Rocky Mountain Air Gun Challenge 2022

I used to scoff at airguns. I didn’t really see most as capable beyond shooting backyard varmints and as an introduction to shooting. My thoughts immediately jumped to BB guns and spring-operated .17 caliber airguns, with Olympic precision airguns being the exception. The Rocky Mountain Airgun Challenge (RMAC) taught me I was wrong.

PCP airgunning is a growing sport still in its infancy, but with incredible interest from around the globe. Airgun retailer Utah Airguns began hosting this annual multi-day match in 2018 and it has quickly become the equivalent of a world championship with prizes to match. The competition begins when registration opens. With approximately 200 spots, not everyone who wants to shoot will get a spot. RMAC 2022 sold out in approximately 30 minutes.

Competitors from around the globe gathered June 15-19 at Garth Killpack Shooting Range in Springville Utah to compete in four events: 100 yard benchrest, precision marksman challenge, speed challenge and the big bore slug challenge.

A variety of manufacturers were represented between two classes: sportsmen and pro. The pro division was designed for those who had previously fired in PCP airgun events and/or had won prizes in the sportsmen class in the previous year. Honestly, the classes got a big mixed and often scores in the sportsmen class rivaled the pro class.

I had the opportunity to compete in three of the four events, met some amazing people, and had a lot of fun. I quickly learned that airguns aren’t just like firearms. You can’t remove a pellet once loaded, you have to fire it to clear the gun. I also had to be a lot more careful. Though I’m usually pretty careful with my guns, I couldn’t manhandle the airgun as I would an AR.

Registration was one of the most exciting days as I had the opportunity to see nearly everyone arrive and circulate throughout a main tent containing vendors with wares for sale. I spoke with people from Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Norway and England – and I’m certain I’m missing a few. The excitement was tangible. Flags from different countries waved from the main tent and speakers pumped upbeat music as competitors sighted in their guns. Banners and flags waved everywhere, advertising sponsors who made the $100,000 prize pool possible.

The event was incredibly organized with two ranges running simultaneously. The order of events varied between sportsmen and pro class, and upon registration each competitor received dog tags with their relay and bench/squad assignments. For the benchrest competiton, cometptors drew their tag to ensure randomness.

The 100 yard benchrest competition was the quietest of the events, but one many competitors had trained for. Winds coming off the mountains made shooting difficult. Shooters shot two cards with 25 targets for score and unlimited sighters at 100 yards over two days. The top five shooters from each relay advanced to a 20-person final later in the week.

The precision marksman challenge was very similar to NRL22 and PRS rimfire competitions, but with more airgun-friendly obstacles and some exciting twists. Courses of fire were released approximately a month before the event for competitors to reference, but not all was revealed. Excitement mounted when a light armored vehicle drove onto the range for competitors to shoot out of and from on top of. Competitors had 120 seconds to engage a variety of targets ranging from 25 to 190 yards from different positions. Saloon doors, a fire truck and a side-by-side all made appearances.

By far the most exciting event was the speed challenge. In this event, competitors were divided into squads (groups of people) and pitted against other members of their squad. They took one of two benches and engaged a set of targets in a certain order, racing to a finish plate against their opponent. The top few from each squad advanced to the speed finals. Participating in the event was exhilarating, even though I didn’t have much airgun experience and I was pitted against some of the best shooters at the event. The speed challenge finals attracted quite the crowd, bleachers behind the shooters overflowing, cameras sitting on benches and on the shoulders of those watching. American Airgunner TV show host Rossi Morreale did the announcing in true game-show style, getting competitors and spectators amped up. In no exaggeration, if you blinked, you missed the event. The competitors in the finals were so fast you wondered how it was even possible.

Utah Airguns employees Jaiden Tuckett and Alex Hatfield found themselves in the pro series finale, best two out of three. I watched as the two young men looked over at one another and laughed. I soon learned they often frequented the Utah Airguns indoor range, racing each other just for fun on steel targets. I’m sure they never expected to be conducting their “fun” competition for TV programs and fellow competitors from around the globe.

One competition I didn’t compete in was the big bore slug gun competition. Not as many people participated in this event, but it truly challenged the limits of equipment with targets out to 300 yards atop the mountainside. 

The full list of winners, far too many to list, is available on rockymountainairgunchallenge.com.

Here are the highlights:

RMAC 100 Yard Benchrest – Pro Class:

1. Dusty Powers – 231-7x – $20,000 – FX Crown .22
2. Hein Fromann – 229-4x – $10,000 – FX Impact .30
3. Kjell Pehrson – 224-2x – $5,000 – FX Impact .30

RMAC 100 Yard Benchrest – Sportsman Class:

1. Todd Welch Jr. – 203 – 3x – FX Impact .30
2. Tanner Godfrey – 203 – 1x – FX Impact .30
3. Haylee Royce – 203 – 1x – FX Impact .30

Precision Marksman Challenge – Pro Class:

1. Boyd Linder – 800 – $20,000
2. Matt Dubber – 750 – $10,000
3. Justin Welch – 740 – $5,000

Precision Marksman Challenge – Sportsman Class:

1. Todd Welch Jr. – 460
2. Travis Wilson – 430
3. Burke Johnson – 400

Speed Finals – Pro Class:

1. Alex Hatfield – $7,500
2. Jaiden Tuckett – $3,000
3. John Bagakis – $1,000

Speed Finals – Sportsman Class:

1. Ray Michaelson – $1,000
2. Billy Armstrong – $500
3. Adam Migel – Prize Table

Slug Challenge – Big Bore:

1. Dave Wilson – 250 – $2,000
2. Boyd Linder – 235 – $1,000
3. Scott Hull – 220 – $500

One of the most incredible things about RMAC is that even with so much money on the line, it never overshadowed competitors’ willingness to help one another. The environment wasn’t hostile or tense and all levels of shooters were encouraged. Safety was at the core of the event, as well as ensuring everyone had a good time shooting, learning, improving, and challenging the limits of themselves and equipment. Also in attendance was the newly formed Professional Airgun Federation, a new 501c3 nonprofit that will be sanctioning local, regional, national and global matches so that even more people can compete and experience the inclusiveness of the airgun community.