CMP

The CMP, or Civilian Marksmanship Program, is a United States program that promotes marksmanship and firearms safety, and it runs service-rifle and high power matches across the country. Its events trace back to a long tradition of training civilians in rifle fundamentals, and they remain a common entry point into formal competition. The program is widely recognized for keeping classic course-of-fire shooting alive.

Many CMP matches are shot with iron sights and a sling for support, which puts the emphasis squarely on position and trigger control rather than optics. As shooters advance, they often move toward match grade rifles and ammunition to squeeze the most out of those demanding, position-based stages.