The Official Program for the 3rd 2009 Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches that will take place at Camp Butner, North Carolina on 2-10 May, is now posted and available at www.ODCMP.com. Competitors who want to compete in either the CMP Games Matches or the Creedmoor Cup Matches can register for on-line at www.Clubs.ODCMP.com.
In 2007, the inaugural Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches drew over 300 competitors to Camp Butner, North Carolina for the nine-day shooting extravaganza. In 2008, the Eastern Games competitor count increased to 350. With three new events on the 2009 program, the total number of competitors is expected to go up again.
The Eastern and Western Games at Camp Butner and Phoenix, Arizona take place in May (Eastern) and October (Western). The Games’ programs feature two new shooter clinics, one for As-Issued Military Rifle shooters and one for “across the course” service rifle shooters. The CMP Games Matches offer three events for Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military rifles. The Creedmoor Cup Matches include a 50-shot NMC practice match, a four-person NMC team match, the 80-shot Creedmoor Cup and a final 50-shot leg match for service rifle shooters and 50-shot NMC for match rifle shooters. Both phases feature big competitor barbecues and lots of awards.
The CMP is adding three new events to its part of the schedule that begins on Saturday, 2 May, and continues through Tuesday, 5 May. Program features are:
- The New Shooter Clinic remains on Saturday morning, 2 May, so that everyone can shoot an As-Issued Military Rifle Match on Saturday afternoon.
- Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches will be fired on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. In addition to the standard Achievement Medal and match winner awards, the 2009 matches will also offer handicap and 3-rifle aggregate awards.
- The As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match has been moved to Sunday morning so that more competitors who can only shoot on Saturday and Sunday will be able to compete for 4-point introductory legs. There will be two new matches that afternoon and a barbecue for all competitors at the end of the day.
- One of the new matches on Sunday will be a Rimfire Sporter Match. There will be at least one 60-shot Rimfire Sporter relay for competitors who want to try this fast-growing event that is restricted to light smallbore rifles (7.5 lb weight limit) with scope or open sights. To keep things simple and affordable, special shooting equipment like shooting jackets is not permitted.
- The rules for the second new match, an As-Issued Military Pistol Match are still being developed. Considerations focus on a special EIC match for M1911 and M9/M92 type pistols with a course of fire that mirrors the M9 Pistol EIC Match fired at Camp Perry. Until then, interested shooters can register their interest in an As-Issued Military Pistol Match by entering that event in the Eastern Games on-line entry system. A clinic on pistol fundamentals is also being considered for Sunday morning. The CMP expects to announce detailed plans, schedules and entry fees for the pistol program in February.
- The third new match will be an M1 Carbine Match. The Camp Butner highpower range has a 100-yard firing line; the 40-shot Carbine Match will be fired from there on Monday afternoon.
The 2009 Eastern Creedmoor Cup match schedule will be similar to the 2008 Western Creedmoor Cup schedule. It all begins with a service and match rifle clinic on Wednesday, 6 May. Team Bushmaster and military service rifle teams will lead the instruction and coached practice sessions.
The match schedule begins on Thursday with a “Practice Match” over the National Match Course, with sighters for each stage. The team match for four-person teams firing the National Match Course is on Friday. The major event, the Creedmoor Cup is fired on Saturday over an 80-shot course. Saturday is concluded with an awards barbecue and the distribution of $15,000 worth of prizes and shooting sports equipment. The Creedmoor matches conclude on Sunday, 10 May, with a combined service rifle EIC match and a match rifle NMC event.
The combined nine days of shooting are co-sponsored by the Civilian Marksmanship Program and Creedmoor Sports. North State Shooting Club (NSSC) hosts the event at their home range at Camp Butner, North Carolina, which is located north of Durham. Camp Butner is a North Carolina National Guard training site that possesses an excellent 50-point 600-yard highpower range and a 50-point 25 and 50-yard pistol range.
In addition to the matches and clinics, CMP Rifle Sales will take place at the range at the conclusion of each day on 2-6 May. The CMP South staff from Anniston, Alabama will be on hand with a supply of government surplus M1 Carbines, M1 Garands and Kimber smallbore rifles. This will be a great opportunity for anyone attending the competition to inspect and hand select a rifle from the CMP. All rifles selected are tagged and shipped to the customer once the sale is complete. Case lots of .30-06 M2 ball ammunition will also be available for purchase at the range. Sales will start on Saturday at approximately 4:00 PM. Sales on other days will begin at noon after the morning shooting finishes.
Additional fun events on the schedule are a CMP BBQ on the 3rd of May, the awarding of CMP Achievement medals after each day’s As-Military Rifle Matches and a Creedmoor Cup BBQ and Awards Banquet with $15,000 worth of door prizes provided by Creedmoor Sports and other match sponsors on the 9th.
If you want to learn more about Creedmoor Cup activities, you can view photos taken at the 2008 matches at www.ODCMP.com/Photos. Photos from the 2008 Eastern CMP Games are posted here.
A detailed match program for the 2009 Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches is now available online here. You can now register here. Mail-in registrations using the application found in printed versions of this program are also accepted. Make your plans to be at Camp Butner, North Carolina between 2 May and 10 May so you do not miss out on this great event!
