Texas native wins Olympic gold in double trap

[seamusTX]

Glenn Eller, a native of Katy, Texas, won the Olympic gold medal in double trap, with a record-matching score of 190 out of 200.

Pfc. Eller is part of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit stationed at Fort Benning, Ga.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 37994.html



- Jim

[BobCat]

Great to see it reported!

Olympics in Australia a few years ago, first gold medal won by US person was in 10 meter air rifle - a woman whose name was, I think, Johnson - not reported in "mainstream" media at all, only firearm enthsiast media.

Glad to see Pfc Eller recognized.

[Skiprr]

Was watching KPRC this morning while on the treadmill at about 5:30. Right now NBC is all Olympics almost all the time, but still I was pleased to see the coverage of Eller's medal. We had a nice interview with Eller...who was extremely low-key considering his long road to this gold medal.

[Locke]

I just wonder why the other events are all airgun. What's wrong with the real thing?

[seamusTX]

They have pistol and rifle competitions. I don't know exactly what they are because I don't care.

- Jim

[Skiprr]

Here ya go: http://www.usashooting.com/

[NcongruNt]

From what I can tell, the non-airgun/non-shotgun competitions are all .22. I have wondered why there is no classification for high-powered rifles. The first reason to come to mind is that in most parts of the world, firearm ownership and use is very restricted, but the shooting sports have been around quite a bit longer than any [abbreviated profanity deleted] the modern gun control restrictions. While .22 is a standard platform for competition, I don't see why there cannot be other competitions in other calibers, such as .223 or .308. I suppose the larger calibers are considerably more regionalized (.308 and .223 in NATO countries, 7.62x54R and 7.62x39 in the East, etc), and that could be a barrier to a standardized high-powered rifle competition.

[Wildscar]

Look like Kimberly RHODE is in a good position to bring home a medal in Women's Skeet for the US.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/shooting/res ... dings.html

[iratollah]

I have wondered why there is no classification for high-powered rifles. The first reason to come to mind is that in most parts of the world, firearm ownership and use is very restricted... While .22 is a standard platform for competition, I don't see why there cannot be other competitions in other calibers, such as .223 or .308.

I've heard, but can't verify, that there used to be a high power rifle competition in the Olympics until about 1970s or 1980s. I was told that the course of fire was too rigorous and too demanding of the athletes and that the sport had gotten too expensive for all but a few shooters to be able to compete. Too bad.

While gun ownership is restricted in many parts of the world, this doesn't prevent governmental sport authority bureaucracies from grooming shooters. In China virtually no citizens own guns, yet a Chinese woman took gold in woman's pistol competition.

Congratulations to Pfc. Eller for his success, it certainly didn't come to him overnight. He is deserving and he makes us Texans very proud.

[KBCraig]

From what I can tell, the non-airgun/non-shotgun competitions are all .22. I have wondered why there is no classification for high-powered rifles. The first reason to come to mind is that in most parts of the world, firearm ownership and use is very restricted, but the shooting sports have been around quite a bit longer than any [abbreviated profanity deleted] the modern gun control restrictions. While .22 is a standard platform for competition, I don't see why there cannot be other competitions in other calibers, such as .223 or .308.

For one thing, there's the matter of facilities: an indoor 50 meter .22 range is easy, compared to a 600 meter outdoor range.

For another, when it comes to the basics of competitive marksmanship (sight alignment, breath control, trigger control), .22 with worst-edge scoring is all you need. It's hard to get more precise than a .224 diameter bullet that has to land entirely inside a .250 bullseye without touching the ring, in order to score an X.

The international shooting sport I am always most impressed with is the winter biathlon. A highly aerobic sport (cross-country skiing), combined with position shooting (while wearing skis!) at targets and distances that would be difficult for most shooters if they were using a bench rest -- having done nothing more exerting than walk to the firing point.

[DoubleJ]

be cool if they had an IDPA style shoot while on the skiis, all James Bond style...

alright, I'll go to bed....

[jimlongley]

From what I can tell, the non-airgun/non-shotgun competitions are all .22. I have wondered why there is no classification for high-powered rifles. The first reason to come to mind is that in most parts of the world, firearm ownership and use is very restricted, but the shooting sports have been around quite a bit longer than any [abbreviated profanity deleted] the modern gun control restrictions. While .22 is a standard platform for competition, I don't see why there cannot be other competitions in other calibers, such as .223 or .308.

For one thing, there's the matter of facilities: an indoor 50 meter .22 range is easy, compared to a 600 meter outdoor range.

For another, when it comes to the basics of competitive marksmanship (sight alignment, breath control, trigger control), .22 with worst-edge scoring is all you need. It's hard to get more precise than a .224 diameter bullet that has to land entirely inside a .250 bullseye without touching the ring, in order to score an X.

The international shooting sport I am always most impressed with is the winter biathlon. A highly aerobic sport (cross-country skiing), combined with position shooting (while wearing skis!) at targets and distances that would be difficult for most shooters if they were using a bench rest -- having done nothing more exerting than walk to the firing point.

There are many more factors that enter into longer range, high power shooting, than just breath and trigger control, such as wind doping and handling the recoil, that it's really disingenuous to state that it's just because all that's needed is a measure of the basics.

Facilities have not been a problem historically, they just put the shooting venues where there is room for them.

I think the real reason is just a gradual anti-gun erosion of the competition.

There were larger caliber pistol and rifle matches long ago, and they have withered away, it's kind of like when they decided that shooting should not be free of sexual bias.

Men and women used to compete as equals, and women would beat men on a regular basis, which led to objections from the men.

I well remember when Lanny Basham was declared the winner over Margaret Murdock by a wierd interpretation of a tie breaker rule, and he graciously recognized her by pulling her up onto the gold medal stand with him.

BTW, did they change the scoring rules again?

[Wildscar]

If they did have high power shooting matching they would probably have to be outside and with all the smog in the air over there you would never see your target.

[Pocket9]

Just wondering.... Does 190 out of 200 sound low to anyone? My dad used to shoot in tournaments and regularly shot 99 out of 100.... and got second place. His best friend (almost) always broke 100 clays. I was expecting olympic level scores to be at least 198.

[seamusTX]

I'm pretty sure it's international trap, which is more difficult than American. You start with the shotgun at low ready, and there's a delay after you call pull.

190 is the record for the Olympics.

- Jim