How does one become a Master?

by jobo10811 7/7/2023, 5:21 pm

Administratively, and "officially," how does one become a "Master" in the discipline of NRA bullseye shooting?

by Jon Eulette 7/7/2023, 5:27 pm

That’s a tough one to easily answer. Some will never make it and some do it pretty fast. I made master my 6th match. I believe it was about 7 or 8 months. I had a mentor and excellent equipment. I also shot 4-5 days a week.

I highly recommend a coach or mentor. Follow their direction. Get first rate guns and learn how to reload excellent ammunition.

Dry firing plan/training is a must. If you don’t you’ll take longer to get there and hold yourself back!

Jon

by shanneba 7/7/2023, 5:40 pm

Competing in NRA registered or approved tournaments.
After at least 360 rounds have been scored and submitted to the NRA you are assigned a "classification" based your scoring average.

19.15 Individual Class Averages - Competitors will be classified as follows and NRA Classification Cards issued accordingly:
TABLE II - INDIVIDUAL
High Master ........................................................97.00 and above
Master ....................................................................95.00 to 96.99
Expert.....................................................................90.00 to 94.99
Sharpshooter ..........................................................85.00 to 89.99
Marksman .................................................................Below 85.00

19.16 Establishing Classification -
A competitor will be officially classified by the NRA when the total score for a minimum of 360 shots has been reported for either indoor or outdoor.

From the NRA Precision Pistol Rule book-.around page 50
2023-precision-pistol-rules.pdf (nra.org)

by jobo10811 7/7/2023, 5:57 pm

shanneba wrote:Competing in NRA registered or approved tournaments.
After at least 360 rounds have been scored and submitted to the NRA you are assigned a "classification" based your scoring average.

19.15 Individual Class Averages - Competitors will be classified as follows and NRA Classification Cards issued accordingly:
TABLE II - INDIVIDUAL
High Master ........................................................97.00 and above
Master ....................................................................95.00 to 96.99
Expert.....................................................................90.00 to 94.99
Sharpshooter ..........................................................85.00 to 89.99
Marksman .................................................................Below 85.00

19.16 Establishing Classification -
A competitor will be officially classified by the NRA when the total score for a minimum of 360 shots has been reported for either indoor or outdoor.

From the NRA Precision Pistol Rule book-.around page 50
2023-precision-pistol-rules.pdf (nra.org)

---

Thank you! So, if AI manifested a shooter who scored 855 in each and every 90 shot aggregate--then he/she/they would be officially assigned the classification of "Master."

An even dumber question: With regard to the "360 rounds" that must first be scored and submitted to the NRA, what is a "Round"?

Many thanks!

by shanneba 7/7/2023, 6:05 pm

360 rounds is the number of shots fired for score, 4 - 900 matches (90 shots in the match) or other combinations of matches / leagues totaling 360 shots fired.

There are also additional classifications, such as "Outdoor Precision Pistol 22 only"

by jobo10811 7/7/2023, 6:13 pm

shanneba wrote:360 rounds is the number of shots fired for score, 4 - 900 matches (90 shots in the match) or other combinations of matches / leagues totaling 360 shots fired.

There are also additional classifications, such as "Outdoor Precision Pistol 22 only"

---
Thank you for your time explaining this!

So, an approved NRA 2700 match comprises 270 of the requisite 360 rounds, pursuant to the rules you cited? Thanks again my friend!

by shanneba 7/7/2023, 6:27 pm

jobo10811 wrote:

So, an approved NRA 2700 match comprises 270 of the requisite 360 rounds, pursuant to the rules you cited? Thanks again my friend!

That is correct.

You may find matches that are fewer shots than a 2700.
Some clubs will run a 22 and CF/45 match for an 1800 (180 shots), as specified in the Match Program.

At the NRA National Championships, they also have a "Preliminary" match, that is usually 30 shots 22, 30 shots CF and 30 shots of 45
(but it can also be shot all with the 22)
Then they have the 900 for 22, 900 for CF and 900 for 45 (all those can also be fired in a 22 only tournament)

So the NRA National Championships you could shoot all 360 shots for classification with a 22 for a Outdoor Precision Pistol 22 Only classification.

by jobo10811 7/7/2023, 7:06 pm

shanneba wrote:
jobo10811 wrote:

So, an approved NRA 2700 match comprises 270 of the requisite 360 rounds, pursuant to the rules you cited? Thanks again my friend!
That is correct.

You may find matches that are fewer shots than a 2700.
Some clubs will run a 22 and CF/45 match for an 1800 (180 shots), as specified in the Match Program.

At the NRA National Championships, they also have a "Preliminary" match, that is usually 30 shots 22, 30 shots CF and 30 shots of 45
(but it can also be shot all with the 22)
Then they have the 900 for 22, 900 for CF and 900 for 45 (all those can also be fired in a 22 only tournament)

So the NRA National Championships you could shoot all 360 shots for classification with a 22 for a Outdoor Precision Pistol 22 Only classification.

---
Dang--one more: over what period of time are your scores averaged for the purposes of the classification? Just your last 360 shots--or all the way back to your first 360 shots? Thanks!

by John Dervis 7/7/2023, 9:05 pm

jobo10811 wrote:
shanneba wrote:
jobo10811 wrote:

So, an approved NRA 2700 match comprises 270 of the requisite 360 rounds, pursuant to the rules you cited? Thanks again my friend!
That is correct.

You may find matches that are fewer shots than a 2700.
Some clubs will run a 22 and CF/45 match for an 1800 (180 shots), as specified in the Match Program.

