What Are Popular Competitive Shooting Sports?

Most Popular Shooting Sports in America

While shooting is a popular activity that people participate in to train and have fun, it also has a competitive side that is gaining traction throughout the country. From local shooting competitions at a gun club to collegiate leagues, national championships, and Olympic events, competitive shooting is practiced around the world, and there are many events available. Depending on your preference, some of the top leagues focus on pistols, rifles, and shotguns, and one of the most well-known competitions combines all three, which is known as a 3 gun competition. Even air rifle matches are easy to get started in because you don’t have to own an actual firearm, opening these leagues up to people across the country. If you want to learn more about some of the most popular shooting sports, below, I have broken them into several categories based on the firearm used.

Rifle Shooting Competitions

Smallbore

This type of competitive shooting is one of the first that people start with, as it involves using .22 caliber rifles. Since these firearms and the ammo used is relatively inexpensive, it is perfect for people who are new to the scene. It’s also an excellent starting point for younger shooters who want to practice and enter the world of competitive shooting, as there is minimal recoil with .22 caliber weapons. This competition involves shooting from standing, kneeling, and prone positions, with some leagues also implementing sitting positions. Typically, the targets start at about 50 feet and increase to 100 yards for the prone position, as it is easier to hit targets that are further away when on the ground.

High-Power Service Rifle

For high-power service rifle (HPSR) shooting competitions, shooters try to hit targets from the same positions as smallbore events, except at longer distances and with more powerful weapons. Most competitors use modern sporting rifles (MSR), such as AR 15 and AR10 platform weapons, as these are easy to modify and tune to the exact specifications for a competition. In HSPR events, shooters try to hit targets at 200 yards from both sitting and standing positions, which takes considerable practice and a powerful rifle scope to master. After this, they move to the prone position, where targets are placed between 300 and 600 yards away.

Precision Rifle Series

If you enjoy the challenge of long-range shooting and want to go further than the events in high-power service rifle competitions, joining the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) is an excellent option. In these competitions, you score points by combining speed and accuracy while shooting at targets that can be anywhere from 10 to 1200 yards away. These competitions use bolt-action rifles with high-powered rifle scopes, with some popular calibers including 6.5 Creedmoor, .308, and 7.62x51mm NATO. However, there are some restrictions on the type of weapon you can use. For example, in the Open Divison, your weapon must be .30 caliber or smaller, while in the Tactical Division, you can only use a .308 Winchester or 5.56/.223 weapon. 

Air Rifle

Air rifles are some of the most popular weapons across the world because many people who don’t have access to traditional firearms can still purchase them. This means that air rifle competitions are some of the most diverse and well-known events, as they have lower barriers to enter. For example, air rifles are popular with both new and experienced shooters, and many colleges even have teams for students to compete against other schools. Competing with an air rifle at the collegiate level even presents professional and Olympic opportunities. For example, one popular Olympic event involves shooting a target at 10 meters from a standing position. There are also air pistol events available in some areas, as well as the Olympic Games.

Pistol Shooting Competitions

Conventional

Also known as “Bullseye” shooting, this form of competitive shooting involves using one hand to shoot a rimfire, centerfire, or semi-automatic pistol from a standing position. These events are run by the National Rifle Association (NRA) in America, and they can take place both indoors and outdoors. These handgun competitions place a strong emphasis on your form while shooting, which means you must maintain concentration, practice proper trigger control, and shoot accurately to score highly. By qualifying for tournaments and competing well, you can even compete in the Olympics, as this is a popular event for many countries.

Action

While bullseye competitions focus heavily on mechanics, action shooting emphasizes fluidity. In these events, also run by the NRA, competitors move through a set course and shoot at either steel targets or cardboard and paper targets. A high score involves combining speed and accuracy, as the faster you move through the course while hitting the designated targets results in a better score. However, one caveat to this type of competition is that the shooter must fire from a static position. This means that they must come to a complete stop before firing and moving on to the next target. This requires concentration and quick target acquisition, as you don’t have as much time to aim.

IDPA

IDPA stands for International Defensive Pistol Association, and this organization runs a particular type of practical shooting event. In these events, the goal is to simulate defensive shooting, requiring competitors to navigate a course of targets, similar to action shooting. This type of competition is particularly well-suited for newer shooters and competitive beginners, as you don’t need to have specialized, “competition only” gear. Instead, you can use a standard holster and pistol of your choice. Aside from the fun of competing, taking part in these events helps you practice and train for potential scenarios you may encounter while carrying.

Shotgun Shooting Competitions

Trap and Skeet

While technically two different events, trap and skeet shooting are very similar. Both involve using a shotgun to hit flying targets, known as clay pigeons, and the main difference comes in how the clays are launched. In trap shooting events, a single machine is used to launch a clay in front of the shooter, who must react and aim quickly to hit it. This simulates the path of a bird flying away and is repeated several times. For skeet shooting competitions, two machines are used. There is one on the left and one on the right of the shooter, and both fling clays into the air. This is more difficult than trap shooting because the competitor must track and hit both targets.

Mixed Shooting Competitions

3 Gun Competition

As one of the most well-known shooting events, 3 guns is known as a mixed competition. As the name suggests, shooters use three different guns and move through a course to hit a variety of targets in different stages, while also avoiding “no shoot” targets. At each stage, the shooter picks up a new gun, loads it, and fires at the set targets. Then, they put the weapon down and move to the next station. This competition typically uses a pistol, shotgun, and an MSR but a competitor can often swap an MSR with any semi-automatic rifle that can handle a larger magazine. This is one of the most fun and exciting events to watch and participate in because it combines many of the skills of other shooting disciplines into one event.

Check Out Our Competitive Shooting Gear Today!

Whether you have plenty of experience participating in shooting competitions or you are looking to get started, we have a variety of gear and essentials to help you. For those interested in pistol shooting, we have a variety of holsters and ammo in stock, including 9 mm. If you want to get into skeet and trap shooting, we have clay launchers and choke tubes to help you dial in your shots. Alternatively, you can pick up some air rifle pellets or 5.56 ammo for your rifle.