Editing Shooting sports

{{short description|Sports involving firearms used to hit targets}}
{{about|shooting as a competitive sport|the hunting of game birds with guns|Hunting and shooting in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox sport
| name       = Shooting sports
| image      = Skeet masculin aux Jeux olympiques de 2024 - Éric Delaunay (2).jpg
| alt        = 
| imagesize  = 
| caption    = French sports shooter [[Éric Delaunay]] at the [[Shooting at the 2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Summer Olympics]]
| union      = Several organizations, [[List of shooting sports organizations|see list]]
| nickname   = Shooting
| first      = Switzerland in the second half of the [[15th century]]{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}
| firstlabel = 
| region     = 
| registered = 
| contact    = No
| team       = Yes or no, depending on competition
| mgender    = Yes or no, depending on discipline
| type       = Indoor or outdoor
| equipment  = 
| venue      = [[Shooting range]]
| olympic    = [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896]]-[[1900 Summer Olympics|1900]], [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908]]–[[1924 Summer Olympics|1924]], since [[1932 Summer Olympics|1932]]   
| paralympic = since [[1976 Summer Paralympics|1976]]
}}
'''Shooting sports''' is a group of [[competitive sport|competitive]] and [[recreation]]al [[sport]]ing activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in [[shooting]] — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly [[small arms]] ([[firearm]]s and [[airgun]]s, in forms such as [[handgun]]s,<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nssf.org/shooting/handgun/| title = Handgun Sports • NSSF {{!}} National Shooting Sports Foundation| access-date = November 3, 2017| archive-date = April 4, 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190404151927/https://www.nssf.org/shooting/handgun/| url-status = live}}</ref> [[rifle]]s<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nssf.org/shooting/rifle/| title = Rifle Sports • NSSF {{!}} National Shooting Sports Foundation| access-date = November 3, 2017| archive-date = April 4, 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190404114535/https://www.nssf.org/shooting/rifle/| url-status = live}}</ref> and [[shotgun]]s<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nssf.org/shooting/shotgun/| title = Shotgun Sports • NSSF {{!}} National Shooting Sports Foundation| access-date = November 3, 2017| archive-date = October 14, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181014091325/https://www.nssf.org/shooting/shotgun/| url-status = live}}</ref>) and [[bow and arrow|bows]]/[[crossbow]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.archery360.com/archery-101/| title = Archery 101 by Archery 360| date = February 22, 2023| access-date = November 3, 2017| archive-date = November 3, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171103183755/http://www.archery360.com/archery-101/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://worldarchery.org/Archery| title = Archery {{!}} World Archery| date = August 16, 2023| access-date = November 3, 2017| archive-date = September 2, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170902134546/https://worldarchery.org/Archery| url-status = live}}</ref>

Shooting sports can be categorized by equipment, shooting distances, [[shooting target|targets]], [[time limit]]s and degrees of [[sport of athletics|athleticism]] involved. Shooting sports may involve both team and individual competition, and team performance is usually assessed by summing the scores of the individual team members. Due to the noise<ref>{{Cite journal |pmid = 12851012|year = 2003|last1 = Kardous|first1 = C. A.|title = Noise exposure assessment and abatement strategies at an indoor firing range|journal = Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene|volume = 18|issue = 8|pages = 629–36|last2 = Willson|first2 = R. D.|last3 = Hayden|first3 = C. S.|last4 = Szlapa|first4 = P.|last5 = Murphy|first5 = W. J.|last6 = Reeves|first6 = E. R.|doi = 10.1080/10473220301409}}</ref> of shooting and the high (and often lethal) [[impact (mechanics)|impact]] energy of the [[projectile]]s, shooting sports are typically conducted at either designated permanent [[shooting range]]s<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150619/opinion/noise-levels-at-shooting-range.573145| title = Noise levels at shooting range - timesofmalta.com| date = June 19, 2015| access-date = November 3, 2017| archive-date = July 28, 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240728041927/https://www.timesofmalta.com/article/noise-levels-at-shooting-range.573145| url-status = live}}</ref> or temporary shooting fields in the area away from settlements.

== History ==
===Great Britain===
The [[National Rifle Association (United Kingdom)|National Rifle Association]] (NRA) was founded in 1859 to raise the funds for an annual national rifle meeting "for the encouragement of Volunteer Rifle Corps and the promotion of Rifle-shooting throughout Great Britain".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.researchpress.co.uk/wimbledon/wimbledon.htm |title=Wimbledon & the Volunteers |year=2005 |last=Minshall |first=David |website=ResearchPress.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423040445/http://www.researchpress.co.uk/wimbledon/wimbledon.htm |archive-date=April 23, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===United States===
Target shooting was a favorite sport in [[colonial America]], with the New England Puritans regularly testing their shooting skills for recreation and at militia training days. The Scotch Irish settlers on the frontier favored shooting matches sponsored by Tavern keepers. [[Turkey shoot#Sport usage|Turkey shoot]]s were popular after harvest time. Contestants would pay an entry fee, and everyone who killed a tethered turkey at 110 yards for muskets or 165 yards for rifles could keep the bird. German gunsmiths in Pennsylvania began to manufacture Flintlock rifles in the 1720s, which became especially popular among hunters because of its long-range accuracy. It could be accurate to 200 yards. Along about 1820, percussion caps, and the locks that ignited them, became available, and nearly all new firearms began to be constructed using this ignition system. Many flintlock firearms were also subsequently converted to the percussion system, which was a relatively simple procedure that could be accomplished by local gunsmiths. Although percussion ignition did not add to the accuracy of the firearm, the time between when the firearm firing mechanism (or "lock") started the sequence that lead to the ignition of the propellant in the barrel, was shortened drastically. This made getting smaller shot groups on the target more attainable as the possibility of the firearm moving off the aiming point after the shooter pressed the trigger was lessened. This shortened ignition time, which is referred to as "lock time" was (and still is) a very important factor in target shooting.   The closed design of the percussion system materially improved reliability of the firearm, especially in rainy or damp conditions.{{Relevance inline|reason=Discussion (without citations) of flintlock development in the US and improved reliability/accuracy of firearms doesn't seem directly relevant to broader topic development of target shooting. Section needs a rewrite to focus on the competitive aspects separate to the equipment/firearm aspects|date=March 2023}} The faster "lock time" also made hitting fast-moving aerial targets with a cloud of tiny lead pellets ("shot") fired from a smooth-bore firearm a real possibility. Practicing for game hunting by shooting at artificial aerial targets launched from spring-powered launching devices ("traps") became highly popular and led to the development of the modern Trap, Skeet, and Sporting Clays shooting sports.

In 1831 a sportsman club in Cincinnati Ohio held a competitive shoot at pigeons and quail released from ground traps. German ethnic communities set up athletic clubs and shooting clubs, especially in the Midwestern states In the 1850–1917. period<ref>Richard L. Hummel, and Gary S. Foster, "Germanic/American shooting societies: continuity and change of schuetzenvereins." ''International Journal of the History of Sport'' 15.2 (1998): 186-193.</ref> Breach loading shotguns introduced in the 1860s, and the knowledge of rifles by Civil War soldiers, made trap shooting popular. However, there was human humanitarian opposition to killing live birds—and the passenger pigeon was dying out—so glass or clay targets were used instead.<ref>"Pottery Pigeons" ''Timeline'' (March/April 1994) 11#2 pp. 22-27 identifies  George Ligowsky of Cincinnati as an inventor of clay pigeons.</ref><ref>Steven A. Riess, ed.  ''Sports in America from Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century: An Encyclopedia'' (Sharpe, 2011), 3:828.</ref>

Concerned over poor marksmanship during the American Civil War, veteran Union officers Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the [[National Rifle Association of America]] in 1871 for the purpose of promoting and encouraging rifle shooting on a "scientific" basis.<ref>Russell Gilmore, "'The New Courage': Rifles And Soldier Individualism, 1876-1918." ''Journal of Military History'' 40.3 (1976): 97+</ref> In 1872, with financial help from New York state, a site on Long Island, the Creed Farm, was purchased for the purpose of building a rifle range. Named [[Creedmoor Rifle Range|Creedmoor]], the range opened in 1872, and became the site of the first National Matches until New York politics forced the NRAoA to move the matches to [[Sea Girt, New Jersey]]. The popularity of the National Matches soon forced the event to be moved to its present, much larger location: [[Camp Perry]]. In 1903, the U.S. Congress created the [[National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice]] (NBPRP), an advisory board to the Secretary of the Army, with a nearly identical charter to the NRAoA. The NBPRP (now known as the [[Civilian Marksmanship Program]]) also participates in the National Matches at Camp Perry.<ref name="olympic.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/shooting-equipment-and-history|title=Shooting Equipment and history - Olympic Sport History|website=www.olympic.org|access-date=August 12, 2016|date=May 15, 2018|archive-date=August 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818081014/https://www.olympic.org/shooting-equipment-and-history|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Marlin, Marlin, Jeffrey A. "The National Guard, the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, and the National Rifle Association: Public Institutions and the Rise of a Lobby for Private Gun Ownership." (Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2013). [https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_diss/33 online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101110952/https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_diss/33/ |date=November 1, 2019 }}</ref><ref>James B. Trefethen, ''Americans and their guns: The National Rifle Association story through nearly a century '' (1967)</ref>

[[Image:Washington DC Girls' Rifle Team.jpg|right|thumb|Girls' rifle team at Central High, Washington, DC, November 1922]]

In 1903, the NRA of America began to establish rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities, and military academies. By 1906, youth programs were in full swing with more than 200 boys competing in the [[National Matches]]. Today, more than one million youth participate in shooting sports events and affiliated programs through groups such as [[4-H]], the [[Boy Scouts of America]], the [[American Legion]], U.S. [[Jaycees]], [[NCAA]], The [[USA High School Clay Target League]], the Scholastic Clay Target Program, [[National Guard Bureau]], [[ROTC]], and [[JROTC]].

