National BB Gun Invitational Begins in Pierre/Ft. Pierre

National BB Gun Invitational Begins in Pierre/Ft. Pierre

Beginning on Thursday and running through Saturday, Pierre and Ft. Pierre will be hosting a National BB Gun Invitational as teams from all across the country will be heading to Central South Dakota.

This invitational takes the place of the national championship which is held in Arkansas, but for the second straight year was canceled due to Covid concerns within the area. Sean Kruger, the head coach of the Pierre Jr. Shooters, says it didn’t take a lot of convincing to hold the event in the area this year after the national championship had been canceled…

This tournament doesn’t take the place of the technical national championship but it is a national tournament where teams will be coming in throughout the entire country…

Kruger says he’s very excited for the opportunity to host this national tournament…

Thursday is scheduled for a training and practice day for the teams with the competition kicking off on Friday and continuing onto Saturday. Admission is free for the tournament. You can see the full list of the details of the event below.

DIRECTIONS TO MATCH: Oahe Expo Center Fort Pierre, SD 320 Casey Tibbs St. Fort Pierre, SD 57532

ENTRY FEE:  No entry fee will be charged.

MATCH RULES: Current NRA BB Gun Rules & the current Official Match Bulletin will govern this event.

COMPETITION OPEN TO:

  • Regular Division Match open to competitors aged 8 through 15 years old. See exception below. Shooters that are 15 years old may compete at this match as long as their 16th birthday occurs after July 1, 2021.
  • Out To Pasture Division open to competitors ineligible to compete in the Regular Division who are 16 years or older and will be enrolled in high school in Fall 2021.

ENTRIES:

  • Regular Division: A team will consist of at least 5, but not more than 7 members.  Team Scores will be taken from the top 5 team members.  Individual entries will also be accepted.  Team members must be active participating members of the same Organization, Club, Project, Group, etc. and can be age mixed.  No Pickup teams (2.10). No “All Stars”: All teams competing in the Rushmore National Invitational must be made up of members who participate in the sponsoring organization’s Shooting Education Program. No team may be composed of members selected from a region or state-at-large.
  • Out To Pasture Division: Individual entries only will be allowed in this Division.  Competitors in this Division are not eligible to enter as a member of a team.

EQUIPMENT:  BB guns and equipment will be inspected prior to the competitor’s relay to make sure they conform to the current NRA rules. Inspection of BB guns and equipment can also occur any time after check-in and during the match.  Eye protection and closed-toed shoes must be worn by all competitors and coaches on the firing line.

COURSE OF FIRE:

  • Prone, standing, sitting, and kneeling, in that order. Each position will shoot ONE target in 10 minutes for a total possible score of 100 points and 10 X’s. X count will be used in the event of a tie. Unlimited sighters and all record shots should be completed within the 10-minute time limit per position, Rule 9.3.  Dry firing is allowed with a cocked and empty BB gun during the preparation period, only. The preparation period begins when targets are hung, no one is down range, and when the Chief Range Officer gives the command.  The preparation period will be a minimum of 2 minutes.
  • A written test with a total possible score of 100 points will be given to all competitors and count toward the aggregate score.
  • Test questions will be taken from Sections 3, 6, 9, 10, and 13 of the NRA BB Gun Rule Book (2020 Revision) and Lessons 1 and 2 of the “Daisy Shooting Education 10 Lesson Curriculum.”

ORIENTATION:  Range Safety Briefing and Orientation will be held.

AWARDS: Awards will be given out at the end of the match when tabulation of all scores and determination of winners have been completed.

  • Medals given for Top 10 in each position for Regular Division and in Out To Pasture Division.
  • Medals given for Top 10 Aggregate Score in both Divisions.
  • For Team awards, medals will be given to each participating team member for 1st through 10th Place Teams.
  • Awards given for Outstanding Test Performance

MATCH SCORING:  The Orion scoring system will be used for all targets.  Orion BB Gun Targets will be used.  Targets will be scored, and a shot summary sheet will be posted at the end of each relay.  There will be a 60-minute review time to look over your scoring summary sheet and targets at the end of the shooting period once summary sheets and targets are available.  Each team will be given one pass to review targets.  Coaches will be looking for administrative errors where the shot is not a reasonable interpretation of the actual shot.  Coaches may be allowed to view that shot in Orion if there is an error.  There will be no scoring challenges to targets that have been scored by the Orion System.  Once the targets are reviewed, the coach will turn the targets upside down on the table and sign the back of the top target.  Targets will not be allowed to be removed from the scoring area.  Any targets missing at the end of the challenge time will be given a zero.  Use of scoring plugs will not be allowed. Supersedes NRA rule 14.3.1.  Changes from the rule book as indicated in the match program have been approved by the National Rifle Association.  Team score tabulation will consist of the top five highest scores for that designated team.  Keep in mind that the NRA Rule book does not follow this practice (12.3).  All results can be accessed online from the Orion Results Center at www.orionresults.com.

CHANGES TO MATCH BULLETIN:  Though this Bulletin is intended to benefit the match personnel and shooters, changes can be made where deemed necessary by authority of the Match Director.  Where there are any questions, changes, or comments please bring them to the Match Director’s attention.

CONCESSIONS:  Available for purchase at match venue.

TENTATIVE MATCH SCHEDULE:

Thursday, July 1

8:00 – 1:00 PM Check In/Gun Check
9:00 – 1:00 PM Open Practice
4:00 PM Test
4:00 PM Coaches Meeting
5:00 PM Opening Ceremony

 

Friday, July 2

9:00 – ≈1:00 PM Prone and Standing Position (All relays until finished)
4:00 PM Fun Shoot
4:00 PM Test and Score Verification Period

 

Saturday, July 3

9:00 – ≈1:00 PM Sitting and Kneeling Position (All relays until finished)
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Shoot for National Records (if needed)
3:00 PM Awards Ceremony

 

Every effort will be made to follow the above schedule. Times may and can vary due to circumstances.