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 m...
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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 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:
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:
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:
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:
To find programs in your area or register for events:
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.
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