Disciplines

Action MatchAction match is a demanding and dynamic handgun shooting discipline for revolver and self-loading pistol shooters. The discipline was established in 1979 by former Los Angeles Police Department officer John Bianchi. Action match incorporates variations of existing handgun competitions, like IPSC and PPC. The discipline includes four firearm classes and four main courses of fire: practical, barricade, moving target and falling plates. Each course has its own time, distance and scoring conditions. Action match also has a sub-discipline called steel challenge, which caters to both rimfire and centrefire handgun events. View More Information Victorian Club Practical Pistol League of Australia Springvale Pistol Club Sporting Shooters Pistol Club
Air Rifle Field TargetAir rifle field target is a simulated field-type event that lends itself to a bush-type environment, though it may be contested on a more traditional range line. Shooters use air rifles capable of sufficient accuracy, that can hit the reactive ‘fall-when-hit’ targets of various sizes at ranges from 8 to 50m. The challenge of the discipline comes from shooting a relatively low powered air rifle at targets at distances that are unknown to the competitor. A competitor's success in competition depends on their marksmanship skills and ability to estimate range. View More Information
BenchrestBenchrest is a precision rifle shooting discipline where shooters aim to put five or 10 shots into the smallest possible group on paper targets placed at 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards. Groups are measured from the centre to the centre of the two widest shots in a group. Rifles are fired from rests, comprising a front rest to support the fore-end and a rear sandbag to support the rifle’s butt. The ultimate would be to put five or 10 shots into one single bullet hole, but this has never been done. Benchrest shooting as an accuracy discipline continues to grow, not only in the number of participants, but also in the variety of classes and matches available. View More Information Victorian Club Melbourne Benchrest Club Mildura Sporting Rifle Club
Big Game RifleBig game rifle is a rifle shooting discipline that aims to foster the collection, preservation and use of vintage and modern classic large-calibre big-game rifles, particularly those of British origin, including black powder and early Nitro cartridge firearms. The matches aim to simulate field-shooting conditions to improve the shooter’s firearm skills in the pursuit of large and dangerous game. To replicate real field conditions, no slings or rests are used in competition. Competitors will also be penalised for using scope sights. Two speed events, 'charging animal' and 'special snap', have been introduced because big-game rifles were traditionally used in tight, dangerous situations. View More Information Victorian Club Big Game Rifle Club
Combined ServicesCombined services is a rifle and handgun shooting discipline that commenced in Victoria and Queensland in the 1980s. The discipline was designed to promote the safe handling and proper care of military or service firearms, as well as provide organised competitive shooting of the firearms. The discipline encompasses more than a dozen service rifle and service pistol classes in which competitors use original or faithful reproduction rimfire, centrefire and black powder military and other service rifles, carbines, revolvers and self-loading pistols to shoot for score at paper targets of different sizes and from various distances and positions. View More Information Victorian Clubs Mildura Military Rifle and Pistol Club Military Rifle Club/Military Pistol Club Shepparton Military Rifle Club Third Military District Pistol Club Terang Pistol Club Goulburn Valley Pistol Club Springvale Pistol Club Portland Rifle Club Shepparton Sporting Rifle Club
Field rifle, 3-positional, scoped air rifle and NRA any sightField rifle and 3-positional is a rifle discipline that aims to improve hunting marksmanship under rifle range conditions. It teaches competitors the capabilities and limitations of their equipment. Field rifle is a rimfire and centrefire rifle shoot designed around the four most used field shooting positions (rapid fire, standing, standing post rest and sitting/kneeling post rest) over various distances. SSAA 3-positional is a slow-fire event, with prone, standing and kneeling/sitting positions required to be used. Scoped air rifle is broken in to two matches. The 10m scoped air rifle match is shot from the standing unsupported position at 10m. The 3-positional scoped air rifle is shot from the prone, kneeling and standing positions at 10m. Finally, NRA 3 position any sight uses basically any rifle in the .22 longarm calibre and any sight is allowed, as are palm rests and hook buttplates. View More Information Victorian Club Eagle Park Youth Training Scheme Springvale Youth Training Scheme Melbourne Sporting Rifle Club Sporting Shooters Women's Group Mildura Military Rifle & Pistol Club
