The collegiate shooting team at Hillsdale College won its first College Nationals title for the Scholastic Action Pistol Shooting Program in 2022. Located in Hillsdale, Michigan, the team and Hillsdale’s support of it is quite impressive. The Hillsdale Action Pistol team again competed in the College Nationals against some major powerhouses and came away with its second “David vs. Goliath” victory.
Athletes shoot Collegiate Action Pistol (CAP) with 9mm service-style pistols, not .22 short pistols or air-powered target guns. In collegiate action shooting, competitors race to complete a steel plate target course in the shortest amount of time possible. Time is added to the final total for each target missed or shot out of order, thus placing a high premium on accurate shooting. As in golf, the lowest score wins. Competitors are divided into divisions based on the type of pistol used — 1911 or Centerfire, which includes pistols like Glock or Springfield XDM. CAP recently added an optics division.
According to the Hillsdale press release, the victory was achieved over the Texas A&M, Virginia Corp of Cadets, Oklahoma State and West Point collegiate teams. “Hillsdale dominated the Centerfire Division, finishing with a final score of 175.85, nearly 20 full points lower than their closest competitors,” the release said.
About the Hillsdale Collegiate Shooting Team
Hillsdale College is home to the world-class John Halter Shooting Sports Education Center, which features ranges devoted to small arms, archery, shotgun and sporting clays, as well as an Olympic bunker. With the new Ailes outdoor small arms range, the team had two to three bays to train on. This increased actual training time and reduced course setup or reset time.
Adam Burlew is the team’s head coach. Burlew is an experienced law enforcement officer and trainer who, in addition to coaching and other duties, works on the campus security unit. I talked to him extensively about the Hilldale team’s second victory.
Burlew’s training regimen, which averages eight hours a week, emphasizes focus and the ability to overcome one’s fear and nerves. Collegiate Action Pistol also highlights teamwork. Success requires each member of the team to do his or her part. CAP and coach Burlew are helping members to develop the critical life skills of teamwork, focus, discipline and fortitude.
Those skills were instrumental in proving Hillsdale’s 2022 win wasn’t a fluke. Though scheduling issues prevented the team from shooting its competitive stages on Saturday, each member rose to the challenge of shooting the entire match in one day. The team won another title through hard work and determination … plus the assistance of one particularly supportive sponsor.
Springfield Armory Sponsorship
Springfield Armory supplies all the handguns the team utilizes for practice and competition. Recently, Springfield upgraded the team’s Range Officer 1911s to 12 optics-ready Emissary 9mm 1911s and 12 Springfield XDM 5.25-barreled 9mms. Each fall Springfield also brings in world-renowned shooting champion Rob Leatham for additional instruction. Springfield’s continued support is important to the team’s ongoing success.
The members of Hillsdale’s CAP team demonstrate what can be accomplished through great leadership, dedication and support. I will be returning to Hillsdale in July to report on the Ladies for Liberty Women’s Shooting Class for Concealed Carry Magazine. These classes are phenomenal and attract students from every corner of the United States. Subscribe to the nation’s No. 1 resource for self-reliant citizens to read up on these classes.
