What Is NRL22
- NRL22 stands for the National Rifle League 22LR division
- It is a shooting discipline that focuses on long-range shooting using .22 rimfire rifles. The competitions are designed to be fun and accessible for shooters of all levels. It consists of stages, each with multiple targets at various distances, usually anywhere from 20 yards up to 200
- NRL22 is a pre-set monthly course of fire with five stages that are published the week prior to the new month
- NRL22 is one of the fastest growing disciplines in competitive shooting. It’s accessible and easy to get started with basic equipment needs. It appeals to a wide variety of shooters at different skill levels. There are matches held across the country with lots of supportive competitors that want to see the sport grow
Different Types Of Classes
There are 6 classes in total. Open, Base, Air Rifle, Ladies, and Young Guns (8-16), and OG (60+)/Adaptive. Open and Base must utilize rifles chambered in .22 Long Rifle. The Open class is unlimited in the rifle and optic they use. The Base class is for the budget minded shooter. This class is for rifles with scopes in which the combined MSRP of both cost $1200 or less. Some modifications are allowed in Base class. Air Rifle class is for air gunners using a rifle that operates with compressed air to fire a pellet or slug and must be .35 caliber or lower. Tethered tanks are not allowed. Ladies class is for the women shooters. Young Guns are for youth ages 8-16. Youth must be able to manipulate the rifle safely on their own, but voice coaching is absolutely encouraged. Women and Youth may opt into any of the other classes, instead. OG / Adaptive class will be available to any shooter older than 60 years old or any shooter that has special physical needs/considerations. It will be up to the Match Director to determine special needs. It is up to the OG /Adaptive class participants to have reviewed the course of fire prior to the local match. Before the match begins, the Match Director shall hold a meeting with all of the OG / Adaptive participants to discuss the course of fire and all agree on any changes/scaling to accommodate the OG / Adaptive class. An example would be utilizing a bench instead of shooting prone. Woman (i.e. Ladies class), Young Guns, and Old Guns/Adaptive class may choose to sign-up as an Open or Base class at the beginning of the season. If that occurs then he/she will adhere to the rules in which they are classed in.
Base Class
Base class is like Limited or Production divisions in other shooting sports, except instead of having a list of approved models of rifles, the only requirement is that the MSRP of your rifle and scope together must be less than $2,500. That doesn't include scope rings or bases, aftermarket triggers, and a few other bits and pieces, but in general, this will be the class where anyone with a stock rifle can just show up and shoot!!
Open Class
Open class is a little more…open. As the name implies, basically anything safe is permitted here, which exceeds the base value of $2,500 or heavily modified from factory.
What You Need To Get Started
You don't need to run out and buy all new gear to get started in NRL22. You are good to go if you already have a sighted in scoped .22 rimfire rifle with some ammo and a rifle case. Shooting bags can be made by filling a sock with rice and tying it off.
.22LR Bolt Action Rifle
A scope that will allow dialing/hold overs
At Least 100 rounds of .22LR Ammo (Including Sight In)
Bipod (Highly recommended but not necessary)
Support Bags (Highly recommended but not necessary)
Ballistics App/D.O.P.E
What king of equipment/gear am I allowed to use during a match?
In accordance with the season rules, all stages are unrestricted on gear usage with the exception of tripods and shooting sticks, which are never allowed. Additionally, there may be stages on the monthly course of fire that have gear restrictions to challenge a competitor a little more. Competitors should be willing to share their equipment, which allows new and experience competitors to use new equipment that they are not familiar with; however, this is not required. Match Directors may have equipment/gear restrictions on any bonus stages that they add to the 5 NRL22 stages; however, those points will not count towards NRL22 points. The overall match score can be used to track local scores and club rankings.
What is Option 2 for the monthly course of fire?
The monthly course of fire will always have two options listed. Option 1 will be the NRL22 standard course of fire and is ideal for ranges who don’t have the ability to engage targets past 100 yards. Option 1 will utilize the 2023 NRL22 standard target package. Option 2 is for Match Directors who want to challenge their club members and allow them to engage targets from 200 yards and closer. The NRL22 will provide the target distance and target size. It is highly recommended that Match Directors adhere to these so that competitors know what the distances are for the match. The only time that a Match Director should adjust the target distance and target size is if their range doesn’t allow them to set those targets up due to terrain or other unavoidable obstacles. A Match Director will be responsible for acquiring the targets needed for Option 2. Additionally, each stage will either be Option 1 or Option 2, not both.