===Olympics===
French pistol champion and founder of the modern Olympics, [[Pierre de Coubertin]], participated in many of these early competitions. This fact certainly contributed to the inclusion of five shooting events in the [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896 Olympics]]. Over the years, the events have been changed a number of times in order to keep up with technology and social standards. The targets that formerly resembled humans or animals in their shape and size have are now a circular shape in order to avoid associating the sport with any form of violence. At the same time, some events have been dropped and new ones have been added. The 2004 Olympics featured three shooting disciplines (rifle, pistol, and shotgun) where athletes competed for 51 medals in 10 men's and 7 women's events—slightly fewer than the previous Olympic schedule.<ref name="Australia">{{cite web|url=http://ssaa.org.au/|title={{!}} Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia (SSAA)|last=Australia|first=Sporting Shooter's Association of|website=ssaa.org.au|access-date=August 12, 2016|archive-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808023152/http://ssaa.org.au/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the Olympic Games, the shooting sport has always enjoyed the distinction of awarding the first medals of the Games. Internationally, the [[International Shooting Sport Federation]] (ISSF) has oversight of all Olympic shooting events worldwide, while National Governing Bodies (NGBs) administer the sport within each country.

==Competition disciplines==
[[Shooting at the Summer Olympics]] includes fifteen medal events, covering seven disciplines. Medal events are evenly distributed between rifle, pistol and shotgun with five events each. Three Mixed Pairs events were introduced to ensure gender equity between men's and women's events. They replaced 50m Prone Rifle, 50m Free Pistol and Double Trap which were all men-only events.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/double-trap-rifle-prone-and-50m-pistol-dropped-from-olympics/articleshow/57326019.cms|title=Double trap, rifle prone and 50m pistol dropped from Olympics|newspaper=The Times of India|date=February 24, 2017|publisher=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|access-date=June 1, 2020|archive-date=April 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412050810/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/double-trap-rifle-prone-and-50m-pistol-dropped-from-olympics/articleshow/57326019.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Rifle
*50 meter rifle three positions (individual - men and women)
*10 meter air rifle (individual - men and women)
*10 meter air rifle (mixed pairs)
;Pistol
*25 meter rapid fire pistol (individual - men)
*25 meter sport pistol (individual - women)
*10 meter air pistol (individual - men and women)
*10 meter air pistol (mixed pairs)
;Shotgun
*Trap (men and women)
*Skeet (individual - men and women)
*Skeet (mixed pairs)

== Gun shooting sports ==
[[File:Bullet coming from S&W.jpg|thumb|right|[[High-speed photography]] of the smoke of burnt [[smokeless powder|gunpowder]] and a [[.38 Special]] bullet fired out of a [[Smith & Wesson Model 686]] revolver]]
Gun shooting sports are shot with either [[firearm]]s or [[air gun]]s, which can be [[handgun]]s, [[rifle]]s or [[shotgun]]s.

Handguns are handheld [[small arms]] designed to be shot off-hand without needing a [[shoulder stock]]. The two main subtypes of handguns are [[pistol]]s and [[revolver]]s. They are much more convenient to carry in general, but usually have a shorter effective range and less [[accuracy]] compared to [[long gun]]s such as rifles. In shooting sports, revolvers and [[semi-automatic pistol]]s are the most commonly used.

A [[rifle]] is a [[long gun]] with a [[rifling|rifled]] [[gun barrel|barrel]], and requires the use of both hands to hold and brace against the shoulder via a [[stock (firearms)|stock]] in order to shoot steadily. They generally have a longer range and greater accuracy than handguns, and are popular for hunting. In shooting sports, [[bolt action rifle|bolt-action]] or [[semi-automatic rifle]]s are the most commonly used.

A [[shotgun]] is similar to a rifle but often [[smoothbore]] and larger in [[caliber]], and typically fires either a [[shotgun shell|shell]] containing many smaller scattering sub-projectiles called [[shot (pellet)|shots]], or a single large projectile called a [[slug (projectile)|slug]]. In shooting sports, shotguns are more often [[Over-under shotgun|over/under]]-type [[break action]] or [[semi-automatic shotgun]]s, and the majority of shotgun events are included in [[clay pigeon shooting]].

=== Bullseye shooting ===
[[File:Target 223 Savage 10FP 25 shot.jpg|thumb|right|A round [[shooting target]] with several hits in the center, which is called "bullseye"]]
''[[Bullseye shooting]]'' is a category of pistol and rifle shooting disciplines where the objective is to achieve as many points as possible by hitting a round shooting target as close to the middle as possible with slow precision fire. These disciplines place a large emphasis on precision and accuracy through sight picture, breath and trigger control.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} Fixed and relatively long time limits give the competitors time to concentrate for a perfect shot. An example of bullseye shooting is the [[International Shooting Sport Federation|ISSF]] pistol and rifle disciplines, but there are also many other national and international disciplines which can be classified as bullseye shooting. The shooting distances are typically given in round numbers, such as 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 or 300 meters depending on firearm type and discipline. Competitions are usually shot from permanent [[shooting range]]s and with the same target arrangement and distance from match to match. Usually the competitors each have their own [[shooting target]] and shoot beside each other simultaneously. Because of the relatively simple match format, beginners are often recommended bullseye shooting in order to learn the fundamentals of marksmanship.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} Bullseye shooting is part of the [[Summer Olympic Games]], and a considerable amount of training is needed to become proficient.

==== Bullseye shooting with handguns ====
* There are six [[ISSF shooting events]] with pistols. These include three Olympic events, plus three events not included in the Olympic program but contested at World Championships. Their roots date back to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, consisting of both precision slow-fire and rapid-fire target shooting from distances of 10, 25, and 50 meters. The specialised pistols offer anatomic grips, with competitors shooting one-handed. In the UK (except for Northern Ireland), it is no longer possible to practice for some of the Olympic events following the [[Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997]], legislation brought in after the [[Dunblane Massacre]].
* The [[International Military Sports Council|CISM]] Rapid Fire match is similar to the [[ISSF 25 meter rapid fire pistol]] event.
* [[NRA Precision Pistol]] is a bullseye shooting event where up to 3 handguns of differing calibers are used. Its history is almost as old as ISSF events. Shooters must fire the pistol one-handed at 6- and 8-inch bullseye targets placed 25 and 50 yards downrange respectively.
* [[Precision Pistol Competition]] (PPC), was originally a police shooting program started in 1960 by the [[National Rifle Association of America]].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |year=2015 |title=NRA Law Enforcement Division: Police Pistol Combat Competition |url=http://ppc.nra.org/ppc.aspx |website=ppc.nra.org |publisher=National Rifle Association of America |access-date=April 17, 2015 |archive-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728041925/https://lecompetitions.nra.org/police-pistol-combat/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery>
KOCIS London Korea Jinjongoh Shooting 13 (7683323904).jpg|The Men's [[ISSF 10 meter air pistol]] final in the [[2012 Summer Olympics]]
Kokorev Munich07 50m event.jpg|[[Boris Kokorev]] from Russia during the [[ISSF 50 meter pistol]] 2007 World Cup in Munich
Celine Goberville during Air Pistol match at London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.jpg|Women's 10 meter air pistol at the 2012 Summer Olympics
</gallery>

