Pistol Team Completes Another Successful Outdoor Season

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Steve Truax
  • 167th Airlift Wing
October 4, 2008 --  The 167th Pistol Team had a busy year. The summer outdoor season kicked off on March 30, when Tech. Sgt. Douglas Stephens shot at an NRA outdoor Bull's-eye pistol match at the Fairfax Rod and Gun club. In these matches the competitors shoot three different pistols, a .22 caliber rimfire, a .45 caliber and any center fire pistol they choose, at targets initially 50 yards and then 25 yards away. Stephens score was 2,046 out of 2,700 possible points. This is the first time he has broken 2000 points in this type of match, and is a fine showing for someone who only started shooting competitively last year.

On April 19, Tech. Sgt. Stephens and Capt. Stacey Shade traveled to North Carolina to compete in an outdoor Bull's eye match at Camp Butner. The following weekend they competed at another Bull's eye pistol match at the Fairfax Rod and Gun Club. And on May 16, Stephens shot in a Bull's eye pistol match at the White Horse Range near Peeltree, W.Va. The following weekend Stephens and Shade competed at the WV Regional Pistol Championship at Summersville, W.Va., and on May 31 Shade shot in a Police L match at Anne Arundel Fish and Game taking 3rd place overall. A Police L competition is similar to an NRA Bull's eye pistol match, but the competitors only shoot two pistols, .22 and any center fire, and the targets are always 25 yards away.

Tech. Sgt. Stephens then competed in the Va. State Pistol Championship at the Fairfax Rod and Gun Club. Following that, Shade, Stephens and Lt. Col. Steve Truax competed at the first Maryland Regional Pistol Championship at Marriottsville, Md. Shade then traveled to Ohio and competed in the Ohio Regional Pistol Championship in Canton followed by the NRA National Pistol Championships and the Civilian Marksmanship Program National Pistol Championships at Camp Perry. While at Camp Perry he took 34th place out of 766 competitors in the Harry Reeves Memorial Revolver match. This is an outstanding showing that puts him on the national level in revolver competitions.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, Shade, Stephens, and Truax competed in a Police L match at the Marriottsville range. Finishing the outdoor season with a trip to Summersville Sept. 13, Shade, Truax, Master Sgt. Dave Jenness, and Tech. Sgt. Joe Payne represented the 167th AW in the WV Regional Championship. At the Championship members competed not only as individuals, but were able to put teams together and enter a 167th team in the four-man team events. Stephens has been invited to compete in the Fairfax invitational Oct. 12, and after that we will put our pistols away for the winter.

The Marksmanship Team is dedicated to teaching rifle and pistol safety and competition. The team competes in a variety of shooting events throughout the year, and membership in the Marksmanship Team is open to anyone who can practice and compete safely.