Team USA Set for Worlds

The 2026 Team USA precision rifle roster is finalized — and the qualification process that produced it was deliberately designed to leave no shortcuts.

Catch up quick:

• Shooters had to post results from at least 6 designated qualifier matches across different regions, including a PRS Pro Series Season Finale
• No two qualifier matches were the same — different terrain, props, and stage design philosophies
• The process ran 18 months, and every division had a minimum score threshold to even be considered

The Open Division was the hardest cut. Six spots. Eighteen months. The top finishers, with average match scores that tell the story on their own:

• Clay Blackketter — 98.6% avg
• Morgun King — 97.9%
• Austin Buschman — 97.8% (2022 and 2024 IPRF World Champion)
• Francis Colon — 97.5%
• Jeff Guerry — 95.9%
• Chris Kutalek — 95.7%

Blackketter, the 2019 PRS Champion, once put the consistency question plainly:

"There are hundreds of PRS shooters who could win a one-day match. There are probably 30 who could win a two-day PRS Pro match. But there may only be about 5 or 6 who could win a national-level match if we shot 3 days or more." — Clay Blackketter

The Limited and Factory divisions filled four spots each. Limited required all qualifying scores to be shot using a .308 Winchester in the PRS Tactical Division. Factory required a PRS Production or IPRF-approved Factory rifle. Any spots that didn't fill from within those divisions pulled from the next-highest Open Division finishers — Austin Orgain and Kyle McCormack slotted into Limited; Jason Aulwes filled the final Factory spot.

By the numbers — other divisions (4 shooters each):

• Senior: Rusty Ulmer (566.4), Dale Rhoads (559.3), Lee Pettross (539.3), Allen Ernst (507.4)
• Military/LE: Kahl Harmon (497.8), Hunter Zweirs (458.9), Steve Mc (453.8), Logan McGinnis (446.6)
• Junior: Gage Caples (486.1), Hunter Neal (463.1), Dylan Bailey (460.3), Reagan Stahmer (459.2)
• Ladies: Kate Estes (452.5), Lauryl Akenhead (441.5), Grace Vaughn (440.7), Payton Grimes (330.2)

What's next: The 2026 IPRF Centerfire World Championship runs September 24–27 at Gravestone Precision Shooting Range near Lipan, Texas — about an hour west of Fort Worth. Each team competes two of the four days with a rest day in between, shooting roughly 200 rounds across 20 stages. Spectators are welcome. Live scoring runs through Impact Scoring, with PRS Director Ken Wheeler providing live commentary on-site throughout the match.

The bottom line: This roster wasn't built on one hot weekend. It's the product of 18 months of sustained performance against the deepest fields in the sport — and it shows.