NRA Marksmanship Program

Are you a passionate firearm enthusiast who shoots a couple boxes of ammo at the range on a regular basis and want to take that next step, but not go straight into a high-pressure shooting competition?

Let me help you get started in the NRA Marksmanship Program. You can do this program on your own time, at our own pace, on the “honors system”, and I can provide guidance and support at local area events (like gun club shoots) and on my website.

The program is simple enough for beginners and children!

Experienced shooters, don’t let the programs initial simple courses of fire fool you! A lot of thought, time and experience went into developing this program. You will be decomposing your current shooting skills into its smallest individual fundamental components. If you ever have felt your shooting skills have plateaued, this is the place to shake it up from the ground up, smooth out the rough edges and experience notable improvement.!

Below is an example of the award you will receive for $15, by completing the first level, Pro Marksman in Pistol, also includes the big red patch in the second image:

About The Awards

Level 1 Pro-marksman Awards

There are many courses of fire

Level 1 Pro-marksman Awards

By completing a 2 handed benchrest, shooting paper plates at 15 feet multiple times, you can earn the above certificate, rocker and badge! Seem easy, after you finish that, keep moving up a level until you get your Nationally recognized Distinguished Expert award!

First Participation Patch

There are many courses of fire

Level 1 Pro-marksman Awards

You are not competing against anyone else, just against your own best scores. You will also get this patch upon completion of your first pistol level Pro-Marksman. For each additional level after that, you get a rocker patch, to be worn below this patch.

There are many courses of fire

Air pistol, air rifle, rimfire, centerfire, handgun, shotgun, rifle, target, tactical, there is a course of fire to please most shooters including young people. When you get up to Distinguished Expert Level, an NRA Instructor needs to be a witness and submit paperwork so you get your official recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at train@akvat.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

What is the difference between the NRA/Winchester Marksmanship and NRA Marksmanship programs?

There is very little difference. The NRA/WInchester is a little older version of the program. Be aware, there are at least 3 versions of this marksmanship program available on the Internet, so you might see some minor variations in targets and courses of fire. The link I posted above, is to the NRA website most recent version of the program guide.

How much does it cost to get my marksmanship awards?

What does it cost? You will need a gun. ammo, targets and a shooting range. The first level awards for Pro-Marksman are $15, each level after that is $10. Andrea of AK Virtual Arms Training LLC will sponsor and pay for your EXPERT level awards if you or your child are a member of the Sevier County Gun Club, Blount County Gun Owners, Knox County Gun Club or if you are a client who has taken a class from Andrea in the past. The NRA pays for your nationally recognized DISTINGUISHED EXPERT level awards.

What are the NRA Rules for Gun Safety? Everyone read this!!

Click this link for the complete list of NRA rules for gun safety.

ALWAYS Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction.

ALWAYS Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

ALWAYS Keep your gun unloaded until ready to use.

ALWAYS Know your target and what is beyond.

I have already qualified as Expert in a different Marksmanship program, can I just skip everything and get my NRA Distinguished Expert certificate?

Interestingly, much modern influence on these Marksmanship courses of fire comes from the Marines. For an experienced shooter, the purpose of starting over at the beginning of this NRA Marksmanship program with simple courses of fire to start, helps to revisit, rebuild and solidify shooting fundamentals from the ground up, often times debugging minor problems that inhibit improvement in the more advanced stages of shooting. It also makes range sessions a little more interesting because there is a goal to be achieved. The first few courses of fire will feel SUPER easy for you, so challenge yourself by slowing down and putting the bullets all through the same hole. Also, there may come a time when you take an inexperience shooter to the range, and you can use the simple courses of fire to help them get started in such a way that they stay interested.

What is the best qualification to do if I want to learn or sharpen my DEFENSIVE pistol skills?

The NRA Marksmanship program, somewhat mirrors their training program. Both start out with Basic Pistol. These are not defensive, they lay the groundwork and are the prerequisite needed to do the Defensive Pistol I and Defensive Pistol II courses of fire. So, when you finish your Basic Pistol Distinguished Expert level, move on to Defensive Pistol 1, complete it, then do Defensive Pistol II. Basic Pistol is appropriate for youth and adults. Defensive is not recommended for youth.

What is the proper PISTOL bench rest position?

Here is a link to a great article about how to assume the bench rest position for the proper shooting of your Pistol Qualification. Getting this position correct, sets you up for success on the rest of the pistol qualification. Take your time, do NOT rush, get the position right and get good shot placement without worrying about a timer, on the first two qualifications. Work on perfecting your form before speeding up for timers. Slowing down is sometimes difficult for experienced shooters, challenge yourself. Take a deep breath between each shot, and make sure your finger is OFF the trigger when you are NOT ready to shoot.

Where can I get printable BASIC PISTOL targets?

The targets are 9" paper plates or D-1 or D-2 (D-2 is also known as the AP-2) targets for the basic pistol qualification. You can print out a unofficial D-2 compatible target below. You can get detailed information about targets and sizes in the NRA Action Pistol Guide.

The Rimfire Rifle Qualification mentions the NRA Smallbore Rifle Rule Book. Where do I find that?

Here is the link to the document. Just make sure you are familiar with the general safety guidelines and restrictions where modifications are concerned.

Where can I get Rimfire Rifle Qualification Targets?

So far, I have found links to the following: A-23/5 aka A-31x , A-32 that you can purchase on line, and you can download the unofficial A-23-5 similar target below.

How do I score a target for Rimfire Rifle?

Here is a link to a great article on how to score paper targets by National Shooting Sports, a division of the NRA. In short, if a shot falls entirely in a ring, you get that rings value. If your shot touches the edge of a higher scoring ring or falls directly on a ring, you get the higher score.

AK Virtual Arms Training LLC and Mobile Academy

NRA Marksmanship Program

About The Awards

Level 1 Pro-marksman Awards

There are many courses of fire

Level 1 Pro-marksman Awards

First Participation Patch

There are many courses of fire

Level 1 Pro-marksman Awards

There are many courses of fire

There are many courses of fire

There are many courses of fire

Sample Course of Fire for Pistol

It is fun, easy, do it on your own time, or with clubs!

Frequently Asked Questions

Download Targets For Printing

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