The prestigious 2025 NRA High Power Rifle Silhouette Championships wrapped up after three thrilling days of competition, held July 25–27 at the world-renowned NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Top silhouette shooters from across the country gathered to compete in Standard and Hunter Rifle disciplines, showcasing marksmanship excellence at its finest.

In the Standard Rifle Championship, Team Berger’s Dustin Flint claimed the top spot in a tight race, posting a stellar 96/120 to edge out Team Lapua’s Erich Mietenkorte (95) and Berger teammate John Mullins (94). Team Lapua’s Cathy Winstead-Severin delivered an impressive performance as well, earning High Woman and finishing 5th overall with a strong 91.

Mietenkorte bounced back in commanding fashion during the Hunter Rifle Championship, topping the field with a score of 101/120. Winstead-Severin followed with 93, while Mullins tallied 89, keeping the leaderboard fiercely competitive.

Combining both events for the coveted Two-Gun Aggregate, it was Erich Mietenkorte who emerged victorious as the 2025 NRA High Power Rifle Silhouette National Champion with a total score of 196/240. He was followed closely by Winstead-Severin (184) and Mullins (183), with Dustin Flint and Team SK’s Jake Stine rounding out the top five.

In team competition, Team Lapua/Berger, comprised of Mietenkorte, Mullins, and Flint, swept both the Standard Rifle and Hunter Rifle Team Championships, demonstrating remarkable consistency and dominance throughout the event.

Mietenkorte commented, “Lapua’s newly engineered 6.5mm 144 grain MaxRange Target bullet was simply incredible in the high-power matches. With its superior ballistic coefficient, it cut through the wind and hammered the rams. Even though it was my first time running them in competition, I had complete confidence in Lapua’s engineering and their commitment to creating bullets that perform when it matters most. That confidence paid off. Over three days, I connected with and took down 28 out of 30 rams at 500 meters from the offhand, standing position, including a perfect 10 for 10 in my final standard rifle match, my highest ram count ever at a National Championship.”

Team Lapua’s Erich Mietenkorte claimed the top honors at the 2025 Canadian High Power Rifle Silhouette National Championships, winning the 240-shot aggregate with a combined score of 195/240. 

Held at the Bull River Shooters Association in Cranbrook, British Columbia, from June 29 to July 5, the national championship featured both Smallbore and High Power rifle disciplines, with competitors engaging steel silhouette targets from the standing offhand position at distances of 200, 300, 385, and 500 meters. 

Mietenkorte competed in both High Power categories—Standard Rifle and Hunting Rifle—scoring 99/120 with his 6.5×47 Lapua in the Standard division, and 96/120 with his 6mm BR in the Hunting Rifle division. Mietenkorte’s combined performance earned him first place overall in the High Power aggregate and national titles in both rifle categories. 

“Success in this discipline requires absolute confidence in your equipment. When it comes to consistency, reliability, and performance, Lapua cases and bullets, Vihtavuori powders, and Berger bullets are unmatched,” commented Mietenkorte. “I used Lapua 108gr and 139gr Scenar bullets in my 6.5×47, and Berger 95gr and 115gr bullets in my 6BR, all handloaded with Vihtavuori N140 powder. These components gave me the precision and consistency needed to perform at the highest level under challenging conditions.” 

In addition to his success in the High Power competition, Mietenkorte finished 4^th overall in the Smallbore Standard Rifle category.   Mietenkorte will be competing at the US NRA Rifle Silhouette National Championships at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM, July 20-26. 

Lapua is excited to announce a new partnership with Johannes Thingnes Bø, the most successful biathlete in history, to support our brand in precision shooting and hunting.

With a record 24 World Championship gold medals and five Olympic golds, Johannes has set new standards for speed and precision in biathlon and inspired fans around the world.

As he transitions from his legendary athletic career, we are proud to have him as an ambassador. His expertise and reputation are a perfect match for our commitment to quality and precision.

In Johannes’ words: “Give yourself the best chance to get the result you want. Every shot counts, and the accuracy of Lapua makes it a step easier to achieve your dreams, just like I did mine.”

We look forward to working together with Johannes, sharing our passion for precision!

Congratulations to Team Lapua’s Brandon Green on scoring a 2395-189X, placing him on the podium at the 2025 NRA Mid-Range Nationals with a second-place finish. 

