heading
rifle
Handgun Postal Competitions


Handgun Postal Competitions


The Rules
Step-by-Step guide to: NSA Postal Handgun Target Shooting Competition
Preferred NSA Shooting Ranges
NSA Range Commands
NSA Firing Line Commands
Register as NSA Participating Shooting Range
Target for NSA Handgun Postal Target Shooting Competition (this is the only target for handgun postals)

The Competition

  1. PURPOSE
    To offer all NSA members equal opportunity to participate and compete in a standardised National Postal Handgun Target Shooting Competition, conforming with international standards. The focus is on FUN in participation.


  2. PARTICIPATION
    Only NSA members may participate in the once per annum officially and nationally scored standardised postal handgun shooting competition.


  3. NATIONAL POSTAL COMPETITION
    The competition is conducted nationally by way of participants posting shot targets for competition purposes to the NSA office (PO Box 11461, Hatfield, 0028) where their scores are ratified, and where their scores are placed on a database through which their national position in the competition is logged on the Website (from there the name postal competition).


  4. SHOOTING RANGES AND RANGE OFFICERS
    1. Competition shoots are shot at any shooting range which has a handgun shooting range of at least 10 meters.
    2. Members are required to pay the necessary shooting range fees as specified per shooting range, or as specified by the range for each course of fire.
    3. A list of preferred NSA Participating Shooting Ranges is available on the NSA-website here
    4. Range Officers are not responsible to teach members the competition rules.
    5. Shooting ranges are not responsible to furnish members with targets or to post shot targets to the NSA.
    6. Members are requested to please ask the ranges where they shoot to register with the NSA ? registration of ranges is FREE of charge ? other NSA members in the vicinity of the range would also want to make use of the facility.
    7. Range Officer = a person from the shooting range staff or an accompanying NSA member.



  5. THE COMPETITION

    1. You can participate in either the rimfire handgun (.22 calibre) or in the centre-fire handgun (any centre-fire calibre) competition shoot, or in both.
    2. The rimfire and centre-fire handgun shooting postal competitions are separate competitions that may be completed at the same time.
    3. The NSA?s handgun shooting postal competition consists of at least one round per annum ? competition is evaluated per category of participants (see point 10 below).
    4. After completion of the shooting session for competition purposes, members post their targets which have been counter signed by the Range Officer or the accompanying NSA member, to the NSA Head Office for scoring and competition ranking.
      Targets of which all fields have not been filled out (i.e. name, id-number, range name, calibre of handgun, etc.) will not be scored
    5. Only the current official NSA target will be accepted.
    6. Members use the handgun they legally own (pistol or revolver), ?as is? in standard retail format (e.g. low profile iron sights) (see Rulebook for minimum & maximum standards).
    7. Members can shoot individually or they can organise local groups to shoot simultaneously.


  6. FIRING POSITION
    Standing position, handgun held in one or both hands, with all portions of the shooter's clothing, body and firearm clear of artificial support (persons with disabilities for who it is difficult to accommodate in the above can negotiate best positions with Range Officers ? please let the NSA office know of such situations so that we can also keep record of it).



  7. DEADLINE DATES
    The competition closes on 30 November annually - targets sent to the NSA office with a postmark later than 30 November will not be taken into consideration for that specific year's competition, but will be scored for the following year.


  8. TARGETS
    1. Only the official NSA Handgun Target may be used for competition shoots.
    2. Members must provide their own targets (download from website) - shooting ranges are not responsible to furnish members with targets.
    3. Members may make good quality copies of the official NSA Handgun Target (copy in document package received at enrolment).
    4. The Official NSA Handgun Target is used for both the Rimfire & for the Centre-fire Handgun competition.


  9. COURSES OF FIRE (Competition - Rimfire & Centre-fire Handgun)
    Total of 10 shots at 10m ? shot on your own time, on one target and scored out of 100 points


  10. CATEGORIES OF PARTICIPATION (Rimfire & Centre-Fire Handgun)
    The competition will be scored in so-called peer groups which are indicated as follows:

    Seniors - participants 60 years of age and older (ladies included)
    Men?s Open - all male participants in the age group between 21 and 59
    Ladies? Open - all lady participants in the age group between 21 and 59
    Juniors - all members younger than 21 years (young men and young ladies)

    If more than 10 ladies participate in the seniors and the junior peer group categories in a specific year, they will be formed into an own gender group in that category, and they will compete in that sub-category for that specific year.



  11. COMPETITION SHOOTS (Rimfire & Centre-Fire Handgun)
    1. Competitions can only be shot on the official NSA targets
    2. You can enter the composition as often as you like ? your highest score for the year will be taken as your final national competition score.
    3. Mark targets clearly for calibre of handgun used (rimfire, or centre-fire) for certification purposes.
    4. Targets on which all fields that have to be filled out are not completed will not be accepted and will not be entered for the national competition ? no refund of competition fees will be done in such instances.
    5. Make sure you and the Range Officer (or accompanying NSA member) have signed the competition targets and that your scores have been indicated correctly on each target ? targets that have no score written on them will not be accepted by the office.
    6. Send shot competition targets to the NSA at PO Box 11461, Hatfield, 0028 to be entered into the competition.
    7. Each shot target for a specific calibre handgun posted to the office must be accompanied by proof of payment of R30 admin and trophy fees per target paid into the bank account (National Shooting Association; Standard Bank, Hatfield [branch code ? 011545]; Account number: 01-259-429-6). Scores will not be entered into the competition unless proof of payment is received.
    8. Entrants will, upon receipt of the correct documentation by the office, once per annum be issued with a certificate indicating their status in the competition according (see13[a]) to the following criteria:
      • High Master 97% >
      • Master 95% - 96%
      • Expert 90% - 94%
      • Sharpshooter 80% - 89%
      • Marksman 60% - 79%
      • Certificate of Participation < 60%
    9. Subsequent and further shot targets members wish to enter for competition purposes to better their original scores must please be accompanied by proof of payment of R30 per target paid into the bank account mentioned under g above.
    10. Upon receipt of your additional handgun competition targets, and proof of competition payment, NSA will confirm your competition position by posting your score on the NSA-website.
    11. The final annual competition scores will be posted on the NSA website during December annually ? first three positions per category of participants will also be posted in the December Newsletter (annually).
    12. Targets for the competition will be accepted for a specific year if they are at least post marked 30 November of the specific year.
    13. All NSA-members are required to shoot at least ONE course of fire for competition purposes per annum and targets entered for this purpose, with either their handguns or hunting rifles ? as they would wish (see NSA National Postal Hunting Rifle Target Shooting Competition on website).
    14. Three official NSA Postal Target Shooting Competition Dates will be set for a specific year ? obviously members are not bound to shoot on these dates only. But it will be fun to participate on these dates as members will meet new friends and other NSA members in their area.



  12. SCORING
    1. Scoring will be done by Range Officers or by an accompanying NSA member strictly in accordance with the rules below.
    2. Range Officers or the accompanying NSA member will after scoring targets confer with shooters about the score, upon which both will sign each score on each shot target ? disputes will refer to the NSA office.
    3. The target is defined as the entire card or paper on which the scoring rings are printed but shall not include the backing against which the target is pasted.
    4. When the original point of bullet contact is on the target card, but outside the scoring rings, and the leaded edge of the bullet touches a scoring ring, it will be given the value of the higher scoring ring.
    5. A shot hole, the leaded edge of which comes in contact with the outside of the bullseye or scoring rings of a target, is given the highest value.
    6. In case of keyholed or tipped shots, the higher value is awarded if the leaded edge of the bullet hole touches the scoring ring of higher value, even though the hole is elongated to the bullet's length rather than being a circle of the bullet's diameter.
    7. In case of skid shots, the higher value is awarded if the leaded edge of the bullet hole touches the scoring ring of higher value, except the value of a skid shot may not be more than one ring higher than the original point of bullet contact with the target.
    8. When a bullet enters a target from the back side it will be scored as a miss.
    9. Hits on outside of all the scoring rings are scored as misses.



  13. CERTIFICATES, AWARDS & PRIZES

    1. Members who enter the competition will once per annum receive a certificate on which their peer group, their scores and the highest category of shooting status they have achieved, will be indicated. (for licensing purposes members my request the office to issue them with a certificate outside of the annual issuing of certificates ? such a certificate will then be issued at a nominal cost of R20 per certificate requested).
    2. The first three competitors in a category of participants will receive an embossed gold, silver, and bronze certificate, while all other competitors will receive the competition status certificate mentioned under 13(a).
    3. Awards will annually be made in the national postal handgun target shooting competition to gold, silver and bronze winners in the following categories:

      i. Rimfire handgun (seniors, open, ladies, juniors) ? at least 6 competitors per category of participants must participate for award to be made
      ii. Centre-fire handgun (seniors, open, ladies, juniors) ? at least 6 competitors per category of participants must participate for award to be made
    4. Exco retains the right to make awards in the event that less than 6 participants per category participate