Bullseye, also known as conventional pistol, is a shooting sport

Shooting sports

A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...

 in which participants shoot handguns

Pistol

When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

 at paper targets at fixed distances and time limits. A number of organizations, including the NRA and Civilian Marksmanship Program in the United States, have established rules and keep records for these sports. Emphasis is on accuracy and precision. The sport is primarily popular in United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Bullseye pistol was the inspiration for the ISSF international 25 m Standard Pistol

25 m Standard Pistol

25 metre standard pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events, introduced at the ISSF World Shooting Championships in 1970. It has its roots in the NRA conventional pistol competitions....

 (82 feet) event and like the ISSF pistol events

ISSF shooting events

The International Shooting Sport Federation recognizes several shooting events, some of which have Olympic status. They are divided into four disciplines: rifle, pistol, shotgun and running target....

, the development of skills required to shoot one-handed at 5.5-inch and 8-inch bullseye targets at 25 and 50 yards, respectively, takes considerable training to achieve proficiency.

Equipment

Bullseye specifies three classes of pistol; a .22 caliber rimfire, a centerfire handgun of .32 caliber or greater; and a .45 caliber pistol. Since the format includes a rapid fire stage, a semi-automatic pistol

Semi-automatic firearm

A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...

 or revolver

Revolver

A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...

 with a capacity of at least 5 rounds is needed.

Sights

Any type of sight can be used, except laser sights. Many competitors use iron sights

Iron sights

Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...

, but the recent trend has been towards red dot sight

Red dot sight

A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non-magnifying reflector sight for firearms that gives the user an aimpoint in the form of an illuminated red dot...

s, which many shooters find easier to use. Telescopic sight

Telescopic sight

A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...

s, while legal, are rare, as magnification is not considered an advantage. Iron sights are usually adjustable Patridge type sights, carefully treated to reduce glare that might impact sight alignment.

Handguns

While most moderately priced rimfire pistols are accurate enough to fire perfect scores and are suitable for bullseye competition (the Ruger MK II

Ruger MK II

The Ruger MK II is a rimfire single-action semi-automatic pistol chambered in .22 Long Rifle and manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Company. Ruger rimfire pistols are some of the most popular handguns made, with over three million sold.-Models:...

 or Ruger MK III

Ruger MK III

The Ruger Mark III is a .22 long rifle semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Company. It is the successor to the Ruger MK II, and includes several new features.-Changes from the Mark II:...

 being a common starting gun) the Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...

 41 and the Hämmerli 208 generally dominate the top levels of competition. Marvel Precision has recently come in to the arena with a conversion kit that allows the competitor to fire .22 rimfire cartridges on a standard M1911 frame and action. Although the Smith & Wesson Model 41

Smith & Wesson Model 41

The Smith and Wesson Model 41 is a semi-automatic pistol developed by Smith & Wesson after World War II as a competitive target pistol. It was designed with a 105 degree grip angle, the same as the Colt M1911 pistol, to maintain a consistent grip angle....

, and accurized Ruger MK II pistols are probably the most popular .22 pistols for Bullseye shooting, a recent introduction from Europe, the Feinwerkbau AW93 "Sport Pistol", has gained much popularity (especially in Europe). Its ergonomic grip and low recoil compensation (even for the small .22) has placed it in the top of its class.

The centerfire pistol is another matter; most pistols of this type are designed for defensive use, which requires far less accuracy. The most common centerfire pistol is the M1911

M1911

The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....

 design, usually built and accurized by a gunsmith who specializes in bullseye pistol work. All areas of the operating mechanism must fit tightly enough to allow the required consistency, while remaining reliable enough to not jam during a match.

While many shooters use the .45 for the centerfire stages of competition, some shooters prefer a third gun. European models such as .32 S&W

.32 S&W

The .32 S&W cartridge was introduced in 1878 for the Smith & Wesson model 1½ revolver. It was originally designed as a black powder cartridge.The .32 S&W was offered to the public as a light, defense cartridge, for "card table" distances....

 automatics from Walther, the now discontinued Smith & Wesson Model 52

Smith & Wesson Model 52

The Smith and Wesson Model 52 was a semi-automatic pistol developed by Smith & Wesson for Bullseye shooting. It was one of the first semiautomatic pistols chambered in .38 Special with flush-seated, full wadcutter bullets. The shape of the rimmed cartridge limited the magazine capacity to five...

