Southport Masters Member Takes National Championship

Chris Johnson, High Master Conventional Pistol shooter, promotes the shooting sports by running educational seminars, coordinating competitive events and serving as Southport's club secretary. Chris is also a member of the Lead Slingers club in Illinois. For more information on Conventional Pistol (Bullseye) shooting, see the websites given in the text below.

Chris Johnson- 2005 1st place Civilian Champion & 3rd place National Pistol Championship

Southport Masters Bullet'n, Fall 2005; Chris's own report to the editor:
Camp Perry was a lot of fun for me. Just a little more fun than the 2700 I shot at Valparaiso, IN on Sunday on my way out to Camp Perry. I was doing well and finished with a 2652, (98.2%) for my first time over 2650. That was pretty cool.
Anyway, the Nationals also went very well. Just to get even with me for firing my first 2650 score, the Pistol Gods had me shooting next to and scoring GSgt Brian Zins USMC (six time national champion). Rimfire day had the Masters shooting at 7:30 in the morning and the conditions were perfect; overcast and no wind. I shot 886-43x which was good enough for 4th in High Master Civilian. Winning score was SSgt James Henderson USAR with an unbelievable 897-60x.
Centerfire day had the Masters shooting at 1:00 pm and the wind was howling. I was fortunate enough to shoot some good slowfire targets and finished 3rd overall with an 873-39x. Winning score was 878-43x. Great scores for such windy conditions.
On .45 day the Masters shot at 9:30 am and the wind wasn't bad at all. I knew at that point there was a group of about five or six shooters in contention; Zins, Henderson, John Ennis (all service) and Jerry Chaney and me (civilians). I did OK and shot an 878-36x. Winning score was Zins with an 885-30x so I knew I was near the top.
Zins finished as champ with a 2645-111x, Henderson second with a 2637-137x, and I was third with a 2637-118x. I also ended up the Civilian Champion. All the scores are online at http://www.nrahq.org/compete/champ3.asp. Needless to say, the club is very proud of Chris and appreciative of his contributions to the us and to the shooting community in general.

Bullseye Clinic

Southport Masters Bullet'n, Winter 2002, by Tom Becker, Publisher:
Many thanks to Chris Johnson, High Master Class Shooter, who provided two very informative sessions on improving your bullseye shooting (Conventional Pistol) skills. As a participant, I was personally impressed with Chris's mastery of the subject and his very practical suggestions.
Beginning with the basics, Chris revisited the importance of the fundamentals. He demonstrated and expounded on the subjects of natural point of aim, dominant eye, sight picture, sight alignment, trigger control, breath control and follow-through.
In addition to the basics, Chris discussed little tricks that he has picked up along the way, such as dealing with ambient lighting, the use of optic aids and shields, double ear protection to improve concentration and a consistent grip. He explained the strategy of practicing both timed and rapid exercises as rapid and the familiarity advantage of using two guns instead of three.
The clinic also provided training material, not the least of which was a copy of the Pistol Marksmanship Training Guide published by the Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia. This is an essential document that takes the serious shooter beyond the fundamentals all the way to mental discipline and competitive physical fitness. A number of written resources were mentioned that are also available on the Internet. It was pointed out that there are nearly 14 times more classified Bullseye shooters than action pistol shooters. Bullseye is not something you watch, it's something you do. Again, many thanks to Chris.

Making Master in One Year

Chris Johnson's story, in his own words.

http://www.bullseyepistol.com/cj.htm

National Rifle & Pistol Championships - Camp Perry, Ohio

The National Matches, considered America's "World Series of the Shooting Sports", have been a tradition at Camp Perry, Ohio since 1907. Each summer, the nation's finest civilian and military marksmen and women square off for five weeks of rifle and handgun competition in a variety of formats and events. Visit the Camp Perry web site http://www.cpmr-oh.org for information on this historic location and a listing of events being conducted there.

NRA Competitive Shooting Division • 11250 Waples Mill Rd. • Fairfax, VA 22030

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