Shooting sports
Encyclopedia
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s such as firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s and airguns (see archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
for more information on shooting sports that make use of bows and arrows). Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
event (albeit only once, in 1900). The shooting sports are categorized by the type of firearm or target used.
History
The National Rifle Association (NRA) of the United Kingdom was founded in 1860 to raise the funds for an annual national rifle meeting "for the encouragement of Volunteer Rifle Corps, and the promotion of Rifle-shooting throughout Great Britain".For similar reasons, concerned over poor marksmanship during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, veteran Union officers Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed 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...
of America in 1871 for the purpose of promoting and encouraging rifle shooting on a "scientific" basis. In 1872, with financial help from New York state, a site on Long Island, the Creed Farm, was purchased for the purpose of building a rifle range. Named Creedmoor
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center is a psychiatric hospital in Queens Village, Queens, New York, United States that provides inpatient, outpatient and residential services for severely mentally ill patients...
, the range opened in 1872, and became the site of the first National Matches until New York politics forced the NRA to move the matches to Sea Girt, New Jersey. The popularity of the National Matches soon forced the event to be moved to its present, much larger location: 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...
. In 1903, the U.S. Congress created the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP), an advisory board to the Secretary of the Army, with a nearly identical charter to the NRA. The NBPRP (now known as the Civilian Marksmanship Program
Civilian Marksmanship Program
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a U.S. government-chartered program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus...
) also participates in the National Matches at Camp Perry.
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
, the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, U.S. Jaycees, NCAA, the Scholastic Clay Target Program, National Guard Bureau, ROTC and JROTC. These programs have all continued to thrive despite political pressures to disband. The success of these programs is often attributed to an emphasis on safety and education that has resulted in an unprecedented scholastic and collegiate athletic safety record.
French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
pistol champion and founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
, participated in many of these early competitions. This fact certainly contributed to the inclusion of five shooting events in the 1896 Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
. Over the years, the events have been changed a number of times in order to keep up with technology and social standards. For example, targets that formerly resembled humans or animals in their shape and size have are now a circular shape in order to avoid associating the sport with any form of violence. At the same time, some events have been dropped and new ones have been added. The 2004 Olympics featured three shooting disciplines (rifle, pistol and shotgun) where athletes competed for 51 medals in 10 men's and 7 women's events—slightly fewer than the previous Olympic schedule.
The Olympic Games continue to provide the shooting sports with its greatest public relations opportunity. The sport has always enjoyed the distinction of awarding the first medals of the Games. Internationally, the International Shooting Sport Federation
International Shooting Sport Federation
The International Shooting Sport Federation is an organization that governs international shooting sports. While far from the only such organization, it is the one that is a member of the International Olympic Committee and so it is in charge of the Olympic shooting events. Not all ISSF shooting...
(ISSF) has oversight of all Olympic shooting events worldwide, while National Governing Bodies (NGBs) administer the sport within each country.
Having originally established shooting as an organized sport in the USA, the NRA was the obvious choice to administer the United States participation in the Olympic games. The NRA dutifully managed and financially supported international and conventional shooting sports (i.e., National Matches) for over 100 years until the formation of USA Shooting
USA Shooting
USA Shooting, a 501 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. The NRA had served as the NGB for one hundred years prior to this change in administration...
.
Because of its long heritage and broad appeal, the shooting sports are enjoyed by a large number of participants around the world. In recent years, however, the shooting sports have become increasingly threatened by social and political reforms. In some countries, voters have declared their disapproval toward the private ownership and possession of handguns. This is generally motivated by the perception that handguns are associated with violent crime instead of sportsmanship. Some governments, such as the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, have enacted restrictive gun control legislation that directly affects the shooting sports.
More recently, a rise in the number of concealed carry
Concealed carry
Concealed carry, or CCW , refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one's person or in proximity.-In Canada:...
permit-holders in the US has led to a surge in interest in various handgun competitions that foster defensive skills, accuracy drills, and personal protection tactics.
Rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
is a firearm or airgun with a rifled barrel, but commonly refers to long weapons that usually require two hands to hold and fire steadily. They generally have a longer range and greater accuracy than pistols
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...
, and are popular for hunting.
- Four position small bore is a popular sport in the U.S.
- The six Rifle ISSF shooting eventsISSF shooting eventsThe 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....
(including three Olympic events) consist of long-time target shooting from distances of 10, 50 and 300 m. - The two Running Target ISSF shooting events consist of rapid shooting at a target that moves sideways from distances of 10 and 50 m.
- BiathlonBiathlonBiathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
is an Olympic sportOlympic sportsOlympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
combining shooting and cross-country skiingCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. - The CISMInternational Military Sports CouncilThe International Military Sports Council or Conseil International du Sport Militaire , established 1948, is one of the largest multidisciplinary organisations in the world...
Rapid Fire match is a speeded version of the ISSF 300 m Standard Rifle300 m Standard Rifle300 metre standard rifle is one of the ISSF shooting events. It is similar to 300 metre rifle but there are more restrictions on the rifle . The course of fire is a three positions program of 3x20 shots...
event. - Muzzle loading and Cowboy action shootingCowboy action shootingCowboy Action Shooting , also known as Western Action Shooting or Single Action Shooting, is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California, USA, in the early 1980s...
are concerned with shooting replicaReplicaA replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
(or antique) guns. - Gallery rifle shootingGallery rifle shootingGallery Rifle Shooting is a popular sport worldwide, it commonly uses rifles chambered for traditional pistol calibres such as .22 Long Rifle, .38 special and .357 calibres, .44 and .45. Its popularity increased dramatically in Great Britain after the ban on civilian use of handguns in 1997...
is popular in the UK and was introduced as a substitute for many pistol shooting disciplines following the 1997 handgun banGun politics in the United KingdomGun politics in the United Kingdom generally places its main considerations on how best to ensure public safety and how deaths involving firearms can most effectively be prevented. The United Kingdom has one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the world, and did so even before strict gun...
. - Benchrest shootingBenchrest shootingBenchrest shooting is a sport in which very accurate and precise rifles are shot at paper targets from a rest or bench from a sitting position. Benchrest shooters are notoriously detail-oriented and constantly trying to further the accuracy potential of the rifle through experimentation. Nearly...
is concerned with shooting small groups with the rifleman sitting on a chair (bench) and the rifle supported from a table. Of all shooting disciplines, this is the most demanding equipment-wise. - High Power RifleHigh Power RifleHigh Power Rifle is a specific format of competitive shooting popular in the United States. It is many times referred to as "Across the Course" and sometimes as 'traditional' High Power. In service rifle matches, a competitor can only use an M-1 Garand style weapon, a M1A style weapon, or an...
(also known as "Across the Course" or 'traditional' High power) in the United States is a format that shoots 3-position (standing, kneeling or sitting, and prone) at 200, 300, and 600 yards. The term "Across the Course" is used because the match format requires the competitors to shoot at different distances to complete the course of fire. - Fullbore target shootingFullbore target rifleFullbore target rifle is a distinctively British and Commonwealth of Nations shooting discipline that evolved from Service rifle shooting in the late 1860s, and is governed in the UK by the rules of the National Rifle Association, UK...
is concerned with shooting at targets at ranges of 300–1200 yards. - Field TargetField TargetField Target is an outdoor air gun discipline originating in the United Kingdom, in the early 1980s, but gaining popularity worldwide.-UK Rules:...
is an outdoor air gun discipline originating in the United Kingdom, but gaining popularity worldwide.
- There are a vast number of nationally recognized sports, including:
- Full bore and small bore, rifle shooting in the United Kingdom.
- Three positionThree positionsInternational Rifle events in Three positions are conducted with an equal number of shots fired from the Prone, the Standing and the Kneeling positions, always in that order....
airgun competitions, popular in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - Field shooting, often at very long distances, popular in ScandinaviaScandinaviaScandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. - Running target shooting at 80 m, on a target depicting an elkMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, popular in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as a hunting exercise. - Summer biathlon, with skiing replaced by running, popular in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
- Military Service Rifle is a shooting discipline that involves the use of rifles that are used by military forces and law-enforcement agencies, both past and present use. Ex-military rifles, sniper rifles (both past and present) and civilian versions of current use service rifles are commonly used in the Military Service Rifle shooting competitions. It is popular in the United States and culminates each year with the National Matches being held at Camp Perry, Ohio. Some countries have outlawed civilian shooting at human-silhouette targets, though. Silhouette targets are not used in the National Match Course of Fire. Bullseye targets are used. High Power Rifle competition often is held at the same events as Service Rifle, such as the U.S. national championships each year at Camp Perry. High Power competitors generally are civilians using whatever rifles they prefer within the rules, whereas Service Rifle entrants are limited to current or previous U.S. armed forces weapons. Although according to NRA rules only certain matches allow optical sights, normally those conducted at ranges over 600 yards.
