42nd World Shooting Championships
Seoul, South Korea

U.S. Team Members

Rifle

John Akemon, Lanny Bassham, Becky Braun, Ray Carter, John Comley, Ed Etzel, Kurt Fitz-Randolph, Boyd Goldsby, Wanda Jewell, David Kimes, Karen Monez, Sua Ann Sandusky, Lones Wigger and Webster Wrigtht

Pistol

Michael Bonafed, Jan Brundin, Sallie Carroll, Kim Dyer, Ruby Fox, Don Hamilton, Bonnie Harmon, Ashleigh Liston, Melvin Makin, Charles McCowan, William McMillan, John McNally, Steve Reiter, Charles Wheeler, Darius Young and Jerry Wilder.

Running Target

John Anderson, Charles Davis, James Reiber and Michael Theimer

Trap

Lee Bannerman, Dan Carlisle, Loral I. Delaney, Audrey Grosch, Valerie Johnson, Randy Voss and Wally Zobell.

Skeet

Terry Bankey, Bill Clemmons, Matt Dryke, Eva Funes, Ila Hill, Al Mullins and Jeff Sizemore

Team Managment & Support

Joe Berry, Team Manager; Marie Alkire, Ass't Manager; Loyd Crow, Ass't Manager; Jimmie Dorsey, Ass't Manager; John Hunt, Ass't Manager; William Krilling, Ass't Manager; Laurence Mosely, Ass't Manager; Craig Langseth, Armourer; Jack Maple, Armourer and Jim Sizemore, Armorer

Map of the Taenung International Shooting Range

MARKSMAN TAKES BEAD ON INTERNATIONAL TITLE

BY PHIL GARLINGTON

The last time Bill McMillan was in Korea it was for a different kind of shooting match.

In 1952 McMillan was a Marine Corps staff sergeant when he went to ashore in Inchon.

But when he returns to Seoul Friday it will be not as a soldier but as a competitor in the World Shooting Championship.

McMillan, a retired marine lieutenant colonel, has been the weapons coordinator for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department for the last four years.

He was twice a world champion pistol marksman (in 1954 and 1958) and was a winner of a Gold Medal in marksmanship at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

In Seoul, he will represent the United States in the rapid-fire pistol event, in which the marksman fires at five consecutive targets from a distance of 25 meters (about 27 yards).

"First you fire five shots at the targets in eight seconds, then five shots in six seconds, and then five in four seconds," McMillan said.

During the four second shot, he said, the competitor has about three-tenths of a second to aim and fire at each target, since it usually takes a least a second and a half to raise the pistol from the starting position.

EX-MARINE MARKSMAN

He said the marksman in the rapid-fire event use .22-caliber target pistols with special hair triggers that fire with three ounces of pressure.

In contrast, it takes about four pounds of pressure to pull the trigger of a standard .45-caliber pistol.

McMillan said the world record score for the rapid-fire pistol is 598 of a possible 600. His best score so far is 594.

"It's not commonly known, but in the Olympics more countries are represented in shooting events that any other sport except track and field," McMillan said. "And the 'English Match' for small-bore rifle draws more participants than any other Olympic event."

As a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Committee, McMillan said his group already has begun scouting locations in Los Angeles for the shooting events.

McMillan said he had no particular interest in marksmanship before joining the Marines. "I started competing in 1949 when one of the sergeants came around recruiting a team. It just turned out that I was a natural."

Most U.S. competitors in international marksmanship events come from the military, McMillan said, but their showing against European shooters has not been remarkable.

"European shooting is much different than the shooting we do here. It's apples and oranges. In international competition we have had better luck with youngsters who have been trained at college rifle ranges."

But, McMillan said, Americans may begin to do better in international shooting competition after an Olympic program in the pistol events begins in San Antonio, Tex.

And what attributes will the American world-class pistol champion have to have? "He has to be dedicated to the sport and work hard," McMillan said. "He has to have good coordination, fast reflexes and superb motor control."

"And, of course, cold steely eyes."

