09/10/2026
An incredible perspective on an incredible competitor 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼
After spending a lifetime competing at the highest levels against the world's best, it takes a lot to genuinely impress me. But what Doug Koenig accomplished this past weekend was something special.
Dealing with a minor injury, Doug competed for the entire week standing for every single event. Instead of dropping prone for the Practical and Plate events, he stayed on his feet the entire way back—including shooting all the way to 50 yards standing under tight action pistol time constraints.
The numbers speak for themselves:
1918 out of 1920 total score, dropping just one shot out of the 10-ring.
175 X's out of 192 shots.
Without that single stray shot, he would have tied for the overall match win entirely from a standing position.
Proving it wasn't a fluke, Doug backed it up by shooting another 175 X's the very next day.
It is the X count that is the most impressive part of Doug's performance. On one of Doug's targets from the 25 and 50 yard lines, he only dropped one 10. (See photo)
To put up numbers like that standing—especially considering decades ago, Doug is the one who revolutionized the sport by introducing the prone technique to the Bianchi Cup—is incredible.
While some might question why action pistol shooters utilize the prone position, it's simply about maximizing every possible advantage to win. Matches are that close, and they often come down to a single X. The top shooters can all shoot scores standing ,that are close to our prone scores. But it is the X count that usually drops when you shoot standing. This past week, Doug proved he can dominate the X-ring just as effectively standing up.
I tip my hat to you, Doug. That was a masterclass in marksmanship and I was glad I could be there to witness it!
