Bad Gastein soldier shines with triple gold at army championships!

Bad Gastein soldier shines with triple gold at army championships!

The 2025 Army Shooting Championships were held in East Tyrol from October 14th to 17th. The best shooters in the armed forces were able to demonstrate their skills at the “Lavanter Forcha” military shooting range. The disciplines of assault rifle 77 and pistol shooting were on the program, which included both individual and team competitions. Competing with the Sturmwehr 77 requires precise shots at a target 200 meters away. The participants each had to fire ten precision and ten rapid-fire shots, with a sharp focus on accuracy. meinkreis.at reports that the event demonstrates sporting competence, discipline and precision among the soldiers.

Bad Gastein platoon leader Sylvia Papernigg from the Buchberg Army Ammunition Facility cast a particularly bright light on the competition. She not only secured first place in the assault rifle competition, but also triumphed in the pistol shooting, which took place at 25 meters. Papernigg crowned this double success by defending her title as army champion in the combined overall ranking, where the results of both disciplines flow together. Her outstanding result is impressive and proves that she has a good knack for shooting.

Championship results

In the assault rifle competition there were exciting rankings not only for women. In the men's category, the championship title went to Sergeant Adrian Fritzer from Carinthia with 196 rings, followed by Lieutenant Bruno Stollwitzer from Vienna (194 rings) and Sergeant Christian Bloder from Styria (193 rings). In the women's category, staff sergeant Elisabeth Jobst secured the title with 192 rings and successfully defended her title.

The participants also left nothing to be desired in pistol shooting. Vice Lieutenant Alois Steinwender from Salzburg won with 90 rings, followed by Lieutenant Colonel Martin Fetz (89 rings) and Vice Lieutenant Josef Hatus (87 rings). In the women's category, Sergeant Elisabeth Jobst was able to shine again, but this time it was not enough for the individual competition, where she was unable to defend the title with 86 rings.

Team rankings and overall victory

The winning teams in the team competition added to the excitement of the event. The “Salzburg 1” team, consisting of staff sergeant Roman Wehrberger, deputy lieutenant Günther Zwinger, deputy lieutenant Albert Tschurtschenthaler and deputy lieutenant Alois Steinwender, won the assault rifle competition with 382 rings. The “Kärnten 1” team with Vice Lieutenant Dieter Gaschler, Senior Sergeant Adrian Fritzer, Senior Sergeant Gert Wranz and Staff Sergeant Elisabeth Jobst triumphed in the pistol shooting, scoring a total of 309 rings.

In conclusion, it can be said that the army championships offered an excellent setting to present the shooting skills of Austria's best soldiers. The winners in the overall classification, Staff Sergeant Elisabeth Jobst and Vice Lieutenant Alois Steinwender, show that the competition plays an important role in the Federal Army in terms of both sport and camaraderie and urgently calls for repetition. It was a successful, exciting event for everyone involved and we warmly congratulate the winners!

If you would like to find out more about the technology and the weapons, you can find comprehensive information about the Sturmwehr 77 at [bundesheer.at](https://www.bundesheer.at/unser-heer/ Waffen-und-geraet/sturmwehr-77). It is also worth taking a look at militaeraktuell.at for the results of past championships and developments in shooting sports.