==== Bullseye shooting with rifles ====
* The six rifle [[ISSF shooting events]] (including two Olympic events: [[ISSF 10 meter air rifle|10 meter air rifle]] and [[ISSF 50 meter rifle three positions|50 meter rifle three positions]]) consist of slow-fire target shooting from distances of {{convert|10|or|50|or|300|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Scott McDonald |title=Your Comprehensive Guide To The 15 Olympic Shooting Events |url=https://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/April/15/Your-Comprehensive-Guide-To-The-15-Olympic-Shooting-Events |website=Team USA |access-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419121443/https://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/April/15/Your-Comprehensive-Guide-To-The-15-Olympic-Shooting-Events |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |language=English |date=April 15, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Fullbore target rifle]] involves prone shooting with single-shot rifles at distances of 300yds to 1200yds. It is particularly popular in Britain and within the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] (mostly former constituents of the British Empire).
* [[Gallery rifle shooting]] is popular in the UK, using carbine rifles chambered in pistol calibres. Gallery Rifle was introduced as a substitute for many pistol shooting disciplines following the 1997 [[Gun politics in the United Kingdom|handgun ban]].
* [[High Power Rifle]] (also known as "Across the Course" or 'traditional' High power) in the United States is a format that shoots 3-position (standing, kneeling, or sitting, and prone) at 200, 300, and 600 yards. The term "Across the Course" is used because the match format requires the competitors to shoot at different distances to complete the course of fire.
* Military [[Service Rifle shooting]] 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 service rifles are commonly used in the Military Service Rifle shooting competitions. It is popular in the United States and culminates each year with the National Matches being held at [[Camp Perry]], Ohio. Some countries have outlawed civilian shooting at human-silhouette targets; silhouette targets are not used in the National Match Course of Fire. Bullseye targets are used. High Power Rifle competition often is held at the same events as Service Rifle, such as the U.S. national championships each year at Camp Perry. High Power 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. Under NRA of America rules only certain matches allow optical sights, normally those conducted at ranges over 600 yards.
* [[Project Appleseed]] is a rifle marksmanship program by The Revolutionary War Veterans Association that teaches both rifle marksmanship and oral history regarding the American Revolutionary War. It shoots 3-position (standing, sitting, and prone) at 25 meters at reduced scale targets, simulating shooting at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards. The techniques taught easily apply to transitioning to [[High Power Rifle]].
* Full bore and small bore rifle shooting in the United Kingdom.
* [[Three positions|Three position]] airgun competitions, popular in the [[United States]].
* Four position [[small bore]] is a popular sport in the U.S, which adds Sitting to the [[Three positions]] used internationally.

<gallery>
Jungschütze in einer Praxisübung.jpg|A junior shooter in [[Switzerland]] target shoots with a [[SIG 550]]. A brass catcher is fitted to avoid disturbing other shooters with the ejection.
02 - 2023 Welsh 50Metre Smallbore Rifle Championship.jpg|Competitors shoot in an ISSF 50 metre prone competition in [[Wales]]. A para-athlete shoots from a chair.
300m_shooters_in_two_positions.jpg|Two shooters during an [[ISSF 300 meter rifle three positions]] (prone, kneeling and standing)
</gallery>

=== Field shooting ===
[[Field shooting|Field-Shooting]] or Terrain-Shooting <ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.aalborg-skyttekreds.dk/component/eventlist/categoryevents/2-terraenskydning| title = Danish: Aalborg Skyttekreds af 1862 - Terrænskydning| access-date = October 6, 2017| archive-date = September 23, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170923212922/http://www.aalborg-skyttekreds.dk/component/eventlist/categoryevents/2-terraenskydning| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://snl.no/feltskyting| title = Norwegian: feltskyting – Store norske leksikon| date = November 17, 2016| access-date = October 6, 2017| archive-date = September 23, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170923193905/https://snl.no/feltskyting| url-status = live}}</ref> refer to a set of pistol and rifle shooting disciplines that usually are shot from temporary shooting ranges in outdoor terrain at varying (and sometimes unknown) distances, rather than at permanent shooting ranges at fixed distances.

==== Field shooting with handguns ====
* Nordic Handgun Field-Shooting competitions are shot with pistol and revolver in different classes depending on equipment,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.pistolskytteforbundet.se/om-pistolskytte/faltskjutning| title = Swedish: Svenska Pskytteförbundet-Om pistolskytte-Fältskjutning| date = June 2017| access-date = October 6, 2017| archive-date = October 13, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171013191048/http://www.pistolskytteforbundet.se/om-pistolskytte/faltskjutning| url-status = dead}}</ref> with classes up from small-bore .22 LR to large-bore [[.500 S&W Magnum]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://haugesund-pistolklubb.no/?page_id=283| title = Norwegian: Litt om feltskyting – Haugesund Pistolklubb (''English: A little about field shooting - Haugesund Pistol Club'')| access-date = October 6, 2017| archive-date = July 28, 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240728041927/http://haugesund-pistolklubb.no/litt-om-feltskyrting/| url-status = live}}</ref> Matches are held outdoor throughout the year with varied [[shooting target]]s and distances, and are arranged by the [[Norwegian Shooting Association]] (NSF), the [[Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations]] (DGI Shooting) and the [[Swedish Pistol Shooting Association]] (SPSF).
* [[Swiss Shooting Sport Federation|Swiss field shooting]] with handguns is a discipline under the [[Swiss Shooting Sport Federation]] arranged under a common Swiss ruleset, and has been part of the annual field shooting championship since 1919 alongside field shooting with rifles, which have been arranged since 1899.

<gallery>
APK feltskyting.jpg|Nordic Handgun Field Shooting in [[Arendal]], [[Norway]] in 2007
</gallery>

==== Field shooting with rifles ====
* Nordic Rifle Field-Shooting<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sandvikensskyttegille.se/fs_info.php| title = Swedish: Fältskytte gevär förklarat {{!}} Sandvikens Skyttegille| access-date = October 6, 2017| archive-date = April 17, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170417011743/http://sandvikensskyttegille.se/fs_info.php| url-status = dead}}</ref> are shot with either small-bore .22 LR cartridge at 100 meters, or [[intermediate cartridge|intermediate]] (such as [[.223 Remington]] or [[6mm BR]]) or battle rifle cartridges (such as the [[6.5×55mm]], [[.308 Winchester]] or the [[.30-06 Springfield]]) at distances from 100 to 650 meters. With 200 and 300 meters being ordinary shooting distance in Nordic Bullseye Rifle-Shooting, those targets placed well beyond 300 meters in Rifle Field-Shooting means that the competition format also can be classified as a [[long range shooting]] discipline. Matches are usually held in the winter season with varied targets, and are arranged by the [[National Rifle Association of Norway]] (DFS), the [[Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations]] (DGI Shooting) and the [[Swedish Shooting Sport Association]] (SvSF). 
* [[Swiss Shooting Sport Federation|Swiss field shooting]] with rifles is a discipline under the [[Swiss Shooting Sport Federation]] arranged under a common Swiss ruleset. The annual Swiss Field Shooting Championship has been held since 1899. From 1919, Swiss field shooting with handguns has also been av part of the Swiss Field Shooting Championship.
* [[Precision rifle competition]]s, like the [[Precision Rifle Series]] (PRS), is both a field and long range shooting discipline where rifles with intermediate or battle rifle cartridges are shot in the terrain at varying distances from about 10 to 1000 meters.
* [[Field Target]] is an outdoor [[air gun]] discipline originating in the United Kingdom, but gaining popularity worldwide. [[Hunter field target]] is a variation of [[field target]].

<gallery>
Fältskytte.jpg|Nordic Rifle Field Shooting in Sweden during the winter in 2012
NM feltskyting.jpg|The Norwegian Rifle Field Shooting Championship at the 2007 [[Landsskytterstevnet]]
M1 Garand competition.JPEG|Field-like shooting competition in USA using a [[M1 Garand|National Match M1]]
Re-exposure.JPG|Field target shooting in Germany
</gallery>

=== Rapid fire ===
==== Rapid fire with handguns ====
* The [[ISSF 25 meter pistol]] and [[ISSF 25 meter rapid fire pistol]] events are contested at the Olympic Games.
* [[The Bianchi Cup]], a fusion of [[International Practical Shooting Confederation|IPSC]] (without the "run and gun" element) and bullseye shooting (except shot with two hands and going prone whenever rules allow it) where accuracy under tight time limits in four simulated scenarios, known as the "Event(s)", is the basis of this competition. Shooters must start with gun in the holster on every strings of fire and distances range from 10 to 50 yards.
* [[Fast draw]], also known as quick draw, a form of pistol action shooting from North America, based on the romanticized art of the gunslingers in the American Old West, using traditional single action revolvers. But unlike Cowboy action shooting, Fast Draw is done with special blanks or wax bullets. While some competitions are strictly against the clock, with the fastest time winning, many are set up as head-to-head single or double elimination matches.

