You can join the Virginia State Shooting Association and get involved with the Virginia State Rifle Team (do a Google search). They shoot almost every weekend from April through October at Quantico.
They will teach you how to fire an M1, M14, or M16 to 600 yards. If you buy a rifle there are several folks who will keep your rifle for you in their gun safes in Fairfax County. VSSA is a Civilian Marksmanship Program affiliate club, which will give you access to buy an M1 rifle and GI surplus ammo (
www.odcmp.com ).
The Army Rifle and Pistol Championships will be held at Fort Benning, Georgia from 12-20 March. If you're on spring break or can afford the time off from school there is an ROTC Cadet class. Soldiers learn how to shoot the M16 from 75 to 600 yards, and the M9 pistol from 25 to 7 yards. Last year's High ROTC Cadet from Texas Tech won a Secretary of the Army Trophy M1 Garand Rifle. Contact Mr. Mike Behnke at
michael.behnke@usaac.army.mil if interested.
The Atlantic Fleet and All-Navy Matches are held at Dam Neck, Virginia Beach in the spring (usually May. See
www.usnst.org ).
If you are in Washington over the summer there are several clubs that offer highpower rifle competition. Paul Bunyan Shooting Club and Range in Puyallup is near Tacoma.
If you are still in DC for summer school you can shoot as an individual shooter in the Interservice Rifle Championships at Quantico in July.
The National Matches at Camp Perry (usually the first week of August) offers the Small Arms Firing School and the National Trophy Matches. These are opportunites to earn a President's Hundred tab and Army Excellence-in-Competition shooting badges.
Good luck.