Camp Perry

Teddy Roosevelt Built a Nation of Riflemen. Then Democrats Tried to Kill It.

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Theodore Roosevelt believed America was stronger when ordinary citizens knew how to shoot. For nearly a century, the federal government agreed—supporting the DCM, the National Matches, and even helping selected junior riflemen travel to Camp Perry to represent their states. Then came the 1990s, when Washington decided a program designed to create disciplined American marksmen was something that needed to be “terminated.” They killed the old DCM, but they failed to kill American marksmanship. The CMP survived—and the riflemen kept shooting.

The Older You Get, the Better You Might Shoot

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Most sports belong to the young. Smallbore prone is different. At Camp Perry this July, competitors will fire 640 record shots over four grueling days, plus a practice day and a team championship, all while trying to keep every bullet in a tiny X-ring at 50 and 100 yards. The winner won’t necessarily be the strongest or the fastest—it will be the one who can stay mentally sharp after nearly a week of relentless precision. In one of America’s oldest sports, experience isn’t a handicap. It just might be the greatest competitive advantage of all.