---
title: "This Army sergeant just nailed the first-ever perfect score in a service rifle shooting competition"
description: "Army Sgt. Benjamin Cleland set a national record with the first-ever perfect score on a National Rifle Association high-power rifle course in Oak Ridge, Tennessee earlier this month,"
date: "2019-06-28"
modified: "2019-06-28"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller.md"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-sergeant-nails-first-ever-perfect-score-in-high-power-rifle-shooting-competition/"
categories:
  - "Army"
  - "Guns"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
  - "Weapons"
tags:
  - "shooting"
---

# This Army sergeant just nailed the first-ever perfect score in a service rifle shooting competition

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19630185-1.jpg>)

Army Sgt. Benjamin Cleland is officially one of the most badass shooters in America.

The Fort Benning soldier and member of the Army Marksmanship Unit's Service Rifle Team set a national record with the first-ever perfect score on a National Rifle Association high-power rifle course in Oak Ridge, Tennessee earlier this month, the Army [announced](<https://www.dvidshub.net/news/325512/us-army-marksmanship-unit-soldier-sets-shooting-record-with-first-ever-perfect-score-with-service-rifle>).

The NRA's 80-Shot Regional High-Power Rifle Course's includes four separate matches, each with slow fire and rapid-fire elements. [According](<https://www.dvidshub.net/news/325512/us-army-marksmanship-unit-soldier-sets-shooting-record-with-first-ever-perfect-score-with-service-rifle>) to the Army, those matches include:

- Two sighting shots and 20 standing, slow-fire record shots at 200 yards and within 20 minutes
- Two sighting shots and 20 sitting/kneeling, rapid-fire records shots at 200 yards within 2 minutes
- two sighting shots and 20 prone, rapid-fire record shots at 300 yards within 2 minutes and 20 seconds
- Two sighting shots and 20 prone, slow-fire record shots at 600 yards within 20 minutes and 20 seconds

Rocking a M16A2 rifle, the Ohio native nailed the 10-ring on all 80 shots. That's a target that's just 7 inches at both 200 and 300 yards and 12 inches at 600 yards.

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

[According](<https://www.guns.com/news/2019/06/20/shooting-record-soldier-nails-perfect-score-in-high-power-event-with-service-rifle>) to Guns.com, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Julia L. Watson owned the previous service rifle high score of 798. As if getting owned on the Marine Scout Sniper Course wasn't enough.

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredbkeller/>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/jaredbkelller/>)

## More

- [Drill sergeant shoots first perfect score at Army marksman course](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/perfect-score-marksmanship-trainer-course.md>)
- [Marine recruit almost shot a perfect marksmanship score at boot camp](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-rifle-range-parris-island.md>)
- [First photos of 101st Airborne soldiers testing the Army’s new rifles](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/new-army-rifle-photos.md>)
- [Army infantry officer calls new XM7 ‘unfit for use as a modern service rifle’](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-sig-sauer-xm7.md>)
- [Kel-Tec Just Unveiled Its New Compact Rifle](<https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/kel-tec-just-unveiled-new-compact-rifle.md>)
- [This 16-Year-Old Girl Just Set A New Army Shooting Record](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/16-year-old-girl-just-set-new-army-shooting-record.md>)
- [Dude, Where’s My Gun Culture? In Search Of Chill At The NRA Annual Meeting](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/nra-annual-meeting-atlanta-trump.md>)
- [Marine Corps rolls out plan to overhaul marksmanship training for the first time in a century](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-corps-overhaul-marksmanship-training.md>)