World Benchrest Shooting Championship XVII – St. Louis, USA

World Benchrest Shooting Championship XVII – St. Louis, USA

Every two years, the best precision shooters from around the world come together to compete for the ultimate bragging rights — to be crowned World Champion.

The World Benchrest Shooting Championship XVII was held from 21st to 27th September 2025 at the Benchrest Rifle Club of St. Louis in Wright City, Missouri, USA. This year’s championship brought together 82 competitors from 18 teams across the globe for a week of intense precision shooting.

What is Benchrest Shooting?

Benchrest shooting is the art of shooting five record shots per detail into the smallest possible group. Competitors shoot five details each at 100 and 200 yards, across two rifle classes — Light Varmint (LV) and Heavy Varmint (HV). Final standings are based on the aggregate of the LV and HV results, producing the coveted 2-Gun score that determines the overall champion.

While it might look easy from the outside, benchrest is one of the most demanding and technical disciplines in shooting. Success requires not only precision marksmanship, but also mastery in reloading, wind reading, and weather interpretation. Conditions can change between every detail, forcing shooters to adjust their loads for temperature, humidity, and wind shifts — or sometimes simply because something doesn’t “feel quite right.” It’s a true combination of science, skill, and instinct.

Challenging Conditions

Competitors faced exceptionally tricky weather throughout the week. Thunderstorms rolled through overnight, followed by days of heavy mirage and unpredictable swirling winds. At times, the mirage was so strong — or the rain so heavy — that shooters couldn’t even see their shots on target. It was a true test of patience, skill, and adaptability.

Results

2-Gun Team Results

🥇 1st – USA Team 1

🥈 2nd – USA Team 2

🥉 3rd – France

🇳🇿 New Zealand finished 16th overall, ahead of South Africa Team 2 and Japan.

2-Gun Individual Results

1. Wayne Campbell – USA
2. Johannes Frank – Iceland
3. Jari Laulumaa – Finland

Heavy Varmint (HV) Team Results

1. USA Team 1
2. France
3. USA Team 2

HV Individual Results

1. Wayne Campbell – USA
2. John Babic – Australia
3. Brian Robinson – USA

Light Varmint (LV) Team Results

1. USA Team 1
2. USA Team 2
3. France

LV Individual Results

1. Johannes Frank – Iceland
2. Wayne Campbell – USA
3. Jeff Peinhardt – USA

10-Shot HV 200-Yard Group Match

1. Mike Conry – USA
2. Carlos Pacheco – France
3. Jonas Sandberg – Sweden

3-Gun Combined Results – Walt Berger Legacy Champion

1. Wayne Campbell – USA
2. Mike Conry – USA
3. Jeff Peinhardt – USA

NZDA New Zealand Team Highlights

A standout performance came from Steve Williams, who received a medal for the smallest group shot in the 100-yard Heavy Varmint match — an incredible accomplishment at world level.

Ian Owen placed 13th in the LV 100 and 11th in the LV 200 this gave him a combined placing of 6th in the HV grand and earning himself a top 20 patch. 

New Zealand also celebrated a special milestone with 15-year-old Elliot Cameron, who not only became the youngest-ever competitor to represent New Zealand at a World Benchrest Championship but also had the honour of being the New Zealand flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Despite competing against the world’s best with no junior category, Elliot impressed everyone with his calm focus, maturity, and ever-present smile — earning admiration from match officials and fellow shooters alike.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Our thanks and appreciation go to our National Body New Zealand Deerstalkers Association and a massive thank you to the sponsors who made New Zealand’s participation possible:

Gold Sponsor

• 45Tac

Silver Sponsors

• Annealing Made Perfect
• Winchester Ammunition / Kilwell
• Gun City

Bronze Sponsor

• Steves Wholesale

Your generous support allowed Team New Zealand to proudly represent our country on the world stage