduced to three shots per pass; however, the target runs twice more at these distances for the match to finish at 48 shots. If the shooter starts prematurely, has a procedural error, has a round that strikes the barricade, or fires a round over the designated amount, their score is penalized ten points - ouch.

Four different shooters lead four different categories headed into the final day of competition

"That's usually what it comes down to," said NRA National Pistol Manager Tom Hughes. "These men and women are so proficient with a pistol that the only thing that separates first from second are the X's."

If he keeps shooting the way he's been shooting for the past few days, not to mention the past few years, then we're likely to seen Doug Koenig walk away with his 15th National Bianchi Cup Title. But until we can tip our hat to the man or woman who wins in all, here's a tip to those leading the each of the four stages that makes Bianchi the challenge it is.

Iain Harrison, season one winner of History Channel's Top Shot, heads the pack in Missouri

Columbia, Missouri - As Thursday's sun set on the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club, Iain Harrison, winner of the History Channel's first season of Top Shot, held the lead.

Unfortunately for Iain, it will not last long. Harrison completed all four Bianchi Cup events yesterday and is done for the tournament. His score of 1755-96x is final. The same can not be said about the group of the world's top pistol shooters positioned behind him in the standings. But Harrison is also firing in the Metallic category, where competitors are limited to their metallic sights. The top shooters behind him are all in the Open category where optics and other peripherals are allowed resulting in much higher scores.

At the head of those behind Harrison are Doug Koenig, Bruce Piatt and Carl Bernosky. Three of the world's best, these men are separated by only a handfull of x's and will all finish the day at the Moving Target Event.

This isn't the first time the championship will come to the wire. The previous year's top shooters are squadded to finish at the end and always draw a large crowd to see who will pull out the win.

"It's great to watch these guys go through Moving Target one at a time to close out the championship," said Assistant Match Director Damien Orsinger. "The suspense really gets to the crowd and they're so loud when someone has a strong finish."

The Safariland Barricade Event is second of the Bianchi Cup's core matches

Columbia, Missouri - The Barricade Event is the second of the Bianchi Cup's four core matches. The main feature of the event is the titular barricade. Six feel high and two feet wide, the barricades are placed at varying distances in the range and shooters must demonstrate both agility and balance to achieve a top score.

Competitors must begin each round standing in a 2'x3' firing area with their pistol holstered and hands on the barricade. Each shooter has two targets downrange, one to the left and right sides of their lane's barricades. When a signal sounds, targets turn to face downrange and competitors take six shots at the target corresponding to the side they're firing from. Once the targets turn back, the shooter switches sides to repeat the shots on the other target.

Sponsored by Safariland, the match is begun at 10 yards from the targets and shooters repeat the strings at 15, 25 and 35 yards for a total of 48 shots, or a high score of 480. Of course the time targets appear increases the further back the shooters get.

Below are photos from shooters at yesterday's Barricade Event where both defending champion Doug Koenig and top contender Bruce Piatt shot completely clean scores of 480-48x.

Five time Bianchi Cup winner Bruce Piatt leads the charge for this year's silver cup trophy

Columbia, Missouri - After shooting an absolutely perfect 480-48x Barricade Event, five time Bianchi Cup champion Bruce Piatt is in the lead with a 1440-136x.

As you'll remember though, not everyone is at the same place in the Bianchi Cup. Piatt has shot three of the four events and only Moving Target remains. Piatt is still doing very well, all things considered. He is maintaining a perfect points score and near-perfect X-count.

For Piatt, whose last win came in 2009, this could become a run that unseats reigning champ Doug Koenig. But Koenig won't go without a fight. Scheduled to shoot Barricade and Falling Plate today, his score this evening will be closer to the region of the current leaders.

Today also marks the arrival of the championship's namesake - John Bianchi. The famous shooter and holster maker himself is here to see how far the tournament has grown over the past 35 years.

Fairfax, Virginia - This weekend is more than just a three-day excuse for shopping, over indulgence and carousing with friends. It's about Memorial Day. The day we remember those men and women who fell in the service of our country. While we don't begrudge those who choose to include the shopping and carousing with friends, we do suggest that you spend the day remembering. Visit a Civil War battlefield, stop by memorial, or tour the National Firearms Museum.

With 15 galleries and almost 3,000 guns on display, the NRA National Firearms Museum covers the history of the United States Armed Forces like no other institution in the United States.

"Our exhibits tell the story of America through firearms. The wars we fought, the battles we won and the sacrifices made by the men and women of our nation's military. Providing a fun, educational setting for our service members to bring their friends and families is an honor that all of us here at the museum welcome." -Jim Supica, Museum Director

Located at 11250 Waples Mill Road in Fairfax, Virginia, the museum is located off exit 57 on Interstate 66. Open from 9:30am to 5:00pm, there is plenty of time to stop by before or after any Memorial Day events you have planned.

Accommodating for groups large and small, the NRA Museum is a perfect passageway for families, friends and all to learn more about one of America's essential building blocks and those who defended us all in battle.

