Camp Perry Advice Needed

I'd like to shoot at Camp Perry next year or for 2018.  Can anyone please give me some simple advice for shooting in matches, watching the High Masters make their way to winning and visiting the vendors?  I'd definitely like to shoot my 22 and maybe centerfire.  I live 3 hours away from Camp Perry in Saginaw MI.

If you were me, what would you sign up for and how would you arrange your trip?

I'd sign up for the whole event. Prelim day (NMC for 3 calibers),22,cf,45 and team if you know other shooters 

Many folks reserve their in town lodging for the following year as they check in or out of the current years match.

If you decide to stay on base lodging reservations open on a certain date.

http://www.cplcc.com/nminfo.html

If you can only do one event, go to small arms​ firing school. They provide guns and ammo, and there's one instructor for every two firing points.

It is best to connect with an experienced Perry shooter if possible. It can be confusing and the schedule is not real well documented. Before my first time I spent a lot of time trying to understand what happened each day from the match bulletin book, but I was really glad I had a couple of shooters who told me where to go and what to bring each day.

You have the option of shooting 22 only across the board. You will shoot the full Prelim and 2700, but shoot 22 all 4 days.

Camp Perry is not great for spectating. If you are not shooting you have to stay behind the "Ready Line" which is about 25 yards behind the shooting line. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope. High Masters and Masters will shoot on First relay for Prelim and 22 days, 3rd relay for CF and 2nd relay for 45. The last few years the top dogs have shot on range 4.

I prefer to stay on base. Your options are the huts or barracks. See the Camp Perry Lodgings website for details about making reservations. There are condos and motels in the area, but the closest places often book up well in advance. Anything in Port Clinton will be no more than 15 minutes away unless you get caught by the drawbridge and if you end up in Fremont it'll be about 20-30 minutes away.

Tony Brong wrote a nice blog post about Camp Perry. There are others on line as well to try to get a feel for the place, but there is no substitute for being there.

If you can keep your shots on paper at 50 yards (or almost all) I recommend competing. You will be squadded with people at your same level, so don't be concerned about being intimidated. If you can't quite keep your shots on the paper yet I recommend attending the Small Arms Firing School. It gives you a chance to experience Camp Perry but in more controlled conditions and everything is shot at 25 yards. You don't get to shoot a lot (2 National Match Courses) but the class instruction is good basic info and you might get lucky and have a top shooter coach you on the line. Unfortunately this year it is a week before the NRA matches, but you can hang around on Sunday and see the CMP matches. Since you are not too far away it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to come back again. I really hope the NRA and CMP get their act together next year.

Staying on Camp Perry has been preferred by me and I've stayed on base for over 30 trips to Perry but it's not like it was. Also now that the old Huts have been removed the number they have built to replace them is small compared what was there before. Chances of you getting a Hut this late is slim. You can try late and hope they have a Hut someone canceled. Barracks should be available but if your thinking of taking the wife and or kids along you would want the Hut or get off base housing but at that time of the year motels in the area are sold out too and prices are high. If your planning to go next year I would recommend going this year too if only to get to know the place. You can register to use only .22 in all the matches and shoot along with everyone else except your using the .22.
 Huts were sold out a few years ago so I now stay in town and reserve the room for the next year.
 NRA and CMP seemed to have kissed and made-up and next year it's supposed to return to as it was, CMP and NRA Pistol in the same week and I'm told rifle is back too except for small bore.

If you have an air pistol, consider shooting 30- and 60-shot courses at the Gary Anderson Air Gun Center. If you don't have one, you can rent it there. http://thecmp.org/air/cmp-competition-centers/

Decades ago I shot rifle at Camp Perry with the Marines.  Then the logistics were taken care of by someone else.  All I had to do was show up on time and shoot X's!  Those were the best of times...

Two years ago I got back into competitive shooting but this time with bullseye pistol.  In 2015 and 2016 I went to Perry and shot only the CMP events for the service pistol along with the .22 EIC, Harry Reeves revolver, and Distinguished Revolver matches.  Combined entry fees for these was cheap.  This year I registered for the NRA 2700 along with the other matches.  I think I doubled my entry fees.  

I live two and a half hours from Perry so splitting the match schedule was easy.  
Send me a PM to discuss.

Mark

I took a road trip yesterday and drove through Cam Perry.
I get the jist of the layout now, but I have one question.
How far out to the North on the grass are the actual pistol firing stations ? Plenty of mohills that contain the pop up targets all around.

I think the advice I should have taken, was to sign up and give it a shot.
Maybe next year I'll plan my vacation around Camp Perry and see how well an amateur Canuck with a low end .22 pistol can do.

Get yourself a 45 and shoot the whole danged thing.

Doesn't have to be a Les Baer but there are good 1911s in Canada to be had...

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/930999-AVAILABLE-NOW-Les-Baer-Custom-1911-Pistols-IN-STOCK

Multiracer wrote:I took a road trip yesterday and drove through Cam Perry.
I get the jist of the layout now, but I have one question.
How far out to the North on the grass are the actual pistol firing stations ? Plenty of mohills that contain the pop up targets all around.

The range with the mole hills and popup targets is Range 2 during pistol week. Range 1 is the farthest west, ranges 3 and 4 are to the east.

The 50 yard firing line is about 100 yards from the road and parking. The 25 yard firing line is 25 yards further - If you didn't know at Camp Perry the targets stay put and we move between 50 and 25 yards.

Here is a picture taken when standing near the road and parking areas. The Awnings are about 50 yards away and that is where you can wait for your relay.


Here is a picture taken from just in front of the awnings. You can see the row of empty green tables at the 50 yard line and people standing at the 25 yard line.

Great website about Perry.  I used it with success.

http://www.njpistol.com/Camp_Perry_FAQ.asp

Thanks Steve T.
Now I understand the hiking part of it.
Ron

I appreciate the advice everyone took time to type out for me.  Thank you.

Multiracer wrote:Thanks Steve T.
Now I understand the hiking part of it.
Ron

I'm glad I could help. 

After my first year at Perry, I made sure to get a [url=https://www.google.com/search?q=dock+cart&oq=dock+cart&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0l5.1496j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8]dock cart[/url] before coming back the next year. You'll see kiddie carts, shooting carts (from rifle and shotgun), yard carts, furniture dolleys and a few home made contraptions carrying gun boxes out to the line. The ground isn't too bumpy, but it's not golf course smooth. Bigger wheels help (6" or larger). Tiny wheeled luggage carts don't work very well. I ended up with one of these carts, but if I was starting over now I think I'd prefer one of the larger folding wagons. My cart is just a little too short to fit targets. They have to sit diagonally and are not as secure.

Ok, barracks, what bedding do I need for 2 nights.
Arriving Friday, when are practice traps open.

Thanks!

james r chapman wrote:Ok, barracks, what bedding do I need for 2 nights.
Arriving Friday, when are practice traps open.

Thanks!

In the Barracks you get a single bed. A mattress on a frame. You need to bring your own bedding, pillows etc. I would recommend a bath mat or small rug to set next to your bed as the floors are concrete. Flip flops to use to go to the shower are useful and don't forget, this is not a hotel so bring your own towels and bar soap.

Ahh, thanks!