Chairman Purchases First Double Paver at CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park

August 23, 2014

Civilian Marksmanship Program▸The First Shot▸Chairman Purchases First Double Paver at CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park

By Steve Cooper, CMP Marketing Manager

TALLADEGA, AL – Civilian Marksmanship Program Chairman, Judith Legerski, of Lander, Wyoming, purchased the first 8”x8” commemorative granite paver for placement at the organization’s new 500-acre marksmanship park, slated for opening in the spring of 2015.

The CMP Paver Project is a fundraiser for the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which will install three different sizes of engraved Elberton grey granite pavers around the park’s main flagpole and prominently along the length of two firing lines.

“It’s an honor to have my family’s name permanently inscribed at this beautiful facility,” Mrs. Legerski said.  “As the leader of our organization, I think it’s only right that I took the lead with the first contribution to the project,” she said.

“We are truly excited about the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park becoming a reality next year. It will be a one-of-a-kind facility – an excellent place to teach firearm safety, instruct marksmanship and conduct highly competitive and recreational firearms competitions, especially for our junior shooters.”

The CMP offers 8”x8” double pavers for a $250 donation, 4”x8” single pavers for $100 and 4”x4” pavers for juniors only, for $40. Double pavers may be inscribed with six lines of information, while single and junior pavers have three lines each.

The CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park will feature a 13,000 square foot clubhouse with classrooms, a retail store and expansive space for guests to relax and view shooting events. The centerpiece of the park will be a 600-yard rifle range that will feature 54 firing points, using all-electronic targetry and scorekeeping. The range will utilize one common firing line with targets that raise at 200, 300 and 600 yards, operated remotely by range personnel.

CMP Talladega is a unique concept for a public shooting range in the U.S. because it will be the first, outside of the military, to use electronic targetry on a large scale. Shooters will need minimal equipment on the firing line on the electronic ranges. A video monitor replaces the scorekeeper and no one needs to go forward of the firing line to score targets.

The new range format will allow CMP to conduct more matches per day, providing competitors with more shooting time and less idle time pulling and scoring targets. All firing points will be covered to shelter participants from sun and inclement weather.

In addition to the main rifle range, the park will include a 100 yard electronic rifle range for large range qualifying and normal rifle sighting. Two pistol ranges flank the sight-in range with positions at 50 yards and 50 feet. A nearby pistol complex features three 50 yard and 12 25 yard action pistol bays. For shotgun enthusiasts, CMP Talladega will operate a 15-station sporting clays range and a trap field with five-stand overlay.

The backdrop of the entire park is a vista of rolling hills and pine trees in the Talladega County region. Approximately 2.5 miles to the northeast of the park lay the Talladega Superspeedway and two miles to the south, the city of Talladega. Access to the park is easily gained from U.S. Interstate 20.  The park is located 20 minutes from the CMP’s operations headquarters and south store, 45 minutes from Birmingham and less than two hours from Atlanta.

The CMP Talladega Marksmanship is tentatively scheduled to open to the public in May, 2015, with its first CMP Southern Games event in June.

For more information about the CMP, its programs and sales, log onto www.TheCMP.org.