Shooting Sports in Canada: Disciplines and How to Start

By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors.

Last updated: 15 November 2026

To get into shooting sports in Canada, pick a discipline, find a club that runs it and learn its rules from the body that governs it. The main disciplines are trap, skeet and sporting clays with a shotgun, the Olympic rifle and pistol events, practical shooting (IPSC) and fullbore target rifle. You can try a firearm before you hold a licence while under the direct and immediate supervision of a person who may lawfully possess it. To own one, you need a PAL. Since 21 October 2022, an individual can acquire a handgun only under an exemption to the national handgun freeze.

If you plan to own a restricted firearm, Canadian Firearms Program policy looks for gun club or range membership when your Chief Firearms Officer approves the transfer, and Silvercore Club membership meets that policy. It does not guarantee approval, because that decision belongs to the CFO. See what the Silvercore Club includes.

Which shooting sport should I start with?

Start with the one a club near you runs. Clubs teach beginners and host the matches. The Shooting Federation of Canada's club directory lets you filter for beginner programs, coaching and firearms new shooters can borrow.

Shooting sports in Canada, discipline by discipline

Each entry below comes from the official governing body for that discipline.

Olympic trap. The Shooting Federation of Canada (SFC) is the national sport organization and governing body for the Olympic shooting disciplines. Olympic trap uses over-and-under shotguns, and the targets are 10 cm orange discs thrown from machines about 15 metres in front of the athlete.
American trap. The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) governs American style trapshooting. In singles, shooters stand at five positions in a shallow arc, each 16 yards from the trap house, and fire five shots per position for a 25-target round. In handicap, a shooter's distance is set by past performance, from the 18-yard line out to the 27-yard line. In doubles, two targets leave the trap house at the same time.
Skeet. The National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) describes a skeet field with eight shooting stations and two trap houses. The high house on the left throws targets from 10 feet above the ground, and the low house on the right throws them from about 3.5 feet. A round is 25 targets, 17 shot as singles and 8 as doubles, with any gauge of shotgun that can fire at least two shots. The SFC describes Olympic skeet as two machines throwing in fixed, opposite directions while shooters move among eight stations.
Sporting clays. The National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) calls it golf with a shotgun. A course has 10 to 15 shooting stations laid out around fields or the natural features of the land, and six sizes of clay targets simulate ducks, pheasants, other upland birds and rabbits. Targets come as singles or pairs. Any gauge works, and 12 and 20 gauge are the most popular.
Olympic and ISSF rifle and pistol. The SFC lists 10 m air rifle, rifle three positions (kneeling, prone and standing), 10 m air pistol with a 4.5 mm (.177 calibre) air pistol, 25 m rapid fire pistol with a .22 LR pistol and 25 m pistol among its Olympic, Paralympic and ISSF events, and 25 m centre-fire pistol (7.62 mm to 9.65 mm), 25 m standard pistol and 50 m pistol as ISSF World Championship events. Para athletes compete in 13 events across rifle, pistol and shotgun.
Practical shooting (IPSC). IPSC Canada is the governing body for the sport in Canada. IPSC is a dynamic sport that balances accuracy, speed and power, with competitors shooting fast and accurately, often on the move. To compete, you take the national Black Badge course: up to 8 hours in the classroom on safety, rules and handling, then a full day on the range. You join IPSC Canada to take it, and your local IPSC section has the course calendar.
Fullbore target rifle. The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA) calls itself Canada's oldest national shooting body and governs the fullbore target rifle disciplines. It runs the Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championship and the Canadian F-Class Nationals.

For more on the rifle and handgun disciplines, read rifle sport shooting and how to get started and handgun sport shooting and how to get started.

Where shooting sports are organized, province by province

The SFC's club directory lists member clubs across Canada, and the DCRA shows its provincial rifle association affiliates on its home page.

IPSC Canada lists section websites for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

What licence do I need for shooting sports?

You can try a sport before you hold a licence. Section 91(4)(a) of the Criminal Code covers a person who possesses a firearm while under the direct and immediate supervision of a person who may lawfully possess it, for the purpose of using it in a manner in which the supervising person may lawfully use it.

To own a firearm, you need a PAL, and you get it by taking the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) and applying to the RCMP. Our guide on how to get your PAL in Canada walks through it.

Handgun sports carry more rules. The RCMP says handguns that are not prohibited are restricted firearms, which need a PAL with restricted privileges. The national handgun freeze on sales, purchases and transfers by individuals took effect on 21 October 2022. You may keep handguns registered to you before that date, and people who train, compete or coach in an IOC or IPC handgun discipline are among the exempt individuals. The exemption requires a letter to the Chief Firearms Officer from a provincial or national sport shooting governing body confirming the discipline and that the handgun is needed for it. Read what you can still do with an RPAL under the handgun freeze.

What the Silvercore Club gives a new competitor

Silvercore Club membership is $59 a year and is accepted in all provinces and territories across Canada. Members shoot where it suits them, including drop-in ranges across Canada. Every member in good standing carries individual third-party liability coverage to a limit of $5 million for lawful firearms use across Canada and the United States, on top of any personal liability policy you already hold. Members who need a CFSC or CRFSC retest take it free of charge, and partner pricing covers optics, cases and gear. Join the Silvercore Club.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between trap and skeet?

In trap, targets come from in front of you: American trap shooters stand 16 yards or more behind the trap house, and Olympic trap targets are thrown from machines about 15 metres in front of the athlete. In skeet, targets come from a high house and a low house at opposite sides of the field while you move through eight stations.

Do I need a PAL to try trap or skeet?

No. Section 91(4)(a) of the Criminal Code covers a person who uses a firearm under the direct and immediate supervision of a person who may lawfully possess it. To own a shotgun, you need a PAL.

What is sporting clays?

A shotgun sport the National Sporting Clays Association calls golf with a shotgun. Shooters move through 10 to 15 stations set around fields or natural terrain, and the targets simulate ducks, pheasants, other upland birds and rabbits.

How do I start IPSC in Canada?

Join IPSC Canada and take the Black Badge course through your local IPSC section. It runs up to 8 hours in the classroom and a full day on the range, and graduates become qualified IPSC competitors who can enter sanctioned events.

Who governs Olympic shooting in Canada?

The Shooting Federation of Canada, the national sport organization and governing body for the Olympic shooting disciplines.

Can I compete with a handgun in Canada?

Yes, with a handgun you lawfully possess and a licence with privileges for its class. Since 21 October 2022, the national handgun freeze has stopped sales, purchases and transfers of handguns by individuals, with exceptions that include people who train, compete or coach in an IOC or IPC handgun discipline.