Camp Perry NMC Timer

Running order

1.Slow fire 10:00
2.Between stages 03:00
3.Timed fire 01:00
4.Between stages 03:00
5.Rapid fire 01:00

Total 18:00 across 5 steps.

The National Match Course combines slow, timed and rapid fire stages into one aggregate, so the score reflects competence across three different clocks rather than mastery of any one^[1]. It is the reason across-the-course shooting is regarded as a broader test than any single-stage discipline.

Each stage rewards a different process, and switching between them is the actual difficulty. Slow fire permits abandoning a shot and rebuilding the position; timed fire allows a settle and a decision; rapid fire is cadence. A shooter who carries the slow fire process into rapid runs out of clock, and one who carries the rapid cadence into slow fire wastes the time they were given.

Practise the transitions, not just the stages

Most practice sessions shoot one stage repeatedly, which trains the stage and not the match. The NMC asks you to switch process twice under pressure, and that switch is a skill in its own right.

Shooting the full sequence in order, even at reduced round counts, exposes problems that stage-by-stage practice never surfaces — usually a shooter who is excellent at two stages and loses the aggregate on the third.

Slow fire is where the aggregate is usually decided

The generous stage is the one where competitors expect to score well, so a dropped point there costs more relative to the field than one dropped under time pressure where everyone drops some.

That inverts the instinct to spend practice time on the stage that feels hardest. The stage worth protecting is often the one that feels easiest.

Take times from your match programme

Stage times, round counts, distances and target faces vary between CMP and NRA courses, between full and reduced courses, and between service rifle and other categories.

The timer's segments are an editable starting point. Set them from the programme for the match you are shooting.

The three-stage structure is the stable part. Set actual times and round counts from your match programme^[1].

National Match Course stage character
Stage	Character	Process	Common error
Slow fire	Generous, deliberate	Can abandon and rebuild	Rushing a stage that had time
Timed fire	Moderate pressure	One settle, one decision	Front-loading the string
Rapid fire	Compressed	Cadence with position change	Carrying the slow fire process in
Aggregate	All three	Switching between them	Practising stages, not transitions

The aggregate is usually decided in slow fire, where everyone expects to score and a dropped point costs most.
Shoot the full sequence in order occasionally — stage-by-stage practice hides the transition problem.

Source: CMP Competition Rules — National Match Course structure and time limits; NRA courses differ

Sources

CMP Competition Rules — National Match Course structure and time limits; NRA courses differ , Civilian Marksmanship Program (Use the programme for the match you are shooting) — accessed 2026-07-28

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Service Rifle Rapid Fire Timer

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Bullseye Timed Fire Timer

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Smallbore Prone Match Timer

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the National Match Course?

An aggregate combining slow, timed and rapid fire stages, so the score reflects competence across three different clocks rather than mastery of one. That breadth is why across-the-course shooting is regarded as a fuller test.

What are the stage times?

They vary between CMP and NRA courses, between full and reduced courses, and by category. Take them from your match programme — the timer's segments are an editable starting point rather than an assertion.

Which stage should I practise most?

Often slow fire, which inverts most people's instinct. It is where competitors expect to score well, so a dropped point costs more relative to the field than one dropped under time pressure where everybody drops some.

Why practise the transitions?

Because the match asks you to switch process twice under pressure, and shooting one stage repeatedly trains the stage rather than the match. Running the full sequence exposes the shooter who is excellent at two stages and loses the aggregate on the third.

What is the most common NMC error?

Carrying one stage's process into another — usually the slow fire deliberation into rapid fire, where it runs out the clock, or the rapid cadence into slow fire, where it wastes time that was available.

Can I practise the NMC with reduced round counts?

Yes, and it is worth doing. Shooting the full sequence in order at reduced counts preserves what the course actually tests — the transitions — while costing a fraction of the ammunition and range time.