How to get started in NRL22: what you need for your first match

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Quick answer

NRL22 publishes one five-stage course of fire each month. Clubs shoot it on steel targets, mostly at 100 yards or less. You need a .22 LR bolt or semi-auto rifle, a scope with turrets or a holdover reticle, a bipod and a bag, ear and eye protection and about 200 rounds. Enter Base or Semi-Auto if your gear fits, and ask the match director for help.

We haven't tested this hands-on yet. Everything below comes from manufacturer specs, regulations and published sources, cited inline. Prices are maker MSRPs as listed in October 2026 unless noted.

How NRL22 works

The league publishes a standardized monthly course of fire with five stages; clubs run it and submit scores ^[1] ^[2].
Stages mix prone, barricade and positional shooting on steel at distances out to 100 yd in the standard format ^[1].
Club pages describe typical target sizes. A 1 in plate at 100 yd is about 1 MOA ^[3].
Divisions include Open, Base and Semi-Auto, with youth and ladies categories; Base caps rifle and scope MSRP ^[1] ^[2].

Gear checklist

Item	Why	Read more
Rifle	Any safe .22 LR; bolt guns dominate	Base builds · Semi-Auto builds
Scope	Matching reticle and turrets, close parallax	best scope · MOA vs MRAD
Bipod + rear bag	Stable prone	bipods and bags
Barricade bag	Positional stages	Armageddon Game Changer
Data	Drops at 25–100 yd	drop and wind charts
Ears/eyes	Required	Impact Sport muffs Check price on Amazon

Before match day

Zero at 50 yd and confirm drops at 25, 75 and 100.
Practice getting into prone and onto a barricade on a timer.
Find a club on NRL22's site and email the match director; most run a new-shooter briefing.

Our range results (coming soon)

This box will hold our own groups, chronograph data and photos for this topic once we've shot and recorded them. Until then, every accuracy number on this page comes from the published source cited next to it. We have not tested these rifles or products hands-on for this article.

FAQ

How far are NRL22 targets?

The standard course of fire keeps targets at 100 yd or closer.

Do I need an expensive rifle for NRL22?

No. Base Division exists to cap rifle and scope MSRP, and many shooters start with a stock bolt .22.

How many rounds should I bring?

Bring about 200: the five stages plus zero checks, with spares in case of malfunctions.

Sources

Confidence: maker specs and prices are high confidence as of the date seen; forum and owner reports are low–medium confidence and labeled as such.

Not affiliated with Sako/Tikka, CZ, Bergara, Ruger, Savage or any retailer. We have not tested products hands-on for these guides; figures come from cited sources. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy · Terms · Rimfire Builds is operated by Tomahawk Designs LLC, Utah · [email protected]