- NRA (of the USA) target sizes for Military Service Rifle used in High Power Rifle competition
- 200 Yard Target
Aiming Black Inches Rings in White Inches X ring 3.00 8 ring 19.00 10 ring 7.00 7 ring 25.00 9 ring 13.00 6 ring 31.00 5 ring 37.00
- 200 Yard Target
- NRA (of the USA) target sizes for Military Service Rifle used in High Power Rifle competition
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-
- 300 Yard Target
Aiming Black Inches Rings in White Inches X ring 3.00 7 ring 25.00 10 ring 7.00 6 ring 31.00 9 ring 13.00 5 ring 37.00 8 ring 19.00
- 300 Yard Target
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-
-
- 600 Yard Target
Aiming Black Inches Rings in White Inches X ring 6.00 6 ring 48.00 10 ring 12.00 5 ring 60.00 9 ring 18.00 8 ring 24.00 7 ring 36.00
- 600 Yard Target
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-
-
- 800, 900, and 1000 Yard Target
Aiming Black Inches Rings in White Inches X ring 10.00 7 ring 60.00 10 ring 20.00 6 ring 72x72sq. 9 ring 30.00 8 ring 44.00
- 800, 900, and 1000 Yard Target
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- Palma competition dates from 1876, featuring long-range rifle shooting, out to 1,000 yards. The first Palma match was contested by teams from the U.S. and Ireland (with muzzle loaded rifles at that time), and continues in various nations today. The latest International Long-range Target Rifle Match, for the PALMA trophy, was held on Belmont ranges, Brisbane, Australia in October 2011 and was won by Great Britain. The next match is scheduled for 2015 in the USA, provisionally at Camp Perry.
- One other air rifle event is the 3-position (3P), which consists of the standing, kneeling and prone (lying down) positions.
- Finally, there is a different air rifle class, not yet in the olympics, called the sporter class. This is where you shoot under strict rules, and are not allowed much of the stiff clothing precision shooters use. You can also get sporter 3P events.
Handgun
HandgunsHandgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
, or Pistols, are smaller than rifles, and are much more convenient to carry in general. They usually have a shorter range and lesser accuracy compared to rifles.
- The 6 ISSF shooting eventsISSF shooting eventsThe 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....
with pistols (4 Olympic events plus 2 events not included in the Olympics program but are contested in World Cups and World Championships), its roots date back to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, consist of both precision slow-fire and rapid-fire target shooting from distances of 10, 25, and 50 meters. The pistols are unique in appearance compared to normal guns and each events has its own pistols designed specifically for the job. Shooters must use one hand only to shoot at small "bullseye(s)" downrange. In the UK (except for Northern Ireland), it is no longer possible to practice for some of the Olympic events following the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997-Reaction to the ban:The pistol ban makes very few exceptions for people to own a cartridge handgun legally. This has resulted in the near complete cessation of recreational and competitive target shooting with handguns in Great Britain; Britons who wish to participate in these activities must now...
. - Modern pentathlonModern pentathlonThe modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
includes timed shooting with an air pistol as the first of its five parts. - The CISMInternational Military Sports CouncilThe International Military Sports Council or Conseil International du Sport Militaire , established 1948, is one of the largest multidisciplinary organisations in the world...
Rapid Fire match is similar to the ISSF 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol25 m Rapid Fire Pistol25 metre rapid fire pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events. The event has been a part of the Olympic program ever since the beginning in 1896, although its rules changed greatly before World War II, after which they were only slightly changed until the two major revisions of 1989 and 2005...
event. - The National Rifle AssociationNational Rifle AssociationThe 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...
(NRA) Conventional Pistol, shot with up to 3 handguns of differing calibers. Its history is almost as old as the ISSF Events. Shooters must fire the pistol one-handed at 6 and 8 inch bullseyes placed 25 and 50 yards downrange respectively. This competition is also commonly called Bullseye (shooting competition)Bullseye (shooting competition)Bullseye, also known as conventional pistol, is a shooting sport in which participants shoot handguns 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...
