Rifle Shooting Merit Badge
Three requirements, with the ten explanations of requirement 1 drawn as steps, the supervised range work of requirement 2 drawn as a question of three options (modern cartridge, air rifle, muzzleloading) with every part of the chosen option shown, and the sight adjustment drawn after the groups it centers.
4 steps (48 parts inside them). 38 parts depend on questions you have not answered yet. · Version 1, published 8 October 2026 · About Rifle Shooting Merit Badge
No questions answered
This is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering the question at the address above takes out the parts that are not for you.
Which of this applies to you
You have not answered anything yet, so this is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering one question will take out the parts that are not for you.
Your progress
50 steps can be started now; 1 is waiting on something else.
Clear ticksYour ticks are kept in this browser, so they will still be here next time. They are in the address as well, so a link to this page carries them to another device.
The steps
Stage 1 of 4
1 step
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1. Safety, the law, hunting and where to shoot Requirement
Ten parts, (a) to (j), explained, described or discussed with your counselor.
10 parts, 1 ticked
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1(g). A hunter education course, or your state's hunting laws Often forgotten
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1(h). Hygiene while shooting Often forgotten
Stage 2 of 4
1 step
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2. Shoot under certified supervision. Do ONE option Requirement
Under a certified NRA rifle instructor and a certified range safety officer, at a nationally authorized camp property or a commercial firearm range. The badge states the choice: modern cartridge rifle, air rifle, or muzzleloading rifle.
The condition is in the requirement itself: "Working under the supervision of a certified National Rifle Association (NRA) rifle instructor and a certified range safety officer, at a nationally authorized camp property or at a commercial firearm range (as defined in the Scouting America National Range and Target Activities Manual)". It applies to whichever option you choose.
38 parts
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2(a)(10). Five three-shot groups a quarter can touch, then explain zeroing Optional May not apply Often forgotten
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2(c)(10). Safety rules for cleaning a muzzleloading rifle, and the materials needed Optional May not apply
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2(c)(14). Adjust the sights, then three five-shot groups to the minimum score Optional May not apply
Stage 3 of 4
1 step
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3. Safe and responsible firearms use as a career or hobby Requirement
How you could apply what you learned to a career or a personal hobby: the training, experience, expenses and organizations involved. Discuss it with your counselor, with your short- and long-term goals.
Stage 4 of 4
1 step
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Counselor signs it off Milestone
The completion date is the date you met the requirements, not the date of the signature.
Usually comes after 1. Safety, the law, hunting and where to shoot, 2. Shoot under certified supervision. Do ONE option and 3. Safe and responsible firearms use as a career or hobby.
Merit badge requirements are republished annually. A Scout beginning work uses the requirements as they stand then; a Scout already working may finish under the ones they started with. Guide to Advancement 7.0.4.3 governs which applies. This page records the date its copy was read. Check it against the official page before relying on it.
This plan is a planning aid: the current Boy Scouts of America publication is always the authority, and the sources used here are listed in full. Each step names its own.