A great way to improve your shooting skills, while having fun, is to shoot in local, regional, and national competitive shooting sports. You are sure to make new friends, even find a shooting family. If you are already a competitor, introducing others to the competitive and recreational shooting is vital to keep our sport alive and well. Here are some of the shooting sports that have local clubs throughout the country. Find one near you!
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is a national organization dedicated to training and educating U.S. citizens in responsible uses of firearms and airguns through gun safety training, marksmanship training, and competitions. Find a local CMP affiliate >
The GLOCK Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF) is a safe, fun, family-oriented organization devoted to the responsible use of GLOCK firearms and encouraging participation in the shooting sports. Competitions, across the United States, provide opportunities for shooters of all skill levels and experience to compete together in simple, but challenging courses of fire. Find a GSSF match > or Find a GSSF indoor match >
The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is the governing body of a shooting sport that simulates self-defense scenarios and real-life encounters. Competitors use practical equipment including full charge service ammunition to solve simulated “real world” self-defense scenarios using practical handguns and holsters that are suitable for self-defense use. The main goal is to test the skill and ability of an individual. Find a local IDPA club >
The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is the national governing body of the sport of practical shooting. The matches began to encourage the development of handgun skills for defensive use, but quickly evolved into a pure sport with little grounding in the original purpose. Competitions are held with pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun, and competitors are divided into different divisions based on firearm and equipment features. Find a local USPSA club >
Steel Challenge is easy to understand – it is all about the speed. And by maintaining consistent challenges from year to year, the competition lends itself to the notion of setting – and breaking – speed records, which greatly adds to the excitement for shooters, spectators and media. Steel shooting offers a port of entry to the shooting sports that is far less intimidating than practical shooting. Steel shooting provides an excellent starting place for young or beginning shooters. Find a local Steel Challenge club >
The Precision Rifle Series (PRS) offers a championship-style point series race of the best precision rifle competitions and shooters in the nation. Scores are formulated and recorded to track the status, profile, and ranking of shooters bringing more exposure to shooters and the sport alike in an effort to grow the popularity of rifle competitions and sport throughout the nation. Find a local PRS match >
The National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) is the largest organization in the world dedicated solely to the sport of skeet shooting. Shooters who want to compete can enter fun shoots and skeet shooting tournaments. The NSSA also offers the hunter a recreational target shooting sport that will strengthen hunting and gun safety skills and extend hunting seasons. Find a local NSSA club >
The National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) hosts sporting clays tournaments. The NSCA also offers the hunter a recreational target shooting sport that will strengthen hunting and gun safety skills and extend hunting seasons. Find a local NSCA club >
3-Gun Nation encourages participation and access to 3-gun competition. The 3-Gun Nation Club Series was created to foster growth in the shooting sports at the local level and provide a national classification system for the sport. 3-Gun Nation Regional Series is comprised of several championship matches each year, providing major match opportunities for 3-Gun Nation Members and onsite marketing events for corporate sponsors. Find a local 3GN club match >
The Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) is an international organization created to preserve and promote the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting. SASS endorses regional matches conducted by affiliated clubs, stages END of TRAIL The World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting, promulgates rules and procedures to ensure safety and consistency in Cowboy Action Shooting matches, and seeks to protect its members’ 2nd Amendment rights. SASS members share a common interest in preserving the history of the Old West and competitive shooting. Find a local SASS club >
Some competitive shooting sports use only pistol, rifle, or shotgun, and some include all a variety or all three. No matter your skill level or your goals for achievement, there is something for everyone. There are many other opportunities besides the ones listed here, so find a sport that interests you and google information on how you can get involved!