. As with ISSF "bullseye" Pistol Matches mentioned above, they are the forerunners of all handgun competitions and the foundation of ALL marksmanship, whether be it rifle or archery competiitons and not just relegated to handguns alone. - Metallic silhouetteMetallic silhouetteMetallic 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...
shooting, developed to loosely simulate hunting, is shooting at heavy animal-shaped steel silhouettes that must be knocked down to score, typically at distances normally reserved for rifles. Handguns used in the Unlimited Category are unique and rifle-like in appearance; they are also chambered in rifle calibers to take advantage of power, aerodynamic efficiency, and external ballisticsExternal ballisticsExternal ballistics is the part of the science of ballistics that deals with the behaviour of a non-powered projectile in flight. External ballistics is frequently associated with firearms, and deals with the behaviour of the bullet after it exits the barrel and before it hits the target.-Forces...
and are specially designed for long range shooting. With proper shooting skills and support techniques, the accuracy of these so-called "handguns" rival that of top-notch match rifles out to 300 meters. - The following pistol sports are categorized under action shootingAction shootingAction 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...
. With the exception of PPC 1500, field shooting, and ActionAirgunActionAirgunActionAirgun is a trademarked name of ActionAirgun LLC Founder of internet administered action shooting sports. This sport is equally suited for experienced shooters or groups of beginning shooters who want to learn about firearm safety and engage in shooting sports competition...
, all has its roots dated back to the Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
combat pistol scenes in the 1960s:- Practical shootingPractical shootingPractical shooting is a sport which challenges an individual's ability to shoot rapidly and accurately with a full-power handgun, rifle, or shotgun. To do this, shooters take on obstacle-laden shooting courses called stages, some requiring many shots to complete, and others just a few...
, governed by a number of bodies, the largest of which is the IPSCInternational Practical Shooting ConfederationThe International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:...
, was developed by former police and civilian marksmen and later used as a basis for military and police exercises. It is a variation where the shooter often moves during shooting, and hit scores and shooting time are equally important. Another major sanctioning body, IDPAInternational Defensive Pistol AssociationThe International Defensive Pistol Association , founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, USA that promotes defensive pistol shooting as a sport, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated "real world" self-defense scenarios...
, was created as a response to some IPSC competitors wishing to participate in scenarios closer to defensive situations which may arise in real life. - The Bianchi CupThe Bianchi CupThe 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...
, a fusion of IPSC (without the "run and gun" element) and Bullseye Competition (except shot with two hands and going prone whenever rules allow it) where accuracy under tight time limits in 4 different simulated scenarios, known as the "Event(s)", is the basis of this competition. Shooters must start with gun in the holster on every strings of fire and distances range from 10 to 50 yards. - NRANational Rifle AssociationThe 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...
Police Pistol Combat, also known as PPC 1500, is perhaps the predecessor of all practical pistol shooting sports. It began in 1959 as a police only match, i.e., civilians are not allowed to compete, that theoretically trains officers for better real life shooting confrontations. - Cowboy Action ShootingCowboy action shootingCowboy Action Shooting , also known as Western Action Shooting or Single Action Shooting, is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California, USA, in the early 1980s...
, almost identical to IPSC and IDPA stage design but with Western Cowboy themed props, shot with long guns and revolvers of the same era. Mere act of shooting itself is not enough. Competitors must choose and go by a cowboy nickname or alias and are required to look the part by donning authentic cowboy and cowgirl garments. - ActionAirgunActionAirgunActionAirgun is a trademarked name of ActionAirgun LLC Founder of internet administered action shooting sports. This sport is equally suited for experienced shooters or groups of beginning shooters who want to learn about firearm safety and engage in shooting sports competition...
is an indoor action shooting sport using semi-automatic airsoft pistols and courses of fire downloaded from a central hub. Shooters upload shooting times to a website to resolve competitions.
- Practical shooting
- There are also a vast number of other nationally recognized sports, including:
- Airsoft IPSC follows the same principle of IPSC but shooters use airsoft gun instead. The range, paper targets and poppers are scaled down to suit for airsoft pistols. The sport enjoys popularity in countries such as TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where civilian ownership of real firearms are illegal or extremely difficult to obtain. - Field shooting, a type of variable rapid-fire competition, popular in Scandinavia.
- Airsoft IPSC follows the same principle of IPSC but shooters use airsoft gun instead. The range, paper targets and poppers are scaled down to suit for airsoft pistols. The sport enjoys popularity in countries such as Taiwan
- Other, less formally organized shooting sports include:
- Knocking bowling pins off a table top,
- Steel "reactive" targets,
- and general "plinkingPlinkingPlinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water. The term is an onomatopoeia of the sound a bullet or other projectile makes when hitting a tin can, or other similar target, referring to the sharp, metallic...
