News : Dave Coots to compete in World Benchrest Shooting Championships in 2011

The equipment used in bench rest shooting.

Dave Coots will be on of 12 Americans to compete at this range in France.

Dave Coots of Vinton will compete with the USA World Team at International Benchrest event.

This is the goal of every bench shooter; a tight grouping of five shots.

When 12 of the best bench rest rifle shooters in the U.S. go to France to represent their country next year, a Vinton man will be among the dozen.

Dave Coots of rural Vinton finished among the top 12 shooters in the National Bench Rest Shooters Association qualifying events this year.

He competed in a variety of contests all over the U.S. this year, including: The Cactus Classic in Pheonix, Ariz.; the Hog Roast in Fairchance, Penn.; the East/West event in St. Louis; the Rattlesnake in Raton, N.M.; and the NBSRA Nationals in Kansas City.

This year, he finished 11th among more than 300 shooters. The top 12 will represent the U.S. in the World Championship in the summer of 2011. Next year, Coots (along with his wife, Mary) will fly to France, where he will compete in a city called Volmerange les Mines.

"Four years ago, I was the first alternate. I finished 13th," said Coots.

Two years ago, in the summer of 2008, Coots was recovering from back surgery as well as rebuilding his house after the flood.

But this year, Coots reached his goal of making the World Team.

"They tell me it's an awesome feeling to put on that jacket that says 'USA,'" said Coots at his office at Coots Materials.

What is benchrest shooting?

In benchrest shooting, participants use custom-made rifles and hand-loaded ammunition. Accuracy and precision are measured not by which part of the target a shooter hits, but by how many times a shooter can hit the exact same spot. In the terms of the sport, it's called "grouping."

The rifles are fired from benches, supported by tripods or other stands. While there are a variety of distances, Coots competes in the 100- and 200-meter events.