CAMP PERRY, Ohio – SSG David Bahten of the U.S. Military Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) was getting used to being runner-up.
Bahten has racked up a number of second place finishes – incomes the place a number of occasions on the annual Inter-Service Rifle Championships, Nationwide Rifle Affiliation (NRA) Nationals and the distinguished Nationwide Trophy Particular person Match held in the course of the Nationwide Matches at Camp Perry.
The truth is, Bahten, 35, of Phenix Metropolis, AL, has sufficient second locations to be within the USAMU’s Service Rifle Corridor of Fame – twice. However on the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) 2024 Nationwide Matches, he broke his streak by incomes the general win within the esteemed President’s Rifle Match.
“I’ve gotten second place at every little thing you will get second place at,” he joked. “So, it’s type of good to win one.”
The 2024 President’s Rifle Match, recognized affectionately locally because the President’s Hundred, served as Bahten’s 18th over his lengthy profession. The match has been in existence since 1894 and includes a qualifying spherical of competitors at 200, 300 and 600 yards from sitting, standing and inclined positions. The highest 100 athletes are named throughout the “President’s Hundred” and obtain particular recognition for his or her accomplishment, whereas the highest 20 are entered right into a spectator-friendly shoot off to find out the general winner.
Bahten, after all, had reached as excessive as second general up to now and was decided to lastly attain that prime spot as he approached the firing line at this yr’s occasion – although, seemingly, not with out the same old nerves.
“After I walked out to the 200-yard line within the morning – even now, having completed the place I’ve been and shot in addition to I’ve, I nonetheless get nervous on President’s Hundred Day,” he mentioned. “My knees nonetheless shake capturing standing – nonetheless obtained to battle these jitters.”
The morning of the match was darkish. He shot a 99 out of a doable 100 in standing, which felt like an honest begin.
“In case you did properly in your toes, you’re setting your self up for day,” he mentioned.
Again on the 300, the wind was laborious to place a quantity on. He seen lots of people being blown out to the correct – combating a left to proper wind, which switched earlier than swinging round straight from the again earlier than the day was performed.
He adjusted properly on the 300, nailing seven heart x-ring photographs. On the 600, his first shot was a ten, simply off the x-line at 11 o’clock – one other good begin.
“I had quantity on the wind,” he mentioned. “It picked up and let off a little bit bit – I obtained caught for a 9 out of the correct however was capable of pull off one other 99.”
Then, the shoot off occurred.
“It obtained a little bit sporty,” he mentioned with fun.
The shoot off began with daylight, however an incoming sturdy wind swirled gusts as much as round 20 miles per hour. Bahten’s windage on his first shot, used to regulate to the weather, was set at two-and-a-half minutes. It was spot on – a ten – and he caught with it.
“It type of picked up a little bit bit. I obtained as much as three minutes, favor proper, after which I adopted it all the way down to three-quarter left with my final shot,” he mentioned, indicating tough situations on the road.
The persistent wind not solely offered challenges for rivals however was additionally sufficient to spin the ambiance – pushing a line of clouds and heavy storms towards the vary that hit in the course of the coronary heart of the shoot off. Rain dumped from the sky, creating much more assessments of talent for these on the firing line.
“I simply centered on the situations,” Bahten mentioned. “As soon as the rain begins falling in your scope – it begins obscuring your goal. You get rain in your security glasses. I shoot with plenty of head strain, so as soon as my inventory begins to get slippery, it will get a little bit bit humorous. So, I’m wiping it off each shot, however my sweat rag was fully saturated, in order that didn’t work so properly.”
“I wasn’t bothered by the rain, however I fought the obstacles of the rain,” he went on. “Mentally, it doesn’t actually change something as a result of all people’s getting rained on. You’ve obtained to maintain powering via.”
With every cautious shot, he inched nearer and nearer to victory. The rain was secondary to his dedication – he wished the possibility to etch his identify onto the President’s Rifle Trophy and into its century-old historical past.
“I’m not right here to be within the Hundred, I’m out right here to win all of it,” he mentioned with confidence.
He did simply that – marking an general rating of 391-16X and a milestone that Bahten had looked for almost 20 years alongside his spectacular profession.
Bahten started in marksmanship round eight years outdated when he shot along with his grandma at a campground within the mountains – utilizing a pellet gun as pest management. His curiosity grew when he was launched to aggressive capturing at a winter smallbore security and elementary coaching course led by members of the favored junior staff, the California Grizzlies.
He started in this system when he was 10 and finally graduated to the highpower rifle self-discipline with an M1A for 3 years earlier than shifting on to the AR-15. In 2009, he was the Junior Nationwide Champion on the NRA Nationwide Matches. That very same yr, he was additionally on the record-setting staff that overtook the Nationwide Matches Infantry Trophy Match – the one junior staff to win the occasion till 2024 when Wisconsin “Cheddar” grew to become the second to realize the identical success.
As time went on, Bahten appeared to develop his skills much more. Fellow Grizzly Ty Cooper joined the U.S. Military Marksmanship Unit and supplied Bahten a spot on the staff. Bahten put it off for just a few years and helped coach in California earlier than finally taking Cooper up on his provide in 2011. Bahten has remained an integral member of the USAMU ever since.
Throughout that point, he has additionally developed many significant relationships with fellow rivals of all backgrounds, together with Haley Robinson (present report holder for the President’s Excessive Junior and Excessive Feminine awards), who helped preserve his household linked to his outstanding win, even from afar.
“Haley Robinson was FaceTiming my spouse in the course of the shoot off. She was crying,” he mentioned. “It was good to share it with them.”
His spouse, Katie, was additionally a member of the USAMU, on the service pistol facet, and is an completed three-gunner.
“She has extra titles than I do. She’s cooler than me,” Bahten mentioned with a smile.
Now, via his unwavering poise and clear expertise, Bahten and his household have yet another title to have a good time.
“It’s good to lastly win one,” he repeated.
Different noteworthy performers of the 2024 President’s Rifle Match included Bahten’s USAMU teammate and former California Grizzly SPC Amber Kingshill, 21, of Columbus, GA, who earned the Excessive Girl title and 13th general, in addition to Cole Aussieker, 18, who earned Excessive Junior. David Strickland, 63, of Marietta, OH, earned the Excessive Senior honor and 15th general.
Discover a full checklist of outcomes of the 2024 Nationwide Trophy Rifle and Nationwide Video games Matches at https://ct.thecmp.org/24NMRifleResults. Photographs of all occasions of the 2024 Nationwide Matches could also be considered and downloaded without cost at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f456222492.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit company. It’s devoted to firearm security and marksmanship coaching and to the promotion of marksmanship competitors for residents of america. For extra details about the CMP and its applications, log onto www.TheCMP.org.
