The Coastal Cup 2026 - Competitors Guide

1. Registration & Check-In

On arrival at the range, proceed immediately to the check-in table at the 800 metre line (lanes D3 – D6). You will need to present:

Your NRAA membership card (or NSWRA equivalent)
A valid firearms licence

You will then sign the range attendance page. Please complete check-in before moving to the firing line.

2. Course of Fire

The Coastal Cup consists of three matches across the day. All matches are shot at 800 metres using F-Class rules.

Match	Sighters	Scoring Shots	Time Limit
Match 1	2	10	12 minutes
Match 2	2	10	12 minutes
Match 3	2	15	17 minutes

Disciplines: FTR and F-Open compete simultaneously but are scored and ranked separately. Prizes are awarded to the top 3 shooters in each discipline based on the grand aggregate across all three matches.

3. Squadding & Relays

Matches 1 & 2 (Morning)

Squadding is fully randomised — 4 FTR shooters followed by 4 F-Open shooters per relay. If entries are unequal between disciplines, the discipline with the most entries will shoot additional relays until numbers equalise, then alternating resumes.

Match 2 rolls straight on from Match 1. Squads remain the same for both morning matches.

Lunch Break

All shooters clear the line. Running aggregate scores will be calculated during the break.

Match 3 (Afternoon)

Afternoon squads are re-squadded by running aggregate from lowest score to highest:

All FTR shooters fire first, ordered from lowest to highest aggregate
The top 4 FTR shooters fire in the last FTR relay
All F-Open shooters fire next, ordered from lowest to highest aggregate
The top 4 F-Open shooters fire in the last relay of the day

Note: Being in the top 4 for Match 3 does not guarantee a top 4 finish. The grand aggregate across all three matches determines the final standings. Prizes go to the top 3 shooters in each discipline from the grand aggregate only.

Relay Procedure

Relay 1 competitors come to the line as soon as the range is open and pick a lane
All shooters in a relay start at the same time on the Range Officer's signal
Do not commence firing until the RO gives the start signal, even if your lane is clear
Once time expires or all shooters have finished, clear your rifle and leave the line
The next relay moves to the line once the previous relay has cleared off

4. Electronic Scoring — ShotMarker

All scoring uses the ShotMarker electronic target system. There are no manual markers — your shots are detected and scored automatically. A paper score sheet is maintained as a backup and for lucky door prize draws.

Key Points for Competitors

Shooters get the benefit of the doubt. If there is any uncertainty with the electronic scoring, the decision will always favour the competitor.

Ghost Shots

Occasionally the ShotMarker may register a "ghost shot" — a false detection caused by wind, vibration, or acoustic interference. Ghost shots must be hidden on the system. If left visible, the system will count them in your score incorrectly.

If you see a shot appear that you did not fire, alert the check scorer immediately
The check scorer will hide the ghost shot from your record
It is critical that ghost shots are hidden — the system scores them automatically if they are not

Sighter Conversion

Your two sighter shots must be correctly converted on the ShotMarker before you begin scoring shots. If sighters are not converted properly, they will not be counted in your score.

After firing your 2 sighters, confirm with the check scorer that they are marked as sighters
Only proceed to scoring shots once the sighters have been correctly flagged

Missing Shots

If a shot does not appear on your ShotMarker display:

Check with adjacent lanes for a possible crossfire
If the shot has not appeared on any target, inform the check scorer and fire an immediate follow-up shot
If the second shot also fails to appear, call the Range Officer
Shooters will always get the benefit of the doubt for missing shots

Crossfires: If your shot appears on another competitor's target, the check scorer can assist with removing it so it does not affect that person's score.

5. ShotMarker Quick Reference

The following information is from the ShotMarker Reference Manual and covers the key functions you may encounter during the competition.

Keeping Score (Manual Page 15)

All shots are displayed in a scorecard on the ShotMarker tablet. You can tap a specific shot to select it. With a shot selected, the following actions are available via the shot detail panel:

Action	Description
Declare as Sighter	Marks the shot as a sighter — it remains on the scorecard but is not included in the total score or group measurement. Sighters before record shots are shown normally. Sighters between record shots are highlighted in red as a warning.
Adjust Score	Manually change the score value of a shot (e.g., reduce by 1 point if needed). Modified or inserted shots are highlighted in green.
Insert Shot	Insert a shot of any value after the selected shot. For example, to insert a miss with zero value for a shot that was not detected.
Hide Shot	Hides shots you did not fire (crossfires, ghost shots). Hidden shots are indicated by a grey bar between record shots. Hidden shots are not counted in the score.

Sighter Modes (Manual Page 16)

The ShotMarker supports several sighter modes. For this competition, the system will be set to Two Convertible sighters:

Mode	How It Works
None	All incoming shots are assumed on record. You can still manually declare shots as sighters.
One / Two	The first one or two shots are assumed as non-convertible sighters (they cannot be converted to scoring shots).
Two Convertible	After firing two sighters, conversion buttons are displayed to the shooter. You can choose to convert a sighter to a scoring shot if desired. This is the standard competition mode.
Unlimited	All shots are assumed sighters until the shooter presses the “go on record” button.

Important: After firing your 2 sighters, ensure the conversion is handled correctly before proceeding to scoring shots. If sighters are not properly flagged, they will not count towards your score. If in doubt, ask the check scorer for assistance.

Shot Display Modes (Manual Page 16)

Mode	How It Works
All	All shots are displayed immediately and remain visible on the target face.
Recent	Only the most recent shot is displayed. Multiple shots arriving within 20 seconds remain as a group (useful for identifying crossfires).
Delayed	Incoming shots are delayed by 7 or 10 seconds. You will know a shot has been detected, but not its position or value until the delay expires.
Delayed & Restricted	Shots are delayed, and any additional shots arriving within the delay period are automatically scored as zero. The score can be restored (useful in case of a crossfire).

Troubleshooting (Manual Page 19)

If you fire a shot and nothing happens:

Ask the check scorer to open the Sensor Monitor and fire another shot
While the Sensor Monitor is open, all sensor readings are recorded — even if they do not appear to be valid shots — which helps diagnose the issue
If the shot still does not register, the Range Officer will be called

Remember: Shooters always get the benefit of the doubt. If a shot cannot be recovered electronically, the paper score sheet backup will be used.

6. Live Scores

Scores are automatically uploaded from the ShotMarker units and displayed in real time on the competition scoreboard.

live.smscores.com/CoastalCup

Scan the QR code or open this URL on your phone to follow scores live

The scoreboard updates automatically and shows:

Individual match scores and shot-by-shot breakdowns
Running aggregate totals
Separate rankings for FTR and F-Open

7. Shoot-Offs

In the event of a tie for first place only, a shoot-off will be conducted after Match 3. Tied competitors fire single shots until the tie is broken, with the competitor scoring the highest shot (or latest X-ring) winning each round.

8. General Information

All standard NRAA/ICFRA F-Class rules apply
Obey all Range Officer instructions at all times
Maintain safe firearm handling practices on and off the firing line
Ensure your rifle is cleared before leaving the firing point
Have a great day and enjoy the competition!