[Citizen Carrier]

Two years ago a friend of mine asked the Chief Warrant Officer in charge of the ranges at Camp Perry what the most popular model of Service Rifle AR15 was. He said it was the Rock River Arms.

Others might make a better rifle, but that is the one most numerous. At least it was two years ago.

At a minimum, you'll need:

The rifle with adjustable sling. (leather or web...I like web)

At least two serviceable 20 round magazines (straight walled, not curved like a banana)

Suitable ammunition

Eye and ear protection

Shooting mat for prone and seated phases

Chamber block (yellow or orange thingy you put in the chamber when the rifle isn't in its case)

I cannot decide if I consider a spotting scope to be a "minimum" need for a new shooter. If you are shooting 100 yard reduced targets, you'll need it to spot your own shots in slow fire to make adjustments. If you are shooting at 200 and 300 yards shooting full-size targets served by pit crews, you should be able to spot the marker showing where your shot hit and the marker showing the score of your last shot. If you are shooting at 600 yards (which I haven't done yet), I imagine you'd need the scope. A scope on a stand, not a tripod, but I've seen people get by with those too.

I'd say at a minimum, you could get by in matches starting with those things above.

A shooting jacket is nice, but don't let NOT having one keep you from going to a match and shooting. The first match I shot was a Garand match in Kansas and I was just wearing a t-shirt. I wasn't a happy man by the end of that 88 round match, but .223 isn't 30-06 and you can get by with a shirt or two and a sweatshirt.

Oh, and some kinid of wheeled cart to move your gear from the parking lot to the firing line.

But there are plenty of other things you'll determine you'll need as you go along.