Shooting is a great sport open to men, women, boys and girls alike. Shooting is a skill sport, a skill that can be learned by almost anyone. Shooting tests how well the shooter is able to control his/her body and a gun to hit a target. In contrast to other sports, shooting does not require extraordinary speed, strength, endurance, or a specific body shape, in order to be successful. In shooting, no one sits on the sidelines and watches; everyone participates.
Shooting sports are full of rewards There is a special thrill in being able to consistently hit a target. Its fun to see scores improve as shooting skills are learned and improved. The skills learned in shooting will help in other aspects of life as well. Learning to be a safe shooter teaches responsibility. Learning to consistently hit a difficult target teaches self-control. Learning to aim, and hold a gun steady, teaches concentration. Shooting is a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Our program is designed to introduce junior shooters to competitive shooting. We shoot multiple disciplines which include air rifle, smallbore rifle, and pistol. Most of these events are collegiate and/or Olympic events, so shooters can compete on a long term basis with these goals in mind. Many of our shooters have hopes of receiving collegiate scholarships for shooting. In many events, both men and women compete on an equal basis within the same event.
Sporter Air Rifle is an excellent event for shooters getting started in the sport. This is a 3 position event (prone, standing, and kneeling) conducted using "entry level" equipment, which keeps the costs to a minimum. Each shooter in the match is typically using the same equipment, so there is no advantage gained by the individuals using more advanced equipment. Shooters may not use specially designed shooting clothing, boots, or high dollar rifles. Shooters are limited to sweatshirts, and "street" clothes. Shooters may use a shooting glove, and a rifle sling. Visit the various web sights for more information on the matches and the rules.
These matches are fired at 10 meters using .177 caliber air
rifles. The match is divided into stages, usually by position, with each
position being a stage, starting with prone (laying down), followed by standing
(also called off-hand), and finally kneeling. The targets usually contain
2 sighter bulls and 10 bulls used for record. One shot is fired at each
record bull. A stage may consist of one or two targets in each position.
A 3 X 20 match would have 3 stages with a maximum of 200 points in each position. Total possible points for a match is 600 points. Men and women compete equally in this event.
There are many governing bodies that sanction these events, such as NRA, CMP, American Legion, 4H, and many others.
Three Position Precision air rifle is similar to sporter air rifle, except that shooters may use specialized shooting coats, pants, boots, and other accessories. This is a step up from sporter air rifle where very adjustable and specialized air rifles are also used.
The same targets are used for this event as are used for sporter air rifle, except that scores are generally higher in this event because of the equipment used.
Matches in this discipline are conducted under the rules of several governing bodies. Visit the various web sights for more information on the matches and the rules.
International Air Rifle is an event that is fired entirely in
the standing position. This event is held in the Olympic games, and at
many colleges around the country. The rules governing this competition are
generally more stringent than the other air rifle events which are not
classified as International events.
This event has different matches for men and women. The men's match is a 60 shot match, with 600 points maximum possible. The woman's match is a 40 shot match, with 400 points maximum possible.
The match is fired at 10 meters, and the same targets are used for this event as are used in the other Air Rifle Events.
Matches in this discipline are conducted under the rules of several governing bodies, primarily USA Shooting and NRA. Visit the various web sights for more information on the matches and the rules.
Smallbore Prone matches are fired entirely, with the shooter prone (laying on the ground, or on a shooting mat) using smallbore rifles. Smallbore rifles are rifles that fire 22 caliber rim-fires ammunition. Prone matches are generally easy for new shooters to get started in because of the stability of the position. They are by no means easy. The matches are fired at distances of 50 yards, 50 meters, and/or 100 yards.
Prone matches are generally conducted under the rules of the NRA with conventional and metric matches. Visit the various web sights for more information on the matches and the rules.
Three position matches are fired in three shooting positions
which include prone, standing , and kneeling. Three position smallbore
matches are an Olympic event and also conducted at many colleges across the country.
Matches are generally fired at 50 meters, or at 50 yards on a reduced target. Matches are also fired at 50 feet, which are called gallery matches, which are usually fired indoors.
3 position smallbore matches are primarily conducted under the rules of NRA or USA Shooting. Matches fired under NRA rules have men and women competing head to head, while USA Shooting has different events. USAS course for men is 3 X 40 for a 1200 point match, and women fire a 3 X 20 for a 600 point match. Visit the various web sights for more information on the matches and the rules.
Sporter Pistol matches are fired in two phases. The first phase is a precision stage and the second phase is a rapid fire stage. The rapid fire stage is also referred to as a dueling stage. Shooters shoot this match standing, using one hand. Sporter pistols use metallic sights. Sporter pistol is an Olympic event for women, and is also a womans collegiate sport at many colleges. The men's event is free pistol. Sporter pistol is often shot by junior men and women.
Matches are fired at 25 yards. In the precision stage, the shooter has 5 minutes to fire 5 shots. During the rapid fire phase, the shooter will face a target that will turn on edge, and turn to face the shooter. The target will be on edge for seven seconds, then turn and face the shooter for three seconds. The shooter will fire one shot in the three seconds that the target is facing the shooter. The target will then edge. The shooter will then lower the pistol to a 45 degree angle to wait for the target to face again. The process will repeat until the shooter has fired five rounds.
Sporter Pistol matches are conducted under the rules of USA Shooting. Visit the various web sights for more information on the matches and the rules.
Air Pistol matches are fired at 10 meters using .177 caliber air pistols. The 10 Meter Air Pistol Target will be used; five shots will be fired on each target. Multiple bull targets may also be used, in which case single bull targets will be used as sighting targets. The course of fire will be 40 shots at 10 meters. Time allowance will be 37½ minutes for each 20 shot stage.