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July 17, 2026
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If you’ve been searching for information about America’s Rifle Challenge (ARC), you’ve found the right place.
The NRA’s America’s Rifle Challenge is a new competitive shooting program designed to bridge the gap between casual range shooting and formal competition. Officially launched nationwide on August 4, 2025, ARC represents a significant development in rifle competition accessibility.
America’s Rifle Challenge information centers around one key principle: making competitive shooting accessible, affordable, and practical for everyday gun owners. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about participating in this program, from basic rules to competition formats and getting started requirements.
To better understand the vision behind ARC, we spoke with Chad Barber, Manager of America’s Rifle Challenge at the NRA. Barber brings extensive experience from competitive shooting disciplines and has been instrumental in developing the ARC program structure and training components.
ARC’s design specifically targets bringing new participants into competitive shooting. “We’re looking at people that have bought firearms, but it’s like buying a piano. Doesn’t mean you know how to play the piano. Same thing with the guns,” Barber explains.
The program serves as an entry point for shooters transitioning from other activities or those who have been hesitant to try competition. “ARC is focused on the new competitor, transitioning from the sight-in bench or booth,” Barber notes, while experienced competitors naturally join in and often become the volunteers who staff events and mentor newcomers.
This approach creates a welcoming environment where established shooters help build the community by supporting new participants and club members who are just getting started in competitive shooting.
“ARC is focused on the new competitor, transitioning from the sight-in bench or booth and getting them shoulder to shoulder at increasing longer distances to exercise the full capabilities of their rifles,” Barber explains.
For years, many rifle owners have felt locked out of competitive shooting. Traditional precision rifle competitions often require expensive equipment, extensive travel, and significant time commitments. America’s Rifle Challenge changes that equation entirely.
“People state that they’d like to compete one day, well, that one day is now,” Barber emphasizes. “Once you understand how to operate your rifle you can go shoulder to shoulder with other like-minded individuals, your friends, your family and with members of local clubs and have that camaraderie.”
The cost comparison is striking. Instead of expensive “30 round mag dumps into the berm,” ARC participants can take those same five boxes of ammunition and compete in a structured match that provides quantifiable results and skill development tracking.
This data-driven approach transforms casual shooting into purposeful training, giving participants clear metrics for improvement and specific areas to focus their practice time.
“Am I improving? Am I getting better at this stage? Where do I need to practice more? Do I need to work more on prone or do I need to work more on standing? Or do I need to work on my speed? With ARC, you can get answers to these questions.” Barber continues.
America’s Rifle Challenge competition format consists of three distinct levels, each designed to accommodate different skill levels and range capabilities:
Designed for basic square ranges, Level 1 emphasizes fundamental rifle skills including safe handling, positional shooting, and target engagement in a controlled environment. “It’s ideal for new shooters or those unfamiliar with competitive formats,” according to Barber. Competitors shoot from standing, sitting, kneeling, and prone positions at distances of 10, 25, 50, and 100 yards.
Level 1 matches use both steel targets and the newly developed NRA ARC-L1R cardboard targets, available in both paper and cardboard versions from National Target Company. These official targets ensure consistent scoring and fair competition across all sanctioned events.
“For those ready to up the ante, ARC Level 2 brings movement, distance and complexity into play,” Barber notes. Held on dynamic ranges or open terrain, these matches include shooting while moving, engaging targets from barricades, and navigating tactical scenarios with increased round counts over Level 1 stages. Distances extend up to 400 yards.
“Geared towards advanced competitors, this ARC component features combined rifle and handgun stages,” Barber explains.
This format introduces firearm transitions and allows steel target engagement at shorter distances. Safety protocols require that pistols remain holstered and rifles stay unloaded until ready to fire, with clear firearm demonstration required before transitions.
One of Barber’s most compelling arguments for ARC participation centers on training value. Traditional high-end instruction can easily cost $5,000 for a three-day course when factoring in travel, lodging, course fees, and ammunition.
“There are instructors that spend thousands on an annual training trip. Add in your flight, hotels, rental car, the course fee, which could be anywhere from $250 a day to $500 depending on the level of the course you’re taking and the location. You could easily do a 500 rounds a day, so that’s 1500 rounds for a three-day course,” Barber explains.
“You start adding the math up on that. You’ve got $5000 wrapped up into that training. How often do you think you can take that?” he continues.
ARC offers a practical alternative. “Now, can you go and shoot a $35 ARC course at the local club? Yes, the scores and data are quantifiable. It’s the same type of drills. It’s positional shooting at standing, kneeling, prone, quick drills, reload drills, all of the things that go in there.”
