Explainers and guides on ISSF scoring, disciplines, gear, training drills, and getting the most out of TargetLog. Reviewed by the team, published in English.
A shot gauge is a machined plug placed into a doubtful bullet hole to decide whether it touches the higher scoring ring. ISSF rules fix the gauge diameter for every discipline, restrict insertion to jury members, and allow only one gauge per hole.
There is no single correct rear aperture size; it depends on your eyes, the light, and your front sight. Start near 1.1 mm, then test on the range until the aiming black sits in a ring of clean white.
The hour before your relay decides how your match starts. Follow a fixed timeline from gear check through sighting shots so you arrive at the load command settled, warmed up, and on zero.
Calling your shots means knowing where each shot landed from your sight picture at release, before you check the target. It is the fastest honest feedback loop a shooter has, and training it will expose the sight and trigger errors hiding in your averages.
Air rifle is the more stable and forgiving platform, so beginners usually see faster early progress with it. Air pistol is cheaper to start and builds trigger and hold control that transfers everywhere.
ISSF electronic targets locate each shot with acoustic or optical sensors and compute the score instantly, with decimals deciding finals. Paper targets still settle most club matches by eye and gauge, and a shooter who understands both systems competes better on either.
Filling a PCP air gun cylinder takes a matching fitting, a slow bleed-up to the rated pressure, and a habit of drying the air you put in. This guide walks through the three fill sources and the checks that keep a cylinder in test and leak-free.
Pack for a shooting match the same way you would pack for any competition: gun, ammo, spares, paperwork, and food, checked off the night before. This checklist covers everything an ISSF shooter needs on match day, plus the extras that save you when something breaks.
Holding your breath at the wrong moment is one of the fastest ways to throw off a shot. The fix is a natural respiratory pause at the bottom of an exhale, where your body is most still for roughly 3 to 5 seconds.
A shooting diary turns raw scores into actionable insights. By recording conditions, equipment settings, and mental state alongside each session, you can identify exactly what drives your best and worst performances.
50m free pistol is 60 shots at 50 metres with a .22 LR pistol, fired one-handed within two hours. It demands extreme hold stability and is one of the purest tests of precision shooting in the ISSF programme.
ISSF World Ranking points are awarded based on the championship tier, your final placing, and how many shooters competed. Only your four best results from the past 365 days count toward your total.
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