The prestigious Lapua European Cup 300m returns to Sweden in June 2026, with two consecutive competitions hosted in the historic shooting city of Eskilstuna. Organized by the Eskilstuna Shooting Club, which proudly celebrates its 165th anniversary in 2026, the events will gather Europe’s top 300m rifle athletes for a full week of elite‑level competition. The matches will take place at the renowned Hugelsta Shooting Range, located just 10 minutes from Eskilstuna city center.

Event overview

Both events follow ISSF and Lapua European Cup 300m technical rules. EC-delegation in according to the rules. All entered must have an ISSF ID-number.

Lapua European Cup Sweden

Dates: 22–24 June 2026
Location: Hugelsta Shooting Range, Eskilstuna, Sweden

The Lapua European Cup Sweden begins with equipment control and open training sessions, ensuring all athletes are fully prepared for competition. The program includes Standard Rifle events with both PET and competition stages, followed by 300m Rifle 3×20 PET and competition relays. The schedule also features 300m Rifle Prone for both Men and Women, again including PET and competition stages. Each competition day concludes with a victory ceremony, and the event will host an official banquet on 24 June.

Lapua European Cup Eskilstuna

Dates: 25–27 June 2026
Location: Hugelsta Shooting Range, Eskilstuna, Sweden

The Lapua European Cup Eskilstuna opens with equipment control and continues with 300m Rifle Prone PET and competition relays for both Men and Women. The program also includes Standard Rifle PET and competition stages, followed by 300m Rifle 3×20, which features PET sessions as well as full competition relays and finals. The event concludes on 27 June with a closing ceremony marking the end of both the Lapua European Cup Sweden and the Lapua European Cup Eskilstuna.

A warm welcome to Eskilstuna

The organizing committee and the Eskilstuna Shooting Club look forward to welcoming athletes, coaches, and delegations from across Europe. With a long tradition in competitive shooting and a milestone anniversary ahead, the club is committed to delivering an exceptional competition experience.

Lapua’s Luke Ramsey delivered an outstanding performance to secure a 2nd place finish in the F-T/R division at the 2026 Vihtavuori V2 Finale, held May 13–16.

The Vihtavuori V2 Finale is an invitation-only, long-range championship featuring the top shooters from across the F-Class Points Series season. Competitors qualify by accumulating points at sanctioned matches, with the top 32 shooters in both F-T/R and F-Open advancing to the finale. The three-day competition culminates in an intense double-elimination bracket to determine the final standings.

This year’s event tested competitors with brutal, constantly shifting wind conditions, pushing even the most experienced shooters to their limits. The final match between first-place finisher James Crofts and Wade Ramsey turned into a dramatic showdown that ultimately came down to a five-round shoot-off. In a rare and intense finish, the match even required a coin flip to decide who would shoot first—underscoring just how incredibly close the competition was from start to finish.

Competing in the highly restrictive F-Class Target Rifle (F-T/R) category—where rifles must weigh no more than 18 pounds and are chambered in standard .308/7.62 NATO or .223/5.56 NATO—Ramsey relied on a precision load featuring Berger 30 Caliber 208 Grain Long Range Hybrid Target bullets, Vihtavuori N150 powder, and Lapua .308 Winchester Palma brass.

“Finishing 2nd at the finale in extremely challenging wind was a tough but rewarding way to close out the series,” said Ramsey. “Lapua Palma brass, paired with my Berger 208gr Hybrid Target bullets and Vihtavuori N150, gave me the consistency and performance I needed when the conditions were at their worst. I’m proud to represent Team Lapua.”

For those who want to experience the intensity of the competition firsthand, follow along with the head to head bracket at challonge.com and stay tuned to the F Class Points Series YouTube channel for full coverage of each matchup and the final stages.

Watch the action unfold at youtube.com/@f-classpointsseries.

Erich Mietenkorte of Team Lapua swept the 2026 Lapua Super Shoot, prevailing over demanding conditions and staying focused from start to finish to win the Overall Aggregate, Hunter Rifle, and Standard Rifle championships, May 23–24.

The Lapua Super Shoot at Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, once again lived up to its reputation as the most demanding smallbore silhouette match on the calendar. The format alone presents a significant challenge: competitors fire five matches with each rifle for a total of ten matches and 400 rounds over two days. Six matches are contested on one day and four on the other—equivalent to shooting an entire three-day National Championship in just two days.

Competitors engage steel silhouette targets—chickens at 40 meters, pigs at 60 meters, turkeys at 77 meters, and rams at 100 meters—all from the standing offhand position. While the course is already demanding under ideal conditions, this year’s match introduced an added level of difficulty.

Mietenkorte, competing with Lapua Midas+ ammunition matched to his rifle at the Lapua Rimfire Performance Center in Mesa, Arizona, battled cold temperatures, rain, wind, and constantly shifting conditions that forced him—and every competitor—to earn every target. Conditions improved slightly on day two, offering calmer, more manageable weather and some relief for shooters.

Standing and shooting in cold, wet, and windy weather affects more than just bullet flight; it challenges a shooter’s ability to maintain stability, physical comfort, and consistency over an extended course of fire. Throughout the weekend, mental focus and physical discipline proved just as critical as marksmanship fundamentals.

