CMP Marksmanship Programs for New Shooters

CMP Marksmanship Programs for New Shooters—known as The First Shot—focuses on exactly what the name says: getting people off the ground in rifle and pistol competition. This isn't about selling gear or moving inventory. It's about instruction, coaching, and building shooters from day one.

• •The core mission: The CMP runs marksmanship programs specifically designed for people discovering target shooting, hunting, or competitive shooting for the first time. They handle everything from gun safety fundamentals to competition rules to actual range coaching.

The oldest and largest program. Running since 1918, these schools bring in 1,000+ new shooters annually to the National Matches at Camp Perry. Here's how they work:

• •Half-day classroom session taught by U.S. Army Pistol or Rifle Team instructors
• •Two half-day range sessions firing 9mm service pistols or M16 rifles
• •Live coaching from Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard marksmanship team members on the firing line
• •Separate schools for pistol (July) and rifle (July)

This is legitimately one of the best ways for a beginner to learn real marksmanship under military instruction.

Built for people who own .22 rifles and want to compete without dropping money on specialized gear. The appeal is obvious:

• •Fires standard smallbore sporter rifles (7.5 lbs or less)
• •No special equipment required beyond a sling
• •Divisions for scope sights (6X max) and open sights
• •Fired at 50 and 25 yards in prone, sitting, standing positions
• •Both precision (slow fire) and rapid fire series

CMP hosts the National Rimfire Sporter match in July at Camp Perry, preceded by a clinic that covers range procedures, rules, and shooting techniques specifically for first-timers.

These matches exist because new shooters can actually succeed in them without extensive prior experience:

• •Uses "as-issued" M1 Garands, M1903 Springfields, or other standard military rifles
• •Coaching is allowed during competition
• •Squads deliberately pair experienced shooters with newcomers on every firing point
• •Clinics offered at national level; many local clubs run their own

The John C. Garand Match is now the single largest event in the National Matches with 1,400 entries.

Started in 2005 because not everyone can travel to Ohio. Held at Camp Pendleton, California in November, these matches deliberately structure events to be "new-shooter-friendly" and offer clinics on day one.

CMP-affiliated state rifle and pistol associations in New York and Ohio run their own schools in spring, training hundreds of new shooters annually with registration through the CMP Competition Tracker.

Local clubs affiliated with CMP run special clinics on their own ranges, taught by club instructors. These cover gun safety and basic target shooting skills at the grassroots level.

If you're learning outside a structured program, CMP publishes guides and instructional materials:

• •CMP Guide to Rimfire Sporter Shooting (30 pages, free) – Rules, marksmanship fundamentals, course of fire instructions
• •Junior Shooter's Guide to Air Rifle Safety (20 pages, free) – Safety rules applicable to any shooting situation
• •CMP Rifle Instruction Guide ($3.95) – 40 pages of detailed basic rifle skills instruction
• •Rifle Safety and Marksmanship CD-ROM ($14.95) – Interactive instruction on basic marksmanship
• •USAMU International Rifle Marksmanship Guide ($3.95) – 113-page advanced three-position and air rifle instruction
• •USAMU Service Rifle Marksmanship Guide ($3.95) – 74 pages on highpower service rifle fundamentals
• •USAMU Advanced Pistol Guide ($3.95) – 113 pages covering service pistol and bullseye shooting
• •USAMU International Skeet and Trap Guide ($3.95) – 66 pages on shotgun sports
• •Bullseye Pistol Competition Shooting (3-video set, $34.95) – Full instruction on service pistol and bullseye shooting
• •Highpower Rifle Competition Shooting (3-video set, $34.95) – Complete coverage of service rifle target shooting

To find programs in your area or register for events:

• •CMP Shooters' News: Email updates 3-4 times monthly with all program announcements, event links, and registration details
• •CMP Competition Tracker (http://clubs.odcmp.com): Search for local clubs, find upcoming matches and events, register for schools and competitions

Based in Ohio with operations at Camp Perry, Ohio and Camp Pendleton, California. Contact CMP Programs at [email protected] or (419) 635-2141 for questions about getting started in target shooting.