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Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information


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Firearms used in target shooting?

  • 17-01-2014 12:32am
    #1
    Cyridius
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭


    I'm a total noobie to the whole shooting scene and I've just a few beginner's questions to ask...

    1. Are the weapons used in Target Shooting competitions standardized?

    2. I'm aware of air rifle and smallbore shooting tournaments, are there any other categories?

    Thanks in advance


Comments

  • #2
    Witcher
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,669 ✭✭✭✭Witcher


    They're not weapons, they're firearms. Minor note but if you said that to a dealer or at a range, it would grate.

    What do you mean by standardized? There will be different criteria for each discipline..weight limits for benchrest etc.

    There are air, smallbore and centrefire disciplines in both rifle and pistol. Centrefire pistol is not available to new shooters anymore though.


  • #3
    Cyridius
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭Cyridius


    Blay wrote: »
    They're not weapons, they're firearms. Minor note but if you said that to a dealer or at a range, it would grate.

    What do you mean by standardized? There will be different criteria for each discipline..weight limits for benchrest etc.

    There are air, smallbore and centrefire disciplines in both rifle and pistol. Centrefire pistol is not available to new shooters anymore though.

    That's strange, I'm usually fair careful to refer to them as firearms. Anyhow...

    By standardized I mean are the firearms used all the same? And if not what are the criteria, let's say smallbore for example, for what gets used and what doesn't?


  • #4
    Witcher
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,669 ✭✭✭✭Witcher


    It all depends on what discipline you're shooting.

    Lads shooting gallery rifle usually use a 10/22, benchrest shooters will use different rifles depending on their weight category, ISSF shooters will use others again.


  • #5
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,076 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    Cyridius wrote: »
    By standardized I mean are the firearms used all the same?

    I don't know of any competition where there's a really rigid standard (like single-class boat/motor racing) but every type of competition has its own set of rules governing the features/characteristics of the guns being used.
    Cyridius wrote: »
    And if not what are the criteria, let's say smallbore for example, for what gets used and what doesn't?

    There are several smallbore rifle disciplines, some of which are further broken down into classes where the rules for the guns are different. Here are some examples that are shot in Ireland:

    Discipline "Family"|Class/Event|Position|Rifle type|Max rifle weight|Sights
    Benchrest|International Sporter|Seated at a bench, rifle on a rest|Bolt action repeater|8.5lb|Scope, max 6.5X
    Benchrest|Light Varmint|Seated at a bench, rifle on a rest|Bolt action|10.5lb|Scope
    Benchrest|Heavy Varmint|Seated at a bench, rifle on a rest|Bolt action|15lb|Scope
    Gallery|GRSB|Standing, rifle unsupported|Semi-auto|None|Scope/iron sights
    ISSF|Prone|Prone, rifle in a sling|Bolt action, single shot|8kg (men), 6.5kg (women)|Iron sights only
    ISSF|Three positions|Kneeling (w/sling), Prone (w/sling) & Standing|Bolt action, single shot|8kg (men), 6.5kg (women)|Iron sights only
    Silhouette||Standing, rifle unsupported|Bolt action repeater|4.6kg|Scope


    In all the cases above the rules are a bit more subtle and/or detailed, but those are roughly what's used. Apologies to anyone who knows better than I do, I only shoot ISSF stuff at the moment so I'm mostly working from memory & Google on the non-ISSF stuff.

    Some of those different disciplines will use similar rifles. For example, it's not unusual to see an ISSF prone shooter using the same Anschütz Match 54 as a heavy varmint benchrest shooter. They'll have different stocks, fittings and sights but the core of the rifle will be the same.


  • #6
    German pointer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,719 ✭✭✭German pointer


    Are any of these shot with a hmr or are they .22lr


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  • #7
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,076 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    German pointer wrote: »
    Are any of these shot with a hmr or are they .22lr

    As far as I know, all of them are .22 only.

    For some of them you might be allowed compete at a local/club shoot with a HMR but that would be at the discretion of the people running the shoot.


  • #8
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,076 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    Also, for the benefit of the OP, here are some links to photos of the different types of rifle shooting I mentioned above. Just so you get an idea of what the rifles look like and the positions involved:

    Benchrest (several classes visible)
    Gallery Rifle
    ISSF prone
    ISSF 3P (standing)

    I couldn't find any Irish photos of silhouette shooting, but it looks roughly like this:


  • #9
    Sandy22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 247 ✭✭Sandy22


    IRLConor wrote: »

    I couldn't find any Irish photos of silhouette shooting, but it looks roughly like this:

    Looks more like this http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=266724 Post #3

    i.e the same, but with rain instead of sunshine.


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