The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
DISTINGUISHED EXPERT
VVS student becomes first female in OFC to earn the special certificate in target shooting
VVS student Rachel Champney has done what no female in the Oneida Rifle Club (OFC) has done before— earned her “Distinguished Expert” certificate in target shooting.
Champney was just 16 when she completed the tasks necessary to earn her Distinguished Expert title.
She received her certificate on Feb. 6, at the OFC where she was accompanied by fellow Junior League Rifle Club members, her mom and dad, and the instructors that helped her accomplish this impressive victory.
One special guest present in her support was her friend and mentor Mike Whipple.
The gun that Champney used to earn her Distinguished Expert title was the very gun that Whipple used to earn his own Distinguished Expert title at the OFC in the 1970s. From one expert to another, the gun was a meaningful symbol for patience, hard work, and a love for the sport.
To reach the Distinguished Expert level, a shooter must get a minimum score, no less, on a series of five targets on one target sheet, with two shots
“It’s so regulated, with so many safety protocols, and it teaches good discipline.”
— Rob Winchell, instructor
per target to reach the minimum score. This must be completed perfectly on 10 sheets in each shooting position; prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing. That totals 200 targets, with 400 near-perfect shots to obtain the minimum score.
There was a sense of respect in the room as everyone praised Champney’s talents.
“I’m impressed,” Director of the Oneida Junior League at the ORC Marlin “Corky” Rine said. “She’s a good shooter.”
Besides his guidance as an instructor, Rine played an important role in Champney’s achievement by being her main spotter for most of her target shootings.
Champney admitted, “I wasn’t good when I first started.” But another one of her instructors, Rob Winchell, thought otherwise. “You were good from the beginning,” he encouraged.
Three shooting seasons, which translates to roughly eight months of practice, is what it took for Champney to earn this latest prestige.
An interest in hunting is what first got Champney into shooting. When she couldn’t hunt due to her age and other restrictions, she found competitive shooting as an outlet, and quickly gained traction in the field.
Champney first started making strides with her shooting skills through speed shooting, where she currently holds the title of 3rd-time ladies limited World Champion.
She’s traveled the country for these competitions and in the process, has made quite a name for herself. Several sponsors support her in the sport, and she even has her own “competitive shooter” Facebook page.
Making the transition from speed- shooting to slow-paced, precise target shooting was a difficult process, Champney confessed. Both activities might require a gun, but they require different skills, she and her instructors explained. They described the sport overall as “self-competitive”— you versus yourself.
Champney’s mother, Jennifer Champney explained just how frustrating making it all the way to Distinguished Expert can be for a shooter.
“Think about it; you get four targets perfect on one sheet, then you mess the fifth target up, and you have to throw the whole sheet away. It doesn’t count,” Jennifer Champney said.
There are also multiple factors to consider when striving toward success, Jennifer Champney continued. For Rachel Champney, too much sugar or a long day of school could mess up her focus when trying to complete her targets. “You could see in Rachel’s eyes when she just wasn’t in the zone,” Jennifer Champney said. “Patience is key.”
Rachel’s parents have always supported her interest in shooting, though they themselves knew little about the sport until their daughter’s involvement.
“I’m the one that got my family into shooting,” Rachel Champney said with a sense of pride. “We didn’t even own a gun before,” Jennifer Champney shared.
To kids her age who are unsure about taking up competitive shooting, Rachel Champney has one bit of advice: “Just do it.”
You won’t know what it’s like until you do it for yourself, she said. Rachel Champney is a role model for both girls and boys alike who want to join the sport.
The Oneida Rifle Club is open to kids between 12 and 18 years old, and all skill levels and backgrounds are encouraged to join.
“It’s the safest sport,” both the instructors and Jennifer Champney agreed. “It’s so regulated, with so many safety protocols, and it teaches good discipline,” Winchell said.
To contact the Oneida Rifle Club, call 315-363-0249 or email orc@oneidarifleclub.com.
Whe t her Ra chel Champney continues at the OFC or if she pursues other endeavors, her mom encourages her to “shoot for the stars.”