Shooting sports

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The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of accuracy and speed when shooting various types of guns, including airguns. Shooting with bows and arrows is not treated in this article, but at Archery. Sometimes hunting is also considered a shooting sport, and indeed shooting of live pigeons was an Olympic event (albeit only once, in 1900). The shooting sports are categorized by the type of firearm or target used.

History

Competing in shooting accuracy has a history almost as old as weaponry itself. During the 19th century, shooters began to organize themselves nationally, and one of these was French pistol champion Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics. This fact certainly contributed to the inclusion of ten shooting events in the 1896 Olympics. Soon World Championships were being organized as well.

During the years, the sports have been changed a number of times and new ones have been added. For instance, from the beginning many of the targets had human-like (or in the case of running target, animal-like) shapes; most have now assumed a circular form to reduce the connotations with the use of guns in wars. One fact that has not changed, however, is that it is only at the Olympic Games that the sports gain attention from the media and public. As a participant sport, however, it is one of the largest in the world.

Recently, a number of threats to the shooting sports have become apparent. In many countries, the majority of voters disapprove of wide possession of handguns, because of the perceived risk of handgun violence and the view that the firearms serve no useful purpose in civilian hands. By extension, handgun shooting sports may be disapproved of by local governments or legislatures. School teams, particularly, are viewed as encouraging the use of handguns and firearms more generally, and if not already disbanded have come under pressure to end. Some governments that enact restrictive gun control legislation include shooting sports specifically in the restrictions, notably the British. Even when sanctioned, shooting sports may not be televised or publicized. For example, television networks rarely televise shooting events held during the Olympics, in part because they are difficult to televise in an interesting way, and partly because of the widely perceived association between guns and violent crime.

Meanwhile, the rise in the number of concealed carry 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 shooting sports

• The four Rifle ISSF shooting events (including two 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.
• Biathlon is an Olympic sport combining shooting and cross-country skiing.
• The CISM Rapid Fire match is a speeded version of the ISSF 300 m Standard Rifle event.
• Muzzle loading and Cowboy Action Shooting are concerned with shooting antique (or replica) guns.
• Benchrest shooting is concerned with shooting small groups, i.e. firing a series of bullets to the exact same spot on a target.

• There are a vast number of nationally recognized sports, including:
• * Three position airgun competitions, popular in the United States.
• * Field shooting, often at very long distances, popular in Scandinavia.
• * Running target shooting at 80 m, on a target depicting an elk, popular in Sweden as a hunting exercise.
• * Summer biathlon, with skiing replaced by running, popular in Germany.
• 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 serivce rifles are commonly used in the Military Service Rilfe shooting competitions. It is popular in the United States and culminates each year with the Nationals being held at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Highpower Rifle competition often is held at the same events as Service Rifle, such as the U.S. national championships each year at Camp Perry. Highpower 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.

• 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, and continues in various nations today.

Handgun shooting sports

• The six Pistol ISSF shooting events (including four Olympic events) consist of both precision and rapid-fire target shooting from distances of 10, 25, and 50 metres.
• Modern pentathlon includes timed shooting with an air pistol as the first of its five parts.
• The CISM Rapid Fire match is similar to the ISSF 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol event.
• Practical shooting, developed by civilian marksmen and later used as a basis for military and police exercises, is a variation where the shooter often moves during shooting, and hit scores and shooting time are equally important.
• PPC 1500, also developed into police exercises, is standard precision shooting, as opposed to practical shooting, but somewhat imitating real-life conditions.
• Muzzle loading and Cowboy Action Shooting, as above, also use revolvers.
• Metallic silhouette shooting, developed to loosely simulate hunting, is shooting at heavy animal-shaped steel silhouettes that must be knocked down to score, typically at long range using very powerful pistols.
• Here also there are a vast number of nationally recognized sports, including:
• * The National Rifle Association (NRA) Conventional Pistol, shot with up to three different handguns, popular in the United States and Canada and also some other countries. This is sometimes termed Bullseye (shooting competition).
• * Field shooting, a type of variable rapid-fire competition, popular in Scandinavia.
• Other, less formally organized shooting sports include:
• * Knocking bowling pins off a table top,
• * Steel "reactive" targets,
• * and general "plinking" at miscellaneous objects.

Shotgun shooting sports

• 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 Line.
• Cowboy Action Shooting also may involve shotguns.

Action shooting sports

Action Shooting is a generic term applicable to non-traditional shooting sports, generally characterized by rapid movement within each shooting stage. Examples include practical pistol (IPSC/USPSA and IDPA), cowboy action shooting, and three-gun events noted below. The latter two involve use of rifles, handguns, and shotguns within the same event.

However, fast, accurate shooting (mainly with handguns) requiring little or no movement also belongs to the Action category owing to the rapidity of firing. Events such as the Bianchi Cup are examples.

3-gun shooting sports

3-gun shooting events are quickly becoming more popular among local shooting clubs. They involve competitions where the stages are shot with a combination of a rifle, handgun, and/or shotgun. Although 3-gun competitions take place in most local areas, the largest national annual events are the USPSA Nationals [link] and the MGM Ironman [link].

Submachine gun shooting sports

Submachine Gun competition have been around for over 20 years and are growing.

See also

• Shooting ranges

External links

International governing bodies

• [International Shooting Sport Federation]
• [Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee]
• [The International Benchrest Shooters Association]
• [International Practical Shooting Confederation]
• [International Defensive Pistol Association]
• [World Association PPC 1500]
• [International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association]

Other

• [National Shooting Sports Foundation]
• [UK Small Bore Rifle Shooting (0.22" Rim Fire and Air Guns)]
• [UK Clay Pigeon Shooting Association]
• [National Rifle Association UK]
• [Airsoft Sports Equipment Reviews]
• [Collection of targets to print and use in archery and shooting]
• [United Kingdom Association for Hunter Field Target]

 

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