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The NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program is a development program. It has been the flagship of NRA's training development programs for at least 80 years. Instructors and coaches use the qualification program as a guideline to train new shooters, both juniors and adults, in their clubs. Individuals who are not involved in organized programs also use the qualification program as an incentive to develop their own shooting skills.
Competitive Shooting
 A good development program like qualification shooting helps the student learn shooting skills and then introduces the shooter to other steps of development. The Distinguished Expert rating in the qualification program, for example, encourages shooters to fire their qualifying scores in NRA sanctioned competition. Competitive shooting exposes the shooter to other developmental challenges and different shooting venues. If you want to try competitive shooting, study the rule book for the event you are interested in and acquire a subscription to NRA's Shooting Sports USA. This monthly publication lists all of the NRA sanctioned tournaments by gun (high power rifle, air pistol) and by tournament level (state, sectional, local). To acquire rule books, visit the NRA Program Materials Center. To acquire a subscription to Shooting Sports USA, call 800-NRA-3888, or subscribe online.
Excellent Performance Awards
While in competition, the developmental challenge continues with NRA's Excellent Performance Awards. This program offers incentives for smallbore and air rifle shooters to improve their skills in competition. There are six awards in the program -- three small pins (bronze, silver and gold) and three large pins (bronze, silver and gold). The courses of fire are designed to take a shooter from the marksman class up to the master class. Shooting for the EPAs can be conducted at any tournament and qualifying scores can be verified by any NRA trainer. To learn more about this program, call (703) 267-1401 or e-mail hmoody@nrahq.org.
NRA Postals
Another shooting activity is the NRA Postal Program. Postal matches are non-sanctioned competitions fired at the shooter's home range. The fired targets are then mailed (hence the name) to a postal program coordinator. The targets are scored and a results bulletin is prepared and mailed to the participants. The conditions of each match are specified in the postal program. Popular postal matches have shooters from all over the country participating in the event. Currently a program is available for junior and adult shooters in conventional and centerfire pistol. We also have a 3- and 4-position smallbore rifle program that is open to everyone. In addition, the VFW, JROTC, Order of DeMolay, U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce, 4-H and BSA have postal matches open to their members. For more information, email the postal program coordinator at postals@nrahq.org.
NRA Instructors and Coaches
Another valuable resource available to you is NRA's network of trained instructors and coaches. All across the country, instructors provide one or several of the NRA basic courses of instruction including:
- Home Firearms Safety
- Basics of Pistol Shooting
- Personal Protection in the Home
- Basics of Rifle Shooting
- Basics of Shotgun Shooting
- Basics of Muzzleloading Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun
Everyone is encouraged to participate in an NRA basic shooting course. After basics, NRA coaches can help you improve your shooting techniques as well as your chances for success in competitive shooting programs. To obtain a list of instructors and/or coaches in your area, click here.
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