Disciplines

The following is a brief outline of the different shooting disciplines within the British Columbia Rifle Association.  There are regional, provincial, national, and international level competitions for each of these shooting disciplines. For more detailed information regarding a particular shooting discipline please email the BCRA

• Target Rifle  A single shot bolt action rifle in .308 Winchester or Remington .223 calibre. Bullet weight restriction is 156 grains for .308 and no restrictions for .223. Bulls eye type targets are used at ranges from 300 yards to 1000 yards or 300 metres to 900 metres. Prone position with a sling is used. This demanding sport uses rifles with no weight restrictions though most shooters use rifles up to 6.5 Kg. The trigger pull must be greater than ½ Kg. The sighting system is iron micrometer sights with adjustable wind and elevation down to ¼ minute accuracy. Certain optical accessories are allowed such as eagle eyes and diaopter. Shooting is normally done in pairs with 7, 10 or 15 shot strings. Team shooting is usually shot in single shooting style. Target Rifle competitions are held all over the world. BCRA offers regional shoots along with the BC TR Championship. The Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championship is held annually in Ottawa, Ontario. The premier event is the World Long Range Championships held every four years. Visit ICFRA for Target Rifle Rules.

• F Class  F-Class, so named for its Canadian founding father George Farquharson (a Kamloops, BC shooter) is a fullbore discipline that owes its roots to TR shooting, and began with simply adding a scope to what was previously an iron-sight TR rifle and shooting with the aid of a bipod. This was to permit aging shooters the ability to compete when eyesight and muscle control made TR shooting physically too demanding.

  Download a full description of all F-Class categories including photos of equipment. Sorry - this document is temporarily unavailable

  The different classes of F-Class rifles

  • F-CLASS TR (FTR)
    223 or 308 (or military equivalent 5.56 or 7.62 NATO) using any bullet weight.
    Maximum 8.25Kg weight of rifle and all attachments
    Any Sight (iron or optical)
    Can be used with Bipod and rear bag or sling, no front Benchrest style shooting rests allowed
    Any safe trigger weight
    Matches are fired single-shot, no loaded magazines

  • F-CLASS OPEN
    Any Non-Magnum calibre up to 8mm
    Any sight (Optical or Iron)
    Maximum weight 10 Kg or 22 lbs (combined weight of rifle and all accessories that recoil with the rifle)
    Bipod or front rest (Forestock cannot be wider that 76mm if used with a front rest)
    Any safe trigger

  • F-CLASS FACTORY SPORTER
    Any factory-made bolt action firearm, with original unmodified factory barrel and action
    Any type of sight
    Front rest, front bipod or bags permitted along with rear bag
    Maximum weight of 12 pounds with all attachments
    No muzzle brakes of compensators (ie Remington VTR)

    All F-Classes permit a rear bag, but cradles that support both ends of the rifle at the same time are prohibited.

• Tactical Rifle  Service conditions type shooting with everything from prone to standing using field expedient positions. The BCRA event is well attended by civilians, military, and law enforcement personnel from all over Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. Precision shooting at various targets at ranges from 75 to 600 meters. Rifles can be either semi automatic or bolt action with a magazine. For more information on the Tactical rifle discipline please visit BC Precision Rifle.

• Service Rifle  A semi automatic service type of rifle (such as AR-15) is used with military calibers such as .223, .308, and .303. Rifles can use optic sights. The rifle must be equipped with a magazine and a spare for compulsory magazine changes during the match. The matches are fired from 100 yards/metres to 500 yards/metres in the prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing positions. The type of firing is deliberate, snap, and rapid fire. A match may be fired from a static position or with fire with movement. Team events are also offered. Service Rifle is a demanding physical discipline but is a competitive sport with regional shoots plus an annual championship shot in BC and nationally in Ottawa, Ontario. Visit DCRA for the Service Conditions rules and match conditions.

• Service Pistol  A semi automatic service type of pistol is used with 9mm calibre. An IPSEC style of match conditions are fired on the IPSEC targets. Four 10 round magazines are required to shoot the matches due to multiple magazine changes. The matches are fired from 35 metres to 5 metres in the prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing positions. The type of firing is deliberate, snap, and rapid fire. Double tapping shots are the normal in the match conditions. A match may be fired from a static position or with fire with movement. Service Pistol is a demanding discipline but is a competitive sport shot in BC and nationally once a year in Ottawa, Ontario. Visit DCRA for the Service Conditions rules and match conditions.

• Smallbore Rifle  .22 calibre indoor shooting at 60 or 75 feet. The BCRA sponsors a winter postal competition. 

For more information regarding a particular shooting discipline please email the BCRA