Competition

The NRA National Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) will return to Bentonville, Arkansas, July 19–26, 2026. Open to youth ages 8–18, this premier event features eight challenging competitions including shooting disciplines and responsibility-based activities conducted under realistic hunting conditions. Organizational sponsors include Arkansas Friends of NRA, Safari Club International, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and corporate partners like Federal, Remington, Henry Repeating Arms, and Bushnell.

Steve Foster of Team Ruger won High Overall and first place in the Open division at the Michigan State Rimfire Challenge Championship, competing with a Ruger Mark IV pistol and 10/22 Carbon Fiber rifle across 10 stages. Sturm, Ruger & Company congratulated Foster on his exceptional performance and commitment to rimfire competition.

SHIELD Sights celebrated strong performances at the European Handgun Championships 2026 in Crewkerne, England. Denny Rossetto successfully defended her Ladies Open European Championship title, while Miroslav Zapletal captured the Men's Senior Production Optics European Championship, showcasing exceptional skill among Team SHIELD competitors.

Team Ruger's Lauryl Akenhead won the Top Lady title at the 2026 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge near Evanston, Wyoming, competing against 200 shooters with her Ruger American Rifle Gen II chambered in 6mm Creedmoor. Akenhead praised the rifle's reliability and accuracy, crediting it as a winning competition platform.

Shell Shock Technologies sponsored shooter John Vlieger won first place in the Carry Optics Division and second overall at the 2026 Bluegrass USPSA State Championship in Wilmore, Kentucky. Vlieger credited Shell Shock Technologies' NAS³ cases for their consistency, achieving a 5-fps extreme spread across 11 stages with 997.5887 match points out of 91 competitors.

Kaleb Klein of Team Ruger won multiple titles at the 2026 Area 5 Steel Challenge Championship in Terre Haute, IN, claiming first place in Optical Sight Revolver, Iron Sight Revolver, Rimfire Revolver Optics, and Rimfire Revolver Iron divisions using Ruger's Super GP100 and GP100 revolvers. Abbey Clary, Ruger's Director of Media, Advertising and Public Relations, praised Klein's outstanding performance and highlighted the reliability of Ruger firearms.

Walther athlete Braden Peiser qualified 5th and finished 6th in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions final at the 2026 ISSF World Cup in Munich, marking his first senior World Cup final appearance. The University of Kentucky competitor and 2026 NCAA individual smallbore champion recently joined the Walther World Team.

Sturm, Ruger & Company congratulates Team Ruger's Lauryl Akenhead on achieving High Lady and finishing fourth overall at the 2026 Colemans Creek Hunter Match in Ellerbe, NC. Competing against 96 shooters across 17 stages, Akenhead used her Ruger American Gen II rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor to score 97 in the Open Heavy division.

Hornady employee Joe Thielen won the Open Division at the Northern Lights Classic PRS match using Hornady 25 cal. 138 gr. A-Tip Match bullets. Sponsored shooter Clay Blacketter placed second, while teammate Lauryl Akenhead won both the Lady and Suppressor Divisions.

Team Ruger's Lauryl Akenhead won Top Lady, Top Suppressor, and placed eighth overall at the 2026 Bullet Central Northern Lights Classic in Aneta, North Dakota, competing against 86 shooters with her Ruger American Gen II rifle in 6mm GT across 19 challenging stages.

Shell Shock Technologies sponsored shooter John Vlieger won first place in the Carry Optics Division and second overall at the 2026 Ohio State Buckeye Blast, earning 96.74% of available points using Shell Shock Technologies' NAS³ cases. Vlieger will compete next at the 2026 Bluegrass State Championship in Kentucky.

Team Beretta's JJ Racaza won the 2026 Handgun & PCC Puerto Rico Extreme Cup, an IPSC Level III match, competing with the Beretta 92X Performance. This marks his second major Level III victory in 2026, following his earlier Xtreme Open win in Florida.

Team Beretta achieved multiple podium finishes at the 2026 World Speed Shooting Championship in Talladega, Alabama. Salvador Luna won the Production Division World Championship title with the Beretta APX A1 Full Size and secured second-place finishes in Carry Optics and Limited Divisions. Cameron Templin earned third-place finishes in Carry Optics and Limited Optics Divisions with the Beretta 92 Elite LTT.

Over 400 competitors from 30 states participated in the 2026 Zombies in the Heartland 3-Gun match hosted by Hornady and Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. Hornady-sponsored shooters Andrew Tarver, Dillen Easley, and Dylan Mertens won their respective divisions using Hornady ammunition and equipment.

The National Rifle Association announces the "Faces of Freedom" America's Rifle Challenge Regional Championships presented by 360 Precision, taking place August 1–2 at Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex in Rapid City, SD. The event features eight stages combining ARC Levels and is led by Match Director Michael Kuzara and Assistant Match Director Bruce Schmidt with Prairie Thunder Action Shooting Club support.

The National Rifle Association announces the "ARC Across America National Challenge," a nationwide competitive shooting event running from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The NRA aims to have over 250 clubs and ranges host America's Rifle Challenge Level 1 matches, welcoming firearm owners of all experience levels to compete and develop practical rifle skills.

Team Ruger Captain Doug Koenig won his record-breaking 21st Bianchi Cup Championship at the 2026 event in Columbia, MO, using his Ruger SR1911 Custom Shop pistol. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. congratulated Koenig on his exceptional performance and dedication to competitive excellence.

Meprolight-sponsored shooter Garrett Tyler won his first overall Precision Rifle Series Atlantic Coast Regional match at Colemans Creek Training Center on May 16, 2026. Tyler, a two-time Atlantic Coast Region Production Class Champion, competed using the Meprolight MVO 3-18x44 precision riflescope against a competitive regional field.

Staccato2011 announced registration is open for the 2026 Staccato National SWAT Championship, presented by Trijicon, taking place September 25–27 at Staccato Ranch Vegas. The expanded event will feature 60 competing law enforcement teams competing for a $150,000 prize pool, with all proceeds benefiting Fallen Blue.

Lauryl Akenhead of Team Ruger won second place overall and Highest Lady at the Spears Mountain Safari NRL Hunter competition in Gladstone, Virginia, competing against 76 shooters with her Ruger American Rifle Gen II in 6.5 Creedmoor.