Brian "Gunny" Zins of Poland, Ohio, is a 10-time National Pistol Champion at the National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry, and star of the "Top Shots" reality television show.
OAK HARBOR, OHIO
After Brian "Gunny" Zins graduated from Canfield High School in 1987, he ran off and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. They put a rifle in his hands, telling Zins to punch holes in targets.
The shooting experience changed his life.
Zins found he had a knack for accuracy, a quality the Marines were eager to polish with the best instruction and as much ammunition as Zins cared to shoot.
"I was only in the Marine Corps for nine months when I took a bronze medal in a division rifle match, then a silver in the Marine Corps Championships." Zins said. "I was asked if I could shoot as well with a pistol. I told them I was better at shooting a pistol."
Zins became a star of the Marines' service team and sparkled on the firing line at Camp Perry, where the prestigious National Rifle and Pistol Matches began this week. Zins won his first National Pistol Championship in 1996, and proved it wasn't a fluke by winning the crown again in 1998.
Zins put together a record-setting run, winning the pistol crown in 2001-2005 - more than any pistol shooter in history - and again in 2007. As a civilian shooter, he was the champ in 2008 and 2010.
Zins, 41, returned to Camp Perry this week for the month-long matches. The former military policeman won't fire a shot, but did bring lots of ammunition. His goal these days is building a better bullet, resulting in the recent creation Gunny Zins Ammo, which is making its debut on Commercial Row at the National Matches. Zins says his pistol ammunition is both accurate and affordable.
"Camp Perry is the Mecca of shooting," he said. "For more than 100 years, the National Matches have been a simple matter of who is the best marksman. There's no gaming aspect here, just strict, fundamental shooting."
The pistol competition, which wraps up today, challenges shooters with three different types of pistols: .22 caliber; center-fire pistols of .32 to .45 caliber; and .45 caliber pistols. The course of fire with each pistol is 30 rounds of slow fire, 30 rounds of timed fire (five shots in 30 seconds) and 30 rounds of rapid fire (five shots in 10 seconds) at targets 25 or 50 yards away. All of the shooting is one-handed.
"When I was shooting for the Marines, it was nice if I won the pistol competition, but even better when the team won the Gold Cup," said Zins. "We were here to win as a team."
Zins said there is stiff competition between service teams, but friendlier these days because the country is at war around the world.
"We're all fighting, and losing friends," said Zins, who served in Iraq in 1990. "You can walk around Camp Perry and see guys from various service teams getting together. We're all friends, and all of us are supportive of the civilian shooters, who spend their own time and money to be here."
Zins thoroughly enjoyed "Top Shots," the History Channel reality show testing top shooters with unlikely weapons.
"I met some of the most super people in the world," he said. "The competition was different, but fun. We shot .22 rifles, blow guns, Tommy guns, military weapons, even compound bows. I think those of us who were marksmen, rather than action shooters, adapted better.
"The show producers promoted the clashes between the various personalities to gain a wider audience, and there was a little friction between shooters. You'll get that when you bring together a bunch of Type A personalities."
2011 National Rifle and Pistol Matches
WHAT: Hosted by the National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program with support from the Ohio National Guard and hundreds of volunteers, the National Rifle and Pistol Matches present pistol, smallbore rifle and high powered rifle competitions.
WHEN: The Pistol Championships end today. Coming up are the Smallbore Rifle Position Championships (Thursday-July 23); Smallbore Rifle Prone Championships (July 24-28); Springfield M1A Match (Aug. 7); National High Power Rifle Championships (Aug. 9-12); National Defense Match (Aug. 13-14); and Long Range Championships (Aug. 13-17).
WHERE: Camp Perry, an Ohio National Guard facility on Ohio 2, five miles west of Port Clinton, Ohio.
ADMISSION: Admission and parking are free.
ATTRACTIONS: Visitors can watch the shooting competitions and browse Commercial Row and various shooting museums.
INFORMATION: Visit nrablog.com or call 1-877-672-6282.