The British National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded in 1859. In order to increase the ability of Britain's marksmen following the Crimean War, Queen Victoria inaugurated the first Queen's Prize Shoot by offering ₤250 to the best marksman in Britain. The first long range rifle shooting match was held at Wimbledon in 1860 and other Commonwealth Countries followed suit soon after. The first shot was fired by the Queen from a Whitworth rifle on a machine rest at 400 yards and struck the bulls-eye at 1 1/4 inches from the centre. The Swiss team which took part won almost all the prizes which were for individual shooting.

The first team shooting competition was held at Wimbledon in 1861. Three English public schools teams took part – Eton, Harrow and Rugby. Each school had a team of 12 members in cadet uniforms. Each competitor fired 5 shots at 200 and 500 yards. The target had only two rings, so that the highest possible score for each team could be 220 points. The Rugby team won with 91 points. Minie muzzle loading rifles were used.

The American National Rifle Association was founded in 1871 and the New Zealand Rifle Association was established in 1879 although the first National Championships were actually held in 1861.

The National Rifle Association of Australia began as the Federal Council of Rifle Associations of Australasia in 1888 which then became the Commonwealth Council of Rifle Associations of Australia in 1901. The Australian Rifle Team was Australia's first representative team to compete abroad, at Creedmoor USA in 1876, and later at Wimbledon UK in 1886.

The Queensland Rifle Association has records which state that the Association originated in 1860. According to later history books, the QRA was officially constituted in 1877 and Queensland's first Championship 'the Queen's Prize' was shot at Victoria Park in 1878. The Metropolitan Rifle Range was moved to Toowong in 1887, then Enoggera in 1910 and finally Belmont in 1964. The competition has been named the Queen's or King's Prize shoot depending on the reigning monarch. The Queens Prize is contested annually in August at the Belmont Shooting Complex in Brisbane.

Halls, C., 1974, Guns in Australia, Paul Hamlyn, Australia Lugs, J. 1968, A History of Shooting, Spring Books, Middlesex Holt, N.S.. 1988, The Australian Bicentenary Fullbore Rifle Championships, Notes on the History of Rifle Associations in Australia and Other Nations, National Rifle Association Of Australia, Canberra