Doug Koenig and Thomas Glas represented Hornady Manufacturing® at the European Open Bianchi Cup held June 30 - July 1, 2012 in Philippsburg, Germany.

Doug Koenig brought home his fourth European Open Bianchi Cup win with a score of 1920-183x, shooting Hornady® 110 grain XTP® .357 bullets in his pistol. "Hornady 110 grain XTP always produces one-inch groups at 50 yards for me," Koenig said. "That's consistency I can rely on."

Thomas Glas finished fourth overall in the Metallic Class and placed seventh overall in the Open Class, shooting Hornady® .355 125 grain 9mm HAP® hand loaded bullets. "Hand loading to a 130 Power Factor gives me the best control of recoil and sight movement," said Glas. "I trust the accuracy with every round."

The match included a setup similar to the recent NRA Bianchi Cup, with stages named the Practical, Barricade, Falling Plate, and Mover. Both competitors will return to Germany in September to represent Team Hornady® at the World Action Pistol Championships.

On the home front, Team Hornady® members, Max Michel, Blake Miguez, and Jesse Duff tore up the eight-stage course of the Pro Am Championship, July 13-15, 2012 at the Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, Florida. Over 300 of the country's best action pistol shooters shot more than 300 falling steel plates to compete for Limited and Open division titles. The number of targets knocked down determined the scores.

Max Michel put together a solid training plan specifically for this match, and his efforts panned out with an overall win in the Open Division. "I used Hornady 125 grain HAP bullets for their consistency and extreme accuracy," said Michel. "It's my favorite all around projectile for its soft shooting."

Blake Miguez took second in the Limited Division, winning four of the stages shooting Hornady® 200 grain FMJ in his .40 caliber pistol. Miguez also finished third in the Open Division, shooting Hornady® 125 grain HAP® in his 38 Super Comp. "Using heavier bullets gave me a better chance of knocking down the steel every time," said Miguez. "In this match, you lose the point if the steel doesn't fall."

Jesse Duff, the first female to earn a spot in the Pro Am Match with an Amateur Open Match win the year before, took the Ladies Limited Amateur Division for the third time. The Hornady® 115 grain XTP® she shot is a personal favorite. "It's simply the most accurate bullet and I use it for all my 9mm," said Duff. "This was a very exciting and fast paced match. Each stage has a par-time, and your abilities drove the way you shot."

Match Director Phil Strader added, "The Pro Am is the most unique match of its kind. Every target reacts, which pumps up the spectators. Both Pros and Amateurs get to utilize all their shooting skills in a format that is simple, safe and fun."