The Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association (ORSA) High Power community in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, hosted a CMP Rifle Clinic this past September, with a near record of 27 participants. The coaches were excited to see such a large percentage of first-time attendees, young and old, electing to shoot the M1/M1A Series rifle, as was done in years past. The purpose of the clinic is to teach the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship that are a foundation of not only competitions, but of all recreational shooting or hunting.

The weather was great, with many fine scores for new shooters using only a rifle sling and body position.

Since the Spring clinics were canceled due to the recent pandemic, holding the Fall clinic meant that coaches and staff took some precautions such as wearing masks, but doing it in style when folks aren’t able to social distance. Firing was conducted on every other firing point to allow coaches and students to spread out and communicate clearly.

About Oak Ridge:

The Oak Ridge Sportsmen's Association (ORSA) is a collective group of hunters, archers, fishermen and other marksmen dedicated to outdoor sports and conservation. Membership to the club is open to all citizens of the United States, ages 19 or older. Holding 850 acres of land devoted to the shooting sports in a variety of disciplines, ORSA offers opportunities in shotgun Skeet and Trap, 200 to 1,000-yard rifle, a 200-yard benchrest range, along with Action Pistol bays for IDPA, USPSA, Cowboy, ICORE, Steel Challenge and 3-Gun competitions. The organization also has an Archery Range, Indoor Range and a Plinking Range.

Learn more about ORSA and how to become a member through their website at http://orsaonline.org/.

A Note from the CMP: At the CMP, we are not only dedicated to an increasing number of those involved in marksmanship within our own programs but are also devoted to supporting the efforts of those who are creating their own legacies in their own ways. Our Club News articles are our way of displaying the successes of our clubs, in the hopes of encouraging others to take the same respectable paths – both in marksmanship and in life. We are proud of our clubs for all of their endeavors and are honored to show them off within our news feed.

If you’d like to find your local club, visit the CMP Competition Tracker Page at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=clubSearch to become involved.

Have an article to share or want to highlight your CMP Affiliated Club? Send us your photos, reports and articles to highlight in The First Shot – email abrugnone@thecmp.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

Photo captions

1: Smiling is contagious when you get to hear the “ping” of an M1 Garand. Kyle Kirschenmann coaches a new shooter in the way of the Garand.

2: USAR Team Member and 2019 U.S. Midrange Champion Matt Goad supervises his shooters during the rapid sitting stage.

3: Coaches and support staff are all smiles when they can’t social distance with “2nd A” face masks, provided by White Oak Armament.

Submitted by David Kiefer

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.