" at miscellaneous objects.
Shotgun
A ShotgunShotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
is similar to a rifle, but typically fires projectiles that either contain many smaller sub-projectiles, or one large projectile. They are more often than not pump-action
Pump-action
A pump-action rifle or shotgun is one in which the handgrip can be pumped back and forth in order to eject a spent round of ammunition and to chamber a fresh one. It is much faster than a bolt-action and somewhat faster than a lever-action, as it does not require the trigger hand to be removed from...
or single-shot-and-reload actions.
- The three Shotgun ISSF shooting events (presently all Olympic) are based on quick reaction to clay targets thrown by a machine.
- Other shotgun sports with (at least partial) international recognition include Sporting Clays, providing more variation than the standard ISSF events, and Down-The-LineDown-The-LineDown-the-line clay pigeon shooting is a variation of trap shooting which is very popular in Australia, New Zealand , South Africa, Zimbabwe, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland....
. Five standFive standFive Stand is a type of shotgun sport shooting similar to sporting clays, trap and skeet. There are five stations, or stands and six to eight strategically placed clay target throwers. Shooters shoot in turn at various combinations of clay birds. Each station will have a menu card that lets the...
is also a shotgun shooting sport similar to skeet, but with more target variety. There are five stations, or stands. At each station there is normally a card that lets the shooter know the sequence of birds he or she will be shooting at. - Cowboy Action ShootingCowboy action shootingCowboy Action Shooting , also known as Western Action Shooting or Single Action Shooting, is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California, USA, in the early 1980s...
also may involve shotguns. - Practical shootingPractical shootingPractical shooting is a sport which challenges an individual's ability to shoot rapidly and accurately with a full-power handgun, rifle, or shotgun. To do this, shooters take on obstacle-laden shooting courses called stages, some requiring many shots to complete, and others just a few...
uses high capacity shotguns (usually pump or semi-automatic). It has emerged particularly in countries where handguns have been banned.
Action
Action Shooting is a generic term applicable to non-traditional shooting sports, generally characterized by rapid movement within each shooting stage, where most or all begins with holster draw in the case of handguns. Examples include 'practical pistol' as in the International Practical Shooting ConfederationInternational Practical Shooting Confederation
The International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:...
(IPSC), the United States Practical Shooting Association
United States Practical Shooting Association
The United States Practical Shooting Association, or USPSA, is the national governing body of one form of Practical shooting in the United States, and is the US Region of the International Practical Shooting Confederation...
(USPSA) and the International Defensive Pistol Association
International Defensive Pistol Association
The International Defensive Pistol Association , founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, USA that promotes defensive pistol shooting as a sport, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated "real world" self-defense scenarios...
(IDPA), as well as cowboy action shooting
Cowboy action shooting
Cowboy Action Shooting , also known as Western Action Shooting or Single Action Shooting, is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California, USA, in the early 1980s...
, ActionAirgun
ActionAirgun
ActionAirgun is a trademarked name of ActionAirgun LLC Founder of internet administered action shooting sports. This sport is equally suited for experienced shooters or groups of beginning shooters who want to learn about firearm safety and engage in shooting sports competition...
(AAG), and 'three-gun' events noted below. The latter two involve use of rifles, handguns, and shotguns within the same event.
Disciplines such as National Rifle Association's Action Pistol, also known as 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...
, also belongs to the action shooting category, but extreme accuracy fired within tight, predetermined time limits is more paramount than raw speed.
3-Gun
3-Gun shooting events (not to be confused with NRA 3-gun "Conventional Pistol" events fired with a rimfire, centerfire and .45 caliber pistol) are practical shootingPractical shooting
Practical shooting is a sport which challenges an individual's ability to shoot rapidly and accurately with a full-power handgun, rifle, or shotgun. To do this, shooters take on obstacle-laden shooting courses called stages, some requiring many shots to complete, and others just a few...
events where the stages are shot with a combination of a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
, and/or shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
. Matches generally involve courses where the shooter must move through different stages, and engage targets in a variety of different position. Each stage will generally require the use of different weapons and require the shooter to transition between different firearms. Force multipliers are generally awarded to the score based on the caliber of the ammunition the shooter uses. Although 3-gun competitions take place in most local areas, the largest annual events in the USA are the USPSA
United States Practical Shooting Association
The United States Practical Shooting Association, or USPSA, is the national governing body of one form of Practical shooting in the United States, and is the US Region of the International Practical Shooting Confederation...
