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Shooting Sports

Shooting as a sport demonstrates the accuracy, control, and speed of the shooter in aiming at targets using guns like pistols and rifles. Shooting sports started more than 500 years ago in European countries. It became popular in the US during the 1950s when a national association for this sport was created. Now, this sport is well known and enjoyed worldwide.

shooting event Olympic shooters

There are different categories depending on the guns used and the format of the competitions. There are three major guns that are widely used in competition: rifles, pistols, and shotguns.

Rifles are shoulder firearms with long barrels and rifled bores. They are commonly long and require two-hand hold. Popular shooting games using this type of gun are four position small bore, gallery riffle shooting, benchrest shooting, high power rifle (aka Across the Course), biathlon (combination of shooting and cross-country skiing), fullbore target shooting (shooting ranges are at 300- 1200 meters), field target (more popular in UK) and many more.

Pistols (or handguns) are smaller guns, used in shorter ranges and have lesser accuracy compared to rifles. Intended for one hand use only. Popular shooting games include modern pentathlon wherein it involves timed shooting with an air pistol. Then the silhouette shooting. The goal is to hit all metallic targets placed at different distances. It is scored on how many targets are hit.

Shotguns are firearms that are doubled barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon. They are very similar to rifles. More often, they are for pump-action or single-shot-and-reload actions. Cowboy shooting and practical shooting generally uses shotgun. They are more popular in countries where handguns are banned.

Action shooting involves measuring the speed of how long a shooter can take to hot one or more targets. Targets can either be moving or stationary. Scoring can be based on accuracy of the hot or falling targets.



Rifle Shooting Sports

Shotgun Shooting Sports

Pistol Shooting Sports

General and other Shooting Sports

Sports Involving Shooting



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Sport Extra

Check out the 800+ sports in the Encyclopedia of Every Sport. Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. How to get on these lists? See What is a sport? We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year.

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