Travel Guide: CMP Bianchi Cup 2026

The Bianchi Cup is the most prestigious pistol accuracy match in the world. For 47 years it's been the definitive event for NRA Action Pistol, and in 2026 it runs for its second year under CMP management at Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri. Unlike USPSA or 3-Gun, Bianchi is a precision event - four specific courses of fire, known distances, tight time limits, and scores that regularly push the upper limit of what's possible with a pistol.

Getting there

Hallsville is a small town about 15 miles north of Columbia, Missouri, which means your airport is Columbia Regional (COU) or a larger hub depending on where you're flying from.

• Columbia Regional (COU) - The closest option, ~30 minutes from the range. Small airport with limited service (American to Dallas and Chicago, United to Denver and Chicago). Book early because flight counts are low.
• Kansas City (MCI) - About 2 hours west. Lots of flight options, Southwest hub, much more affordable flights than COU. The practical choice if COU is too expensive or inconvenient.
• St. Louis (STL) - About 2 hours east. Similar size to MCI with good flight coverage. Either works.

If you can find a direct to COU it saves 2 hours of driving, but most shooters fly into MCI or STL and rent a car. Both drives are easy I-70 highway runs through farmland.

Lodging

Hallsville itself has no meaningful hotel options. Everyone stays in Columbia, which is 15-20 minutes south.

• Hampton Inn & Suites Columbia- Solid chain option, easy to book, close to the I-70 exit you'll use to get to the range.
• Courtyard Columbia - Similar quality, Marriott points, reliable.
• Holiday Inn Express Columbia - Fine chain option on the north side of town, closer to Hallsville.
• The Broadway Columbia - Historic downtown hotel if you want something nicer. Walking distance to the downtown restaurant scene near the University of Missouri.

Columbia is a college town (University of Missouri, ~30,000 students), which means it has more restaurants and hotels than you'd expect for a city its size. Pick any north-side or central hotel and the drive to the range will be 20 minutes or less.

At the range

Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club is a well-maintained facility with the specific infrastructure Bianchi requires: standardized target arrays at exact distances, dedicated bays for the Moving Target event, and the Falling Plate racks that the Cup is known for.

Because Bianchi is a precision event, range etiquette is stricter than what USPSA shooters are used to. Expect:

• Quiet conditions during shooters' strings.
• Formal command sequences.
• A less frenetic pace - you'll have time between strings to reset, reload, and breathe.
• Older, more traditional crowd. Lots of grey hair and decades of match experience.

Weather and what to bring

Late May in central Missouri:

• Highs in the upper 70s to low 80s
• Lows in the upper 50s
• Humidity is moderate to high. Can feel muggy on warm afternoons.
• Severe weather is possible - Missouri is tornado country in spring. Check the forecast the week of, and have a rain contingency.

Bring:

• A light sweater or long-sleeve for cool mornings and indoor debriefs.
• A quality shooting glove if you use one - Bianchi rewards consistent grip across hundreds of rounds.
• A rangefinder if you have one. Not required, but useful for rechecking your hold adjustments on the Practical event targets.
• More ammunition than you think. Bianchi round counts are meaningful and you don't want to be shopping locally at 10pm the night before your squad.

First-timer tips

• Dry-fire the courses for months beforehand.The four Bianchi courses of fire are completely standardized - same targets, same distances, same time limits, every year. You can replicate them at your home range almost exactly. Top shooters dry-fire the Practical and Barricade events thousands of times.
• Watch old footage.Doug Koenig has decades of Bianchi Cup wins. Watching him run the courses is better than any coaching you'll get.
• The match is deliberate.Don't rush. Bianchi rewards precision, not speed. Shooters coming from USPSA backgrounds often lose their first Bianchi match by trying to be fast when the match rewards being accurate.
• Respect the community.Bianchi has deep roots and many competitors have been shooting it for 20+ years. Show up humble, ask questions, and you'll learn more in four days than in a year of training.

If you're bringing family

Columbia is a pleasant college town with good parks, a nice downtown, and reasonable restaurants. The University of Missouri campus is walkable and worth an afternoon if you like campus architecture. Rocheport is a small historic village 20 minutes west with wineries and a good riverfront. St. Louis and Kansas City are both two hours away for a full day trip - Arch in St. Louis, barbecue in KC.

Summary

Fly into Kansas City or St. Louis, drive to Columbia, stay central or north-side, and treat this match like the traditional event it is. Bianchi is not a weekend throwaway - it's a week-long commitment and the shooters who do well have been dry-firing for months. Bring patience, bring ammo, and bring your best accuracy work.