3-Gun Nationals, the MGM Ironman 3 gun, the Rocky Mountain 3-Gun, the DPMS
DPMS Panther Arms
DPMS Panther Arms manufactures a wide range of military and civilian rifles in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The rifles are chambered for the .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm NATO, .308 Winchester, .260 Remington, .300 Remington SA Ultra Mag, 6.8mm Remington SPC, and .204 Ruger cartridges, among others...
Tri-Gun Challenge, and the Superstition Mountain
Superstition Mountain
Superstition Mountain is located immediately east of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. It anchors the west end of the Superstition Wilderness. Although its precise origin is debated by geologists, many believe that the mountain was formed from volcanic activity as far back as 25 million ...
Mystery 3-Gun.
Submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
(SMG) is a weapon that has a mix of rifle and handgun properties. They share the smaller cartridge of the pistol, but are fully automatic and generally have longer barrels compared to the latter.
Submachine Gun competition
Submachine gun competition
Submachine gun and belt-fed machine gun shooting competitions take place across the United States every month in many states where firearms which fall under the National Firearms Act are legal...
have been around for over 20 years and are growing in popularity every year.
Crossbow
30 metre Match-crossbow shooting is the IAU's premier discipline and championships entry lists regularly include many Olympic-class small bore and air rifle athletes. Shooting takes place on enclosed outdoor ranges which are equipped with electrically driven match-crossbow target transport systems. Existing small bore ranges can be adapted for 30 metre crossbow shooting. In the absence of permanent facilities, shooting can take place on temporary tented ranges using portable target systems.
Athletes shoot from two positions; "Standing" and "Kneeling". Crossbows are loaded using a lever and the Bolt (arrow) is shot at a black and white target card (one shot per card, the same bolt shot repeatedly).
At IAU World and Continental championships national federations can enter teams of three (3) competitors (of either gender) in two Categories; Open Class and U-21 Juniors. And by taking part at IAU Cup matches, a nation can win two (2) additional Quota-Spots thereby increasing to five (5) the number of competitors that the federation concerned can register for the next years World or Continental Match-crossbow championships.
The competition programme consists of 60 shots from 30 meters - 30 shots "Standing" plus 30 shots "Kneeling". The Team competitions (60 shots) take place on the first day of championships. On the following day, the highest scoring competitors in the team events (Open Class and U-21 Juniors) will qualify to take part in the Individual championships. The numbers of competitors to qualify will depend on the number of targets available (usually 28). After 60 shots the top eight (8) competitors in each category will go forward to the Championships Finals (Standing position, 10 shots on voice command). The winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals are the three competitors with the highest combined scores (60 shot Qualification plus 10 shot Final). If scores are tied after 10 Final shots the competitors concerned continue shot-by-shot until a winner is declared.
Competitors shoot from the Standing position - as in ISSF Air Rifle shooting. Crossbows are loaded using a lever; the Bolt (arrow) is shot at a black and white target card - one shot per card, the same bolt shot repeatedly. The size of the target is the same as the Olympic air-rifle target; 0,5mm diameter 10-ring.
The 10 meter competition programme is run in separate relays for each category; Men shoot 60 bolts, Women and U-21 Juniors each shoot 40 bolts. Team (3 shooters per team) and Individual competitions are run concurrently. The Team results are decide after 60 and 40 bolts respectively. In the Individual events the eight (8) top scoring competitors in each category qualify for Olympic-style 10-shot finals to decide the medal winners.
IAU Championships Timeline - 1958 1st European Match-crossbow Championships Gent Belgium, 1979 1st World Match-crossbow Championships Linz Austria, 1982 1st World Field-crossbow Championships Mikkeli Finland, 1989 1st European Field-crossbow Championships Wolverhampton England, 1992 1st Asian Field-crossbow Championships Tainan Taiwan ROC.
International governing bodies
- International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations (ICFRA)
- International Shooting Sport Federation
- International Practical Shooting Confederation
- International Defensive Pistol Association
- Worldwide Fullbore and High Power Ranges on Google Earth
Other
- National Rifle Association (of the UK)
- National Target Shooting Association (of Ireland)
- Hong Kong Shooting Assiciation (A member agency of Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China)
- UK Clay Pigeon Shooting Association
- Collection of targets to print and use in archery and shooting
- ShootingWiki.org
- Encyclopedia of Bullseye Shooting