Team Lapua’s Mark Delcotto is off to a fantastic start this season, showing remarkable consistency in two major competitions. Finishing 2nd overall at the Western Wildcat Prone Championships with a grand aggregate of 6395-525 is an impressive feat, especially coming off a strong 3rd-place finish at the NRA Smallbore Metric Prone Nationals the week before.

With such momentum, it seems like only a matter of time before he claims the top spot. His determination and skills are clearly setting him up for success! “The Western Wildcat Challenge is one of the best tournaments of the year and a great event to kick off the shooting season.” Said Delcotto “I had the pleasure of shooting alongside Deena for four days and although the final result did not meet my expectations, I was grateful for the opportunity to compete against such a terrific shooter for four days in a highly contested match.”

The Western Wildcat took place at the Ben Avery Shooting Complex in Phoenix Arizona, March 19th – 23rd, hosted by the Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club. The Westen Wildcat has become a staple with smallbore shooters across the United States. Delcotto remains dedicated to achieving great results with his ammo of choice Midas +.

Delcotto’s Midas + .22LR ammunition was matched to his rifle at Lapua’s Rimfire Performance Center. Unique lots of ammunition are tested at 50 and 100 meters simultaneously, identifying the best performing ammunition for purchase. This service is available to any shooter who wishes to gain a competitive advantage. Schedule your testing at either of Lapua’s Rimfire Performance Centers located in Mesa, AZ, or Marengo, OH, or if you reside in Europe, our German or Finnish test centers..

Lapua, Lapua, a leader in highest quality ammunition, has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Precision Rifle Association (CAPRA) to provide Team Canada with support for the year 2025.

CAPRA is the Official Governing Body for Precision Rifle Shooting Sports in Canada, affiliated with the International Precision Rifle Federation (IPRF) and responsible for selecting members for Team Canada to compete at the IPRF Centerfire Precision Rifle World Championship and the IPRF Rimfire World Championship. This year, the main focus for Team Canada will be achieving success at the IPRF rimfire World Championships in UK in August, 2025.

“Team Canada is looking for redemption from Italy 2023 with big goals of both individual and team medal placements. The Team is looking to build on the success of their Team Canada 2024 centerfire counterparts with goals to take home team medals in every category,” says Carlee Krtolica of the CAPRA board of directors. “Team Canada 2025 has been traveling great distances across North America to compete head-to-head with top shooters in the world to prepare; speaking regularly, sharing equipment advice and training regimens, and meeting up to compete side by side whenever possible. Although is an individual sport, Canada competes and wins as a team.”

For Lapua, partnering with CAPRA is a great fit. “Lapua is happy and excited to offer our quality ammunition and expertise to support a highly skilled and successful team like Team Canada,” comments Jarkko Aro, Director of Marketing and Sales at Lapua. “We feel like Lapua and CAPRA share the same values of teamwork and a Passion for Precision needed to strengthen the shooting sports’ community.”

The co-operation with Lapua is also an important asset to Team Canada. Krtolica concludes, “The support of Lapua gives the team a confidence boost; knowing that the industry is behind us is an incredible feeling. This kind of support for our team of athletes goes well beyond the financial assistance provided.”

For more information on CAPRA and Team Canada, visit https://canadianprecisionrifle.com/. In Canada, Lapua products are distributed by Hirsch Precision Inc. at www.hirschprecision.com .

The Lapua Monarch Cup, one of the most prestigious smallbore rifle silhouette competitions in North America, has officially announced its 2025 schedule. Now in its fourth year, the Cup features a two-part series of smallbore standard rifle silhouette matches contested in the United States and Canada.

The Lapua Monarch Cup is centered around the annual U.S. Smallbore Rifle Silhouette National Championships, with a second host country selected through a proposal process. The 2025 competition schedule is as follows:

• 1st Match – Canadian National Smallbore Silhouette Championships
  • Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada
  • June 20 – July 1, 2025
• 2nd Match – NRA National Smallbore Silhouette Championships
  • Raton, New Mexico, USA
  • July 20-22, 2025

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.

“We are excited to continue the tradition of the Lapua Monarch Cup and provide competitors with an unparalleled competition experience,” said Adam Braverman, Lapua’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing and an advisor to the Cup. “This event not only showcases top-tier marksmanship but also fosters camaraderie among shooters across North America.”

The Lapua Monarch Cup Board consists of esteemed members of the shooting community, including Erich Mietenkorte, Daniel Salazar, Jason Marsh, Jose (Pepe) Valdes, and Chris Cawthorne, with Adam Braverman serving as an advisor.

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

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

Lapua, world-renowned for producing the highest quality centerfire ammunition and components, is partnering with the Southern Alberta Precision Rifle League (SAPRL) to provide PRS enthusiasts with support at the PRS Pro Series Cactus Cup taking place in Alberta, Canada from May 31^st to June 1^st, 2025.

“Lapua is happy and excited to offer our support for the PRS Pro Series Cactus Cup of 2025,” comments Sylva Hautamaki, Marketing Manager at Lapua. “We have seen the dynamic expansion in the PRS disciplines and are proud to be partners with a supportive community like the SAPRL that focuses on growing the sport and making it accessible for young and old.”

The SAPRL was formed in 2017 to offer precision rifle series style matches to Canadian participants, with matches now bringing in between 50 to 60 competitors for Rimfire and 80 to 100 rifle competitors for Centerfire field matches.

