Natwest Island Games – Gibraltar 2019 

Shooting

If you want to know anything about the type shooting I do, here is a brief introduction of the sport.

Target shooting is one of the largest participant sports in the country. It is open to almost anyone, irrespective of age, gender or ability and has a proven track record of improving an individual’s concentration and motivation.

Shooting is an easily accessible sport available at over 1000 clubs around the country that have a variety of indoor and outdoor ranges. Small-bore prone and 3P rifle shooting is mostly carried out over distances of 25yds, 50m and 100yds, both indoors and outdoors using a .22 rimfire cartridge.

Air gun shooting is at 10 meters and uses a .177 pellet. The clubs are usually able to provide newcomers with all the equipment required to learn to shoot, together with all necessary coaching. All you need to bring is yourself and enthusiasm.

300m shooting is carried out using a 6mm BR or 6mm XC centre fire rifle (other calibre’s can be used too), and follows a very similar format to that of the 50m prone match. An ISSF 50m prone match consists of 60 match shots in 50 minutes, and an ISSF 300m match consists of 60 match shots in 60 minutes. The sighting period for both last for 15 minutes prior to the match starting.

This is one of the few sports where male, female, the able, and those with disabilities, can compete equally against one another. Age is no bar to competition either. You can start as soon as you are physically strong enough to hold a firearm safely and you can continue well beyond retirement age. Once you are proficient, there are very many competitions around the country open to you, so you are not restricted to just one venue.

The governing body of the sport in the UK is the National Small-bore Rifle Association and you can use the club finder on their website in order to find your nearest club if you wish to take up this challenging and enjoyable sport.

The governing body for all international events and competitions is the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) and their rules are alot stricter too. The Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup and the Island Games all fall under ISSF rules and regulations.

If you would like to find out more about what we do and the different types of shooting there is on offer, then have a look here, on the Isle of Wight Target Shooting Association web site.