When Brandon Green won the King’s Prize at historic Bisley in England last summer, becoming the first American in 156 years to do so, he was wearing two hats: an elite competitor in his own right and the head coach of the squad he was representing. The U.S. National Rifle Team is the long-range and fullbore squad that carries the American flag into international rifle competition and, according to Green, it’s more accessible to American shooters than most realize.
In this video, Green breaks down what the team does, what it takes to make the roster, where to see the team compete and how shooters and supporters alike can get involved.
The USNRT is best understood as a competitor base. Talented rifle shooters from across the country meet rigorous tryout standards to join, then train and compete together as the pool from which the U.S. Fullbore Team is selected for the Target Rifle World Long-Range Championships. Four component squads sit inside that umbrella. The Palma team—named for the historic Palma Match—is the primary international team. The Young Eagles fields junior shooters in under-25, under-21 and under-19 brackets. The Veterans team is for athletes 60 and older. Additionally, the Goodwill team recognizes long-term commitment to the sport.
“The U.S. National Rifle Team is the long-range shooting team that will represent the United States abroad in the international competitions,” Green said. “For all the international events—the Imperial Meeting at Bisley and the World Long-Range Championships, which will be held in Bisley in 2028—the U.S. will be represented by shooters from the USNRT.”
The path to membership starts with a tryout. A prospective shooter contacts the team, the governance body coordinates a range and coaches, and the candidate fires 120 shots for record at 1,000 yards—six strings of 20, all under a designated USNRT coach. To qualify for regular membership, a shooter must drop no more than 48 elevation points across the full course of fire. Equipment must meet ICFRA rules: iron sights front and rear, a sling no wider than 50 mm, a trigger no lighter than 0.5 kg, and bullet and sight magnification limits set by the international federation.
“You’ll try out under USNRT coaches at several events. You can schedule a tryout in tandem with one of the events around the country,” Green said. “Once you shoot through a sequence of matches, that’ll qualify you for the United States National Rifle Team.”
From there, selection to the international squads involves further tryouts within the team itself, with the top 30 chosen to represent the U.S. at the World Championships.
For shooters who want to see the team in action before committing to a tryout, USNRT members appear at major matches across the country every year: the NRA National High Power Rifle Championships in Ohio and Oklahoma, the Southwest Nationals in Arizona, the Western States Fullbore and Palma Championships in California, the Midwest Palma in Wisconsin, the CMP National Trophy Matches, the Spirit of America match in New Mexico and the Western States Long-Range Championships, among others.
“I would encourage anybody out there to look into what the United States National Rifle Team is,” Green said. “If you’re a competitive shooter, we’d love to have you come out and, if nothing else, see a match. If you’d like to try out, please reach out to us. We’ll walk you through every step of the way. It’s a very friendly group of people from all over the country, and we want to grow the sport.”
For those who can’t compete but want to support the team, donations can be made at usnrt.com.