, and others are a suitable choice, as are M1911 variants in smaller calibers, such as .38 Special

.38 Special

The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...

, 9mm, or .38 Super

.38 Super

The .38 Super or .38 Super Automatic is a pistol cartridge that fires a diameter bullet. The Super was introduced in the late 1920s as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP or .38 Auto. The old .38 ACP propelled a bullet at . The improved .38 Super Auto pushed the same bullet at...

http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/bullcon.htm. The smaller calibers have significantly less recoil than the .45 ACP but that advantage is offset by the cost of buying and learning to shoot proficiently with a third gun. Another advantage of .45 caliber over .38 caliber is that the larger diameter hole made will be able cut a higher scoring ring over the smaller caliber given the same point of impact near the higher ring.

Smith and Wesson revolvers are most common among shooters who prefer revolvers; S&W makes suitable double action revolvers in .22 Long Rifle

.22 Long Rifle

The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...

, .38 Special, and .45 ACP. Custom gunsmithing is common here as well to increase reliability and usability.

Grips

In addition to accuracy work, including trigger modifications, many bullseye guns use anatomical grips made to fit the shooter's hand. These grips provide increased support to allow a more consistent grip, a rest for the thumb to allow better control of recoil, and a shelf to isolate the trigger finger from the fingers gripping the gun. In addition to providing better support, the grips can also position the hand to allow better positioning of longer or shorter fingers on the trigger, and also allow cross dominant

Ocular dominance

Ocular dominance, sometimes called eye dominance or eyedness, is the tendency to prefer visual input from one eye to the other. It is somewhat analogous to the laterality of right or left handedness; however, the side of the dominant eye and the dominant hand do not always match...

 shooters to better align the sights with their dominant eye. An adjustable shelf at the bottom of the grip helps maintain a consistent grip.

Ammunition

For the rimfire pistol, shooters use high quality target grade ammunition, ideally purchased in bulk so all ammunition comes from the same manufacturing lot, since even minor changes can result in changing point of impact. Relatively low velocity ammunition (always below the speed of sound) is preferred for precision Bullseye target shooting in both the slow and sustained fire disciplines because the .22 bullet travels at or near the speed of sound. If a bullet transitions between supersonic speed and subsonic speed before striking the target, its flight path is slightly disturbed, reducing accuracy. To avoid this phenomenon, strictly subsonic ammunition is preferred.

Centerfire ammunition is often handloaded

Handloading

Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...

, with very careful selection of components to allow the maximum precision. Lighter weight bullets and lower velocities than standard are normally used to minimize the recoil.

Scoring

Count the number of holes, 5 or 10 per target. If a hole breaks a ring the higher score is given. If unsure scoring gauge can be used. Official rules and regulations on scoring is covered in section 14 of the NRA Pistol Rules 2003. NRA Conventional Pistol Rules

Starting on the bottom at 7 o'clock and moving up and clockwise the scores are:

Points                                                       Misses

7     Hole breaks 7 ring.                                     -3

8     Hole just breaks 8 ring using gauge.                    -2

9     Hole breaks 9 ring, gauge used.                         -1

10    Hole breaks 10 ring.                                    -0

9     Hole breaks 9 ring.                                     -1

9     Hole breaks 9 ring, note part of hole in 8 ring.        -1

10    Hole breaks 10 ring.                                    -0

10-1X Hole breaks X ring.                                     -0 1X

10    Hole breaks 10 ring.                                    -0

9     Hole breaks 9 ring.                                     -1

      This last hole was hardest to find,

      target showed slight opening on bottom right of hole.   -9 Sum of misses.

91                                                  100 - 9 = 91

Total Points                                                 Total Points



As shown in the misses column, on a high scoring target it is easier to count

and add the misses and subtract from maximum score points, 100 or 50.

