Competition Overview
Bullseye pistol shooting is simple, but difficult. First lets discuss some basics about the sport. Its real name is Conventional Pistol however most shooters refer to it as Bullseye Pistol. This sport is all about precision pistol shooting, there is no running, jumping, laying down, etc. There are some speed challenges, but precision is more important than speed. You shoot at stationary paper targets which have scoring rings. You will hold the gun one-handed with no artificial support allowed and you will be in the standing position. The competition is structured around 3 guns:
Rimfire - 22 caliber, common guns are: 1911 w/22 conversion, S&W model 41, Ruger Mark III
Center fire - 32 to 45 caliber, common guns are: S&W model 52, 1911 (same as 45 category)
45 - 45 caliber, common guns are: 1911 which is usually customized
The basic elements that make up the course of fire consists of:
Slow fire - 10 shots in 10 minutes -- one string
Timed fire - 5 shots in 20 seconds -- two strings
Rapid fire - 5 shots in 10 seconds -- two strings
The distance you shoot at for a particular match is dictated by the range you are shooting at along with the legal distances:
50 foot - usually indoor - slow, timed, and rapid are shot at same distance
60 foot - Slow,timed and rapid fire
75 foot - usually outdoor - timed and rapid fire. Sometimes you may also shoot slow fire at 75 foot
150 foot - usually outdoor - slow fire only
A match or tournament, depending on the duration, can be made up of a variety of the aforementioned and is usually referred to by total points. Common courses of fire for matches & tournaments is as follows:
National Match Course (common for leagues and part of all tournaments)
10 rounds of slow fire
10 rounds of timed fire
10 rounds of rapid fire for a total score of 300
An 1800 match is done with two guns, a rimfire and a center fire gun. The course of fire would be as follows:
Rimfire
20 rounds of slow fire (200 points)
National Match course - 10 rounds slow, 10 rounds timed, 10 rounds rapid (300) points
20 rounds of timed fire (200 points)
20 rounds of rapid fire (200 points)
Center fire
20 rounds of slow fire (200 points)
National Match course - 10 rounds slow, 10 rounds timed, 10 rounds rapid (300) points
20 rounds of timed fire (200 points)
20 rounds of rapid fire (200 points)
A 2700 point match is done with 3 guns (or two if using the 45 twice) and is usually an all day event. This course of fire is:
Rimfire
20 rounds of slow fire (200 points)
National Match course - 10 rounds slow, 10 rounds timed, 10 rounds rapid (300) points
20 rounds of timed fire (200 points)
20 rounds of rapid fire (200 points)
Center fire
20 rounds of slow fire (200 points)
National Match course - 10 rounds slow, 10 rounds timed, 10 rounds rapid (300) points
20 rounds of timed fire (200 points)
20 rounds of rapid fire (200 points)
45
20 rounds of slow fire (200 points)
National Match course - 10 rounds slow, 10 rounds timed, 10 rounds rapid (300) points
20 rounds of timed fire (200 points)
20 rounds of rapid fire (200 points)
Scoring is done by the competitors, you usually score the shooter to your left. Awards are issued for each of the individual courses of fire. For example, you could win the timed fire portion for center fire.
Shooters are classified based on their scores as reported to the NRA. After shooting 360 rounds in registered competitions, the NRA will issue you a classification card indicating your classification. Un-classified shooters often have to shoot in the Master category till they become established. Indoor and outdoor classification is tracked separately. You can look up your NRA classification if you are a memeber by visiting here http://www.nrahq.org/compete/classification.asp The following is the classification ranking system..
High Master - 97% or better
Master - 95% ~ 96.99%
Expert - 90% ~ 94.99%
Sharpshooter - 85% ~ 89.99%
Marksman - 0% ~ 84.99%
To give you an idea of the makeup of the 2011 Nationals regarding shooter classifications, I calculated the percentage of shooters in each class. I then counted up the number of shooters in each class that actually shot a high enough score to make the minimum for that class. As you can see, shooting a High Master score is tough, very tough! (NOTE, there may be some inaccuracy in these stats and they are being verified)
08% High Master --> number of High Masters that shot 97% or better 4 out of 54 (7%)
21% Master --> number of Masters that shot 95% or better 9 out of 133 (7%)
35% Expert --> number of Experts that shot 90% or better 97 out of 218 (44%)
20% Sharpshooter --> number of Sharpshooters that shot 85% or better 68 out of 127 (54%)
15% Marksman
For any given match or tournament, you would compete against the shooters in your classification. This allows shooters of all levels to participate and have the opportunity to win events. For further specifics on the rules of Bullseye Pistol competition, please visit this link which is the NRA rule book. http://www.nrahq.org/compete/RuleBooks/Pistol/pst-index.pdf
If you are looking for a tournament in your area, use this search tool at the NRA http://www.nra.org/nralocal.aspx
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT
If you have never been to a tournament, let me explain how they operate so that you understand the situation going into your first one. Most importantly, they are run by volunteers, folks dedicated to the sport. As such, show your respect and appreciation. These people put a lot of work into running a tournament and they enjoy it. Without their efforts, there is no competition so be sure to show your genuine appreciation.
When you arrive, you will have your check-in where you complete the required forms and pay your fees. If you are shooting in the second match of the day and arrive early, you can watch the other folks shoot first to get a feel for the event. Rimfire is first, followed by center fire, and finally, 45 if it is a 3 gun match. The range officers tell you what to do and when to do it. They often have a short, 10 minute break between rimfire and center fire and allow for a 1 hour lunch when it is a 3 gun match. You will shoot in the rain or snow or wind if it is an outdoor match. Sometimes the pace can be pretty quick so you have to try and keep pace, but remember that when you hear "Is the line ready?", it is a question. If you are not ready alert the range officer.
The atmosphere at every match I have participated in has been relaxed, there isn't any bantering except between friends, there isn't any attempts at intimidation of others, unless it is between friends. The discipline is high, you must follow the orders of the range officer. A well run match flows nicely and as a shooter you simply need to follow directions.
Between strings of fire, respect the other shooters, many need to stay focused so they don't like chatting between strings. If you finish slow fire early, stay quiet on the line, let the other shooters finish before talking. A tournament is not a social event, but at the proper times their is plenty of time to socialize.
Come prepared, but if you need something that you forgot, ask around at the appropriate time. I have borrowed items and I have lent items to other shooters. I have bought ammo at a tournament and I have given away ammo at a tournament. As competitors, we all want to win, but we want to win as sportsman by out shooting our competitors, not by taking advantage of them forgetting something. If you borrow something, don't complain about it, that is a sure fire way to piss someone off.
Scoring someone's target can be intimidating, be sure you have a scoring overlay so you can score each shot accurately. Don't hesitate to ask for help, everyone is willing to help. If someone challenges a score you have come up with, don't take it personal. We all try our best to score targets fairly, and we all want our own targets to be of the highest possible score - this leads to challenges. It is part of the process so don't take offense.
Expect to receive advice from other shooters, especially if you let them know you are new to the sport. Be careful of whos advice you take, it may be good advice and it may be poor advice.
Offer to help in any way you can. It might be something as simple as sweeping the floor after the match.
Do not expect the official results to be provided at the end of the tournament. As mentioned before, these are run by volunteers and their time is valuable. They need to double check the math on the scoring cards, and they need to go over a lot of other details to make sure everything is official and accurate. Being that there isn't time at the match to do all that, this is done on their time between work, life, and other normal activities. It may be a few weeks before the match director can publish the official results.
After the match, send a thank you email or letter to the match director and other volunteers, they work hard for nothing so a thank you goes a long way to keep them excited about running the match again!