At the NRA National Championships, they also have a "Preliminary" match, that is usually 30 shots 22, 30 shots CF and 30 shots of 45
(but it can also be shot all with the 22)
Then they have the 900 for 22, 900 for CF and 900 for 45 (all those can also be fired in a 22 only tournament)

So the NRA National Championships you could shoot all 360 shots for classification with a 22 for a Outdoor Precision Pistol 22 Only classification.
---
Dang--one more: over what period of time are your scores averaged for the purposes of the classification? Just your last 360 shots--or all the way back to your first 360 shots? Thanks!

They will average your most recent tournaments but they will use all the shots fired. In other words, if you shoot a 2700 this weekend (270 shots) and then shoot another 2700 next weekend, they will use all 540 shots for the average.

John

by RoyDean 7/7/2023, 9:37 pm

John, interesting. I had not thought about this previously. So, based on your statement, and since, generally, folks shoot higher scores with a 22. To "game" the system, after shooting a decent 2700 one week, just complete only the 22 900 at the next match?

Two (higher) 22 Agg's plus one each CF and 45 should produce the best possible "average" over 360 shots.

Or am I missing something here?

by smdial 7/7/2023, 10:35 pm

Lots of practice. Though i’m not a master, I developed this and it has helped another user on this site make master within a year:

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t20293-turning-target-system-for-indoor-outdoor-motor-pneumatic-or-linear-actuator-use?highlight=turning

by shanneba 7/8/2023, 7:02 am

On the forum Home page there are several valuable resources at the top.

The Encyclopedia of Bullseye shooting The Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol
Tony's Bullseye Blog
Feeling center Feeling Center ..A $10 Bullseye eBook. Here's how (bullseyeforum.net)

The Encyclopedia link will take you to a page where you can find under the "Website Features" the Army Marksmanship Unit's Pistol Training Guide

Army Marksmanship Unit's Pistol Training Guide. Quite simply, this is the "Bible" of Bullseye Pistol Shooting.

Another practice guide I find useful just starting out is the U.S. MARINE CORPS PISTOL TEAM *MODIFIED* PROGRAM WORKBOOK
USMCPistolTeamWorkbook (ssppl.org)

It looks like there are several Bullseye matches in July in North Carolina-
The NRA website has a list of coming Competitions each month.
Coming Events sponsored by REMINGTON | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal (ssusa.org)

Use the contact info to reach out and just attend and watch a match to get familiar with how a match runs.

by samtoast 7/8/2023, 8:22 am

smdial wrote:Lots of practice. Though i’m not a master, I developed this and it has helped another user on this site make master within a year:

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t20293-turning-target-system-for-indoor-outdoor-motor-pneumatic-or-linear-actuator-use?highlight=turning

Lots of actual practice, in the same format as the matches, with turning target systems and range commands.

smdial's turning target system is WONDERFUL!. It is such a simple and easy DIY set-up. The unit connects via WiFi to Tom Talpey's Bullseye Match App (Thank you Tom Talpey) for full range commands. The app combined with smdial's TTS has several drills that could help with the first shot, and especially with rapid fire.

I purchased the circuit board from smdial (a GREAT value), and all the components from Amazon, installed them all in an electric box. smdial has shared all plans if you want to do it all yourself. The box can be placed on a tripod, on a table or simply attached to the target circles at the range. It is small, reliable, affordable, and most importantly a lot of fun!

smdial is also a great mentor! I did not grow up around guns, and I had only been shooting about 6 months when I met smdial. When he introduced me to the precision pistol about a year ago, I had never shot with one hand, and never from 25 yards! He has been very patient coaching me, answering my never ending questions, directing me to resources, and welcoming me to the local club. There I met other shooters who also became great mentors to me.

With smdial's turning target system, Tom Talpey's Bullseye Match App, great mentors, and a lot of fun practice, I was able to get master scores during the last two outdoor matches (rimfire only).

Just concentrate on having fun, and the rest will happen before you know it!

by John Dervis 7/8/2023, 6:55 pm

RoyDean wrote:John, interesting. I had not thought about this previously. So, based on your statement, and since, generally, folks shoot higher scores with a 22. To "game" the system, after shooting a decent 2700 one week, just complete only the 22 900 at the next match?

Two (higher) 22 Agg's plus one each CF and 45 should produce the best possible "average" over 360 shots.

Or am I missing something here?

Roy,

Yes I do think you could do that but they might catch on and say you can’t. They may reason that since you had the opportunity to shoot a 2700 but you elected not to, you are in fact skirting the rules. I’m not even sure the method of using all shots fired is a rule, a custom, or just a tradition, but this is what I have understood it to be since I started shooting. It predates the 22 only competitions for sure so that wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Maybe it’s a hold over from the old days when everything was reported on paper so using all shots was just easier than trying to segregate the individual 900s. With the way NRA has been keeping track of things in recent years, they may just be averaging a seasons worth of shots fired to get your classification nowadays.

John

by bruce martindale 7/8/2023, 8:46 pm

It's kind of a sucker punch, you're already good with a 22 and you get 2 good cf/45 scores and the take your next 900 points which happens to be the 22 and bingo, you're done. Experts win money, Masters feed the HM and upper master shooter prize pool. Those points to win now are very hard to come by. A sand bagger would realize his position and skip the next 22 shoot.

But yeah, it's good to show you can do it because now you know you can do it again

by Jon Eulette 7/8/2023, 8:55 pm

Most Experts make Expert because of shooting good .22 scores. Breaking hurdles to Master requires beginning mastery of the 45. Back in the day good international shooters would come to shoot 2700. They’d shoot great .22 aggregate then fall on their faces when they shot the 45 aggregate. You have to learn how to shoot the 45, no way around it.
Jon

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