For more on the NRA National Firearms Museum, visit their website at [ Click Here ]

Rob Leatham, Doug Koenig, Jessie Duff and more teach pre-Bianchi Cup clinic

Columbia, Missouri - This past Monday morning a couple dozen Bianchi Cup competitors got a top flight education in action pistol from some of the best shooters in the world. Sure the Bianchi Cup Pro-Shooter Clinic required attendees to squeeze out a couple extra vacation days, but it was more than worth it to work with the likes of Rob Leatham, Jessie Duff, Doug Koenig, Mickey Fowler, Rob Vadasz, Kyle Schmidt and Carl Bernosky.

Action pistol is one of the most exciting shooting sports to watch because of its dynamic events. But those very events also make it extremely challenging to master. With all the variation in movement and time limits, it's a wonder that the top shooters manage to get such great scores.

Top-level skills aren't conjured through black magic, but they come from hours and hours of rigorous practice. You can imagine the treat these clinic attendees were in for when Rob Leatham, an instructor himself, gathered a few of his friends and decided to teach their decades of tips and tricks just before this year's Bianchi Cup.

The weather wasn't very cooperative as it rained intermittently throughout the day, but the pro-shooters were eager to teach and the attendees were eager to learn so everyone stuck it out - rain or shine.

After a brief introduction of the day's instructors, Leatham and co. demonstrated the course of fire for each Bianchi Cup event before splitting the crowd into smaller groups.

The smaller groups rotated between events where different pro-shooters were stationed for hands-on instructing on leading, stance, preparation, and lots more; you name it and they covered it. At the events, Kyle Schmidt and Doug Koenig respectively took the upper and lower Moving Target ranges, Mickey Fowler instructed at Practical, Jessie Duff at Barricade and Rob Leatham at Falling Plate.

No doubt the entire group could have stayed there all day, or even all week, but the Bianchi Cup was drawing closer and the clinic came to an end a few hours later.

Clinic attendees were excited to try their new skills once shots were for record and see how much their game had improved. Just how much did the clinic help? We'll find out when the award ceremony rolls around Saturday evening.

Heading in to Day Two of the Bianchi Action Pistol Championships, favorites and contenders battle for the top

Columbia, Missouri - With day two of the MidwayUSA/Bianchi Cup well under way, those resting atop the leaderboard realize their position is precarious at best. A stray shot, sudden gust of wind or an equipment malfunction is all it takes for fortunes to go from boom to bust.

The biggest challenge facing most is fatigue. Some are getting over it due to the two events they endured yesterday while the others are in the thick of it as they shoot two events today. The gun is a little heavier, the vision a little blurrier, and the targets are getting smaller and smaller.

Though familiar faces may bubble to the top eventually, a number of contenders staking claim to their respective events. It's the day for big moves to be made.

Here's where we are, event by event, as of 10:00am local time.

Koenig nearly-perfect on Practical but remains off the leaderboard

Columbia, Missouri - Scores are out for the first day of shooting at the MidwayUSA & NRA Bianchi Cup and they're just what we expected as defending Champion Doug Koenig captured the Practical Event lead with a 480-45x. Just three x-ring hits short of a completely perfect score, Koenig made the most of his opening day.

Despite his practically perfect performance, Koenig is not in the lead. He isn't even in the top five. It's not a performance issue, it's a procedural one.

Bianchi is a three-day event. A three-day event in which four stages are shot. Yesterday, for example, our defending champ was shooting Practical. Today he will shoot Barricade and Falling Plate. On Friday, the final day, Doug will make his final charge on title 15 while going headfirst into Moving Target.

This is true for most shooters. Not that they'll be making a charge for the title on Moving Target Friday, but that they will, as some point, shoot two events in one day. That's why the overall rankings/scores may look a bit off at the moment.

Here's what the Practical Event looks like after the first day:

This isn't to say that the shooters currently at the top are not good. These guys are all maxed out in points and are doing their jockeying though x's. The leaderboard will continue to shift over the next couple days as every shooter slowly completes the four events, but don't be surprised to see some of these shooters back near or at the top when everything's done.

But while the final results are likely to come down to looking at the number of x's a shooter has, a single slip-up can throw them far down the list and out of contention.

This is the total aggregate's leaderboard from Day 1:

The first of the Bianchi Cup's four core events is the Blade Tech Practical Event

Columbia, Missouri - The Bianchi Cup isn't your regular pistol championship. It's an action pistol championship. Shooters need to be a little more mobile than in more classic "stand and shoot" competitions.

The tournament for the silver cup trophy is comprised of four different matches: Practical, Barricade, Falling Plate and Moving Target. Over the years, however, new courses of fire have been added around the core matches like the Colt Speed Event, Celebrity Pro-Am and FNH 3-Gun Challenge.

This year's first event, Practical, is sponsored by Blade Tech. Made of up four segments, competitors start ten yards from two targets which turn to face the range for three seconds before turning away. During this time, shooters can fire once at each target. In the second segment, four rounds may be shot at each target over four seconds. In the third, three rounds at each target with their weak hand in eight seconds. (The strong hand may remove the pistol from its holster for transfer to the weak hand.)

