John Whidden

ABOUT US

A Lifetime Pursuit of Accuracy

First, I’d like to say that I appreciate you looking at what we have to offer on the Web. Now that you’ve seen the pictures and read the descriptions, I’d like to share with you why I think you should seriously consider doing business with us.

I started shooting competitively when I was 12 in 4-H Club air rifle matches. After that, I moved into shotgunning and won the Georgia Junior trap & skeet championship in 1993. As my shooting continued, I became more and more interested in high-powered rifles and handloading. (I guess there is a lot of truth to the old saying about the difference between men and boys being in the prices of their toys…) Around this time, a neighbor traded me a reloading setup for a whole lot of yard work, and I soon learned what a difference handloading made in getting a bullet to go where you wanted it to go. I soon saw that the combination of a customized rifle and hand-loaded ammunition was the key to accuracy.

Once I was able to add the right techniques for wind reading and lining up a shot, I moved to the national level in competition. In fact, I have been fortunate to be able to pursue this sport hard enough to win the National High Power Rifle Long Range Championship 6 times now.

I started selling custom rifles and accessories in 2006 when I realized that some of the things I was doing in the shop were really paying off in competition and would interest others in the sport. I have developed techniques and processes for producing precise, repeatable results from my custom rifles. No matter how carefully you have chosen the cartridge you want to shoot, it won’t put the bullet where you want it without an action and barrel that are precisely mated. And you can’t point that barreled action where you want to if it isn’t mated to the stock as precisely as possible.

These are parts of shooting as old as gunpowder. And I think manufacturing technology can provide better ways of building a rifle, the same way that technology has improved gunpowder itself. A CNC lathe can custom thread a barrel blank to match an action much more precisely than a set of thread cutters and a wrench. A milling machine produces accessories – like the V-Block mounting system – precisely manufactured to firmly mount an action and leave the barrel floating for increased accuracy and confidence. Through competition, I have gotten to meet a lot of people who are just as passionate about shooting as I am. Talking with them and getting their thoughts on what I do gives me ideas for the accessories, techniques, and materials that make Whidden products the best they can be. I’d like to hear from you, too, if you have any thoughts to share – and especially if you think one of our products can help you get more out of shooting! Thanks again for your interest and your business,

– John Whidden

John Whidden's Personal Competition Results:

2025

  • Jul 2025 Received the 3rd CMP Smallbore Prone Distinguished Badge at Camp Perry
  • May 2025 Winner of the Black Hawk Open Smallbore Match

2024

  • Jul 2024 Winner of the CMP Smallbore Prone National Championships

2022

  • Jul 2022 Winner of the CMP Smallbore Prone National Championships

2020

  • Feb 2020 Winner of the Berger Southwest Nationals in Phoenix, AZ

2019

  • Jul 2019 Placed Second at the CMP Smallbore Prone National Championships

2018

  • Aug 2017 Winner of the CMP Iron Sight National Championships for Long Range at Camp Perry

2017

  • Jul 2017 Winner of the National Championships for Long Range at Camp Atterbury, Indiana
  • Feb 2017 Winner of the Berger Southwest Nationals in Phoenix, AZ

2016

  • Aug 2016 Winner of the National Championships for Long Range at Camp Perry
  • Feb 2016 John set the Palma Individual record with a score of 449-33x at Southwest Nationals

2015

  • Winner of the 2015 Wimbledon Cup at Camp Perry, resetting the record score to 200-17x
  • Member of the 2015 US Palma Team

2014

  • Equaled the National Record for Any Rifle Iron Sights at 1000 yards with a score of 200-17x (250 shooters), Stars and Bars Match, Blakely, GA

2013

  • Winner of Wimbledon Cup Match at Camp Perry, OH, setting a New Wimbledon Cup Record 200-17x (1000 yard Any Sight, 250 shooters)

2012

  • Winner of the Remington Band of Brothers Trophy (1000 yards, Any Sight) at Camp Perry, OH (1000 yard Any Sight, 250 shooters)
  • Member of the Port Clinton Trophy Winning Team at Camp Perry (1000 yards Iron Sights, 150 shooters)
  • Second-place finisher at Camp Perry Long Range Highpower Championships (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)

2011

  • Winner of the National Queen’s Prize Australia (300, 500, 600, 800, 900, 1000 yards) (450 shooters)
  • World Individual Championships 9th place finisher (800, 900, 1000 yards, 200 shooters)
  • Second-place finisher at Camp Perry Long Range Highpower Championships (800, 900, and 1000 yard Any Sight, 250 shooters)
  • Represented the US with the US Palma Team in the World Team Championships

2010

  • Winner of the National Championships for Long Range Highpower at Camp Perry (800, 900, and 1000 yard, 250 shooters)
  • Winner of Leech Cup match at Camp Perry (1000 yards Iron Sight, 250 shooters)
  • Winner of the Mustin Trophy match at Camp Perry (1000 yards Iron Sight, 250 shooters)
  • Member of the Port Clinton Trophy Winning Team at Camp Perry (1000 yards Iron Sight, 150 shooters)

2009

  • Second-place finisher at Camp Perry Long Range Highpower Championships (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)
  • Member of the Herrick Trophy Winning Team (1000 yards Any Sight) at Camp Perry (150 shooters)
  • Member of the Port Clinton Trophy Winning Team (1000 yards Iron Sight) at Camp Perry (150 shooters)
  • Coach and Shooter for the Third Place F-T/R Lonesome Dove team at the F Class National Championships (600, 1000 Yards)

2008

  • Winner of the National Championships for Long Range Highpower at Camp Perry (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)
  • Winner of Leech Cup match at Camp Perry, setting a New Leech Cup Record 200-15x (1000 yards Iron Sights, 250 shooters)
  • Winner of the Canadian Cup match at Camp Perry (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)

2007

  • Winner of the National Championships for Long Range Highpower at Camp Perry (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)
  • Winner of the Canadian Cup match at Camp Perry (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)
  • Winner of the Palma Individual match (800, 900, and 1000 yards Iron Sights) at Camp Perry (250 shooters)
  • 11th place finisher in the World Individual Long Range Championships in Ottawa, Canada (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 200 shooters)
  • Member of the U.S. Palma Team representing the U.S. in the World Team Long Range Championships in Ottawa, Canada
  • Georgia State 1000-yard Champion (50 shooters)

2006

  • Georgia State 1000-yard Champion (50 shooters)
  • Second-place finisher at Camp Perry Long Range Highpower Championships (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)
  • Member of the U.S. Palma Team

2005

  • First place qualifier U.S. Palma Team tryouts, and member of the U.S. Palma Team (1000 yards Iron Sights)
  • Georgia State 600-yard Champion (50 shooters)
  • Second-place finisher at Camp Perry Long Range Highpower Championships (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)

2004

  • Georgia State 600-yard Champion (50 shooters)
  • Winner of the South Carolina Long Range Championships (1000 yards, 20 shooters)
  • Fifth-place finisher at Camp Perry Long Range Highpower Championships (800, 900, and 1000 yards, 250 shooters)

2003

  • Georgia State Long Range Champion
  • Georgia State 600-yard Iron Sight Champion
  • Fourth-place finisher at the Palma Individual match at Camp Perry
  • Coach of the Berrien County 4-H Shotgun team