CAPE GIRARDEAU MAN DRAWS BEAD ON RECORDS AS ARMY SHARPSHOOTER

Wyatt Earp, Butch Cassidy, Annie Oakley and Billy the Kid -- all legends of the Old West -- were made famous or infamous by their daring exploits and prowess with guns.

While Scott Boyd's exploits may be less daring and certainly more lawful, the Cape Girardeau man is another "gunslinger" taking aim at the history books.

Boyd, son of Don and Eileen Boyd of Cape Girardeau, is a world-class shooter with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, a group of soldiers whose job is to compete in inter-service, national, international and world shooting competitions, including the Olympics, World Cup and Pan-American Games. He is stationed at Fort Benning, Ga.

The AMU trains soldier-athletes like Boyd to compete in seven shooting trials -- service rifle, service pistol, international rifle, international pistol, running target, action shooting and shotgun.

Since its inception in 1956, members of the AMU have won hundreds of individual and team titles with more than 40 world championships and 19 Olympic medals. Traditionally, most members of the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team are from AMU.

Boyd, an Army staff sergeant and a 1979 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School, competes with the service rifle team as a shooter-instructor. He joined the AMU in 1991 after completing Army basic and ordnance training.

Using the modified M-16A2, the M-14 and the 300 Winchester Magnum rifles, Boyd competes in inter-service and national competitions, shooting at targets of up to 1,000 yards away. A veteran marksman, he knows competing with the best takes work and dedication.

"My job primarily is to train and compete," Boyd said. "The training varies from day to day, depending on the weather and our maintenance needs. I prefer going to the range to practice live fire. That might involve shooting a complete practice match or concentrating on specific problem areas."

On foul weather days, he can practice indoors using a computer with shooting software. "The computer is able to analyze performance and is a great aid to our coaches," Boyd said. "Some days we give marksmanship clinics, something we're doing more and more of."

Among his accomplishments, Boyd is a member of the record-setting winning National Infantry Trophy Team, a three-time member of the winning inter-service team and a winner of the Porter Cup Nationals. He routinely travels across the United States competing against the country's best shooters, including those from other services.

"One of the good things about competing with the AMU is the traveling we do," Boyd said. "We're always meeting new people, many of whom are new shooters whose questions we are glad to answer."

Boyd may be a contender for a national title, but he is a soldier too. As a member of the AMU, Boyd serves as an ambassador for the Army, visiting high schools, giving shooting clinics and providing support to the Army's Drill Sergeant's School, Sniper School, Small Arms Firing School and Infantry School.

"I'm always striving to improve my shooting performance, and the Army helps by providing the best rifles and ammo there is," he said. "I'm also trying to improve my education. The Army's been a big help there too."