Explainers and guides on ISSF scoring, disciplines, gear, training drills, and getting the most out of TargetLog. Reviewed by the team, published in English.
Most prone shooters do fine with a basic mat, but thickness, grip and padding measurably affect comfort and position quality. Free rifle and 3P shooters get the most benefit; casual 10m shooters can skip it entirely.
A steady hold is trained, not gifted. Time your settle, drill the hold inside and outside the release window, and log what your wobble area actually does week to week.
Focus in a 60-shot match fails because attention runs out, not because you lack willpower. Structure each shot into a short, repeatable attention cycle and the long card takes care of yourself.
ISSF pistol trigger weights range from no minimum at all in 50m free pistol up to 1000 grams in the 25m events. Equipment control tests the trigger with a hanging dead weight, and failing a random check after the match means disqualification.
Clean the action and chamber after every session, leave the bore mostly alone, and store the rifle lightly oiled in low humidity. Smallbore bores shoot best with accumulated lead, so aggressive scrubbing does more harm than good.
50m rifle 3 positions scoring is really three separate scorecards stitched into one match. Prone is nearly perfect, kneeling gives back a little, and standing decides most finals. Here is what each position should score, and where your points actually go.
Most shooters score lower in matches than in practice because competition changes their physiological state and attention, not their technique. You close the gap by rehearsing pressure in training and tracking both cards honestly.
A steady prone position comes from bone support, a sling that carries the rifle's weight, and a natural point of aim verified before every string. Build those three things and holding the 10 ring stops being work.
Prescription shooting glasses correct your vision at the exact distance of your front sight or rifle diopter, not at reading or walking-around distance. Measuring that distance, handling astigmatism, and pairing the lens with the right iris is what separates a crisp sight picture from a fuzzy one.
A repeatable kneeling position comes from the ground up: feet spaced, seat on the heel, roll under the ankle, left elbow planted on the left knee, sling taking the weight. This guide walks through each step and the mistakes that cost points.
You can start 10m air pistol for free with a club loaner gun, shoot your first season on a beginner pistol in the low hundreds, or step straight into a match-grade PCP setup at roughly ten times that. The pistol is the big swing; everything else is cheap by comparison.
Entering a sanctioned shooting competition means joining a club, holding the right licence, choosing a suitable match, and registering before the entry deadline. This post walks through each step in order so nothing surprises you.
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