Courses of fire

All courses of fire are fired from a standing position using a one handed grip at 5.5-inch and 8-inch "bullseye" targets placed at 25 and 50 yards downrange. This is a significantly more difficult shooting position than the two handed grips accepted for use in metallic silhouette

Metallic silhouette

Metallic silhouette shooting is a group of target shooting disciplines that involves shooting at metal cutouts representing game animals at varying distances. Metallic silhouette shooting can be done with airguns, black powder firearms, modern handguns, or modern rifles...

 and action shooting

Action shooting

Action shooting is a term that encompasses target shooting events where the shooter's score is based on both the accuracy and elapsed time. Disciplines covered by the term include:*United States Practical Shooting Association...

 competitions such as IDPA, IPSC

IPSC

IPSC may refer to:* Induced pluripotent stem cell, a type of pluripotent stem cell* International Practical Shooting Confederation, a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting...

, The Bianchi Cup

The Bianchi Cup

The Bianchi Cup is the NRA National Action Pistol Championship, a major Action Pistol tournament held over three days in late May, in Columbia, Missouri at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club. It has the largest purse of any tournament on the action pistol calendar and is the premier action...

, and PPC 1500 Matches. The "bullseye" targets are significantly smaller and farther away although time restraints are relatively more generous and shooting begins with an outstretched arm already aimed at the target instead of the mandatory holster draw required in most cases with the action shooting sports.

Three courses of fire are followed: Slow Fire, in which ten rounds are fired in ten minutes, Timed Fire, consisting of two five-round strings with twenty seconds for each string, and Rapid Fire, which has a ten second limit for each of the two five-round strings. All shooting is done one-handed, standing, with no support.

Depending on the match format, the competitor may be required to shoot as many as 90 rounds from each of three handguns. Each shot scores a maximum of 10 points. Hence, a one-gun competition is often referred to as a "900" whereas a three-gun competition is a "2700". A shorter form is the National Match Course consisting of a single Slow Fire, a Timed and a Rapid Fire target, 30 shots for a maximum score of 300. Single gun competitions using only the rimfire pistol are common, as they provide an inexpensive entry into the sport.

Outdoor competitions are typically fired at 50 yards for slow fire courses and 25 yards for timed and rapid fire courses. A "short course" shoots only at 25 yards and uses a reduced-size target for the Slow Fire segment. All courses of fire at an indoor competition are typically fired at 50 feet with appropriately scaled targets. A notable exception to this rule of thumb happens at the Oak Harbor (Ohio) Conservation Club, which conducts indoor matches monthly November-April at 50/25 yards. OHCC is located about 10 miles west of the site of the National Matches, Camp Perry, Ohio.

Matches

The annual National Rifle and Pistol Matches take place at Camp Perry

Camp Perry

Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 in July and August. Competing shooters are registered with the National Rifle Association

National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...

and scores are officially recorded. Registered matches (Regional, Sectional, and State championships and local matches) are held at various locations throughout the year and are often sponsored by local shooting clubs. Authorized matches are also recognized by the NRA. Scores at all of these competitions are recorded by the NRA and used to rank a shooter's abilities.

Recorded scores are used to rank shooters into Tyro (no scores on record), Marksman (360 recorded shots but below the 85% mark), Sharpshooter (85-89.99%), Expert (90-94.99%), Master (95-96.99%) and High Master (97% and above) categories. While perfect scores have been shot in individual stages, no shooter has ever scored a 2700 in a sanctioned match. The current record is 2680-159x, set on 07/24/1974 by Hershel Andersonhttp://www.bullseyepistol.com/secret.htm. That is a score of 2680 out of 2700, with 159 of 270 shots hitting the "X" ring, which is half the size of the 10 ring. "X" ring shots still count 10 points, but in the case of a tie in points, the higher "X" ring count wins.

External links

• Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol
• Bullseye-L Internet Forum (emailing list)
• Conventional Pistol (NRA)
• International Pistol ISSF Rules for Pistol
• Conventional Shooter promotes all forms of conventional ("bullseye') type shooting.
• Brian Zins, 10-time NRA Pistol National Champion