The Cactus Cup is a two-day Centerfire PRS Pro Series competition with targets ranging from 300 to 1200 yards. The course of fire has been meticulously planned out to ensure that not only the competitive shooters are challenged but newer participants have a fantastic time as well.

“The Cactus Cup is a staple of the Alberta prairie PRS matches that attracts shooters from all over Canada and the USA to compete in rolling hills, valleys, and the always present winds of Alberta”, explains Match Director Tyler Jalbert. “With new barricades and targets at our disposal we look to provide competitors with a weekend that will be a highlight of the matches they experience in Canada.”

The SAPRL is delighted to have Lapua support as the title sponsor of the event which focuses on the shooter’s fundamentals of movement, target acquisition, and time management while on the clock.

Jalbert says, “We believe that the name Lapua brings about a high level of precision and accuracy. Something that every PRS competitor is looking for to climb the podium and become the best.” He concludes about the event, “The greatest thing about the SAPRL Cactus Cup is the people. The family and friends that come together to compete against one another and make a weekend of fond memories on the firing line. Competitors look forward all year to attending the SAPRL events in order to reconnect, banter, and challenge one another. We encourage competitors of all skill levels to come and participate!” For more information on the SAPRL and Cactus Cup, visit precisionrifleseries.com website. . In Canada, Lapua products are distributed by Hirsch Precision Inc., read more at hirschprecision.com

Congrats to our sponsored shooter Dan Lomas for securing 3rd place and a G.B.F.C.A. National F Class League Win in the UK Nationals’ FTR class. 

A total of 90 shooters took part in the discipline, which consisted of F Open and FTR classes, respectively. In FTR class, the shooters are required to use either caliber .308 or .223. Dan was pleased with his results, giving credit to his ammiuniton. “The Berger, Lapua and Vihtavuori N150 combination worked flawlessly and I finished the match in third place and took the national league title for the second year running by 3 points. I shot a .308 using Berger 208 grains, Lapua Palma brass and Vihtavuori N150 powder.”

The GBFCA National league is calculated on the best four shoots out of the 8 matches held across the UK. The last match, i.e. the British Nationals, took place between 1st and 4th November at the Bisley ranges. For once, the British Weather Gods decided to side with the shooters! “The conditions for the match were great, light winds mild and dry. The winds were lolling and great fun to shoot in. With the light conditions, every component had to perform excellently as an loss in accuracy and points would be very hard to regain.”

Congratulations to Edgar Rueda from Mexico, crowned the 2024 Lapua Monarch Cup Champion. Rueda made history as the first Mexican Shooter to with the prestigious Monarch Cup since its inception in 2022.

The Lapua Monarch Cup is comprised of three premier Smallbore Silhouette shooting matches hosted in Canada, United States, and Mexico. Competitors earn points from each match within their respective classification (Master, AAA, AA, & A), providing all shooters an opportunity for over $100,000 in cash and prizes. Lapua’s Monarch Cup is recognized as the must-attend event of the silhouette shooting world.  

To obtain his championship title, Rueda won the 2nd stage of the cup, taking place October 5-6 at Club De Tiro Saltillo Safari, in Saltillo, Coahuila, México. Rueda tied with Enrique Kuess on the first day of the match, shooting a 37/40, 35/40. On the second day of the match, Rueda battled windy conditions to shoot a 38/40 giving him the aggregate score to secure the Saltillo title.

Rueda had previously taken 4th place at the 1st leg of the Cup at the NRA National Smallbore Silhouette Championships in Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, PA, US. Rueda had match scores of 30/40, 38/40, 36/40, for a Grand Aggregate of 104/120 for the July28-30th
competition.

Smallbore Silhouette shooting is a fun and challenging shooting discipline that has competitors taking aim at a variety of steel chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. Shooters, standing and unsupported, take aim at four banks of silhouettes at increasing distances, shooting 40 targets in all. For every silhouette knocked down, the competitor earns one point.  Smallbore Silhouette competitors are shooting at distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters, while High Power Silhouette distances are 200, 300, 385, and 500 meters.  

For more information on the Lapua Monarch Cup details, visit lapuamonarchcup.com.

Congratulations to Finland’s Marko Nikkos on winning the first match of the 2024 Lapua Monarch Cup. Nikkos, who scored a 107/120X, edged out Team SK’s Jake Stine in a shootout to collect the $1,000 top prize. Stine took home $750 for his second place finish.

The Lapua Monarch Cup is a two-leg, multi-national smallbore silhouette series with the winner being touted as the North American Champion. Competitors scores from each match within their respective classification (Master, AAA, AA, & A), giving all shooters an opportunity for over $100,000 in cash and prizes. Lapua’s Monarch Cup is recognized as the must-attend event of the smallbore silhouette shooting world.

The 1st leg of the Lapua Monarch Cup was conducted at the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, PA at the 2024 NRA Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Championship, July 28^th – 30^th. The 2^nd leg of the Lapua Monarch Cup will be conducted at Club Saltillo in Mexico in October.

Nikkos, shooting Lapua’s Midas +, scores are as follows:

Match 1 – 33/40

Match 2 – 36/40

Match 3 – 38/40

Smallbore Silhouette shooting is a fun and challenging shooting discipline that has competitors taking aim at a variety of steel chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. Shooters, standing and unsupported, take aim at four banks of silhouettes at increasing distances, shooting 40 targets in all. For every silhouette knocked down, the competitor earns one point. Smallbore Silhouette competitors are shooting at distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters.

For information on the Lapua Monarch Cup, visit nassasilhouette.org/lapua-monarch-cup/