Wigger competed in the 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1980 Olympics. He won gold and silver in 1964 and another gold in 1972. His daughter, Deena Wigger, followed in his footsteps competing in the 1988 Olympics and as a teammate of her father’s in the 1983 Pan-American Games.

Egloff, who teaches precision shooting, called Wigger a pioneer in rifle shooting. Wigger and his peers developed techniques and mechanics of the various shooting positions now taught in textbooks.

“Lones and Gary Anderson (an Olympic shooter from the same era) developed those positions. At the time it was do you focus on the front sight, rear sight or target to obtain the best accuracy. Fifty years ago, nobody knew. They figured it out by trial and error,” Egloff said.

Butte native Nick Mowrer became a resident athlete at the USA Shooting Center in Colorado Springs in 2009 and competed in the 2012 Olympics. Mowrer described Wigger as a constant presence at the training center’s range. He was always in good spirits and willing to help the athletes, especially junior shooters.

“Up until he literally couldn’t anymore, when he was laid up in the hospital with cancer, he was coming into the USA Shooting Center here in Colorado Springs to work every day. To him it wasn’t work,” Mowrer said.