American history tour lands family at National Matches

The Deppe family has landed themselves at Camp Perry in the most unusual of circumstances. When gas prices are high and other competitors have stayed at home, Terrell and Katie Deppe decided to take their children on an American History Tour of the East Coast making stops along the way to improve their shooting skills. Seventeen-year old Heather has been an avid international and bullseye pistol shooter for five years, winning numerous titles in her short time on the firing line. She has competed nationally and abroad making several appearances at the National Matches. "Camp Perry is my absolutely favorite match, " she said. "The excitement is contagious." Perhaps that's what led to Terrell's idea when he suggested the rest of the family begin shooting only six weeks ago. "We've been looking for something to do as a family and shooting seemed to be very logical," he said. So he went out and purchased pistols for the entire family. Since the Deppe children are homeschooled, both Terrell and Katie felt it would be neat to incorporate both education and sport into one trip. As they head out around the East Coast for an educational experience, they are taking the time to shoot when they find a match on their route. The trip began in Ft. Benning, Ga at the .22-Caliber USA Shooting Olympic Team Selection Matches a few months ago leading them to Memphis, TN; Wadena, MN; Lake Elmo, MN; and Camp Perry, OH. The group hopes to make the popular "lobster shoot" in Maine later this summer.


The Deppe's have turned shooting into a family event. Family members are: (back, l. to r.) Terrell, Katie, Heather (17), (front, l. to r.) David (14), Matthew (12) and Jonathan (11).