Gallery RifleGallery rifle includes short- and medium-distance shooting events for rifles and pistols chambered in pistol-calibre cartridges. The international rule book comprises four main events: gallery rifle centrefire, gallery rifle smallbore, long barrelled revolver and long barrelled pistol. Gallery rifle centrefire, is the only event SSAA generally participates in. It is based around scoped and iron-sighted tubular magazine lever-action rifles in traditional pistol calibres, such as the .32-20, .38-.357, .44 and .45. Most GRCF events are shot at distances between 10 and 50m and mirror popular pistol competitions. Gallery Rifle matches require the competitor to load and shoot very quickly either at stationary paper or reactive steel targets. View More Information
Handgun Metallic SilhouetteHandgun metallic silhouette is a rimfire and centrefire revolver and pistol shooting discipline where competitors aim to knock down metal animal-shaped targets. The targets are placed on steel stands in group of five and set at several distances, with the competitors having a certain amount of time to knock as many down as they can. Competitors shoot a handgun to knock over the metal targets, which are of varying thicknesses and are placed between 10m and 200m from the firing line, depending on the calibre of the handgun being used. Targets are fired upon in two-minute stages, firing at five targets per stage, in order, from left to right. The target must be knocked over to score. View More Information Victorian Club Third Military District Pistol Club Sporting Shooters Pistol Club Goulburn Valley Pistol Club Marong Pistol Club Sunraysia Pistol Club Wodonga Handgun Club
Lever ActionLever action caters exclusively for lever-action rifles and includes two categories - classic calibre and open calibre. Lever action aims to improve hunting marksmanship skills and includes animal profile targets or paper ring targets. The matches require a variety of shooting positions and distances, and courses of fire can vary from 15 seconds to five minutes for five shots. Apart from the historical and traditional intentions, lever-action rifles provide fast recycling for the timed events. In classic calibre, shooters use centrefire rifles produced prior to the end of 1938 as issued by the factory. Open calibre is divided into two separate events at the National Championships level - centrefire and rimfire. View More Information
Long Range PrecisionLong range precision is a handgun, rifle and black powder discipline that aims to refine and develop the accuracy of firearms, ammunition and equipment for shooting at extreme distances. The handgun events vary from rimfire to centrefire calibres and are shot up to 500m, while the rifle events cover .22LR to .50 BMG calibres and are shot up to 2000m. The core matches require the competitor to shoot five shots from a cold barrel, without the use of benches or windflags, as they would in a normal field situation. To be successful, the competitor will need to learn to read the wind and other conditions, as well as understand their firearm and its ballistics completely. View More Information Victorian Club Mildura Long Range Shooting Club Mildura Military Rifle & Pistol Club
MuzzleloadingMuzzleloading is an interactive discipline that caters to the original and replica rifles, muskets, handguns and shotguns that were used during Australia’s colonial days. Each firearm category has its own classes and subsections. The rifle events are shot from the offhand, cross-sticks/prone, benchrest or kneeling/sitting positions, while shotgun events are shot around stations placed various distances from the thrower. Muzzleloading shooters often take part in historical events and re-enactments. During these re-enactments, the muzzleloading enthusiasts replicate the dress and equipment of the period of interest. View More Information Victorian Club Victorian Muzzle Loaders Club Marong Pistol Club
Practical ShootingPractical shooting is one of the fastest growing shooting sports in Australia. The discipline - which caters to rimfire and centrefire pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns - is attracting attention because of its high-speed and high-energy. Practical shooting is a challenging and active discipline that tests the capacity of the competitor and their equipment. Most matches comprise a minimum of three stages and the courses of fire are designed to offer challenging and active scenarios that test the capacity of the shooter and their equipment. Each of the stages differs from the last to push the competitor’s abilities and firearms to their limits. The competitor is scored on the accuracy and time taken around a stage. View More Information Victorian Club Marong Pistol Club Sporting Shooters Women's Group
