Introduction
The shooting sport is a broad category of competitive activities involving firearms. There are many types and styles worldwide, but they all share the same goal: to hit targets accurately with projectile weapons in competitions or training that lasts from one minute to hours.
The object may be as simple as hitting paper plates sitting atop an opponent’s head (air rifle target) or as complex as military combat, where engagements can last for days with periods of intense activity followed by long lulls between shots.
The activities may be divided into three styles, depending on the weapon used and its size. Modern disciplines involve semi-automatic firearms that fire a single round per trigger pull; military combat involves automatic weapons firing many rounds per minute as they are fired in full auto mode (machine guns); traditional target shooting is done with single-shot pistols or bolts action rifles, which each must be individually aimed at their intended target for the entire duration of an event.
The history of Shooting Sports at the Olympic Games
Shooting sports have been present in the Olympic program since its beginning. The modern definition of “shooting sport” first appeared at the 1908 Summer Olympics, when pistol, rifle, and shotgun competitions were included for men only. These events would not be considered as a separate category until 1952.
[1]Shooting has been held in all but twenty-four editions of the Summer Games since then (in 1920, it was replaced with running deer hunting).
[2] As a result, there are currently over 200 different disciplines that make up this large family of sporting activities;
[3] and this includes variations like skeet and trap, target archery, and air rifle. The Olympic Games of 1896 were the first to include a shooting event;
[4] later events have been discontinued (such as small-bore pistol in 1912) or added over time (e.g., double trap in 1904). Initially, shooting sports events were held in outdoor (Gun range of that time) settings aiming at game animals. This method did not last long when small-caliber firearms were discovered to be a more effective way to hunt down prey; therefore, target archery and rifle marksmanship competitions were added for this purpose. Soon after these disciplines made their debut at the Olympics in 1900, they would become permanent fixtures on the Olympic program.
Shooting Sports Uniform
The shooting sports uniform is a standardized set of clothing and equipment.
A typical shooting sports uniform consists of a headcover, ear protectors, eye protection, shoes, and socks. Shooting sports uniforms must conform to the following policies:
– Socks must be worn at all times;
– Shoes must have non-slip soles;
– Headcovers are required for women and children;
– Ear protection may be worn at the discretion of the shooter.
Shooting Sports Declarations and Regulations
There are several declarations and regulations for the Olympic shooting events. The first of these, which was adopted in 1911, specified that “every participant must wear a shooting garment of the approved pattern.”
At present, there is no standard uniform to be worn by all shooters at the Olympics; however, it has been common practice since 1956 to require that each competitor’s shotgun or rifle have one barrel longer than those used by other competitors.
After this rule was put into place, female athletes were allowed in single-sex competitions and teams together with women who do not shoot, as long as they do not compete in the same discipline.
On 22 July 1989 International Olympic Committee resolved that women were allowed to shoot with men at all shooting events except 50-meter rifle prone and 500 m running target competition where only men may participate because of unequal ranges.
Types of Shooting Sports Guns
Types of Shooting Sports Guns can be broadly classified into two categories: one-handed firearms, such as handguns and shotguns, and two-handed firearms, such as rifles. Most sports guns fall into the category of one-handers, such as handguns or shotguns.
The following are the types of shooting sports guns:
– Rifles: Guns that use a metallic cartridge to propel the bullet. Rifles are used in shooting sports such as target, match, and hunting rifle competitions.
– Handguns: Guns that do not use ammunition with explosive power; they fire projectiles made of lead or steel, which is propelled by the energy of a small explosion created by firing one or more shots from either gunpowder only (black powder), compressed air alone, built-in spring mechanisms attached to their barrels (pneumatic) or both gases and pressure (compressed gas). Handgun training can be done at public ranges, private targets facilities/ clubs, and professional training centers.
– Shotguns: Guns that fire a projectile made of the metal ball propelled by a single blast of smokeless powder. Shotguns are used for both hunting and sporting purposes.
– Air rifles: Guns that small fire pellets with compressed air or carbon dioxide, which could be either fully automatic or semi-auto depending on the type of rifle used to shoot it. In some countries, these guns are also called BB guns. Air rifles are used for training shooters who want to compete at air rifle events and can be purchased by the public.
– Crossbows: Guns that have a bow-mounted on them and are used for hunting games. Crossbows are not considered firearms in the U.S., but they may be classified as such in other countries, depending on their classification by regional governments or the International Crossbow Federation (ICBF).
– Air pistol: The air pistol is a type of pistol with which the shooter uses compressed air to generate shots. The pistol has a small reservoir that holds enough pressure for several rounds and thus can fire up to about 30 or 50 times before needing refilling. There are two types of air pistols: single-shot rifles, where each trigger pull fires one bullet, and double-action revolvers (DA-RP), where pulling the trigger activates both barrels in rapid succession.
Conclusion
Shooting sports are growing in popularity, especially with the increasing number of shooting ranges and shooting clubs. It is a sport that requires physical fitness, discipline, and accuracy. One who wants to learn about this sport can find many resources online, but the following blog post gives you a basic understanding of what it entails.
