Brian Zins Wins His 12th NRA National Pistol Title
OutdoorHub 07.15.13
Brian “Gunny” Zins of Girard, Ohio, won his 12th National Pistol title this weekend during the NRA’s National Rifle & Pistol Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio. Known by some as the runner-up on Season 2 of History Channel’s Top Shot, Zin’s twelfth title is twice as many as any other shooter in the history of the National Matches.
“I’m not done yet,” Zins explained. “I think I have a few more left in me.”
NRA’s National Pistol Championship is divided into three separate categories; .22, Center Fire, and .45. Competitors fire 270 rounds over three days for a total possible score of 2700-270x … the x stands for bullseye. Each of those matches are broken down into four different events: Rapid Fire, Slow Fire, National Match Course and Timed Fire.
Zins finished the 2013 Championships with a total score of 2634-126x. Finishing second overall, with a score of 2618-119x, was John Zurek of Arizona. Sergeant First Class James Henderson of the Army Marksmanship Unit finished in third.
“Brian continues to display a remarkable ability to maintain focus and perform under the most dire of circumstances,” said NRA Director of Competitive Shooting Dennis Willing. “It was a great recovery by a great champion.”
The recovery came after the .22 Championship where Zins fired only 89 of his 90 allotted shots due to miscount.
“Having a saved round in the .22 Caliber Championship was a rookie mistake that will hopefully never happen again – knock on wood,” Zins laughed. “But being able to pull it together, keep my head in the game and come back to win Center Fire and .45 was just huge for me.”
Philip Hemphil, NRA’s 2010 Pistol champ, won the High Police title with a final total of 2604-125x. Kimberly Hobart of New Philadelphia, OH clinched the High Woman championships with a 2501-64x while Walker Buckman walked away with the High Junior win.
The National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program conduct the National Matches at Camp Perry each summer. Considered the “World Series” of the shooting sports, participants range from novices to Olympic-level shooters, and include civilians, military personnel, and law enforcement officers. The NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships are open to everyone; NRA membership is not required.
Follow all the scores from the National Rifle and Pistol Championships at www.nrahq.org/compete/champ3.asp. For more information on the Camp Perry Championships as well as other competitive shooting programs or events, visit www.nrahq.org/compete or call (703) 267-1450.
