Start here
Your first shot, step by step.
You don't need a licence, a firearm, or any experience to try the shooting sports in WA. Here's exactly how it works, from your first supervised shot to your first competition.
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Try it first — no licence needed
Clubs across WA run open days and come-and-try sessions where you can shoot under one-on-one supervision using club firearms and ammunition. Bring photo ID and closed footwear; eye and ear protection is provided. It's the best hundred-dollar-or-less afternoon in sport.
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Choose your sport
From clay targets to cowboy action, there are 23 disciplines shot in WA — and 7 of them are ideal for a first-timer. Most new shooters start with a rimfire rifle or clay target discipline: low cost, low recoil, big grins.
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Get your firearms licence
When you're ready to shoot regularly, you'll apply for a WA firearms licence through WA Police. Membership of an SSAA WA club gives you a genuine reason for owning a sporting firearm, and your club will walk you through the application, safety training and storage requirements.
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Join the association
SSAA WA membership brings member-only firearms insurance, access to every affiliated club and discipline, a national magazine, and an organisation that stands up for licensed firearm owners in WA. Join online in about five minutes.
Recommended first sports
Disciplines that love new shooters.
Field Rifle & 3-Positional
Practical rimfire and air rifle shooting from field positions — prone, sitting, standing.
Gallery Rifle
Timed rimfire and centrefire matches on turning targets at short range. Fast, social and cheap to shoot.
Lever Action
Classic lever guns on paper and silhouette targets — rimfire and centrefire classes for every budget.
Mandar
A WA original — walk-through field shooting on reactive targets. Nothing else quite like it.
Shotgun
Clay targets, moving marks and fast handling — the classic entry point to the shooting sports.
Steel Challenge
Race the clock on steel plates — the purest test of speed and accuracy with a pistol or rimfire rifle.
Working Gundogs
Train and trial retrieving breeds for the field — for dog people as much as shooters.
No. Clubs provide firearms and ammunition for supervised come-and-try shooting, and many members compete for months using club equipment before buying their own.
A come-and-try session typically costs less than a tank of fuel, including ammunition. Ongoing costs depend on your discipline — rimfire disciplines are among the cheapest sports in WA to compete in.
Shooting has one of the lowest injury rates of any Australian sport. Every range operates under strict supervision, and safety training is the first thing any club will teach you.
Yes — junior programs run across WA with age rules set by WA Police licensing. Talk to your local club about junior come-and-try days and family memberships.
Ready when you are.
Find a club near you and book into their next open day — or just get in touch and we'll point you at the right people.