NRA B-16 Pistol target
The B-16 carries the slow fire stage of the NRA Short Course, whose timed and rapid fire follow on the B-8 at the same distance, and of the Marksman League Course. The Short Course is a classification course and may take the National Match Course’s place in the 900 and 2700-point aggregates.
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Courses of fire
10 or 20 shots
| Course | Shots | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Slow Fire (25 yd)10 min | 10 | 100 |
| Slow Fire Match2 × 10 · 10 min per series | 20 | 200 |
Badges
United States · NRA
NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program
The NRA dates the programme to 1903 and measures shooters against par scores in 23 qualifications, from BB gun to shotgun and multi-gun. Awards are ordered from the NRA’s Program Materials Center: the discipline’s patch at the start, then a rocker, medal, pin and certificate for each rating. NRA members who reach Distinguished Expert get its packet free, and those who earn it in 2 or 3 of rifle, pistol and shotgun become Double or Triple Distinguished.
Ratings are earned in order, from Pro-Marksman up, at the shooter’s own pace; a score counts only toward the rating being worked on and cannot be held for a higher one, and the repetitions need not be fired in a row or in one session. Distinguished Expert firing is witnessed by an NRA member, instructor or coach, unless it is shot in competition.
NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program guide book, 11th ed. (January 2021), pp. 1–3 and 53–54; NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program, “Courses of Fire” and “FAQs”
Conventional Bullseye Pistol Qualification
NRA
Course of fireSlow fire 10 shots in 10 min; timed 2 × 5, 20 s a string; rapid 2 × 5, 10 s a string; standing, one hand
Stage course: slow, timed and rapid fire
| Rating | Slow fire10 shots in 10 min | Timed fire2 × 5 shots, 20 s each | Rapid fire2 × 5 shots, 10 s each | Aggregate30 shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro-Marksman | 40 ×5 | – | – | – |
| Marksman | 50 ×5 | – | – | – |
| Sharpshooter | 60 ×5 | – | – | – |
| No rating printed | 68 ×4 | 58 ×3 | – | – |
| No rating printed | 72 ×4 | 70 ×3 | 50 ×3 | – |
| No rating printed | 76 ×4 | 82 ×3 | 70 ×4 | – |
| Expert | – | – | – | 250 ×5 |
| Distinguished Expert | – | – | – | 269 ×10 |
| Distinguished ExpertAt two NRA sanctioned competitions | – | – | – | 258 ×2 |
Aggregate Skill Course: 10 slow, 10 timed and 10 rapid-fire shots
| Rating | Pointsof 300 | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-Marksman | 125 | 2 |
| Marksman | 175 | 2 |
| Sharpshooter | 210 | 2 |
| Expert | 250 | 2 |
| Distinguished Expert | 269 | 10 |
| Distinguished ExpertAt two NRA sanctioned competitions | 258 | 2 |
- Points of 100 for 10 shots and of 300 for the 30-shot aggregate; ×5 is five times.
- An aggregate counts only when its 30 shots are fired as one unit in one session.
- Any rimfire or centrefire pistol or revolver, fired standing with one hand; Pro-Marksman and Marksman may use a bench or both hands.
- Slow fire on the B-16 at 25 yards, the B-6 at 50 yards or the B-2 at 50 feet, timed and rapid fire on the B-8 at 25 yards or the B-3 at 50 feet (or the TQ-6 and TQ-7 at 25 feet, the B-4 at 20 yards).
- The stage table has three rows without a rating name (as printed; Sharpshooter bars in earlier editions).
NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program guide book, 11th ed. (January 2021), pp. 10–11
How it is shot
NRA Short Course · Marksman League · Aggregates · Positions · Two-hand match · Sighters · Gauging · Ties
- NRA Short Course
- The NRA Short Course is one 10-shot slow fire string in 10 minutes on the B-16, plus two 5-shot strings each of timed fire (20 seconds) and rapid fire (10 seconds) on the B-8, all at 25 yards.NRA section 7
- Marksman League
- The Marksman League Course shoots its 10-shot slow fire string on the B-16 at 25 yards in 10 minutes, and its timed and rapid fire on the B-8 at 15 yards; its scores are not used for classification.NRA section 7
- Aggregates
- The 900-point aggregate is 20 shots each of slow, timed and rapid fire plus a National Match Course, NRA Short Course or 3-Stage Gallery Course; the 2700-point aggregate is the aggregate of the three guns (.22, center fire and .45).NRA rules 17.5(r), 17.5(s) and 22.2
- Positions
- The firing position is standing, with the pistol held in one hand only; the other hand may give it no support, and clothing, body and pistol must be clear of artificial support.NRA rule 5.5
- Two-hand match
- The One or Two Hand Probationary Precision Pistol Match, fired at up to 50 yards on the B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, B-8 or B-16, lets competitors use one or two hands; it gives classifications only up to Expert and no National Records.NRA section 24
- Sighters
- Sighting shots are not allowed as part of the course of fire; practice matches or practice targets are allowed if all competitors have an equal chance to enter or use them.NRA rule 9.2
- Gauging
- A shot hole whose leaded edge touches the outside of a ring scores the higher value; close shots are decided with a scoring gauge.NRA rule 14.3
- Ties
- Ties at a single stage go first to the most X’s, then the fewest misses, then the fewest hits of the lowest value, then of the next lowest, and so on.NRA rule 15.3
Dimensions
6 rings · 245.4 mm
5.6 mm scoring gauge (.22)
| Ring | Colour | Diameter | Centre within |
|---|---|---|---|
| X ring | Black | 17 mm0.67 in | 11.3 mm |
| 10 | Black | 38.4 mm1.5 in | 22 mm |
| 9 | Black | 66 mm2.6 in | 35.8 mm |
| 8 | Black | 97 mm3.8 in | 51.3 mm |
| 7 | Black | 135.1 mm5.3 in | 70.35 mm |
| 6 | White | 183.4 mm7.2 in | 94.5 mm |
| 5 | White | 245.4 mm9.7 in | 125.5 mm |
Source: NRA Precision Pistol Rules, Revised February 2026, rule 4.6. Sizes are nominal. Dimensions checked ; page updated .
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