what is a shooting course called

by Dr. Johathan Luettgen 9 min read

What is a shooting range called?

The NRA CCW Course is intended for all individuals regardless of previous shooting experience or NRA-affiliation, and is designed to provide the core competencies required for a particular state.. This instructor-led course gives you direct instruction from an NRA-certified instructor from beginning to end and may be conducted in a classroom and on a shooting range.

What are the different types of shooting competitions?

Silhouette shooting — This is a rifle event and primarily uses small gauge rifles such as .22s. These events stage small steel targets at varying distances between 50-100 yards. Targets may be at different heights, angles, and may move. There are competitions that employ high power rifles with targets in the 1000-yard range.

What is the meaning of shooting sports?

May 20, 2017 · Of course, a heavily modified 10/22 is also a good, cheap(ish) entry point to get you started. ... and sporting clays. They involve shooting clay disks, called pigeons, which are launched into the air or across the ground by special machines known as traps. Most require competitors to shoot at 25, 50, or 100 targets in any given match, making ...

What is the range of a shooting competition?

Apr 25, 2016 · Commonly called rifle qual, the test has two portions, table one, which involves firing from 200, 300, and 500 yards, from the standing, kneeling, sitting, …

What is a shooting range?

A shooting range, firing range or gun range is a specialized facility, venue or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or competitions.

What are the basic components of an indoor shooting range?

The basic components of most indoor ranges consist of firing lines/lanes, targets and a bullet trap /"backstop" (which prevents stray shots and overpenetrations ). Design considerations may vary depending on planned use but they all must address the basic requirements for operating the range safely, and that is provide ballistic protection, safety controls, proper ventilation, acoustic isolation and appropriate lighting.

What is a range master?

Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, variously called a range master or "Range Safety Officer" (RSO) in the United States, or a range conducting officer (RCO) in the United Kingdom.

What is a firing range wall?

Firing range walls are usually constructed of poured concrete, precast concrete or masonry blocks. The walls must be sufficiently impenetrable and provide adequate ballistic protection from stray shots and back-splatter.

What is the firing line in a shooting range?

The firing line, usually marked red or orange, runs along the downrange edge of the shooting booths. Some ranges have motion detectors that can set off an alarm when a shooter passes this line during shooting. Target systems consist of a target object, a target carrier system, and a target control system.

How far can an air rifle range be?

Air rifle. Outdoor air rifle ranges can have a fixed distance such as 10 metres (11 yd) or 25 metres (27 yd) or be an area for the practice of the sport of field target shooting, where reset metal targets are placed in natural surroundings at various distances and elevations, with a pellet trap behind the target.

How long is a small bore rifle range?

Small-bore ( .22 Long Rifle caliber) rifle ranges are typically 50 metres (55 yd) to accommodate the Olympic 50 m Rifle event, but they can extend to 200 metres (219 yd). These ranges are found around the world as part of various cadet shooting programs, sometimes reduced to 25 metres (27 yd), or in American parlance "the thousand-inch range". Often called " miniature rifle ranges ", they featured as training establishments for initial military marksmanship training using lower-cost ammunition imparting less recoil or for entertainment carnival games or, if built to a high specification, are used for zeroing-in full-bore rifles using specially designed "ladder" targets.

What is a CCW course?

The NRA CCW course teaches the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to carry a concealed pistol for personal defense. The NRA CCW Course is intended for all individuals regardless of previous shooting experience or NRA-affiliation, and is designed to provide the core competencies required for a particular state.. This instructor-led course gives you direct instruction from an NRA-certified instructor from beginning to end and may be conducted in a classroom and on a shooting range.

What is the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program?

From a young shooter's first BB gun to sophisticated air rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, pistols, and rifles, the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program offers family fun and enjoyment that can last a lifetime.

How many people attend NRA training?

With roughly 1 million people attending NRA training courses annually, the NRA is recognized nationally as the Gold Standard for firearm safety training. Whether you're a new or prospective gun owner or hunter in search of training, whatever your age or level of expertise, whatever type of firearm you're interested in, NRA has the course for you.

What is a NRA range safety officer?

NRA Range Safety Officers are people who possess the knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to organizing, conducting, and supervising safe shooting activities and range operations.

What is the NRA coaching program?

