Sport shooting in Australia

Australian target shooting is split by gun: the NRAA runs fullbore rifle, Target Rifle Australia smallbore and air rifle — through state bodies such as Target Rifle Victoria and Target Rifle Queensland — and Target Pistol Australia pistol. Shooting Australia selects Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams but leaves the day-to-day running to them.

Smallbore benchrest has two rule sets, TRA’s own and RBA’s under the world WRABF rules, each with a national championship. Every competitor needs a firearms licence or junior permit, and the laws differ from state to state. Fullbore’s main title is the King’s Prize, shot in each state and at the nationals.

Gun licence in Australia

Sport or target shooting is a genuine reason through membership of an approved club; under the national agreement, personal protection never is.
A new handgun shooter waits about six months before owning a handgun, then may own only a few, of set kinds, until the first year is out.
Keeping a handgun licence takes a minimum of club matches every year: six under the national agreement, more in some states.

The whole road to a licence

Federations

NRAA · National Rifle Association of Australia
TRA · Target Rifle Australia
TRV · Target Rifle Victoria
QTS · Queensland Targetsports
RBA · Rimfire Benchrest Australia
TPA · Target Pistol Australia

Targets

NRAA

Australia’s peak body for fullbore (centrefire) rifle: Target Rifle, F-Class, Sporter and more.

All 4 NRAA targets

TRA

Australia’s national body for smallbore and air rifle: ISSF events, prone at 20, 50 and 90 m, and benchrest.

All 3 TRA targets

TRV

Victoria’s state body for smallbore and air rifle — prone, three-position, air rifle and benchrest — affiliated to Target Rifle Australia.

Target	Weapon	Distance	Scoring area
TRV 20m BR Rifle	Rifle	20 m	30 mm
TRV 50m BR Rifle	Rifle	50 m	38.1 mm

QTS

Queensland’s state body for smallbore and air rifle, affiliated to Target Rifle Australia — Target Rifle Queensland since 2026, Queensland Target Sports before.

Target	Weapon	Distance	Scoring area
QTS Club Rifle	Rifle	Not fixed	170.4 mm

RBA

Rimfire and air rifle benchrest under the world WRABF rules, run within Target Rifle Australia with a national championship of its own.

Target	Weapon	Distance	Scoring area
RBA Benchrest Rifle	Rifle	50 m	38.1 mm

TPA

Australia’s national body for target pistol: ISSF pistol plus black powder, service, action pistol, metallic silhouette and WA1500.

Target	Weapon	Distance	Scoring area
TPA BP50 50m Pistol	Pistol	50 m	500.5 mm

Sources: Target Rifle Australia; NRAA Standing Shooting Rules, version 2.0; Target Pistol Australia, “History”; Target Rifle Victoria; Target Rifle Queensland, “About”; TRA, “RBA National Championships”, read on 4 October 2026.