The second annual Copa Aguila kicked off on Friday, September 23, 2016, at Club Cinegetico Jalisciense in Guadalajara, Mexico. About 280 shooters from Mexico, Spain, Columbia and the U.S. participated in a total of four sporting clays events and a 3-gun event at this tournament sponsored by Aguila Ammunition, which is based in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Friday's 28-Gram event was shot on the Red course.

The 28-Gram event on Friday required the use Aguila’s 1-ounce loads for an even playing field. More than 100 shooters put these light-kicking loads to the test on the Red course, which was set am

ong rolling hills and mostly open terrain. Mild temperatures and overcast skies prevailed most of the day, until rain soaked shooters on the last couple of stands. Mexican shooter Pablo Montealegre came out on top, shooting a 99. Diego Duarte Delgado finished as runner-up (96) and American Derrick Mein (95) was third. Throughout the tournament, B class winners were determined by subtracting 25 percent from the winner’s score, and C class started 40 percent behind the winner’s score. In the 28-Gram event, B class winner was Ricardo Madera (73) and C class winner was Tomas De La Hoz (58).

Saturday kicked off with a grand opening ceremony featuring the Mexican national anthem and appearances by Jorge Pena, President of FEMETI (Mexican Shooting Federation); Luis Baiza, Chief Executive Officer of Tecnos; Enrique Alfaro, Mayor of Guadalajara; and other dignitaries and VIPs. It was followed by the 100-round TxAT, a unique event that required different loads on different stations — some 1-ounce loads, some of Aguila’s

Copa Aguila opening ceremony

innovative Minishells, and some shooter’s choice stations where any Aguila load was permitted. The event was named after Texas Armament & Technology, which is the U.S. distributor of Aguila Ammo as well as other popular outdoor brands. Targets were set at a wide variety of ranges with some unique presentations, including a couple with tricky, short shot windows and one station with a true pair thrown up and at the shooter from close range. Many shooters broke that pair with a single shot. The Minishells do not currently cycle in pumps and semi-autos, so some shooters had to borrow a teammate’s over-and-under, but the shells performed flawlessly with pleasantly reduced recoil. When all was said and done, Derrick Mein came out on top with a 97, with Diego Duarte Delgado as runner-up with a 96 and Pablo Montealegre in third with a 94. Raul Hernandez’s 72 won B class, and Jose P. Rebeles Navarro won C class with a 58.

Mein shooting 5-stand

Shooters had a real challenge ahead of them in the 100-round 5-stand event, which was shot on four 5-stand fields. The first two fields both featured a long, fast target going away from the left, which left many shooters frustrated and challenged. The fourth 5-stand course was shot on a skeet field, with one of the targets coming out of the low house and one target emerging low and straight away from the trap house. Shooters could use any Aguila load they liked. Familiar names rounded out the top three, with Derrick Mein taking first place with a 95, Diego Duarte Delgado coming in second with an 89, and Pablo Montealegre taking third with an 84 (won in a shoot-off against Ruben Martinez and Roman Saavedra). Raul Hernandez defeated Alfredo Garcia and Hector Robles in a shoot-off to win B class with a 71, and Sergio Dueñas and Francisco Pelayo shot off for C class, with Dueñas taking first place with a 56.

The 200-target main event was shot over two days on the Blue and Yellow courses. The Blue course was primarily shaded and meandered through the woods, and included several stands shot over a pond. Beautiful weather prevailed over the weekend and provided ideal shooting conditions.

Leonel Fernandez led the pack after the first round on Saturday, with a score of 96. Mein and Delgado were hot on his heels, both with 95s. The second round, shot on Sunday, told the tale. Fernandez shot an 89, which dropped him back to fourth place — he finished with a 185. Delgado shot another 95, but Mein’s 97 could not be overcome. Mein finished as Copa Aguila Champion with a total of 192, with Montealegre and Delgado shooting off 190s for second place. Montealegre won the shoot-off to take runner-up and Delgado finished in third.

In the end, it was a big weekend for Mein, who just joined Team Aguila as a sponsored shooter and is fresh off a big win as FITASC World Sporting Champion.

“Derrick is a phenomenal shooter and all-around great person. He has an energy and focus about him when he’s behind his shotgun,” says Kristi Drawe, Director of Marketing for Aguila Ammunition. “We are honored to have the reigning World FITASC Champion become part of Team Aguila.”

“Joining Team Aguila couldn’t have come at a more perfect time,” says Mein. “I’ve had the fortune of bringing home titles I’ve only dreamt about earning. Aside from having support from my amazing friends and family, I couldn’t do what I do without great sponsors and the best products in the industry. I’ve been shooting shotshells for most of my life and Aguila shotshells are superior; they offer the power at the highest load, accuracy and the fastest velocity for shooters looking for a competitive edge.”