In a close race, match leaders struggle to pull ahead in New Mexico

Raton, New Mexico - Day two at the Mid-Range Black Powder Rifle Championships began much like the first, sunny and cool. Shooters took to the line for the second half of the Position Championship at the NRA Whittington Center.

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No clear leader after shooters battle the elements in New Mexico

Raton, New Mexico - After a long, hot, windy, sometimes rainy day on the range, the Black Powder Mid-Range Position Championships are half way over - and we don't even have a leader. There's currently a two-way tie for first place between Rick Moritz and Keith Lay at 273-4x apiece.

Scores and more from the first day of NRA Black Powder Championships ...

Youth behind the firing line at the NRA Whittington Center

Raton, New Mexico - The success of NRA matches relies on volunteers giving their time to be range safety officers, referees, stat officers and more. Their enthusiasm for the shooting sports allows competitors to have fun in a structured, professional environment.

Many volunteers are retirees, capable of being at matches for many days without worrying about how much vacation time they have left - but not all of them.

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Black Powder rifles rise with the sun in New Mexico

Raton, New Mexico - As the sun was barely peeking over the horizon at the NRA Whittington Center, a crowd gathered for the opening meeting of this year's Black Powder Target Rifle Championships. There were a couple new faces in the crowd as shooters rubbed the sleep from their eyes and greeted friends they see only a few times each year.

"I heard I'm squadded next to you this year. I'm sorry," one competitor joked to another. "Do you like me new hat?" another asked. "Not at all," his buddy replied with a hint of a smile.

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New Mexico center scenery with the NRA in Raton

Founded in 1973, the NRA Whittington Center is located just outside Raton, New Mexico, and hosts competitive, educational and recreational activities in all shooting disciplines year-round.

There are outdoor shooting ranges here for everyone. Silhouette, Practical Pistol, Black Powder, Benchrest, High Power Long Range, Smallbore, Shotgun, they'll accommodate you. Maybe even a little hunting too.

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NRA Whittington Center hosts Black Powder Target Rifle

Haven't had your fill of rifle competition this summer? You're in luck. NRAblog is heading out to the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico, for the 2012 NRA Black Powder Target Rifle Championships starting next week.

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Fairfax, Virginia - As the summer season starts to roll in, NRANews rolled into NRA Headquarters to hear about the latest in General Operations. Shooting a series of bumpers spanning from the National Firearms Museum to Education & Training to the Law Enforcement Division, the bumpers serve as commercials for the online broadcast.

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The National Rifle Association's oldest shooting discipline, that of black powder variety, is scheduled to hold its national title match this August at the NRA's Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico.

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Centreville, Virginia - There's still plenty of material to be had from our hometown NRA Women On Target® Clinic in Centreville. Luckily, new guy intern James was here to help spread the word.

So with a little bit of my filming, and a great deal of James' edition, we have a quick tidbit of the black powder adventures from Women on Target.