The 2025 NRA National Mid-Range Prone Championships were hosted by the Oklahoma City Gun Club, June 5–8 in Arcadia, OK. Green’s match scores are as follows:

• Match 1 – 200-19X
• Match 2 – 200-16X
• Match 3 – 200-17X
• Match 4 – 199-16X
• Match 5 – 198-15X
• Match 6 – 199-10X
• Match 7 – 199-14X
• Match 8 – 200-15X
• Match 9 – 200-18X
• Match 10 – 200-16X
• Match 11 – 200-18X
• Match 12 – 200-15X

Taking the podium along side Green, Tanner Burrows took home the championship title and Charles Rowe took 3^rd.

“I knew that the 2025 NRA Midrange Championship would be the ultimate test of precision and consistency for the best prone shooters in the country and I had the utmost confidence in my equipment going into this event,” commented Green. “Having high quality rifles, optics and ammunition allowed me to compete at the highest level. I can’t thank Lapua, Vihtavouri Powders and Berger Bullets enough for providing me with the necessary tools to earn three gold and one silver medal at this event while also setting two NRA Veteran category national records along the way. Thanks again for the outstanding products and unparalleled support!” Green, who recently joined Team Lapua, is currently in Lodi, WI competing in the Midwest Palma Championship.

Tested by Fire. Proven by Lapua. Big congratulations to Team Lapua’s Cathy Winstead-Severin for taking 1st place at the 2025 Iron Man Silhouette Championship in Missoula, Montana!

Winstead-Severin emerged victorious from a field of top-tier competitors, proving her mastery in the demanding discipline of metallic silhouette rifle shooting. Winstead-Severin’s impressive victory was complemented by fellow team Lapua Member Erich Mietenkorte’s 2nd place score in the same Iron Man Silhouette Championship match.

“I always love shooting up in Missoula, at this range, which is tucked into the mountains surrounded with family, longtime friends and the smell of pine. With the match being double what is normally shot in a day, it is named the Iron Man for a reason,” stated Winstead-Severin “It tests you mentally and physically. Thanks to everything coming together this year, for the match, I was able to capture the win with the help of Lapua products and of course my dad, who is my spotter. Looking forward to a summer full of more shooting and more great memories on the range.”⁣

⁣Cathy trusted:

• Lapua 90gr Scenar-L for chicken, pig and turkey targets
• Lapua Midas+ for smallbore portion – precision-matched at the Lapua Rimfire Test Center⁣
• Berger 109 grain Long Range Hybrid Target

⁣

Team Lapua had a strong showing at the American Rimfire Association (ARA) portion of the Triple Crown Area 3 Unlimited Tournament, held on Saturday, May 24th, at the Kettlefoot Rod & Gun Club in Bristol, Virginia. Maddisyn Reed secured 3rd place, while teammate Bryan Brandt took 2nd place with a total aggregate score of 2201.67-51X.

The Triple Crown Championships saw 89 competitors, with Bryan Brandt securing second place in the PSL Segment, a three-card portion of the nine-card Triple Crown match. Brandt attributed his strong finish to his reliable equipment, specifically his Lapua Midas +. “We had a great weekend in Bristol at the Triple Crown,” said Brandt. “I wouldn’t have been able to finish strong in the events without the confidence I have in my equipment and in my Lapua Midas +.”

Maddisyn Reed, also competing with Lapua’s Midas +, broke the IR 50/50 Inc record in the ARA portion of the Triple Crown with an impressive score of 291-18X. She also noted a significant achievement in the X-out 300 sanction: “I also shot the second highest score ever recorded for the X-out 300 sanction, and it was broken by the highest standing score on the same relay! So, it is a world record for the second highest ever shot in the sanction, barely broken. It is an honor and privilege to be a member of team Lapua!” Brandt and Reed’s Midas + ammunition was matched to their rifles 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. For the US, schedule your testing at either of Lapua’s Rimfire Performance Centers located in Mesa, AZ, or Marengo, OH. 

Huge congratulations to our sponsored shooter Pedro Serralheiro for an absolutely historic performance at the 2025 rimfire Bench Rest Portuguese National Championship!

“With this 2nd match, the 2025 BR50 National Championship comes to an end. A particularly difficult year of competition, with a very high level of athlete’s scores, it is no coincidence that Portugal is a reference at a world level in Benchrest, and that will always bring me great memories”, said Serralheiro.

Results:
International Sporter National Champion – 747 49x
Light Rifle National Champion – 750 59x
Heavy Rifle National Champion – 750 55x
Grand Aggregate National Champion – 2247 163x
Small Aggregate National Champion – 1500 114x

Gear that delivered under pressure:
Light & Heavy Rifle: Lapua X-Act & Midas+
International Sporter: Lapua X-Act