Top 4 Tips For Beginner Bullseye Pistol Shooters

by
posted on October 23, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
bz-shotprocess-3.jpg
Beginning bullseye shooters need only a .22 LR pistol in good repair with good sights, ammunition, and eye and ear protection. Here are four of our top tips for novices to this discipline, the original competitive pistol shooting sport.

4)  Contact your local range. If you have a large or very active range near you, chances are that it has or participates in a bullseye league. Just call or email to inquire, and they'll tell you the when, where and how of joining. Additionally, SSUSA's Coming Events section is an excellent resource you can use to find bullseye matches local to you.

3)  Ask questions. The best sources for information about bullseye pistol shooting are other competitors. It's not just that they don't mind sharing information—they're eager to do so. Shooting is often their passion, and they welcome the opportunity to share it with others. Other good sources are the NRA Precision Pistol rulebook, and the Bullseye-L online forum. The latter is a great place to discuss all aspects of NRA precision pistol shooting.

2)  Exercise safe gun-handling skills. Bullseye is a fun, relaxed sport of good fellowship. The guns are often beautiful, sleek, competitive tools, but they are guns. Others will be patient with you as you learn the ins and outs of bullseye, but no one tolerates dangerous gun handling—nor should they. Observe the basics of safe gun handling, whether on the range or practicing at home.

1)  Don't be intimidated. It's a handicap league. The Pardini-armed world champion in the next lane has no better chance than you do with your beat-up plinker you purchased fourth hand at a gun show. Believe us when we say the pressure's on him. Relax and have fun.


More reading on bullseye pistol shooting:

Latest

Lede 1
Lede 1

Best Of SHOT Show 2026: Top Suppressors

SHOT Show 2026 delivered a breakout year for suppressors, with 11 standout models showcasing advances in materials, modularity, durability and low back pressure performance.

New: Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC

Springfield Armory’s Echelon 4.0FC pairs a compact 4-inch slide with a full-size grip, aiming for modularity and real-world handling rather than extremes.

New: MTM Case-Gard Pistol Range Kit

MTM Case-Gard’s Pistol Range Kit packages common range essentials into one portable case, targeting shooters who want fewer loose items and faster setup.

Review: Staccato HD P4.5

The Staccato HD P4.5 modernizes the 2011 with Glock magazines, excellent optics integration and soft-shooting performance.

New: Garmin Xero C2 Chronograph

Garmin’s new Xero C2 chronograph adds rapid-fire tracking, smartwatch controls and Applied Ballistics integration to a rugged, pocketable design built for serious range work.

New: Winchester American Lever Range Ammo

Winchester launches American Lever Range ammunition, a new lever-action-specific lineup offering range-focused loads in five popular calibers.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.