<gallery>
Female athlete fires an ISSF Sport Pistol.jpg|Female athlete competes in [[25 meter pistol]] event.
Sanderson9209 (28322239393).jpg|Keith Sanderson from USA during the [[ISSF 25 meter rapid fire pistol]] event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro
John Pride at the 2008 NRA Bianchi Cup.jpg|John Pride at the 2008 [[The Bianchi Cup|Bianchi Cup]]
</gallery>

==== Rapid fire with rifles ====
* The [[International Military Sports Council|CISM]] Rapid Fire match is a sped-up version of the ISSF [[300 m Standard Rifle]] event.
* [[Felthurtigskyting]] (literally Field Rapid Shooting) and [[Stangskyting]] are a type of variable rapid-fire rifle competitions popular in [[Scandinavia]].

<gallery>
Stangskyting1.jpg|[[Stang-Shooting]] at the 2007 [[Landsskytterstevnet]] in Norway. The nearest targets are placed at 155 meters, the farthest at 221 meters.
Felthurtigskyting.jpg|[[Field-Rapid-Shooting]] at the 2007 [[Landsskytterstevnet]] in Norway
</gallery>

=== Clay target ===
{{Main|Shotgun (shooting sports)}}
[[Clay pigeon shooting]] are shotgun disciplines shot at flying [[shooting target|clay pigeon targets]].

* The three Shotgun ISSF/ Olympic shooting events are all are based on quick reaction to clay targets thrown by machines called "Traps".
** [[Skeet shooting|Skeet]]: Targets are either thrown in singles or doubles from two throwers called "traps" placed 40 meters apart.<ref name="topend">{{cite web| url = http://www.topendsports.com/sport/shooting-sports.htm| title = Topend Sports {{!}} About Shooting Sports| access-date = October 6, 2017| archive-date = July 28, 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240728042429/https://www.topendsports.com/sport/shooting-sports.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>
** [[Trap shooting|Trap and Double Trap]]: Either one (trap) or two targets (double trap) are thrown from 15 meters in front of the shooter.<ref name="topend"/>
* The [[Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse]] (FITASC) [[Compak Sporting]] is a type of shotgun sport shooting similar to sporting clays, trap and skeet.
* Other shotgun sports with (at least partial) international recognition include [[Sporting Clays (shooting)|Sporting Clays]], [[Down-The-Line]]/ATA and [[Five stand]].

<gallery>
File:A typical "American" trap shoot scene.jpg|Trap shooting in USA
File:Skeet. William H. Keever, USA.JPEG|Skeet shooting in USA
File:USMC-120414-M-EY704-001.jpg|Clay targets being placed in an automatic throwing machine
File:Trap shooting at WPFG (19279134951).jpg|Trap shooting at the 2015 World Police and Fire Games in USA
File:Skeet.gif|Sketch of a Skeet [[shooting range]]
</gallery>

=== Running target ===
[[Running target shooting]] refers to a number of disciplines involving a shooting target—sometimes called a [[boar]], [[moose]], or [[deer]]—that is made to move as if it is a running animal. Events of this type include:

* [[ISSF 10 meter running target]]
* [[ISSF 10 meter running target mixed]]
* [[ISSF 50 meter running target]]
* [[ISSF 50 meter running target mixed]]
* [[100 m running moose]], popular in Scandinavia both as a sport and hunting exercise. Competitions in Sweden are held at 80 meters.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://jagareforbundet.se/en/utbildning/jagarexamen/the-hunters-exam-huntsman-examination/swedish-hunting-examination/| title = "jagareforbundet.se"| access-date = June 8, 2018| archive-date = July 28, 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240728042429/http://jagareforbundet.se/en/utbildning/jagarexamen/the-hunters-exam-huntsman-examination/swedish-hunting-examination/| url-status = live}}</ref>
* [[100 meter running deer]], also somewhat{{tone inline|date=August 2024}} popular in Scandinavia and Great Britain{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

====Moving target====
[[Shooting at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's moving target small-bore rifle]]

====Disappearing target====
[[Shooting at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's disappearing target small-bore rifle]]

=== Practical shooting ===
[[Practical shooting]], also known as [[action shooting]] or [[dynamic shooting]], is a generic term applicable to shooting sports where speed is of equal importance as precision. Many of the disciplines involve movement, and when using handguns they are often drawn from a [[handgun holster|holster]].
* The [[International Practical Shooting Confederation]] (IPSC) is the oldest and largest sanctioning body within practical shooting. IPSC is sometimes considered the "Formula One" of shooting sports, and is shot with handguns, rifles and shotguns. While the [[United States Practical Shooting Association]] (USPSA) is the U.S. regional affiliate of IPSC, many of USPSA's rules differ slightly from those used internationally. IPSC was developed by former police and civilian marksmen and later used as a basis for modern military and police exercises. It is a variation where the shooter often moves during shooting, and hits scored and shooting time are equally important. Stage procedure is generally not dictated (freestyle) and the shooter is allowed to determine the order and manner in which he or she engages the targets.
* [[International Defensive Pistol Association]] (IDPA) is an action shooting sport that uses semi-automatic handguns and revolvers with a strong emphasis on concealed shooting. Many aspects of stage engagement are dictated to competitors and penalties are given to competitors whom the safety officer determines attempted to gain a competitive advantage or engaged in a forbidden action with a "guilty mind" - that he knowingly failed to do right.
* [[Multigun]] are practical shooting events where each of the stages generally require the competitor to use and transition between a combination of rifles, handguns, and/ or shotguns<ref>{{cite news |last=DeJesus |first=Ivey |date=January 8, 2015 |title=A pistol, rifle and shotgun sport part of the lineup at NRA's Great American Outdoor Show |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/01/nra_guns_great_american_outdoo.html |publisher=PA Media Group |access-date=April 16, 2015 |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417023832/http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/01/nra_guns_great_american_outdoo.html |url-status=live }}</ref> or other types of firearms. 3-Gun has a lot in common with ordinary IPSC/USPSA matches, having courses of fire where the shooter must move through different stages and engage targets in a variety of different positions.
* [[Steel Challenge]] is a speed shooting championship solely about shooting steel targets as fast as possible, and is governed by the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA). There are eight standardized courses of fire, and a special "stop plate" must be shot last to stop the timer.
* [[International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts]] (ICORE) is an international community that promotes action shooting competitions with revolvers. Founded in 1991, the sport has elements from the Bianchi Cup, IPSC, and the Steel Challenge.<ref name="AboutICORE">{{cite web| url = http://www.icore.org/About_ICORE.html| title = ICORE History and Information| access-date = July 30, 2015| archive-date = June 27, 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150627134442/http://www.icore.org/About_ICORE.html| url-status = dead}}</ref>
* [[IPSC Action Air]] follows the same principle of [[International Practical Shooting Confederation|IPSC]], using [[airsoft]] instead of real firearms. The ranges, paper targets and poppers are scaled down to suit airsoft, and the sport enjoys popularity in countries such as [[Taiwan]], [[Hong Kong]], and [[Japan]] where civilian ownership of real firearms are either illegal or extremely difficult to obtain.
* [[Bowling pin shooting]] (primarily shot with handguns) has the competitors race against one another to knock standard bowling pins from a table in the shortest elapsed time.

<gallery>
Open division master class competition shooter.jpg|An Open division practical pistol shooter during a stage
Norwegian Open division competitor at the 2017 IPSC Rifle World Shoot.jpg|A Norwegian practical rifle shooter at the [[2017 IPSC Rifle World Shoot]] in Russia
IPSC Revolver World Champion Ricardo López Tugendhat from Ecuador.jpg|Three times practical revolver world champion [[Ricardo López Tugendhat]] from Ecuador
</gallery>

=== Long range ===
[[Long range shooting]] is shooting held at such distances that sight adjustment based from judging atmospherical conditions become critical.

