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Jonathan Burns of Woodbridge, Va., joined a very elite group of marksmen this past July, becoming the youngest Triple Distinguished Expert in the history of the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program.
Based on a system of progressively higher shooting standards, the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program is a self-paced shooting development program.
Open to adults and youngsters alike, the program measures an individual's shooting proficiency against established par scores in 13 courses of fire across three disciplines: pistol, rifle and shotgun.
The highest possible rating that a shooter can attain in the program is that of Distinguished Expert, which is comparable to a competitively classified sharpshooter. A sophomore at Woodbridge High School, Burns is the 28th individual to earn the Distinguished Expert rating in all three of the program's disciplines since records began being kept in 1998.
"It's really one of the best feelings in the world," said Burns on becoming the youngest Triple Distinguished Expert ever at age 15. "The honor of having it and knowing that very few people can do it is big. It took two years to get it overall. My dad trained me in all of the different aspects of shooting. It was good father-son time with him being there every step of the way."
Having reached his goal of becoming a Triple Distinguished Expert, Burns is now focused on earning a spot on his high school's air rifle team. He hopes to one day shoot competitively in college, and his ultimate goal is to make the Olympic team. Such ambitions are what marksmanship qualification is all about.
"The Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program is so valuable because it cultivates interest in the shooting sports - particularly among young people - by setting marksmanship goals," said Bill Poole, Director of NRA's Education and Training Division. "Giving young people a safe, fun program with which to explore the shooting sports can pay lifelong dividends. It is my hope that Jonathan's achievement inspires more youths to aim for Triple distinguished Expert status in the future."
To learn more about the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program, please call 703-267-1505 or visit www.nrahq.org/education/training/marksmanship.
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