The NRA is developing comprehensive training programs for both Level 1 and Level 2 participants. These courses combine classroom instruction with hands-on range time.
America’s Rifle Challenge deliberately embraces inclusivity across multiple dimensions. The program welcomes rimfire rifles, pistol-caliber carbines, and suppressed firearms where legally permitted, making it one of the most suppressor-friendly competitive shooting sports available.
“Nothing’s better than sharing this as a family sport, though, and that’s why it’s family friendly. We’re allowing pistol caliber carbines. We’re allowing rimfires. We’re allowing suppressors,” Barber explains.
The program also prioritizes accessibility. Working with the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit during development, ARC ensures participation opportunities for shooters with disabilities. As a result of this collaboration, ADSS is hosting a special adaptive Level 1 match as part of their 2025 summit.
“There’s been lifelong friendships developed on the range over the years, the shooting community is welcoming, friendly and ready to share their passion and knowledge,” Barber notes.
Starting your ARC journey requires surprisingly little specialized equipment. For Level 1 events, participants need:
Level 2 events add the requirement for a magazine holder to support the more dynamic shooting scenarios.
Registration happens through PractiScore, the NRA’s official partner for ARC match registration and scoring. This platform allows competitors to search for local events, register, pay fees, and track their performance across multiple matches.
To get started, competitors should visit both competitor.nra.org and practiscore.com to sign up for the free accounts needed to participate. NRA membership is encouraged but not required for participation.
“Clubs can apply to host a match through the NRA’s tournament sanctioning process. There’s an easy application form there. They can apply for all 12 monthly matches over the entire year on a single page,” Barber explains.
ARC serves as a pathway to broader shooting sports participation. “That’s the wider end of the funnel, bringing in potential new competitors and those that want to train formally. Then they’ll naturally stovepipe into other competitive shooting disciplines as they go to the narrow end of that funnel,” Barber explains.
“What do I want to do now? Do I want to go shoot multi-gun? Do I want to go to precision rifle? Do I want to increase my range out from maybe 300 to 600 or 1000 yards? Do I need a new rifle for that? Do I need a new optic for that? So there’s a lot of different paths forward in your shooting pastime,” he continues.
The program will feature a comprehensive classification system and Distinguished Badge program, representing a new addition to the NRA’s prestigious distinguished program, with points earned at state and higher-level championships. Classifications will be based on several months of performance data to ensure accurate categorization.
Beyond local matches, ARC offers opportunities for national competition through sectionals and postal matches.
Participants can compete against shooters across the country and see their national rankings and standings, adding another layer of motivation and achievement to the program.
“Clubs can host as often as they wish regardless of level. If a club wanted to run multiple monthly matches, they could. If they wanted to run a Level 1 on the first Saturday of the month and a Level 2 on the second Saturday of the month, it’s strictly up to the capabilities of the clubs and the availability of staff,” Barber explains.
This flexibility accommodates both highly active clubs and those with more limited resources. “Some clubs are seasonal,” Barber notes, which is why ARC was designed to work on both indoor and outdoor ranges.
For participants, frequent local matches provide valuable benefits. “For a club to run it every month, they’re going to get better at hosting and running it. Their competitors’ scores and performance are going to get better. The other thing to consider is that people have things going on in their lives and they can’t make it every time. So, if I can make it five or six times a year and it’s offered eight, that’s great flexibility for my schedule,” Barber explains.
As the NRA’s longest-standing licensed target manufacturer (License No. 1), National Target Company produces the official targets that make ARC possible. From the ARC-L1R targets used in Level 1 competition to the ARC Gunner targets for more advanced stages, these precision-manufactured targets ensure consistent, fair competition across all sanctioned events.
Available in both paper and cardboard versions, National Target’s ARC targets are designed to meet the exacting standards required for official competition while remaining cost-effective for regular club use.
With ARC now launched nationwide, it is the perfect time to get involved with America’s Rifle Challenge. ARC offers a welcoming entry point into competitive shooting for beginners and experienced shooters alike. To get another glimpse into the competition, check out this video by Michael Bane.
To find events near you, visit arc.nra.org’s FAQ section for detailed information. If there isn’t an ARC event in your area, consider reaching out to local clubs and ranges to gauge interest in hosting matches.
For clubs interested in hosting ARC events, National Target Company offers the complete range of official ARC targets needed to run successful competitions. Visit nationaltarget.com to explore the full selection of ARC targets and support materials.