* [[Fullbore target rifle|Fullbore target shooting]] is concerned with shooting at targets at ranges of 300–1200 yards. The sport is internationally governed by [[International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations|ICFRA]], and is popular in the UK, US, Germany and Commonwealth countries. Similar disciplines called bullseye and field shooting are popular in Scandinavia, although fired at shorter distances.
** "Target Rifle" (also known as [[Palma rifle]]) is an ICFRA fullbore competition format that 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., Australia, Canada, Scotland and Ireland (with muzzle loaded rifles at that time). The matches continued to the late 1920s, and the Palma trophy was eventually lost in Washington DC around the outbreak of WW2. The match was revived in the modern era in 1966 in Canada, and continues between teams from around the world. Regulations stipulate bolt-action rifles chambered in 7.62mm NATO caliber (Winchester .308) and firing Match Grade ammunition using a 155 grain bullet using micrometer aperture (iron) sights, or a 5.56mm NATO (.223 Remington) with a max bullet weight of 90 grains, and iron sights. Due to developments in modern bullet technology, an 85.5 grain bullet out of a .223 can out shoot a .308, with the right load.<ref>{{cite web|title=  Palma USA|url=  http://www.palma.org/palma-basics|access-date=  March 31, 2017|archive-date=  April 1, 2017|archive-url=  https://web.archive.org/web/20170401055056/http://www.palma.org/palma-basics|url-status=  live}}</ref> The last two International Long-range Target Rifle Matches were held in Australia in 2011 and the U.S. in 2015, were won by Great Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-090.pdf|title=PALMA TEAM TROPHY|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326135749/http://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-090.pdf|archive-date=March 26, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>
** [[F-Class (shooting sport)|F-Class]] is another ICFRA fullbore competition format shot with Fullbore Target Rifles at ranges up to 1000 yards, the rifles being fitted with telescopic sights and the use of fore-end and butt rests being permitted. This is a fast-growing variant of Fullbore Target Rifle. The 'F' honours George Farquharson, the Canadian inventor of F-Class.
*[[Precision Rifle Competition]]s, a relatively new long range competition format which seeks to find a balance between speed and precision, often involving movement and shooting from unusual positions with a time limit, at both known and unknown distances.
**National Rifle League (NRL) is a [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]] [[non-profit organization]] dedicated to the growth and education of precision rifle shooting in the United States.  Their match format allows any caliber between .224 to .308 and not to exceed {{convert|3200|ft/s|m/s}}, involving at least 50 shooters with each firing minimum 140 rounds in at least 12 individual stages, over the course of at least two days.  Since its debut in 2017, currently 11 clubs from eight states are involved in the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalrifleleague.org/clubs/clubs_shooters/|title=Participating Clubs/Matches|publisher=National Rifle League|access-date=June 24, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624160850/https://nationalrifleleague.org/clubs/clubs_shooters/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
**National Rifle League 22 (NRL22) is a sub-league under the National Rifle League dedicated to [[.22 Long Rifle]] [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire]] rifles.  It was established to address the fact that most localities do not have access to 1000 yard ranges, but nearly all localities have 100-yard ranges and most shooters own .22 rifles.  Their championship match consist of minimum 170 rounds fired in at least 15 individual stages.  Currently 68 clubs from 31 states in the US participate in NRL22 matches, with addition to two overseas clubs from UK and Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nrl22.org/clubs/|title=Clubs|publisher=NRL 22|access-date=June 24, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624153921/http://nrl22.org/clubs/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* T-Class Shooting Sport Competitions. Practical sniping with precision rifle systems is a shooting sport, which gains tremendous popularity worldwide over a short period of time. It concentrates on shooting onto static or dynamic targets of various distances (known and unknown), from different positions, under artificially created, but realistic stressful circumstances. It proves to be extremely interesting both for implementation and observation, due to its demanding level of difficulty. [http://t-class.org The International T-Class Confederation] (ITCC) is a non-profit organization, which is founded in 2014 for the purpose of promotion of the T-Class shooting sport internationally, with headquarters residing in Bulgaria. It offers a Set of Rules for designing and managing T-Class Competitions.

<gallery>
Connaught Cadets.JPG|[[Fullbore target rifle]] ("Palma") shooting in Canada in 2011
BCM Europearms F-Class OPEN.jpg|An [[International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations|ICFRA F-Class]] rifle equipped with a scope and bipod
</gallery>

=== Benchrest ===
[[Benchrest shooting]] is concerned with shooting small groups with the rifleman sitting on a chair (bench) and the rifle supported from a table. Of all shooting disciplines, this is the most demanding equipment-wise.{{According to whom|date=January 2025}} Depending on equipment class, international benchrest competitions are governed by either the [[World Benchrest Shooting Federation]] or [[World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation]].

<gallery>
JGA1903-BR50.jpg|An [[J. G. Anschütz|Anschütz]] 1903 rifle in caliber .22 LR used for benchrest shooting at 50 meters
BCM Europearms BARREL BLOCK.jpg|A BCM Europearms single shot benchrest rifle
</gallery>

=== Metallic silhouette ===
[[Metallic silhouette]] competitors shoot at animal-shaped steel silhouettes (chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams) that must be knocked down to score. Banks of 5 targets are placed at up to 500 meters, with distance and size of target determined by firearm class. Classes include Handguns, Small Bore Rifle (Hunter, Silhouette), High Power Rifle (Hunter, Silhouette), air rifle and black powder rifle. Handguns used in the Unlimited Categories are rifle-like in appearance; [[Thompson Contender]], [[Remington XP-100]], and other pistols are chambered in rifle calibers with the power, [[aerodynamic]] efficiency, and [[external ballistics]] required for precise shooting at 200 meters. There are silhouette categories appropriate for virtually all types of adjustable sight pistols and rifles, only excluding high-velocity armor-piercing rounds that would damage targets. Targets for open sighted guns are placed between 25 and 200 meters, and are designed to provide a usable size of the hit zone of about 1.5 [[milliradian]]s (or 5 [[minutes of arc]]).

<gallery>
IHMSA silhouetten bogenscheiben.jpg|Cut cardboard targets of the same shape and sizes which are used for IHMSA [[steel target|metal targets]] in [[metallic silhouette shooting]]
Metallic silhouettes.jpg|Chicken, pig, turkey, and ram. The different targets are placed at different distances, and in this image the targets are scaled to how they would appear to the shooter in [[angular diameter|angular sizes]] ([[milliradian|mil]] or [[minute of arc|moa]]).
</gallery>

=== Western ===
* [[Cowboy action shooting]] (CAS) is almost identical to USPSA and IDPA stage design but with Western cowboy-themed props. Competitors shoot with historical long guns and revolvers, and are required to use a themed alias and authentic dress.
* [[Cowboy mounted shooting]], also called Western Mounted Shooting or simply Mounted Shooting, is a competitive equestrian sport involving the riding of a [[horse]] to negotiate a shooting pattern. Rule sets vary between shooting sport organizations, it can be based on the [[historical reenactment]] of historic shooting events held at [[Wild West shows]] in the late 19th century. Modern events use [[blank ammunition]] instead of live rounds, certified to break a target balloon within twenty feet.<ref name="Taffin2005">{{cite book|last=Taffin|first=John|author-link=John Taffin|title=Single Action Sixguns|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0vrK2zj7V3cC&pg=PA299|date=September 28, 2005|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2694-6|pages=299–300}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<gallery>
Cowboy Action Shooting.JPG|A [[Cowboy action shooting|Cowboy action shooter]] firing a lever action rifle at [[steel target]]s. The Range Officer to the left is holding a [[shooting timer]] to measure the time.
Cowboy Action Shooting stage.JPG|Scenery in a [[Western fiction|Western]] scenario
Cowboy Action Shooting - stage targets.JPG|The shooter uses different firearms during a stage. In this stage revolvers were used at the close range blue targets and a lever action at the red targets furthest away.
Mounted Shooting Champion Chad Little by Western Shooting Horse.jpg|Cowboy mounted shooting at the 2012 AQHA Mounted Shooting World Championship
</gallery>

=== Muzzleloading ===
[[Muzzleloading]] are concerned with shooting [[replica]] (or [[antique]]) guns.

<gallery>
Shooting laying on back at the 2015 MLAIC Long Range World Championship.jpg|Competitor shooting at 1000 yards (914.4 meters) laying on back
Norwegian competitor at the 2015 MLAIC Long Range World Championship.jpg|Competitor from Team Norway shooting at 1000 yards (914.4 meters)
A replica Rigby rifle at the 2015 MLAIC Long Range World Championship 2.jpg|Replica Rigby rifle used at the 2015 MLAIC Muzzleloading Long Range Championship
A member of Team USA loading his blackpowder rifle at the 2015 MLAIC Long Range Championship.jpg|A member of Team USA loading his blackpowder rifle
</gallery>

=== Para shooting ===
[[Paralympic shooting]], also known as "shooting Para sport", is an adaptation of shooting sports for competitors with disabilities. Paralympic shooting first appeared in the [[Summer Paralympics]] at the [[1976 Summer Paralympics|1976 Toronto Games]]. Para shooting is internationally governed by the [[International Paralympic Committee]]. To help establish fair competition, a shooting classification called [[Para-shooting classification]] is in place for the [[Paralympic Games]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Shooting Para Sport Classification Rules and Regulations |url=https://www.paralympic.org/shooting/rules-and-regulations/classification |website=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=November 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207191536/https://www.paralympic.org/shooting/rules-and-regulations/classification |archive-date=February 7, 2022 |language=English |url-status=live}}</ref>

The events mirror to some extent the shooting events at the Olympic Games. Air Pistol is typically shot from a seated position with the pistol unsupported. The amount of back-support permitted is determined by the athlete's level of disability. The Air Rifle events include Rifle "Standing", which is shot seated like Air Pistol, with variable levels of back support. "Prone" Rifle uses the basic [[Prone position#ISSF 50 meter|prone shooting position]] utilising a sling for the supporting arm, but is shot rested on a table with the athlete seated either in a chair or wheelchair.