Los Angeles Times, September 14, 1978

DM resident aims for Olympics

Only three Americans have competed as members of six U.S. Olympic Teams. One is a lady fencer, one as an equestrian, and on as a pistol shooter. The latter is Bill McMillan, Del Mar resident and weapons coordinator for the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

"I'll try out for the 1980 team and if I make it, I'll be the only American to be on seven Olympic teams," the 50-year-old retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel declared.

At the moment McMillan has his eye on another target - the World Shooting Championship now being held in Seoul, Korea. He left San Diego September 15 to compete as a member of the U.S. Shooting Team and will return October 5.

This is also McMillan's sixth time to be a member of the U.S. World Shooting Team which competes every four years, half-way between the Olympic games. He has also competed in four Pan-American games as a marksman. They are held the year prior to Olympic games.

During his nearly 30 years of competition shooting McMillan has accumulated four individual gold medals and "more team medals that I can count," he said.

McMillan won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympic in Rome, in 1954 and 1958 World Championships in Caracas, Venezuela and Moscow and the 1967 Pan-Am in Winnipeg, Canada.

He was on Olympic Teams in 1952 in Helsinki, 1960 in Rome, 1964 in Tokyo, 1968 in Mexico City, 1972 in Munich and 1976 in Montreal.

Although he has served on several different types of shooting teams, he now competes only in rapid fire pistol events.

"In this event we use .22 caliber pistols and shoot at five targets 25 meters (about 27 feet) away."

"We begin by having eight seconds to shoot at the five targets. Then the time is reduced to six seconds and finally to four seconds. We go through the routine a second time and then come back the next day and repeat the whole procedure," he explained.

There are a total of 60 shots fired and a perfect score is 600.

"The world record score is 598 and my best so far is 594," McMillan said.

McMillan is not only looking past the World Championships in Seoul and the 1979 Pan-Am Games in San Juan to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, he has also been named a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Committee and is beginning the search for shooting locations for the games to be held six years from now in Los Angeles.

Unknown newspaper, September 1978

Marksman Takes Aim At World Championships

Only three Americans have competed as members of six U.S. Olympic Teams. One is a lady fencer, one as an equestrian, and on as a pistol shooter. The latter is Bill McMillan, Del Mar resident and weapons coordinator for the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

"I'll try out for the 1980 team and if I make it, I'll be the only American to be on seven Olympic teams," the 50-year-old retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel declared.

At the moment McMillan has his eye on another target - the World Shooting Championship now being held in Seoul, Korea. He left San Diego September 15 to compete as a member of the U.S. Shooting Team and will return October 5.

This is also McMillan's sixth time to be a member of the U.S. World Shooting Team which competes every four years, half-way between the Olympic games. He has also competed in four Pan-American games as a marksman. They are held the year prior to Olympic games.

During his nearly 30 years of competition shooting McMillan has accumulated four individual gold medals and "more team medals that I can count," he said.

McMillan won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympic in Rome, in 1954 and 1958 World Championships in Caracas, Venezuela and Moscow and the 1967 Pan-Am in Winnipeg, Canada.

He was on Olympic Teams in 1952 in Helsinki, 1960 in Rome, 1964 in Tokyo, 1968 in Mexico City, 1972 in Munich and 1976 in Montreal.

Although he has served on several different types of shooting teams, he now competes only in rapid fire pistol events.

"In this event we use .22 caliber pistols and shoot at five targets 25 meters (about 27 feet) away."

"We begin by having eight seconds to shoot at the five targets. Then the time is reduced to six seconds and finally to four seconds. We go through the routine a second time and then come back the next day and repeat the whole procedure," he explained.

There are a total of 60 shots fired and a perfect score is 600.

"The world record score is 598 and my best so far is 594," McMillan said.

The pistol is hardly the type worn by deputies McMillan has been helping train in shooting for the past four years. He has two, each made in France and costing about $500 each. They are five-shot automatics, light as a feather and have a trigger pull of only three ounces.

The Blade-Tribune, September 21, 1978