NRA B-6 Pistol target
The B-6 is the NRA’s Standard American slow fire target. It carries the slow fire stage of the National Match Course, which every Distinguished Revolver match uses and which may form part of the 2700 three-gun aggregate. An X, the inner circle of the ten, still scores 10 but decides ties, and there are no sighting shots.
Shot one? Score it from a photo
Courses of fire
20 or 10 shots
| Course | Shots | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Slow Fire Match2 × 10 · 10 min per series | 20 | 200 |
| NMC slow fire10 min | 10 | 100 |
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
Muzzle Loading Qualification
NRA
Course of fireStages of 13 shots, the best 10 counting, untimed: rifle at 25 to 100 yd, bench to standing; pistol at 25 and 50 yd
Rifle and Musket Course
| Rating | Points | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-MarksmanBenchrest or cross-sticks, 25 yd | 40 | 2 |
| MarksmanProne or benchrest, 50 yd | 45 | 2 |
| SharpshooterStanding, 50 yd | – | – |
| ExpertStanding and cross-sticks at 50 yd, standing and prone or benchrest at 100 yd | 240 | 2 |
| Distinguished ExpertStanding and prone or benchrest, at 50 and at 100 yd | 265 | 6 |
| Distinguished ExpertAt two NRA or NMLRA sanctioned competitions | 63% | 2 |
Pistol and Revolver Course
| Rating | Points | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-MarksmanBenchrest, 25 yd | 35 | 2 |
| MarksmanStanding, 25 yd | 45 | 2 |
| Marksman 1st ClassStanding, 25 and 50 yd | 110 | 2 |
| SharpshooterStanding, 25 and 50 yd | 130 | 2 |
| ExpertStanding, 25 and 50 yd | 150 | 3 |
| Distinguished ExpertStanding, 25 and 50 yd | 165 | 5 |
| Distinguished ExpertAt two NRA or NMLRA sanctioned competitions | 79% | 2 |
- Every stage is the best 10 of 13 shots, of 100, scored from the centre of the hole, with no time limit.
- The rifle Expert and Distinguished Expert stages add up as one aggregate fired in one session, refired whole if short; from Marksman 1st Class the pistol course is a 25-yard and a 50-yard stage.
- The guide prints no score for rifle Sharpshooter (as printed).
- Any safe muzzle-loading rifle, military musket, pistol or cap-and-ball revolver, with black powder or an approved substitute; pistols one-handed under 50 yards.
- Cards: the B-19 at 25 yards (or the B-17), the B-6 at 50 and 100.
- Open to everyone, NRA members or not; practice, league and match scores all count.
NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program guide book, 11th ed. (January 2021), pp. 42–45
How it is shot
Course · Distinguished · Position · Two-hand match · Sighters · Gauging · X ring
- Course
- The National Match Course is one 10-shot slow fire string in 10 minutes at 50 yards on the B-6, plus two 5-shot strings each of timed fire (20 seconds) and rapid fire (10 seconds) at 25 yards on the B-8.NRA section 7
- Distinguished
- All NRA Distinguished Revolver matches are shot over the National Match Course, and only National, Regional and State Championships conducted outdoors may host them.NRA rule 23.4
- Position
- 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
- X ring
- The X ring, the inner circle inside the ten, decides ties without changing the total score: an X counts 10, and in matches where the X is scored it ranks as the hit of highest value.NRA rule 15.2 and glossary
Dimensions
6 rings · 499.9 mm
5.6 mm scoring gauge (.22)
| Ring | Colour | Diameter | Centre within |
|---|---|---|---|
| X ring | Black | 43.1 mm1.7 in | 24.35 mm |
| 10 | Black | 85.3 mm3.4 in | 45.45 mm |
| 9 | Black | 140.7 mm5.5 in | 73.15 mm |
| 8 | Black | 203.2 mm8.0 in | 104.4 mm |
| 7 | White | 279.4 mm11.0 in | 142.5 mm |
| 6 | White | 375.9 mm14.8 in | 190.75 mm |
| 5 | White | 499.9 mm19.7 in | 252.75 mm |
The card
- Card
- The B-6 is the Standard American target for slow fire at 50 yards, with the 8, 9 and 10 rings black. It comes as tag board (B-6(T)), paper (B-6(P)) and a repair centre.NRA rule 4.8
Source: NRA Precision Pistol Rules, Revised February 2026, rule 4.8. Sizes are nominal. Dimensions checked ; page updated .
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