The Lapua Gong Shoot, organized by Lowvelt Hunters and Normark, was held on September 19th to 20th at the scenic Dawson’s Lodge, surrounded by the beautiful South-African wilderness. The two-day event was attended by 88 shooters.

The Gong Shoot is arranged on ten firing lines each with three gongs at distances ranging from 300 meters / yds to 1,000 m / yds. Each shooter has three shots per gong, meaning 90 shots in total. The winner and 1st lady was Tara Steyn with a total of 2733.3 points, followed by Simon Steyn with 2662.7 in second and JC Robertson with 2602.6 points in third.

Big congrats to the podium finishers and a huge thank you to the organizers for a great event!

The F-Class European Championship 2025 showcased world-class long-range shooting, bringing together shooters who share the same pursuit of precision and excellence.

We are proud to have supported the event and inspired to see so many shooters relying on Lapua components on the range. Thank you to the organizers, in particular Peter Dommett and Richie Jones and their team for all their hard work and effort; all the competitors who braved all kinds of crazy weather through the week; and the community who make championships like these possible.

All photos by Paul Deach/NRA of the UK – thank you for capturing the moments! Read more about the event and results at https://gbfclass.com/euros25/

Team USA has claimed the top honor at the 2025 IPRF PR22 World Championships, securing the gold medal with a dominant performance. The prestigious international competition was held from August 17-24 at the West Midlands Shooting Centre in Drayton, UK. Competing against the world’s best, Team USA showcased skill and precision, finishing with a team score of 2089 to win the world title.

The victory was a result of outstanding individual and team achievements across multiple divisions. In the Open Division, Team USA not only secured team gold but also saw Matt Stiner take 2nd place individually, with an honorable mention to Erich Leipold for a strong performance that tied for third. The Lady’s Division was a clean sweep, with the team earning gold, Camdyn Powers winning 1st place, and McKenzie Burns securing 2nd. The Juniors Division also brought home team gold, with Dakota Wright and Reagan Stahmer earning 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. The Seniors Division added another team gold, with Dave Ostrowske claiming the 3rd place individual medal, while the Factory Division team earned a bronze medal, with Ronald Verran finishing in 3rd place.

“We are incredibly proud of Team USA’s remarkable success at the World Championships,” said Adam Braverman, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Lapua. “Their dedication, skill, and unwavering commitment to excellence have rightfully earned them the title of world champions. Congratulations to every member of the team on this phenomenal victory.”

The 2025 Team USA roster was assembled through a rigorous selection process, ensuring the nation’s top talent was represented. Athletes earned their spots based on their performances at the PRS Rimfire and NRL22 championships, in addition to a series of eight qualifier matches held between January 2024 and March 2025. This comprehensive process culminated in a team that demonstrated its world-class capabilities and brought home the gold.

Lapua is proud to announce their sponsorship of the 2025 United States Precision Rifle Rimfire Team competing at the 2025 International Precision Rifle Federation (IPRF) Rimfire World Championships.

The 2025 team was selected based on performance at PRS Rimfire and NRL22 championships, as well as eight qualifier matches held between January 2024 and March 2025. Team members include: Ben Allread, Paul Dallin, Chris Garcia, Erich Leipold, Gregg Stewart, Matt Stiner, McKenzie Burns, Kala Doman, Camdyn Powers, Lily Knapp, Ethan Rearick, Reagan Stahmer, Dakota Wright, John Boyken, Brian Kendall, David Ostrowske, Timothy Nowak, Michael Look, Jason Nedved, Tyler Orth, Ronald Verran, and Team Lapua’s Ruth Soucie. Alternates are Justin Carbone, Jackson Hett, and Mark Kelly.

“Lapua is excited to partner with the U.S. Precision Rifle Team,” commented Adam Braverman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Lapua USA. “Being able to test and lot-match rimfire ammunition to the team’s rifles in our Lapua Rimfire Performance Centers has provided them with the highest-quality, most consistent rimfire ammo available. We hope this gives them the confidence they need to bring home the Championship.”

The 2nd Rimfire World Championships will be held August 14–17, 2025, at the West Midlands Shooting Centre in Shropshire, England. Competitors can expect dramatic elevation changes, challenging wind calls, and targets out to 250 meters across 20 scored stages.

The 2025 Lapua Monarch Cup concluded in spectacular fashion at the world-renowned NRA Whittington Center, July 20–22, marking the finale of a prestigious two-match series that crowns the top smallbore silhouette rifle shooter in North America. Combining scores from both the NRA Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Championships in the United States and the Dominion of Canada’s NRA Championship, the Lapua Monarch Cup continues to showcase the sport’s elite talent and international reach.

In one of the most exciting showdowns in recent memory, Mexico’s Jimena Davila emerged victorious in a three-way shoot-off against John Mullins (USA) and Enrique Kuess, Jr. (Mexico) to claim the USA portion of the Lapua Monarch Cup. The shoot-off was a nail-biter, with all three competitors demonstrating nerves of steel before Davila sealed the win with a clutch final shot.