Rifle Metallic SilhouetteAir, rimfire, centrefire, service and black powder rifles are used when participating in rifle metallic silhouette shooting. The aim of this discipline is to knock down metal animal-shaped targets. The targets are placed on steel stands in banks of five at various distances, with the competitors having a certain amount of time to knock as many down as they can. All rifle metallic silhouette competitions aim to improve hunting marksmanship skills under range conditions. View More Information Victorian Club Shepparton Sporting Rifle Club Eagle Park Youth Training Scheme Springvale Youth Training Scheme Melbourne Sporting Rifle Club
Shotgun ShootingShotgun permits the use of any smoothbore shotgun up to 12-gauge to shoot clay targets. The discipline includes four main competitions. Sporting clays is usually held in a bush setting, with competitors shooting from six or seven stands and traps throwing targets to simulate hunting. 5-stand has five stands separated by a couple of metres each, with traps throwing single or double targets in different directions. Low-field and high-field competitions are shot from pads level with or close to the trap house and the traps being above or below ground level. https://youtu.be/wp8darcpilQ View More Information Victorian Club Shepparton Shotgun Club
Single ActionSingle action uses original or replica firearms that were commonly used in the Old West period of 1800 to 1899. This includes single-action revolvers, lever-action and slide-action rifles and carbines, lever-action and pump-action shotguns, and side-by-side shotguns without automatic ejectors. A unique aspect of single action is the authentic period or Western-style dress, with shoes and hats to match. This adds to the uniqueness of the sport and helps create a festive and informal atmosphere. Single action shooters are required to select a shooting alias for themselves, which is representative of a character or profession from the Old West or the Western film genre. View More Information Victorian Club Little River Raiders Mildura Border Vigilantes Club Goulburn Valley Pistol Club Marong Pistol Club Sporting Shooters Pistol Club
Target PistolTarget pistol is an international rimfire and centrefire revolver and self-loading pistol shooting discipline. There are six main classes and several side matches, with each based around the class of the handgun and ammunition used and many having their roots in different eras and types of service pistol shooting. The discipline includes four main matches and competitors have varying time restrictions to shoot single-handedly in the standing position at paper targets placed at 25m and 50m. The discipline originated in the late 19th century as a means of training and competing with handguns and, as such, many of the matches have their roots in previous eras and types of service pistol shooting. View More Information Victorian Club Sunraysia Pistol Club Victorian Muzzle Loading Club
Working GundogsWorking gundogs is a shotgun discipline that promotes the use of trained gundogs for hunting and retrieving in the field. The discipline conducts training, trials and competitions at various levels. The four main working gundogs disciplines include retrieving; hunt, point and retrieve; spaniel; and pointer and setter. Various breeds of Labradors, Brittanys, Retrievers, Pointers, Setters, Spaniels, Munsterlanders, Weimaraners and more have their own skills and specialities. Working gundogs is committed to providing training for its members and regularly conducts training days and other events to improve dogs for hunting and retrieving in the field. The discipline is structured to facilitate all levels of dogs, from young beginners to mature champions. View More Information Victorian Club Working Gundog Association of Australia
Fly ShootFly Shoot is a shooting discipline that caters exclusively to rifles. The discipline includes Rimfire and Centrefire matches generally shot at 200 yards and 500m respectively. Each match comprises five targets, with the target having a ‘fly’ 30mm in size as the X-ring and scoring rings around it. Fly Shoot is a unique discipline as both the size of the groups and scores count towards a shooter’s final result. It is best to try to keep the five-shot group as close to the fly as possible for a maximum score.