2011 Air Gun Report

Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association is committed to supporting the shooting sports, hunting and our rights as Americans and Ohioans as expressed in the Second Amendment. Recently, 14 talented Ohio juniors traveled to Camp Perry, Ohio, to help fulfill part of the ORPA mission by showing how committed Ohio is to the shooting sports. Ohio has developed a tradition of being one of the premier junior air gun states for the national championship by hosting an air gun clinic before the championship. This year’s clinic was coordinated by head coach and ORPA trustee Chuck Miller, and was conducted at the Great Trails Range in Minerva, Ohio. Coach Miller and ORPA air gun director Tom Paumier, assisted by several guest coaches, took the best-of—the— best juniors from all over Ohio and let the magic happen. In four short days, these 14 separate individuals transformed into a team. At the conclusion of the clinic, the staff loaded the team into a couple of vans and traveled to Camp Perry 0n the beautiful shores of Lake Erie where the team could live the dream at the 20ll NRA Junior Air Gun Championships.

Precision air rifle is the same event which is fired in the International Olympic Games. The athletes wear leather and canvas uniforms along with special boots and gloves which aid in the delivery of a well—placed shot on a target the size of a silver dollar with a dot in the center the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Ohio has the reputation of being very talented at hitting the dot! The Ohio precision team is the defending national champions after earning the coveted national championship in New Mexico last year. Due to graduations and former team members having to compete in the World Cup in Germany (what a great problem to have), this year’s team was made up of several new members who stepped up to line and made Ohio proud. This years team finished in 5th place overall and was ranked as the number two State Association team in the nation. Everyone seeks perfection. and when it is attained it is noteworthy. On the new electronic targets, team member Ali Strader did manage to post the perfect 200 prone. Ali’s efforts helped boost the team into the top five.

Sporter air rifle is a category designed for entry level air rifle competitors. The rifles are very light and less expensive than precision. The sporter competitors wear sweatshirts, jeans and a shooting glove rather than the leather and canvas worn by the precision competitors. But these differences are insignificant when it comes to the skill and determination required to be competitive in this division. This year’s team kept up the winning tradition by finishing a very impressive sixth place in the nation. This strong finish also earned Ohio the title of the #1 State Association sporter team in the nation. Ohio’s Justus Parsley led the squad - with a very impressive 1084 out of a possible 1200.

Thank You !
All members of this year’s ORPA teams offer sincere thanks to The Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association for their generous financial assistance, and to the National Rifle Association Foundation for their assistance raised through local Friends of the NRA events. Additionally, thanks to Tom and Peg Paumier who opened their home as the place for the entire team to stay during the clinic, as well as our loyal friend Dan Paumier who hauled his portable home up to Perry for the team to stay in. Lastly and MOST importantly, a big thanks to the local junior rifle and pistol programs across Ohio with the coaches and parents who make Ohio the envy of the nation.
The great State of Alabama is scheduled to hold the championships next year. Plans are already being developed to provide Ohio teams the best chance possible of remaining one of the top teams in the nation.

If you are interested in providing assistance (financial or otherwise) please contact the ORPA air gun director listed below.
If you, or someone you know is an Ohio resident, (or near Ohio) and interested in the Olympic and NCAA sport of air gun competitions please contact:

Coach Tom Paumier tpau40x@aol.com
Ohio Rifle & Pistol Association Air Gun Director,
or Coach Peg Paumier, Air gun team administrator 330-868-5165

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