Oh my goodness, look at all the people. I am about to see some good scores from some really good shooters!” All of this and about a million more thoughts went flooding through my head. Next thought, “Dang, I forgot my slicker suit.” Luckily, the rain that threatened that Sunday afternoon ran its course before the matches began on Monday.

When the National Rifle Association holds a national competition, it isn’t a joke. The first thing I saw when I got out of my truck was a massive barn full of every ammunition, gun, and parts vender an avid shooter can imagine. I was like a child walking into the largest stocked toy store ever constructed. The long covered walkway leading to the range was buzzing with over 500 shooters preparing their weapons. Many of the great names in competition shooting such as Clay Tippit and Phillip Hemphill were casually checking bullets and loading speed loaders and magazines in the covered pavilions jutting off from the walkway. At the end of the walkway was a giant two-story range tower from where the matches would soon be called. I was mesmerized and I hadn’t even seen the range yet! Then there it was in front of me. Surrounded by tents of tailgating riflemen, the range had a one hundred position firing line meaning the line was almost two hundred yards long. As if that is not awe inspiring enough, I hear in the background that Jerry Miculek from Princeton, Louisiana, is here to break the world record. “I think I’m in gun lovers heaven.”

This year, I had the opportunity to represent the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Agents Association at the NRA National Police Shooting Championships in Jackson, Mississippi, September 21-24, 2003. Open only to law enforcement, the five hundred competitors were from all over the world. I met shooters from Germany, Canada, Czechoslovakia, and Venezuela. There were Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agents from Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Colorado. I felt great pride to be new to the scene this year to add Louisiana to the list. At least seven other Louisiana enforcement agencies were also represented. Some agencies present included: US Border Patrol, FBI, LAPD, Chicago PD, Utah PD, etc. I felt great pride to be shooting amongst the best of the best and representing the department.

Great deals do not get any better at NRA Nationals. Holsters were eight dollars. I bought 5,000 rounds of ammunition for $120. You just can’t buy it any cheaper. Sig Arms, Colt, Glock, STI, FNH, S&W, Beamhit, Lasershot, AMI, Precision Delta/Winchester ... you name it, they were there! I got to see all the latest new line of law enforcement products. They were spread out like candy! It was better than Halloween! Even better, new shooters got chances to win several new guns.

Out of the six different classifications: High Master, Master, Expert, Sharpshooter, Marksman, and classified; I was classified. Trophies are given in each category for each match for places one through three. I came away with a FIRST PLACE in Match 4 (25 yards standing no support), SECOND PLACE in Match 3 (50 yards sitting, prone, left & right hand barricade) and THIRD PLACE in Match 5 (7 yards standing& 25 yards kneeling left and right hand barricade; 50 yards sitting prone, left and right hand barricade; and 25 yards standing no support). I also came in Fourth Place in match 6, which is an aggregate of matches 1-5.

Camaraderie was great. I needed some extra speed loaders for one of my matches. One of the experienced shooters, Tom Dalton, noticed I was new and in need. He pulled out a couple of his own and told me to let him know if I needed anything else. The Mississippi Agents Association invited me to a fish fry Monday night at their tent! The Caddo Parish Sheriff s Office Pistol Team including Jim Carroll, Philip Deaton, Bill Bowers, and Tom Dalton welcomed me into their tent to prepare and rest between matches. I immediately felt welcomed and included with these friendly gestures.