The NRA Coach Education Program offers multi-level training for coaches of the competitive shooting sports in partnership with USA Shooting, the Civilian Marksmanship Program, the Amateur Trapshooting Association, the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association. Separate coach training courses are available for rifle, shotgun, pistol and high-power rifle. It is our goal to provide every coach with the tools to be successful. The NRA is committed to creating a positive environment in which coaches, athletes, parents, officials and fans work together to achieve our mission in the shooting community.

What is gunsmithing?

Gunsmithing is a craft that has long been a part of American history and culture. Gunsmiths have been responsible for some of the most historic technological advancements in firearm history, their raw skills and artistry making them unique to the trade.

How many instructors are there in the NRA?

From beginner to developing competitor, the NRA Training Department develops safe, ethical, responsible shooters through a network of more than 125,000 instructors and range safety officers and coaches. NRA Training Counselors recruit and train instructors to teach NRA's basic firearm courses.

What are the three categories of shooting events?

All three involve throwing clay targets, but it is how they are thrown that differentiates these shooting events. Those are: Skeet shooting Clay targets fired from opposite directions and cross, which helps the shooter to develop or show off profile shooting skills. ...

What is trap shooting?

Trap shooting — Clay targets are thrown in the same direction as the shooter is facing, but their trajectory varies, giving the shooter a more difficult set of targets. This type of shooting develops skills that involve instant decision making when choosing multiple targets.

How far can you shoot a bullseye?

By long distance, we mean upwards of 50 yards. Competitions are usually a mix of slow-firing and rapid-firing contests.

What is silhouette shooting?

Silhouette shooting — This is a rifle event and primarily uses small gauge rifles such as .22s. These events stage small steel targets at varying distances between 50-100 yards. Targets may be at different heights, angles, and may move. There are competitions that employ high power rifles with targets in the 1000-yard range. To increase the difficulty of these events, shots might be timed.

What era were cowboy guns used?

Cowboy action shooting — The primary requirement for these types of shooting events is that the guns used are from the era of the American cowboy. That typically means from the 1800s. These are perfect events to get a look at antique guns and weaponry.

What are the two types of shotgun competitions?

Much as with rifles, there are essentially two types of shotgun competitions: the traditional sports and the newer action/tactical sports. Both of these go well beyond shredding cardboard at your local indoor range or shattering clay targets tossed by your buddy in the field out back.

What is cowboy action shooting?

Cowboy Action Shooting (also known as SASS or Single Action Shooting Sports) uses single action revolvers, pump shotguns, and lever-action rifles. They have some of the largest organized competition shooting matches in the United States, including a relatively large proportion of women and juniors.

Why are handguns so popular?

Handguns are popular for many reasons, between being available at reasonable prices, being relatively small and easy to transport and store, and being versatile for many different uses. It’s no surprise, then, that many shooting competitions are focused on handgun shooting.

What is Steel Challenge?

Somewhere in between is Steel Challenge, also known as SCSA. Almost any kind of pistol, no matter how plain or fancy, can shoot the five steel targets in each Steel Challenge stage. Rimfire and pistol caliber carbines (rifles) can also play.

How many steel targets can you shoot in Steel Challenge?

Somewhere in between is Steel Challenge, also known as SCSA. Almost any kind of pistol, no matter how plain or fancy, can shoot the five steel targets in each Steel Challenge stage. Rimfire and pistol caliber carbines (rifles) can also play.

What is a pro am?

Pro-Am is unique for its limitations on how long a shooter has to shoot as many pieces of steel as they can during a stage.

What is the USPSA?

USPSA is a “freestyle” shooting sport with both paper and steel targets, though generally more paper than steel, where shooters compete to see who can shoot stages fastest and with the most accuracy.

What is the name of the week six rifle range?

During week six, called grass week, recruits head to the rifle range where they are introduced to their primary marksmanship instructors, who teach them the different firing positions: prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing.

What is grass week?

Grass week. During week six, called grass week, recruits head to the rifle range where they are introduced to their primary marksmanship instructors, who teach them the different firing positions: prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing.

What is TC 3-20.40?

In July, the Army released “TC 3-20.40 Training and Qualification-Individual Weapons,” or “Dot-40,” that covers not just rifle and carbine marksmanship but also has new standards for pistol and other individual weapons. The changes, along with a companion manual that updates crew served weapons work, are the biggest revamp to shooting ...

