66th AUSTRALIAN MUZZLE LOADING RIFLE/SHOTGUN CHAMPIONSHIPS
About
The New South Wales Muzzle Loading Association invites competitors, members and supporters to the 66th Australian Muzzle Loading Rifle and Shotgun Championships, proudly hosted by Sydney Colonial Muzzle-Loading Club.Held over three days, this championship brings together the best parts of traditional black powder shooting: historic firearms, practical skill, discipline, smoke, competition and club fellowship.
The programme offers a strong mix of rifle, musket, flintlock, cannon and shotgun events, giving competitors the opportunity to test themselves across a wide range of muzzle-loading styles.
Friday opens with Military Application, a demanding 300-yard offhand event where competitors fire 10 rounds in 7½ minutes using the rifle’s fitted ramrod. This is followed by Military and Sporting Musket, run concurrently at 50 yards, where competitors fire 13 shots with the best 10 counting.
Saturday begins with rifle practice before the Australian Muzzle Loading Rifle Championships, shot at 100 yards across offhand, sit/kneel and prone positions. Traditional, Military and Open rifle categories will be shot concurrently, with juniors shooting at 75 yards. The afternoon continues with Flintlock Rifle, a 50-yard offhand field-loading event using open sights, followed by the Cannon event at 50 yards. The evening will feature the always-popular Knife and Tomahawk Throw, bringing a relaxed traditional-skills element to the championship weekend.
Sunday is dedicated to the shotgun events, with the Australian Open Muzzle Loading Shotgun Championship and Australian Flintlock Shotgun Championship shot on the MLAIC layout over 20 single-rise targets. Ties will be resolved by shoot-off after each event, with presentations to follow at approximately 4:00 pm.
This is a great opportunity to compete, catch up with fellow black powder shooters, support the muzzle-loading community and enjoy a full weekend of heritage shooting at one of NSW’s long-standing muzzle-loading clubs.
All shooting will be conducted under Range Officer control, applicable NSWMLA rules, SCMLC Range Rules, and the conditions of the host club’s range approval. Competitors must hold the appropriate firearms license
Dates
Friday 21 August 2026 - Sunday 23 August 2026 (UTC+10)Location
Sydney Colonial Muzzle-Loading Club
423 Sackville Ferry Road, Sackville North NSW 2756