Explainers and guides on ISSF scoring, disciplines, gear, training drills, and getting the most out of TargetLog. Reviewed by the team, published in English.
ISSF 10m air rifle is shot standing at 10 metres with a .177 calibre air rifle. Athletes fire 60 shots in qualification (scored in tenths, max 654.0), then the top eight advance to an elimination-style final to decide the medals.
Ten-ring sizes on ISSF targets range from 0.5 mm on the 10m air rifle target to 100 mm on the 25m rapid fire target. This reference lists every ten-ring diameter, ring width, black disc and scoring circle in millimetres, and explains how those printed dimensions decide close shots.
Shooting at reduced distance on scaled targets trains the same sight picture, trigger release and hold mechanics as full distance, just with a smaller error pattern that punishes sloppiness faster. It is the best substitute for a 10m lane you do not have, provided you scale the target correctly and know which results transfer and which do not.
A start list tells you which relay you shoot in and which firing point is yours; a results list ranks everyone after the stage ends. Once you know the columns and the tie-breaking code, both documents read easily.
ISSF competitions zero or penalize shots for identifiable rule breaches: crossfires, shots fired outside your time, extra shots, and unsafe gun handling. Your score can survive equipment failures, but it cannot survive a shot on the wrong target or one fired after the cease-fire signal.
Free practice targets for ISSF 10m and 50m events, 25m pistol, NRA BB gun and BDS 100m, drawn to exact official ring dimensions as printable PDFs. Print at 100% scale and verify the 50 mm calibration bar before training on them.
A sling only works when the cuff sits high on the upper arm, the loop is snug against the jacket, and the handstop sets the length so bone, not muscle, holds the rifle.
There is no single minimum age for air rifle shooting. Most clubs start juniors between 8 and 10, and the governing bodies care more about maturity, supervision, and safe instruction than a birthday.
A sore shoulder does not have to mean zero training. Drop the loaded positions that aggravate it, keep the positions and skills that do not, and rebuild slowly with a stop rule.
A structured off-season has four phases: rest, rebuild, volume, and sharpening. Spend the first two to four weeks away from scores, rebuild positions and trigger technique slowly, build shot volume through mid-winter, and sharpen with match simulations before the first competition.
ISSF mixed team events pair one man and one woman on the same score. Each fires 30 shots in qualification, then the top four pairs split into a bronze match and a gold match decided shot-by-shot, first to 16 points.
A safe home air gun range comes down to four things: a backstop that traps every pellet, a lane that actually measures 10 meters, lighting that lets you see your sights, and storage that keeps the gun locked when you are not there. Sort out the legal question before you buy anything.
Photograph a competition target and get an ISSF score on-device — free on iOS and Android.
Download Free