Who is Todd South?

Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.

What is the Army rifle qualification?

The Army rifle qualification prepares soldiers for lethal fire in combat situations. Soldiers practice with the weapons assigned to them according to their job in the Army. There are six phases of training. Training begins with learning about their service weapons.

What is an M16A2 rifle?

The M16A2 is a standard rifle for military branches. In some situations, Army recruits might qualify with an M-4, instead, especially if they are in infantry training. Also, soldiers need to qualify with all the weapons assigned to them based on their individual MOS, or job, in the Army. The Army qualification courses are located ...

What is the purpose of the M16A2?

Image: usar.army.mil. The goal of the Army is to prepare and train soldiers to be ready and lethal for combat situations. The M16A2 is a standard rifle for military branches. In some situations, Army recruits might qualify with an M-4, instead, especially if they are in infantry training.

Where is Rob from?

Born and raised in Woodbridge, NJ, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute Of Technology with an MBA in eCommerce.His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting. Rob is also a commercially rated pilot with over 1,500 hours of flight time.

How many stations are there in Skeet?

Where skeet has seven stations, trap only has five. Like skeet, however, you’ll still rotate through the different stations to practice shooting at multiple angles. With skeet, a group of shooters (or squad if you want to get technical) will move together as a group through all seven stations.

How to shoot a bird?

Keep these tips from pros in mind before you even hit the range: 1 It’s the movement, not the accuracy. A lot of newbies try to focus on accurately hitting the bird when they should be focusing on their pivoting movement in between shots. Learn how to develop a rhythm and the shots will come naturally. 2 Start with dry firing. No one will look down on you for it. Everyone needs to start somewhere and dry firing your shotgun will give you a chance to focus on your rhythm instead of the actual shot. 3 Get comfortable. It can’t be stressed enough that you should buy your own gun. This will give you a chance to really get familiar with the specific gun’s recoil, loading, weight, and trigger. When you get comfortable with your shotgun it will start to feel like an extension of your body and be much easier to control. 4 Pattern your gun. This alone will give you an edge over many other shooters. It’s impossible to know where your shot is landing without patterning your shot. Use a piece of paper at multiple intervals to see how your shot spreads.

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Overview

A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by military or law enforcement agencies, though the majority of ranges are privately owned by civilians and sporting clubsand cater mostly to recreational shooters. Each f…

Type

In urban areas, most shooting ranges will be at indoor facilities. Indoor ranges offer sheltering from inclement weather conditions and can be operated around the clock under a controlled environment. Outdoor shooting ranges are typically found away from populated areas due to concerns of safety, noise pollution and soil contamination.

Components

The firing point normally is at a defined point on the ground, and on a civilian range will usually be level and flat. Outdoor ranges without a covered firing point are usually grass, often on a slightly raised, flattened mound. Outdoor ranges with a covered firing point are usually concrete or tarmacadam. Outdoor military range firing points are not usually covered and may have other configurations, …

Common safety practices

Although some ranges require all weapons to be discharged, securely encased, and/or trigger-locked before entering or exiting the facility, others do not. Many jurisdictions have no such restrictions, regardless of whether one has a concealed carry license in jurisdictions where concealed carry is legal.
Whether indoors or outdoors, all shooters are typically required to wear eye pr…

Specialized classes and licenses

This will vary by country; for example, in some countries, using a shooting range does not require a license or specialized training beyond gun refresher training (for rental guns) and range rules familiarization. In other countries, participants must be part of an organized club and must hold licenses for ownership of individual firearms. A common requirement is that the shooter must be of legal age (or have a guardian present) prior to shooting.

Other services

Many target shooting ranges offer services to aid both novice and expert shooters.
Typically, a range will offer safety courses, concealed carry courses, and advanced training in firearms techniques, for a fee. In addition, some states in the USA require employees who use firearms on the job (e.g., armored car drivers, security guards) to have certain certifications. In most cases, a shooter may take a class and qualify for these certifications at a range.

Specific countries

This article discusses shooting or firing ranges in a general sense. For more specific discussion of shooting ranges in specific countries, see:
• Shooting ranges in Norway
• Shooting ranges in Switzerland
• Shooting ranges in the United States

See also

• Gun politics
• ISSF shooting events (Olympic events)
• Metallic silhouette
• Schützenverein
• Shooting sports