<gallery>
Schiessen-koerperbehinderung.jpg|Para shooting with a rifle sitting in a [[wheelchair]]
Defense.gov photo essay 110517-F-QE915-898.jpg
Defense.gov photo essay 110517-M-XXXXK-007.jpg
Locomotive_mechanic_competes_in_Army_Trials_150330-A-ZU617-055.jpg|Para "Prone" modifies the basic [[Prone position#ISSF 50 meter|prone shooting position]] to be shot from a table.
</gallery>

=== Competitions using factory and service firearms ===
[[Shooting competitions for factory and service firearms]], usually called Service Rifle, Service Pistol, Production, Factory or Stock, describe a set of disciplines or equipment classes where the types of permitted firearms are subject to [[type approval]] and few aftermarket modifications are permitted. Thus the terms refer to permitted equipment and modifications rather than the type of shooting format itself. The names Service Rifle and Service Pistol stem from that the equipment permitted for these types of competitions traditionally were based on [[service rifle|standard issue]] firearms used by one or several armed forces and civilian versions of these, while the terms Production, Factory and Stock often are applied to more modern disciplines with similar restrictions on equipment classes. Factory and service classes are often ''restrictive'' in nature, and the types of firearms permitted are usually rugged, versatile and affordable. In comparison, more expensive custom competition equipment are popular in more ''permissive'' equipment classes. Both types of equipment classes can be found within many disciplines, such as [[bullseye shooting|bullseye]], [[field shooting|field]], [[practical shooting|practical]] and [[long range shooting]].

<gallery>
Merjenje z M48.jpg|Service rifle shooting in [[Slovenia]] with the [[Zastava M48]] rifle
US Navy 070712-N-6832D-055 Senior Chief Machinist's Mate Curtis Norris peers down the sight of his service rifle.jpg|Service rifle shooting in [[United States]] with an [[M16 rifle|M16]]/[[Colt AR-15|AR-15]] style rifle
</gallery>

=== Plinking ===
[[Plinking]] refers to informal [[target shooting]] done for pleasure or practice typically at non-standard targets such as [[tin can]]s, [[Trunk (botany)|log]]s, [[carton]]s, [[fruit]]s, or any other homemade or naturally occurring objects like rocks (however, it is unsafe to shoot at rocks) or tree branches. The primary appeals of plinking as a sport are the broad variety of easily available locations, minimal costs, freedom in practice styles, and more relaxing and less restrictive shooting experience.

The flexibility of target choice is also why plinking is popular. A small, three-dimensional target in an outdoors setting is much more akin to a real-world [[hunting]] and [[varminting]] scenario, presenting a better simulated opportunity to practice shooting skills. A plinking target will also often react much more positively to a hit than a [[shooting target#paper or electronic|paper target]] used in formal competitions, either audibly with a sharp impact sound (hence the name "plink") or visually by bouncing, splattering or falling over. [[Steel target]]s used for formal [[action shooting|action]] and [[long range shooting]] competitions are also popular for plinking due to the ease of setting up and confirming good hits.

<gallery>
Having Fun in Alaska.jpg|A woman plinking with a Hi-Point pistol in .40 S&W in Alaska
Burro Canyon fun shoot - 8444999291.jpg|Plinking with a Ruger 10/22 rifle in Burro Canyon, Arizona, US
NO LOADED GUNS IN RACK.jpg|Plinking on a Saturday in Burro Canyon, Arizona, US. On this range firearms must be kept unloaded in the rack, except when on the firing line.
</gallery>

==Athletic shooting sports==
Athletic shooting sports are hybrid events of normally stationary shooting sport competitions and the [[sport of athletics]] or other physically demanding non-shooting sports. Many were borne from military exercises and emphasize physical endurance.

* [[Biathlon|IBU Biathlon]] is a [[Winter Olympic]] sport combining [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skiing]] (normally freestyle skate skiing) and shooting with .22 LR rifles.<ref name="olympic.org"/> In Scandinavia the discipline is simply known as "Ski Shooting" (Swedish: ''skidskytte'', Danish: ''skiskydning'', Norwegian: ''skiskyting'').
* [[Bike biathlon]] or ''velo biathlon'' (Russian ''Велобиатлон'') combines [[cycling]] ([[road bike|road]] or [[mountain bike]]) and shooting ([[handgun]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.denverpost.com/2007/04/23/biathlon-goes-for-spin-in-bike-n-shoot-event/| title = Biathlon goes for spin in Bike-n-Shoot event – The Denver Post| date = April 23, 2007| access-date = September 16, 2019| archive-date = September 20, 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190920210905/https://www.denverpost.com/2007/04/23/biathlon-goes-for-spin-in-bike-n-shoot-event/| url-status = live}}</ref> or [[rifle]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.complex.com/sports/2012/06/russian-velo-biathlon-combines-cycling-and-rifles| title = Velo Biathlon Combines Cycling and Rifles {{!}} Complex| website = [[Complex Networks]]| access-date = September 16, 2019| archive-date = September 20, 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190920210905/https://www.complex.com/sports/2012/06/russian-velo-biathlon-combines-cycling-and-rifles| url-status = live}}</ref>).
* [[ISSF Target Sprint]] combines medium-range run (3 × 400 m) and [[airgun]] shooting.
* [[Modern pentathlon]] is a [[Summer Olympic]] [[Olympic sport|sport]] includes a combined event called [[Laser-run]] that consists of 4 laps of 800 metres combined with 4 rounds of timed shooting with a [[Air gun#Laser beam|laser air pistol]] as one of its original five parts.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 15, 2016|title=UIPM Laser Run|url=https://www.uipmworld.org/sport/uipm-laser-run|access-date=August 4, 2021|website=Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM)|language=en|archive-date=July 28, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728042433/https://www.uipmworld.org/sport/uipm-laser-run|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Nordic Ski Field Shooting (Norwegian: ''skifeltskyting'', Swedish: ''skidfältskytte'') is a Nordic discipline organised by the [[National Rifle Association of Norway]] and the [[Swedish Shooting Sport Association]] which is based on the origins of modern biathlon. It is normally held using [[Cross-country skiing (sport)#Classic|classic (in-track) skiing]], but competitions can also be held in a freestyle [[skate skiing]] format. Furthermore, shooting is done with fullbore calibers and usually in the field from temporary shooting ranges. The discipline is considered as a near precursor to modern biathlon.
* [[Nordic shooting with cross-country running]] (Norwegian: ''skogsløp'', Swedish: ''springfältskytte'') is a Nordic discipline arranged by the [[National Rifle Association of Norway]] and the [[Swedish Shooting Sport Association]] which combines running with shooting. It is considered the summer edition of Ski Field Shooting. Running distances are usually between 2 and 3 kilometers with 2 to 3 shooting series.
* [[Military patrol]] was a team [[winter sport]] in which athletes competed in cross-country skiing, [[ski mountaineering]] and [[rifle shooting]]. It was usually contested between countries or [[military unit]]s. 
* [[Moose biathlon]] (Finnish ''Hirvenhiihto'') is a variation of biathlon comprising cross-country skiing, range estimation and rifle shooting at paper targets of moose. [[Moose shooting with cross-country running]] (Finnish ''Hirvenjuoksu'') is a summer variant where the skiing part is replaced with running.
* [[Orienteering shooting]] (Finnish ''ampumasuunnistus'') combines shooting with orienteering, and competitions are organised in Denmark by [[Danish Military Sports Association|DMSA]], in Sweden by the civilian [[Swedish Multisport Association]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://helland.cc/?p=285| title = Orienteringsskyting – enda en orienteringsgren? – Knut Edvard Helland| access-date = December 12, 2018| archive-date = July 22, 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230722105726/https://helland.cc/?p=285| url-status = live}}</ref> and in Finland by the [[Finnish Reservist Sports Federation|FRSF]].
* [[Pistol shooting with cross-country running]] (''maastokilpailu''), organized in Finland by the [[Finnish Reservist Sports Federation|FRSF]].
* [[Pistol skiing]] (Norwegian ''pistollangren'', Swedish ''pistolskidskytte'', Finnish ''pistooliammuntahiihto'') is biathlon with pistols and revolvers, and is organised in Norway by [[Norwegian Reserve Officers' Federation|NROF]], in Sweden by [[Swedish Pistol Shooting Association|SPSA]] and in Finland by the [[Finnish Reservist Sports Federation|FRSF]].
* [[Summer biathlon]], with skiing replaced by either running or rollerskis, is popular in [[Germany]].
* Ski Archery is a variation of biathlon combining archery marksmanship with cross country skiing.
* [[Underwater target shooting]] is a combined [[underwater sports|underwater]] and shooting sport that tests a competitors' ability to accurately use a [[speargun]] via a set of individual and team events conducted in a [[swimming pool]] using [[free diving]] or Apnoea technique.