The highlight of the event came in the overall Lapua Monarch Cup Championship, where Team SK’s Jake Stine etched his name in the history books by becoming the first-ever two-time Monarch Cup Champion. Stine’s total score of 208 across the two legs edged out Team Lapua’s Cathy Winstead-Severin (205) and Team Lapua’s Erich Mietenkorte (203) in a closely contested race among North America’s finest. The event also honored top performers across all classifications, with champions crowned in Master, AAA, AA, and A classes, recognizing excellence at every level of the sport.

A huge congratulations to Erich Mietenkorte of Team Lapua for taking top honors in the Hunting Rifle Championship at the 2025 Lapua Super Shoot, held at the iconic Ridgway Rifle Club over Memorial Day Weekend.

In one of the most grueling smallbore rimfire silhouette competitions of the year, competitors faced six 40-shot matches on Saturday and four more on Sunday, firing a total of 400 rounds for record. Despite cold, rainy, and windy conditions throughout the weekend, the competition pressed on, and every impact on steel was hard-earned.

“None of this would have been possible without the exceptional performance of my Lapua Midas+ rimfire ammunition. Its precision and reliability were crucial for navigating both the challenging weather and the demanding match format. Knowing my rifle and ammunition were tested and matched at the Lapua Rimfire Performance Center in Mesa gave me complete confidence that my setup would deliver, even in the toughest conditions”, said Mietenkorte.

In addition to his Hunting Rifle Championship win, Mietenkorte also secured 2nd place in the Standard Rifle Category with a score of 168 out of 200, underscoring his consistency and elite marksmanship across both disciplines.

Hats off to Erich Mietenkorte on this outstanding performance and to the Ridgway Rifle Club for once again delivering a top-notch championship experience.

Lapua is proud to announce their official partnership with the European Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Shooting Federation (ERABSF) and the European Metallic Silhouette Shooting Association (AETSM) to host the 2025 European Benchrest & Silhouette Championships and World Cup. The Benchrest Championships take place between 6-16 August, and the Silhouette Championships between 11-22 August at the Ruutikangas Shooting Center in Liminka, Finland.  So far there are 620 entries in Benchrest and 510 in Silhouette, over 1100 entries in total.

“We are delighted to be able to provide our support for one of the season’s main events in rimfire benchrest and silhouette shooting in Europe,” commented Erkki Seikkula, Director for Nordis Oy, distributor of Lapua and Vihtavuori products in Finland. “It’s a great opportunity for us to actively take part in strengthening the shooting community on a wide scale.”

The Championships are organized by the Finnish Shooting Sport Federation, the Ruutikangas Shooting Center and the cities of Liminka and Lumijoki. Lapua and Vihtavuori, both brands by Nammo Group, are partnering as sponsors. The director of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mikko Taussi, comments: “This is a big honor for the LOC to co-operate with Lapua and Vihtavuori, two of the premium brands in the shooting world, known for producing the highest quality and reliability required for ultimate precision shooting like benchrest and silhouette shooting at distances as far as 500 metres. Their on-site expertise will certainly be an added bonus for attendees.”

Representatives for Lapua and Vihtavuori will be available at the event. For more information on the championships, visit https://ech2025.fi/.

The Precision Rifle Series is proud to announce Lapua as the Official PRS Rimfire Ammunition of the 2025 season. Renowned for its exceptional quality and performance, Lapua’s rimfire ammunition will provide PRS competitors with the consistency and precision needed to excel in the fast-growing world of rimfire competition.

Lapua has long been recognized as a leader in the ammunition industry, known for producing high-quality rimfire rounds that offer unmatched consistency, accuracy, and reliability. Lapua’s rimfire ammo is trusted by competitive shooters worldwide, delivering the performance necessary to succeed at the highest levels of precision shooting.

“We are honored to have Lapua as the Official Rimfire Ammunition of PRS Rimfire in 2025,” said Ken Wheeler, Director PRS. “Lapua’s commitment to quality and precision aligns perfectly with the PRS mission. Their rimfire ammunition is a perfect fit for competitors looking for the ultimate in consistency and performance, and we’re excited to support our shooters with their world-class products.”

Lapua’s rimfire ammunition is designed to deliver flawless performance, shot after shot. Whether competitors are looking to achieve tight groupings at long distances or maintain consistency across multiple stages of a match, Lapua’s precision-made ammo provides the reliability needed to perform at the highest level. With Lapua as the official rimfire ammunition partner, the 2025 PRS season is set to be one of the most competitive yet, with shooters equipped with the most consistent and accurate ammo available.

The PRS values its partnership with the Lapua Team and looks forward to working together to support its members, elevate national Pro Series and PRS Rimfire competitions, and contribute to the growth of the sport. In 2025, the PRS will host 50 national-level precision rifle competitions, culminating in the PRS Pro Series Finale on November 1-2, 2025, at WAR Rifles – Geissele Range in Tremont, Pennsylvania. The 2025 PRS Rimfire Finale will be hosted in Parma, Idaho, September 26-28, 2025, where Lapua will proudly serve as a sponsor.

For more information on the Precision Rifle Series, visit: https://www.precisionrifleseries.com/