Shooting Sport Organizations

Shooting Sport Organizations: Governing Bodies, Leagues and Programs

Organized shooting sports give gun owners a structured, safety-focused way to build skill, and they introduce new shooters, young people and veterans to responsible firearm use. Sanctioning bodies set the rules, run the matches and keep the records for every discipline, from Olympic and collegiate events to practical pistol, precision rifle, trap and skeet, cowboy action and mounted shooting. Strong participation in these sports also demonstrates the lawful, everyday use of firearms by millions of Americans.

Minuteman University.com currently lists 59 shooting sport organizations below, including national and international governing bodies, military marksmanship teams, youth and collegiate programs, women’s leagues and adaptive shooting programs. Each profile covers the organization’s founding, location and purpose.

Featured

CMP: The Civilian Marksmanship Program, administered by the U.S. Army from 1916 and reorganized by federal law in 1996 as a corporation that is not a government agency.
ISSF: Founded in 1907, the international governing body for Olympic rifle, pistol and shotgun events.
USPSA: Founded in 1984, the national governing body for practical shooting in the United States under IPSC.
IDPA: Founded in 1996, it governs pistol matches using practical handguns and holsters suited to self-defense.
Project Appleseed: A volunteer nonprofit started in 2006 in Ramseur, North Carolina, that teaches rifle marksmanship and early American heritage.