.50 Cal.
Posted on 04/06/2017 1:58:37 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The star shooter of North Salem Vikings Army JROTC in Oregon is 16-year-old Taylor Gibson. For three years, she’s been recognized as one of the best air rifle shooters in the country. Now, after an incredible performance at 2017 JROTC National Air Rifle Championship in Anniston, Alabama, Gibson has her gold medal, and set a new Army overall shooting record, according to a release from the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
Gibson shot a 3×20 score of 597-48x, and left with a two-day overall score was 1290.1. According to guns.com, in order to have this score, Gibson could only have missed two or three shots outside of the center 10-inch ring of the 60 total shots fired, 20 shots each from the standing, kneeling, and prone positions.
“I came in and thought, I don’t care what I shoot – I’m just going to do the best that I can. And I did the same thing every shot,” Gibson told the Civilian Marksmanship Program. “That’s what I kept telling myself, especially in the last few shots of kneeling when I was really thinking, ‘Okay, this is when I really need to get serious, because something could happen here.’”
With her last shot, a perfect shot in the kneeling position, Gibson set a new national record in the Army for overall score.
“I didn’t realize how many people were watching until I shot my last shot and everybody started clapping, and I look back and there are coaches standing in a line behind the chairs, just watching me,” Gibson told the Civilian Marksmanship Program. “I didn’t realize that I had gotten attention from other people besides my team. That’s when I knew it was big.”
This was her third trip to the JROTC national championship. In 2015 and 2016, Gibson walked away with silver medals.
Two years ago, during her first visit, when she was still in middle school, Gibson made the Statesman Journal in her hometown of Salem, when she placed second in the national air rifle JROTC shooting competition.
Back then, she said, “A lot of people are like, you don’t seem very excited. Inside my mind is exploding, it seems like. And I’m just thrilled and I love the challenge.”
Now, she’s not just one of the best shooters in JROTC, she’s one of the best shooters in the United States, and the U.S. Army overall record holder.
Why was that? Were you a brat? ;)
“Not to take anything away from Missy being good with a toy gun or anything - but this is BS.”
Let’s see you do it.
Jerk.
L
I’ve been saying this for decades. Women are easier and better to teach because boys grow up with guns and gun-games. They think they know everything.
A boy has to be untaught everything he knows before being taught proper things. Girls are good to go from day 1.
Women tend to have a lower metabolism, ie calmer and they do not have shaking limbs.
Ditto - but proud too! Mine is a shotgunner.
My daughter picked up a rifle for the first time with a guy friend.
“So what kind of rifle was it?”
“A 30.-06”
“Oh - that kicked huh?”
“A little more than my shotgun, but not bad”
“So how did you do the first time?”
“Yeah - I missed the first time. But after that I hit it.”
“Hit what - the bulls-eye?”
“No - it was a metal plate - a “gong” he called it.”
“How far out?”
“100 meters.”
“You mean 100 feet.”
“Um - no - 100 meters - he said it was about a football field. It looked about that far.”
“You hit the gong consistently at 300 meters - first time out?”
“Dad - it's not like a shotgun - its got a scope - you can zoom right in. I mean, how can you NOT miss!?”
“Wow - I bet the guy was impressed.”
“I don't know, I don't think he liked being out-shot, being his gun and all.”
Poor rube. Trying to impress a girl. Lol!
My son had never shot an M-16, but managed to qualify as expert at USMC boot camp despite having rifle training cut short by bad weather. He got 5 in the black at 500 meters with iron sights.
I used to take the kids shooting out in the country. Mostly .22s but I did let them shoot an AK clone (MAK-90) or my SKS often. Ammo for that was so cheap way back when.
Must have been heavy rain washing the 'pasters' off the previous bullet holes on the target.
I had a very good score on 'pre-qual day' and was hoping for bad weather on Qual Day. If so, my pre-qual score would have gone into the record.
Sure enough, Qual day arrived with a snowstorm at Parris Island. We were blowing 1" diameter snowflakes off of our rear sights. But, our scores counted because the 'pasters' were still sticking to the targets!
Overall, it was probably a good thing. If my pre-qual scores had counted then I'd probably ended up a sniper in Vietnam. No telling where that would have led.
WVU is always looking for aspiring & talented shooters.
I shot air rifle in college, before the team had smallbore competition (aka .22lr) and I was middle of the pack average - even at my best - doing 378/400.
Those 10 rings look awfully small at 10m when you have a natural tremor and have to time the movements - much less heart rate (need outstanding heart conditioning to go slow) and a limber back for the standing position (which is what air rifle is.)
But a toy gun? Hardly. (Especially since someone posted those beautiful rifles down-thread. I wish I'd been good enough to have used one that outstanding.)
Smart and wicked good are deadly combinations. Coach loves getting the smart ones - with talent.
I think they only had three days instead of a week. August is not a good month at Parris Island. Hot and wet.
hmmm. Could be the adrenalin. A woman may be thinking target, a man thinking KILL. Just empathizing.
Back in the 1970s when the Olympic Biathlon course was still fired with bolt-action military centerfire rifles, I had the happy fortune of helping coach a female Biathlon competitor, She only had about 10 yards available in her backyard range, but she made good use of it, mostly using a Weirauch air rifle shooting at pennies.
And then we got her on the range with a Russian .22 rifle of the sort Biathlon competitors use now, and then with a Finnish M28-30 7.62 with the stock reworked to fit her. Hitting a cigarette package in those days when smoking was a bit more common at 200 meters was no big trick for her, but it usually impressed the spectators. But she never quit her 10-yard practice with the air rifle when she had the chance. And her daughter is now a riflery competitor as well.
Thank you. Feel good bs story.
Oh and no doubt the kid can shoot. Give her a 338 Lapua and a 1200 meter target hit and I will be impressed.
No both the AD and the Principle were lib hacks. They eventually got the NJROTC program taken out of the school about 2 years after I was appointed to USNA. (Only one from my school to ever be appointed to an academy).
My coach (retired navy CPO) ensured we got our letters, but I had to be very clear with the AD at one point that it was an IHSAA recognized sport. He was attempting to deny me a free letter jacket for getting my 6th letter (3 were rifle) which was policy at the time.
Same guy attempted to talk me out of applying for USNA and NROTC scholarships saying I wasn’t likely to have a chance.
About 25 years ago there were a couple of teenage sisters out of Prescott, AZ who were eating the lunch of a bunch of adult male shooters in 1000-yard competitions.
Air rifles have evolved. No yellow sheet required.
http://americanshootingjournal.com/50-cal-big-bore-airgun/
.50 Cal.
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