“As conditions became more difficult, I never had to question my ammunition,” said Mietenkorte. “Having complete confidence that it would perform every time I pulled the trigger allowed me to focus entirely on reading conditions and executing shots. I also could not have done it without Lapua’s Shane Barnhart behind the spotting scope. Shane did an outstanding job helping me stay on track throughout the weekend and making the right calls in some very tricky conditions.”

Mietenkorte will compete next at the Iron Man Regional Championships in Missoula, Montana.

Congratulations to Team Lapua’s Ryan Sponauer for his 2nd Place finish at the AZ State Smallbore Prone Championship this past weekend at Ben Avery Shooting Complex in Phoenix, AZ. Sponauer is the Test Center Specialist for the Lapua Rimfire Performance Center just a few miles away in Mesa, Arizona.

The AZ State Smallbore Prone Championship was hosted by Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club this past Saturday, January 10th and featured 160 rounds fired at 50 and 100 yards. Competitors shared that the weather was very uncharacteristic for the Grand Canyon State, cutting the two-day match down to one day. Cooler temperatures and winds gusting to 30-mph created some challenging conditions.

Sponauer shared, “The challenging weather with shifting and gusting winds made for an interesting weekend. Through our lot testing procedures, I was able to identify an excellent performing lot of Lapua Midas+ ammunition which clearly provided an advantage in the adverse conditions.”

Lapua Service and Rimfire Performance Centers

Find the perfect rimfire ammunition to match your firearm.

Competitors interested in testing Lapua Rimfire Ammunition should contact the Lapua Rimfire Performance Center and ask for Ryan at @ 480-898-2731, or email rimfiretest@capstonepg.com today to schedule a visit to our Ohio or Arizona test facilities. Beyond the United States, Lapua provides elite, world-class rimfire testing opportunities through its international network of Service Centers. Shooters can access professional-grade .22 LR test shooting in Schönebeck, Germany; Konnevesi, Finland; and Røyken, Norway – trusted by Olympic athletes, world champions, and top competitive shooters worldwide.

The Lapua Monarch Cup, North America’s premier smallbore rifle silhouette competition, has announced its official 2026 schedule. Now entering its fifth year, the Cup features a two-part series of smallbore standard rifle silhouette matches hosted in the United States and Mexico.

The Lapua Monarch Cup is built around the annual U.S. Smallbore Rifle Silhouette National Championships, with an additional host country (either Canada or Mexico) selected through a proposal process. The 2026 competition schedule is as follows:

1st Match – NRA National Smallbore Silhouette Championships

Ridgway Rifle Club, Ridgway, PA, USA
July 26-28, 2026

2nd Match – NRA National Smallbore Silhouette Championships

Saltillo Coahuila, Mexico
October 10 & 11, 2026

Competitors earn scores from each match within their respective classifications (Master, AAA, AA, & A), allowing all participants the opportunity to compete for a share of $25,000 in cash prizes distributed across the two events.

“The Lapua Monarch Cup is more than a competition — it’s a premier showcase of precision and passion,” said Adam Braverman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Lapua and advisor to the Cup. “With $25,000 in cash prizes on the line, this event delivers an unmatched experience for shooters while fostering camaraderie and celebrating world-class marksmanship across North America.”

The Lapua Monarch Cup Board is pleased to welcome new members:
Dustin Flint (USA)
Gabriel Villareal (Mexico)
Jose Corral (Mexico)

These three new Board Members join existing members Erich Mietenkorte, Daniel Salazar, Jason Marsh, Jose (Pepe) Valdes, and Chris Cawthorne — with Adam Braverman serving as an advisor.

Registration details and more information

For registration details and complete information on the Lapua Monarch Cup, visit lapuamonarchcup.com.

For more information on the North American Silhouette Shooting Association (NASSA), visit nassasilhouette.org.

The 2025 NRA F-Class Fullbore Long-Range National Championships, held October 23–25 at the Bridgeville Rifle and Pistol Club in southern Delaware, saw a historic performance by Keith Trapp, who not only joined his team in victory but also set multiple new national records in the F-T/R division. Keith’s solid performance earned him 2nd place overall.

Competing as part of Team USA F-T/R Vortex, Trapp and his teammates—Tracy Hogg (Captain), Brad Sauve, and Drew Rutherford—secured the 4-man team match title with a commanding score of 1790-117X, setting a new national record in both the Open and High Master categories.

Trapp’s individual performance was equally impressive. With an overall score of 1342-59X earning Trapp 2nd place, he also broke several national records, including:
• 800 yards: 150-26X (Open & Military)
• 1,000 yards: 150-8X (Open)
• Grand Aggregate: 1342-59X (Military Veteran)

Reflecting on his performance, Trapp credited his equipment and preparation, “The consistency of Lapua brass kept me centered up and allowed me to set a new Nationals record.” Trapp trusted Berger 200.20X bullets, driven by Vihtavuori N150 powder and seated in Lapua .308 Win Palma cases, to help him reach the podium.