The competitive shooting community is mourning the death of Jack Neary, a highly accomplished benchrest shooter whose knowledge, competitive achievements and willingness to mentor others earned him widespread respect within the sport.
News of Neary’s passing was confirmed by DEON Optical Design Corporation and March Scopes, which announced his death on September 27, 2026.
The company described his passing as sudden and expressed condolences to his family, friends and the many shooters who knew him through competitions and shooting events.
For longtime followers of benchrest shooting, Neary was far more than a familiar name on competition result sheets. He was a Hall of Fame competitor, record-setting marksman and experienced mentor who spent years sharing what he had learned with other shooters.
Who Was Jack Neary?
Jack Neary was one of the better-known competitors in American short-range benchrest shooting.
Over the course of a lengthy competitive career, he participated in several benchrest rifle disciplines and accumulated numerous major accomplishments.
Lapua, which featured Neary as a member of Team USA, described him as a Benchrest Hall of Fame member who had achieved success across virtually every major level of the sport.
His reputation was built not only on winning events but also on his technical understanding of rifle accuracy, ammunition preparation and reloading.
Those skills made him a valuable resource for shooters who wanted to improve their own performance.
Jack Neary Was a Benchrest Hall of Fame Competitor
Neary earned a place in the U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame, one of the sport’s most significant forms of competitive recognition.
The National Bench Rest Shooters Association’s Hall of Fame standings list Neary with 22 Hall of Fame points, placing him among a relatively small group of shooters who accumulated enough points through elite competition to qualify for recognition.
Hall of Fame points are earned through high-level performances at important registered benchrest events, making membership a reflection of sustained competitive success rather than a single standout result.
Neary’s place on that list demonstrates the consistency he maintained over many years.
Multiple-Time Eastern Region Shooter of the Year
Neary was also repeatedly recognized within the NBRSA Eastern Region.
Association records show that he won Eastern Region Shooter of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2021 and 2023.
His 2023 victory came after accumulating 543 points across eight matches, giving him a substantial lead in the regional standings that season.
Winning the award multiple times across a decade reflected both longevity and continued competitiveness.
Even later in his career, Neary remained capable of performing alongside the best shooters in the sport.
Jack Neary Set Benchrest Records
One of Neary’s most notable achievements came during the 2019 World Benchrest Championships in Canada.
According to Lapua, he established a world record with a .110-inch Light Varmint single group at 200 yards.
That performance added another major accomplishment to an already distinguished competitive career.
Remarkably, Neary continued producing exceptional results years later.
Only weeks before news of his death, March Scopes celebrated another extraordinary performance from him.
Potential World Record Shortly Before His Death
On September 3, 2026, March Scopes announced that Neary had fired an exceptionally small .085-inch 10-shot group, measuring approximately 2.159 millimeters.
The company described the performance as a potential world record.
The achievement demonstrated that Neary remained at an elite competitive level shortly before his passing.
March Scopes later referenced that performance in its memorial message, noting how recently the company had been celebrating another major accomplishment before receiving news of his death.
For fellow competitors, that timing made his sudden passing particularly difficult to process.
Jack Neary Was Known for Sharing His Knowledge
Neary’s contribution to benchrest shooting extended well beyond trophies and records.
He became widely known for sharing information about reloading, rifle tuning and precision shooting techniques.
Lapua noted that Neary conducted numerous popular reloading clinics where shooters could learn from his extensive technical experience.
Members of shooting forums also remembered him after his death as someone who openly shared valuable information with other enthusiasts rather than keeping competitive knowledge to himself.
That willingness to teach became an important part of his reputation.
For newer competitors entering a highly technical discipline, access to experienced shooters willing to explain equipment setup and ammunition preparation can make a significant difference.
A Mentor to New Benchrest Shooters
Neary formally supported efforts to help newcomers enter the sport.
The National Bench Rest Shooters Association listed him as a volunteer in its Regional Mentorship Program, where experienced competitors make themselves available to shooters seeking assistance.
Neary indicated that he was available to mentor people at Chippewa Rifle Club and at major Group Benchrest matches.
His participation showed that mentorship was not simply something he did informally among friends.
He actively volunteered his time to help strengthen the next generation of competitors.
Leadership Within the NBRSA
Neary also contributed administratively to organized benchrest shooting.
In 2018, members elected him Eastern Region Director of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association.
Serving in that position involved representing shooters within the region and participating in organizational matters affecting registered competition.
The role added another dimension to Neary’s involvement in the sport.
He was not only a competitor pursuing personal achievements but also someone who participated in maintaining and developing the competitive community around him.
Continued Success Late in His Career
Neary remained highly competitive well into the later years of his shooting career.
Results from the 2025 Cactus Classic show him finishing fourth overall in the 2-Gun competition and second in the Light Varmint Grand Aggregate.
Those performances came decades after he had first established himself at major competitions.
Maintaining that level of precision over such a long period requires continual practice, detailed equipment preparation and the ability to adapt to changing conditions.
It also helps explain why competitors continued to look to Neary as a source of technical knowledge.
March Scopes Pays Tribute to Jack Neary
March Scopes and its parent company, DEON Optical Design Corporation, issued a memorial following confirmation of Neary’s death.
The company remembered him for his friendship, support and contributions to the wider shooting community.
It also reflected on his passion for benchrest competition and the many achievements accumulated during his career.
The tribute emphasized that Neary’s impact reached beyond his individual shooting results.
For companies, competitors and organizations involved in precision shooting, he had become a familiar and respected member of the community.
Fellow Shooters Remember Jack Neary
The response from other shooters following his passing has similarly focused on his generosity with information.
Members of the AccurateShooter community described Neary as someone who openly shared years of experience and helped fellow shooters better understand the sport.
One recurring theme in the tributes was the amount of knowledge he provided through conversations, instructional discussions and appearances with other prominent precision shooters.
For those who never competed directly against him, those educational contributions may be the part of his legacy they remember most.
Jack Neary Cause of Death
Public memorial announcements reviewed at the time of publication confirm that Jack Neary died suddenly.
However, a specific cause of death has not been publicly disclosed through the reliable sources currently available.
March Scopes referred to his passing as sudden but did not provide medical or other details concerning the circumstances.
Unless Neary’s family or another authorized source chooses to provide additional information, speculation regarding his cause of death should be avoided.
Funeral and Memorial Arrangements
Detailed funeral or memorial service arrangements for Jack Neary were not included in the confirmed announcements available when this article was prepared.
Additional information may be released by his family, a funeral provider or organizations connected with the benchrest community.
Those wishing to pay tribute should rely on verified announcements before sharing service dates or locations.
Remembering Jack Neary
Jack Neary leaves behind an extensive competitive legacy.
He became a U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame member, established major records, earned repeated Shooter of the Year honors and continued producing elite-level groups even shortly before his death.
Yet his contribution to the sport was not limited to what appeared on scoreboards.
Neary taught.
He mentored.
He shared information.
He volunteered to help newer competitors develop their skills.
For a technical sport built around tiny measurements and relentless attention to detail, the knowledge passed from one generation of shooters to another is an important part of its survival.
Jack Neary played a significant role in that process.
His sudden death has taken away one of benchrest shooting’s most accomplished competitors, but the records he established, the shooters he helped and the knowledge he shared will remain part of the sport for years to come.