Rifle Shooting Merit Badge
Three requirements. Requirement 1 is ten explanations: safety, the law, hunting and where to shoot. Requirement 2 is the range: ONE of three options (modern cartridge rifle, air rifle, or muzzleloading rifle), done in full under a certified NRA rifle instructor and a certified range safety officer, ending with groups shot to a standard. Requirement 3 is a career or hobby.
Elective Merit Badges Merit Badges Requirements Safety Shooting Sports
The plan behind this
Requirement 2 is the range, and it states its own conditions
Requirement 2 is done 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 a commercial firearm range (as defined in the Scouting America National Range and Target Activities Manual). Both people, and one of those two kinds of range, whichever option you choose. Find out early where and when that can happen near you.
Requirement 2: ONE of three options, each done in full
Each option says "Do ALL of the following". All three ask for the parts of the rifle, the rules for safely storing and handling it, safe shooting on a range (including range procedures and commands), the safety rules and materials for cleaning, cleaning it, and what to consider in selecting one. Then:
| option | also asks for | first groups | then |
|---|---|---|---|
| A modern cartridge | the two types of cartridges; misfire, hangfire and squib fire | bolt-action .22 caliber rimfire, benchrest or supported prone, 50 feet: five groups of three, each touched by a quarter; then explain zeroing from those targets | adjust sights, five groups of five; minimum per shot: A-32 targets 9, A-17 or TQ-1 targets 7, A-36 targets 5 |
| B air rifle (BB or pellet) | the two most common types of air rifle ammunition | BB gun at 15 feet or pellet rifle at 33 feet, benchrest or supported prone: five groups of three, each touched by a quarter | adjust sights, five groups of five; minimum per shot: BB rifle at 15 feet (or 5 meters) on TQ-5 targets 8, pellet rifle at 25 feet on TQ-5 targets 8, pellet rifle at 33 feet (or 10 meters) on AR-1 targets 6 |
| C muzzleloading | history; black powder grades and storage; components of a load; loading; failure to fire, misfire, hangfire and squib fire | .45 or .50 caliber, benchrest or supported prone, 50 feet: three groups of three, each covered by the base of a standard-size soft drink can | adjust sights, three groups of five; minimum per shot: at 25 yards on NRA A-23 or NMLRA 50-yard targets 7, at 50 yards on NRA A-25 or NMLRA 100-yard targets 7 |
Other suitable NRA targets may be used if the specified targets are unavailable. If your instructor determines that adjusting the sights is not practical, for instance on a borrowed rifle, you may explain how to adjust them instead, and then fire the same number of five-shot groups with all shots touched by a quarter (A and B) or covered by the base of the can (C).
Requirement 1: ten explanations
Projectiles and why they demand care; the basic rules of safe gun handling; how you would react if a visiting friend asked to see a firearm in your home; eye and hearing protection; the gun laws of your community and state; hunting and wildlife; your state's hunting laws; hygiene while shooting; where you can take part in range and target activities; and sources of information on firearms.
1(g) has two ways in: complete a state hunter education course, or obtain a copy of your state's hunting laws. Either way you then explain the main points of the hunting laws, including any special laws on guns and ammunition, and list the wildlife that can legally be hunted in your state.
Requirement 3: a career or a hobby
How you could apply what you learned about the safe and responsible use of firearms to a career or a personal hobby: the training, experience, expenses and organizations involved, discussed with your counselor along with your short- and long-term goals.
What this page is
The Rifle Shooting merit badge, drawn so requirement 2's supervision and range conditions stand out, with its three options drawn as a question and every part of the chosen option shown. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Rifle Shooting Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2026-05-05 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .