The Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA) was established in 1948 in order to promote the shooting sports and protect firearm owners’ interests. Those roles remain the same today, and with more than 175,000 members and 400 clubs, the SSAA is the top sports shooting body representing licenced owners in Australia.
The SSAA manages more than 18 shooting competitions – commonly referred to as ‘disciplines’ – at local, state, national and international levels. We cater to many types of firearms, including shotguns, pistols, revolvers and rifles, in rimfire, centrefire, air and black powder configurations, so no matter what age you are or what level competition you are interested in participating in, we have a discipline for everyone.
In addition to representing the interests of our target shooting members, the SSAA promotes the ethical hunting activities of our members and the sustainable use of wildlife. We encourage all hunters to display appropriate firearm handling skills, to conduct themselves in an acceptable way and to be responsible for themselves, others and the environment.
The SSAA works closely with the Australian and international firearms industry and has an Australian federal parliamentary presence to liaise and communicate with Australia’s elected leaders and those departments that affect our chosen sport. The Association also has official Non-Government Organisation status within the United Nations and regularly participates in discussions with affiliated and likeminded international groups.
Supporting those groups who support our chosen recreations and vigorously refuting the myth-making and factually incorrect claims of anti-shooting and anti-hunting groups is very important to the Association. As such, the SSAA coordinates research projects and initiatives using data from a range of reputable sources, all of which provides material for our lobbying efforts and our publications and has run-on benefits for our members.