Everything is repeated at 15, 25, and 50 yards -- time limits increasing with the distance. Well, not completely, weak-hand shooting is only done at the 10 yard line. Competitors must shoot from the standing position at 10 yards, but may opt to shoot prone at 15, 25, and 50 yards.

The best possible score is 480-48x.

The slideshow below is of shooters today at the Practical Event.

Shooters ready! The 35th Annual Bianchi Cup action pistol championship has begun

Columbia, Missouri - 14-time Bianchi Cup Champion Doug Koenig has graced the pages of NRAblog many a times. And if he keeps up the pace during his campaign for number 15, you're going to see even more of him. That's the way the tournament and coverage begins.

The MidwayUSA & NRA Bianchi Cup is back in Columbia, Missouri. The Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club is bustling with controlled chaos as a record 268 shooters run through the four historic stages.

"This is the biggest year the Bianchi Cup has seen not just since I've been running it, but throughout its entire 35 year history," said Match Director Tom Hughes.

And there aren't just more shooters. The 2013 Bianchi Cup is sporting one heck of a big prize table thanks to all of the sponsors. This is THE place to be if you're at all serious about pistol shooting. Between the prizes you can win, the prestige earned from a win and the people you'll meet at the range, the Bianchi Cup is the best place for everyone from novices to veterans.

It's a little early in the day for standings as the volunteers are scrambling to score targets, but we do have plenty of photos for you to gaze at in the meantime.

From Crimson Trace - Gear Up for the Shooting Range with Crimson Trace

Wilsonville, Oregon - Crimson Trace, the leading brand of laser sighting systems for personal protection firearms, now offers a wide assortment of shooting accessories to aid with practice at the range—and for firearms safety at all times.

One popular item for shooters—and trips to the gun range—everywhere is the Tactical Tailor Multi-Purpose Range Bag. These bags are available in medium and small sizes, are constructed of 1000 Denier Cordura, and utilize heavy-duty carry handles crafted from sturdy webbing. These bags also feature sturdy YKK zippers, D-rings on each end for use with a shoulder strap (not included), and a distinctive embroidered red Crimson Trace logo. Zip-closed side compartments can hold ammo boxes or gun parts. If you do not need the space afforded by a range bag, Crimson Trace also offers a Double Gun Rug. This rug, or zip-closed gun bag, will hold two handguns and features a zippered external pocket for small accessories. All trips to the shooting range will be easier with these bags to help you become organized—and to protect your firearms.

Another “must have” item from Crimson Trace for any firearms owner, or enthusiast, is the CRKT Picatinny Tool. This tool has a 2.8-inch blade, hex wrench, Phillips, Torx and Hex tools, and two Allen wrenches. This product is designed to help with many cleaning chores for handguns and AR rifles.

If you are always in search of more tools—or the best tool—for gun maintenance chores, then consider the Avid Design 18-piece Gun Multi-Tool. This “do-it-all” tool incorporates 18 implements, including: a blade, pin punch, shotgun choke wrenches, three Torx drivers, two Allen Hex wrenches, two screwdrivers (Phillips and flat) along with a magnetic storage compartment. All are designed into an easy-to-grip handle.

To protect your eyes while shooting—or from the sun’s rays—the Wiley X Romer II Advanced Tactical Shooting Glasses come with two lenses (clear and smoke). The lenses are easy to change and feature Wrap-Back design to eliminate tunnel vision. These state-of-the-art shooting glasses are made in the USA and arrive with a cleaning cloth and carry case.
The suggested retail prices range from $25 for the multi-tool to $85.50 for the shooting glasses. No trip to the shooting range for practice—or time at home for cleaning firearms—will be the same after you gear up with these useful items from Crimson Trace.

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About Crimson Trace
Crimson Trace, an industry leader for laser sighting systems, is based in Wilsonville, Oregon. Its award-winning innovations include Lasergrips® and Laserguard™ with Red and Green lasers, as well as Lightguard™ - all with Instinctive Activation™ are all made in the USA. For more on Crimson Trace, visit their website at www.crimsontrace.com.

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Support the NRA and the shooting sports at Friends of NRA dinners in California, Utah and North Carolina

Wednesday morning means it's time again to welcome Nicole McMahon, NRA Event Marketing and Communications Manager, for this week's rundown of Friends of NRA banquets scheduled to take off across the United States.

There are about 1,100 Friends of NRA dinners held every year and they're all driven, and put on, by our dedicated volunteers. All money raised at banquets goes right back into supporting the shooting sports - half into national programs and half into local and state programs where the banquet was held. If you haven't made it to one of our tables, fear not. The season has just begun, there are plenty of opportunities to catch up.

To attend an event in your neighborhood, check the Friends of NRA website for a list of upcoming events in your state. Bookmark that page while you're at it because they are adding events all the time.

05/31/2013
Corona, California
Moore Haven, Florida
Smyrna, Georgia

05/01/2013
Compton, California
Cedar City, Utah
Elk Grove, California
Grandview, Texas
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Marmarth, North Dakota
Nampa, Idaho
Pinedale, Wyoming
Santa Barbara, California
Scottsdale, Arizona

05/03/2013
Scottsbluff, Nebraska