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North State Shooting Club

Organized in 1971

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I come to the range and shoot any time I want to?

Sorry but the answer to that is NO. NSSC does not own a range. We are an organization that hosts NRA registered matches at the National Guard's Camp Butner Training Site. Technically we all (tax paying US Citizens) own this facility. The primary purpose of which is the training of our troops. We are privileged to use the facility as guests of the National Guard. You are invited to come join us! See the complete schedule for event dates.

Doesn't North State arrange for target pullers to be available?

We are using e-targets exclusively, but in the event that the e-target system goes down, we will use pull targets. However, we are not going to arrange target pullers. 

What does 'Class or Classification' mean on the score card?

This is not asking if you are high class or low class or a member of the class of 1973...
Fill in your NRA Classification: MK, SS, EX, MA, HM. Based on this is how you will be grouped or subgrouped. If you enter nothing, you will be MU and shoot with the big boys. When there are enough shooters to create sub-groups of shooters, you become eligible for awards in your own group. While you may not be the Overall Winner of a match, you could win your 'class'. Sometimes the payout in NRA Bucks will cover the cost of your ammo. NRA Bucks are useful for entry fees at any NRA event.

Are there camping or other accommodations available at Camp Butner?

As a general rule there is no camping available at Camp Butner and the barracks are only available during special events. Those are not part of the NSSC itinerary and out of our control. There are area hotels available and you will find them referenced on the About page. There are also numerous camp grounds in the area. Most of the camp sites are around Falls Lake State Park which is less than fifteen miles away. 

Contact the National Guard Camp Butner directly if you are active duty service and think you may qualify for an exception to using the barracks. The National Guard is the only organization that can truly answer this question for any given day.

Are there concessions at Camp Butner?

Be advised that you need to bring food and water with you. On a few weekends, NSSC does sponsor a cook out at the end of the day but you need to come prepared. Bring any food and water you may want. Stay Hydrated!

Are there rest rooms at Camp Butner?

There are portable toilets on site at the 600-yard line and at the 1000-yard line on match days.

Can anyone shoot at NSSC sponsored events?

Absolutely YES! All events are open to the public. All scores from our registerd matches are sent in to the NRA. Most of our events are registered, although we do have practice matches early in the year and on Fridays. Getting your scores turned in for a new shooter will start them on the path moving through the ranks of Marksman(MK), SharpShooter(SS), Expert(EX), Master(MA) and High Master(HM). If you are not classified, you are Master Unclassified(MU) until you receive your NRA Ranking.

What do I need to bring? What equipment will I need?

That depends to some extent on the class you plan to shoot but in general:

  • Ear plugs
  • Shooting glasses or glasses of some kind are advised
  • Rifle - you need to know if you need a sling or rests or tools or....
  • Ammo - bring the bullets that match your rifle
  • Mat to lay on; could be a tarp or piece of canvas, does not have to be an ‘official’ shooting mat. This keeps you off wet grass and sand as well as making the arrangement of your ‘stuff’ easier. Plastic tarps suck because they are slick and you slip around. Canvas is OK but it can wear out your elbows so bring towels or use elbow pads
  • Chair to sit in and use when scoring your relay partner
  • Spotting scope or binoculars to see the scoring disks at range
  • Hat and long sleeve tee shirt to protect from sun. No shade on the ready line.
  • Towels – lots of uses from wiping sweat, covering rifle actions, sun cover, cold wind block….
  • Rain suit – if you want one… just in case. A relay started will finish in the rain – unless it is thundering lightning. We are not dangerous in weather.
  • Sunglasses / Sunscreen
  • NRA bucks / Cash for entry fees
  • Whatever you want to eat and drink – LOTS of water. Stay Well Hydrated!

Getting Started in Competitive Shooting

If you are like many new competitive shooters, you are coming to this game later in life. Some of you have been shooting since you were children via 4H, Boy/Girl Scouts, Junior shooting programs, high school teams, ROTC and various other early introductions to the shooting sports and are looking to get back in to competitive shooting. Some of you grew up hunting and plinking; maybe you shot a round of skeet or sporting clays but, you were not fully aware of the competitive shooting games. From where ever you are coming, welcome!

Attending a match is a quick, easy, and sure way to get advice and direction. Just walk up and ask questions.

At NSSC, we concentrate on Cross Course, Mid Range and Long Range

Those three simple categories will expand to include a myriad of different rifles, classes and entry points. See the 'different rifle types' page to get a little more into that. Check our schedule for the different dates and events.

Where you begin, may depend on the type of rifle you already own:

An easy point of entry is Cross Course shooting with a standard Service Rifle - think basic AR-15 with the standard iron (peep) sights.

In general, there is a class where a good hunting rifle will be competitive at Mid Range (600 yds) if shot well.

F/TR would allow for that if your rifle is a .308 or .223.

If you have another caliber, you could enter as an F-Open, Match Rifle, Any/Any or Tactical...

FClass is shot from a bipod or front rest and a sandbag rear.

All the other rifles will be shot with a sling only (nothing touching the ground except your body parts).

Some of the more elaborate and generally available rifles will fall into a Match Rifle or Any/Any rifle configuration.

If you are interested in PALMA, that is a more specific type of rifle...

You may have some knowledge of the sport already or maybe a friend that shoots competitively and this will serve as your guide. You may be able to borrow equipment to enter a match to see how it all works. There is also very good used equipment available. Asking questions will reveal a lot of hardware available.

The NRA rules describe the different rifles in detail and it is not to hard to figure it out. When in doubt, ask questions. Go to the 'different rifle types' page for more detail and pictures of various rifles.

Reloading:

If you are not reloading your own ammunition; you will find this to be an interesting aspect of the shooting sports.

If you are planning to shoot 600 yards and beyond to 800, 900, 1000 yards, you really need to reload.

Reloading is the only way you can control the consistency of your ammunition. For cross course shooting, you can get by with good factory ammo as you are shooting 200, 300 and 600 yards. Long Range is a different world and requires a different level of commitment.

Different Rifle Types

To find the different rifle types accepted by the NRA and used in our matches in general, please refer to Section 3 "Equipment and Ammunition" of the "NRA High Power Rules" located here.

To find the different rifle types used by the Civilian Marksmanship Program and used in our matches in general, reference Section 4 "Firearms, Ammunition, and Equipment" of the "CMP HIGHPOWER RIFLE COMPETITION RULES 27th Edition—2024" here.

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