<gallery>
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12927, Riesengebirge, Reichswehrübung.jpg|German [[military patrol]] in [[Giant Mountains]] in 1932
2018-01-04 IBU Biathlon World Cup Oberhof 2018 - Sprint Women 10.jpg|Standing phase at the [[2017–18 Biathlon World Cup|2018 Biathlon World Cup]] in Oberhof
Bjorndalen-Trondheim09.jpg|[[Ole Einar Bjørndalen]] in [[Trondheim]] during the 2009 [[Biathlon World Cup]]
Bike Pistol Biathlon.jpg|Bike biathlon competition using handguns
</gallery>

== Bow shooting sports ==
=== Archery ===
[[Modern competitive archery]] involves shooting [[arrow]]s at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. A person who participates in archery is typically called an archer or a bowman, and a person who is fond of or an expert at archery is sometimes called a toxophilite. The most popular competitions worldwide are called [[target archery]]. Another form, particularly popular in Europe and America, is [[field archery]], which generally is shot at targets set at various distances in a wooded setting. 3D archery, which differs from field archery in that the targets are animal models, is also quite popular in the same regions. There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms, as well as archery novelty games. The tournament rules vary from organization to organization. [[World Archery Federation]] rules are often considered normative, but large non-WA-affiliated archery organizations do exist with different rules. Competitive archery in the United States is governed by USA Archery and National Field Archery Association (NFAA), which also certifies instructors. [[Run archery]] is a shooting discipline connecting archery with running.

<gallery>
WA target shot with a compound bow (Devizes Bowmen).jpg|Target shooting with a [[recurve bow]]
ArcheryGermanyEarly1980s-2.jpg|Archery competition in [[Mönchengladbach]], [[West Germany]], June 1983
</gallery>

=== Crossbow ===
{{main|Match crossbow}}
The [[International Crossbow Shooting Union]] (''Internationale Armbrustschützen Union'' or IAU) was founded in [[Landshut]], [[Germany]] on June 24, 1956, as the world governing body for [[crossbow]] target shooting. The IAU supervises World, Continental and International crossbow shooting championships in 3 disciplines; 30 m Match-crossbow, 10 m Match-crossbow and Field-crossbow shooting. IAU World Championships take place every two years with Continental Championships on intervening years. Other International and IAU-Cup events take place annually.<ref name="olympic.org"/> [[World Crossbow Shooting Association]] (WCSA) organises competitions in 7 disciplines: Target, Target match play, Forest, Forest match play, 3D, Bench & prone target and Indoor target.<ref>{{cite web |author=stephen sommers |url=http://www.worldcrossbow.com/ |title=World Crossbow Shooting Association Inc |publisher=Worldcrossbow.com |date=January 3, 2014 |accessdate=March 4, 2022 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320035725/http://www.worldcrossbow.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery>
IAU 10m match xbow.jpg|Anna Sushko of Russia, 2006 Junior World Champion, holding an ICU 10 m Match Crossbow
IAU match xbow.jpg|A competitor at the 30 meter event at the 2008 ICU Match-Crossbow World Championships in [[Sulgen]], [[Switzerland]]
</gallery>

==Dart shooting sports==
===Sport blowgun===
There are several competition styles of [[Blowgun|sport blowgun]] practised around the world. A standardization of competition style is based upon [[fukiya]], and governed by the International Fukiyado Association. It is a 10-metre target shooting, using a standardized barrel caliber and length, and a standardized dart length and weight as outlined by IFA. 
There are two more styles, both based upon the Cherokee Annual Gathering Blowgun Competition. The Field Style competition is similar to the winter Biathlon, where the shooter runs from a starting line to a target lane, shoots and retrieves the darts, and continues to the next station. The course length varies from 400 to 800 m with from 9 to 16 targets at various heights and shooting distances. The final style is the Long Distance target shoot. The target is a circle of 24&nbsp;cm diameter, and the firing line is 20 m away. Three darts are fired by each shooter, at least one of which must stick in the target. All successful shooters move to the next round, moving back 2 m each time.

==Confrontational shooting sports==
Confrontational shooting sports is a set of relatively new [[team sport]]s using [[Non-lethal weapon|non-lethal ranged weapons]] that are safe enough to shoot at other people. Previously such games were not possible due to safety concerns since bows and guns are generally too lethal and dangerous for human targets, but the development of newer [[airgun]] and [[infrared]] technologies allowed for the development of safe confrontational disciplines. While initially only for sport and recreations, professional sport competitions are now held. These type of games are also used for tactical [[gunfight]] training by military and law enforcement agencies to some extent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Police and US Military Using Airsoft Guns for Training Missions |url=https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearms/press-releases/police-and-us-military-using-airsoft-guns-for-training-missions-UN6jWsq4eSsjqUZP/ |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=Police1 |date=December 12, 2012 |language=en |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927045326/https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearms/press-releases/police-and-us-military-using-airsoft-guns-for-training-missions-UN6jWsq4eSsjqUZP/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Olympic dueling===
[[Olympic dueling]] is an archaic individual sport that sought to safely emulate the deadly practice of pistol [[duel]]ling, akin to [[fencing]] emulating sword fighting. It involved the use of specially built [[Primer (firearms)|primer]]-fired pistols to propel [[wax bullet]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWlAIcwxxD0| title = ''Forgotten Weapons'' - "Lepage Wax-Bullet Dueling Pistols" (YouTube)| website = [[YouTube]]| date = January 3, 2018| access-date = July 8, 2019| archive-date = August 21, 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190821202530/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWlAIcwxxD0| url-status = live}}</ref> Two versions of the sport were [[demonstration sport|demonstration events]] at the [[1906 Olympics]] and [[1908 Olympics]]. It was also a popular sport in France.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/02/26/101867826.pdf | title=Duel With Wax Bullets | work=The New York Times | date=February 26, 1909 | access-date=December 24, 2014 | archive-date=June 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628192329/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/02/26/101867826.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery>
1908_Olympics_wax_duel_field.png|A duel at the 1908 Olympics
1908_Olympics_wax_duel_portrait.png|Portrait shots of Olympic duelists, showing their safety equipment and modified guns
</gallery>

===Paintball===
[[Paintball]] is a competitive sport in which players from opposing teams eliminate opponents out of play by hitting them with round, breakable, [[dye]]-filled [[oil]] and [[gelatin]] pellets ("paintballs"), shot from [[Compressed air|HPA]]/[[Powerlet|{{CO2}}]]-powered [[air gun]]s called [[paintball marker]]s. It can be played on indoor or outdoor fields scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which players use for tactical cover. Paintball game types vary, but can include [[capture the flag]], elimination, ammunition limits, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the variant played, games can last from seconds to hours, or even days in [[Scenario paintball|scenario play]]. The game was developed in the 1980s and is now regularly played at a formal sporting level with organized competition involving major tournaments, professional teams and players.
* National Xball League is the [[United States]]' professional paintball circuit. The league consists of a Professional Division, consisting of the best players the sport has to offer, that extends down to the beginner ranks of "Division 5" for those newer to the tournament atmosphere. The league hosts five national events across the country in places such as [[Las Vegas]], [[Dallas]], [[Nashville]], [[Cleveland]], [[Chicago]], [[Atlantic City]] and [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] throughout the year, starting in March and ending their season in early November. The league's largest event each year is the season finale known as the World Cup, with the 2016 World Cup hosted 3,554 players from 35 countries.
* [[NCPA (paintball)|National Collegiate Paintball Association]] is an all-volunteer, [[non-profit organization]] created by United States college players. The goal of the NCPA is to promote the positive aspects of the sport in an intercollegiate manner. The NCPA consists of two distinct classes which competes separately — Class AA is an open-class division where any college may enter and compete in regional and national tournaments. Class A is a closed-class division where only certain colleges may compete after securing a bid in the previous season, and represents the best talent of college paintball and includes universities such as [[Drexel University]], [[University of Maryland]], [[Illinois State University]], [[Purdue University]], [[University of Connecticut]], [[Penn State University]] and 10 other teams across three conferences all fighting for a national title. The association's 2007 playoff tournament was aired on [[Fox Sports Net]]'s digital cable college sports network, [[Fox College Sports]].

<gallery>
SupAir Player.jpg|Players next to an inflatable [[Sup'Air]] bunker
Speedball game.jpg|View of a course during a [[Speedball (paintball)|speedball]] game in progress
</gallery>

===Airsoft===
[[Airsoft]] is a competitive sport similar in concept to paintball, in which participants from opposing teams eliminate opponents by hitting each other with [[airsoft pellet|solid round plastic pellet]]s launched from low-powered [[smoothbore]] [[air gun]]s called [[airsoft gun]]s. It is different from paintball in that airsoft pellets do not visibly mark the targets like paintballs, and thus the sport relies heavily on an [[honor system]] where a hit player has the ethical duty to call himself out of play, regardless of whether anyone else sees it happen. Most airsoft guns are also magazine-fed (unlike the commonly top-mounting pellet loader of paintball markers) with mounting platforms compatible with real firearm accessories, and tend to more closely resemble real guns in appearance, making them more popular for [[MilSim|military simulation]] and [[historical reenactment]]s. The greater toughness of airsoft pellets also allows the use of better powerplants and apparatus such as [[hop-up (airsoft)|hop-up device]] for improved [[external ballistics]], making the gameplay more accurately resemble real gunfights. They are also much cheaper for casual players to participate than paintball.

Airsoft gameplay varies in style and composition just like paintball and is played in both indoor and outdoor courses. Situations on the field frequently involve the use of real-life [[military tactic]]s to achieve objectives, and it is not uncommon for participants to emulate the uniforms and equipment of real military and police organizations for a sense of realism. Games are normally supervised (and sometimes umpired) by trained on-site administrators, and players' airsoft guns are usually checked through a [[chronograph]] to enforce power output restrictions.

There are currently no formal national or international [[Sports governing body|governing bodies]] for the airsoft sport. Competitive tournaments are usually organized by private clubs or among enthusiasts and [[professional]]/[[semi-professional]] teams (often referred to as "clans"), with rules and restrictions varying from event to event.

<gallery>
Three airsoft players defending an area.jpg|Three airsoft team members defending an area during an indoor CQB game
RPGers Airsoft Arène.jpg|From an outdoor airsoft game
Partida de airsoft.jpg|Three airsoft team members during a field game
</gallery>

===Laser tag===
[[Laser tag]] (despite the name, [[laser]] is actually not used due to [[laser safety|safety concern]]s) is a [[tag (game)|tag game]] played with [[infrared]] [[light gun]]s and [[passive infrared sensor|sensor]]s worn on the body of the players. Since its birth in 1979, laser tag has evolved in both indoor and outdoor games, each with gameplay styles such as annihilation, [[capture the flag]], domination, VIP protection, (usually [[sci-fi]]) [[role playing]], etc. When compared to [[paintball]] and [[airsoft]], laser tag is painless and very safe because it involves no [[projectile]] impacts, and indoor games may be considered less physically demanding because most indoor venues prohibit running or roughhousing.
* Zone Laser Tag World Championships were international tournaments among professional/semi-professional teams from North American, Europe and Australia, hosted every few years since 2003.
* Bi-lateral international championships have included USA vs. Australia and Australia vs. South Africa.
* National tournaments in various countries including Australia, US, Sweden, Finland, UK, etc.
* Private club-level events such as TagCon (annual in UK and US), Tagfest (annual in US), Dropzone (annual in UK), LaserStorm (annual in Australia), etc.
More sophisticated forms of laser tag, such as [[Multiple integrated laser engagement system|MILES]], are used (in conjunction with [[Blank (cartridge)|blanks]]) by militaries to allow for non-lethal combat training.

<gallery>
Long Beach Comic & Horror Con 2011 - Party Xtreme Laser Tag (6301174661).jpg|An indoor laser tag competition at [[Long Beach, California]] in 2011
Soldat français au CENZUB.jpg|Soldiers equipped with laser tag training equipment
</gallery>

===Archery Tag===
[[Archery Tag]] is a form of combat archery sport where participants shoot one another using a bow with arrows with large [[foam]] tips. The game's rules closely resemble [[dodgeball]]. The game begins with a number of arrows in the center of the arena. At the whistle, players race to collect them, before firing them at one another across the playing field. A player is eliminated if struck by an arrow, and a player can bring an eliminated teammate back into play by catching an arrow. To avoid injury, participants wear [[Protective masks|protective facemask]]s and use bows with less than {{convert|30|lb|kg}} draw weight. It was invented in 2011 by John Jackson of [[Ashley, Indiana]], and experienced a boost in popularity from the ''[[Hunger Games]]'' books and [[The Hunger Games (film series)|film series]], which feature a bow-wielding protagonist [[Katniss Everdeen]]. Jackson staged Archery Tag games at local premieres of the films. By 2014, Jackson had licensed the game to 170 locations, mostly in the [[United States]], but also in [[Russia]], [[Peru]] and [[Saudi Arabia]].

Battle gaming variants of Archery Tag also exist, such as [[Dagorhir]], [[Amtgard]], [[Belegarth]] and [[Darkon Wargaming Club|Darkon]], where archers are pitted among [[melee]] players welding [[foam weapon]]s to simulate [[medieval]] battles. 
<gallery>
Archery Tag.jpg|A game of archery tag in [[Toronto]]
</gallery>

===Esports===
[[Esports]] is the competitive playing of [[video games]], often referring to play at the professional level. While the term esports includes many types of video games unrelated to shooting sports, a major subset of esports are the [[Shooter game|shooters]], namely [[first-person shooters]] and [[third-person shooters]]. Matches of these games can take a variety of forms but traditionally take formats similar to paintball, involving teams of players whose objective is to eliminate the opposing team in simulated combat, often while also focusing other key objectives. Major games of these styles currently in professional play include (among others) ''[[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive]]'', ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'', ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'', ''[[Valorant]]'', and ''[[PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds]]''. Organized play is done both [[Online game|online]] or in-person. While there has been serious interest to [[Esports#Olympic Games recognition|include esports in the Olympics and similar events]], the inclusion of shooters has been less welcomed due to their often violent visual content.

<gallery>
Goście Intel Extreme Masters (8465481816).jpg|Casual players playing a shooter at the 2013 [[Intel Extreme Masters]] in [[Katowice]], [[Poland]]
MLG_Columbus_-_Luminosity_vs_Navi.jpg|A live professional ''[[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive|CS:GO]]'' match in 2016
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of shooting sports organizations]]
* [[Shooting sports in Canada]]
* [[Shooting ranges in Switzerland]]
* [[Shooting targets]]
* [[Air travel with firearms and ammunition]]
* [[Plinking]]
* [[Shot grouping]]
* [[Schützenverein]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Axford, Ray. ''Archery Anatomy: An introduction to techniques for improved performance'' (Souvenir Press, 2017).
* Björklund, Glenn. "Shooting efficiency for winners of World Cup and World Championship races in men's and women's biathlon: where is the cut-off?" ''International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport'' 18.4 (2018): 545-553.
* Chen, Yin-Ting, and Derick Mordus. "Shooting sports (archery, air rifle, trapshooting)." in ''Adaptive Sports Medicine'' (Springer, Cham, 2018) pp.&nbsp;313–322.
* George, Judith Jenkins. "Women's Riflery Teams: A Collegiate Anomaly of the Post World War I Period." ''Sport History Review'' 23.1 (1992): 32-45.
* Goldschmied, Nadav, and Jason Kowalczyk. "Gender performance in the NCAA rifle championships: where is the gap?" ''Sex Roles'' 74.7 (2016): 310-322. [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nadav-Goldschmied/publication/287891990_Gender_Performance_in_the_NCAA_Rifle_Championships_Where_is_the_Gap/links/5b8237b2299bf1d5a728adee/Gender-Performance-in-the-NCAA-Rifle-Championships-Where-is-the-Gap.pdf online]
* Ihalainen, Simo, et al. "Relation of elite rifle shooters' technique-test measures to competition performance." ''International journal of sports physiology and performance'' 11.5 (2016): 671-677.
* Ihalainen, Simo, et al. "Which technical factors explain competition performance in air rifle shooting?" ''International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching'' 13.1 (2018): 78-85.
* Reeves, W. P. "The Adoption of Military Rifle Shooting as an Intercollegiate Sport." ''American Physical Education Review'' 23.3 (1918): 157-159.
* Spancken, Sina, Hannah Steingrebe, and Thorsten Stein. "Factors that influence performance in Olympic air-rifle and small-bore shooting: A systematic review" ''PLOS ONE'' 16.3 (2021): e0247353 [https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247353 online].
* Wadge, Richard. ''Archery in Medieval England: Who Were the Bowmen of Crecy?'' (The History Press, 2012).
* Wallace, Lacey N. "College Student Involvement in Hunting and Shooting Sports: What Drives Participation?" ''Recreational Sports Journal'' 44.2 (2020): 126-138.

==External links==
* [https://www.bbc.com/sport/get-inspired/23164591 Get Inspired: How to get into Shooting - BBC Sport]
* [http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/shooting/start-shooting/do-you-want-to-get-into-shooting-32172 How to get into shooting - Shooting UK]

{{Commons category|Shooting sports}}
{{Wikivoyage|Recreational shooting}}

{{Summer Olympic sports}}
{{ISSF Shooting Championships}}
{{IPSC Shooting Championships}}
{{Firearms}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Shooting sports| ]]
[[Category:Shooting|sports]]
[[Category:Summer Olympic sports]]
[[Category:Marksmanship]]
[[Category:Projectile weapons]]
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[[Category:Sports by type]]