Recreational Shooting

There are so many shooting disciplines an individual can participate.

Here is a short list.

IPSC

International Practical Shooting Confederation. (IPSC)

The world’s second largest shooting sport association and the largest and oldest within practical shooting, founded in 1976. IPSC’s activities include international regulation of the sport by approving firearms and equipment for various divisions, administering competition rules and education of range officials (range officers) through the International Range Officers Association which are responsible for conducting matches safely, fair and according to the rules. IPSC 0rganizes the World Championships called the Handgun World Shoot, Rifle World Shoot and Shotgun World Shoot within three year interval for each discipline.

IDPA: 

International Defense Pistol Association (IDPA)

A shooting sport based on defensive pistol techniques, using equipment including full charge service ammunition to solve simulated “real World” self defense scenarios. Shooters competing in defensive pistol events are required to use practical handguns and holsters which are deemed suitable for self defensive use. The sport came about as a response to the perceived shortcomings in competitions organized by the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) and its migration away from the use of common, non customized handguns.

Trap Shooting

Trapshooting is a specific form of clay target shooting. Trapshooting is a game of movement, action and split-second timing. It requires the accuracy and skill to repeatedly aim, fire and break the 4 1/4 inch disc which are hurled through the air at a speed of 42mph, simulating the flight path of a bird fleeing a hunter.

Trapshooting's continual growth and expanding popularity is due to the fact that people of all ages, incomes and abilities can compete. Nine year old boys shoot alongside 90 year old men. Many 70-year olds have been in the sport 55 years and some began just two years ago. Trapshooting's participants include millionaires and hourly wage earners, inventors and businessmen, former sports figures in other fields, professional men, farmers, truck drivers, musicians, actors, students and housewives.

The shooter is required to shoot at a target after he calls "pull." It does not matter in scoring if the shooter hits only a small piece of the target or whether he shatters the target. The target is considered a "dead" or "lost" bird. If the target is hit it is "dead." It is the shooters responsibility to check his own score.

Registered trapshooting is competition that is regulated by the Amateur Trapshooting Association. Gun clubs hold shoots in accordance with ATA rules, but they must apply and register for each shoot. All participants of these shoots must be ATA members. The shooters scores are recorded in the ATA office where all records are kept and yearly averages computed. The records are used for handicapping and classifying shooters.

In registered trapshooting, the rules specify that targets must be thrown no less than 48 yards no more than 52 yards and should be between 8 and 12 feet high and 10 yards from the trap. Shooters stand a minimum of 16 yards from the trap houses.

Skeet Shooting

A round of skeet consists of 25 targets, with 17 shot as singles and 8 as doubles. The first miss is repeated immediately and is called an option. If no targets are missed during the round, the last or 25th target is shot at the last station, low house 8. The shooting sequence is as follows:

• Stations 1 and 2: High house single; Low house single; High house/Low house pair

• Stations 3, 4, and 5: High house single; Low house single

• Stations 6 and 7: High house single; Low house single; Low house/High house pair

• Station 8: High house single; Low house single

Skeet is shot in squads of up to five shooters. They move from station to station around the half moon, ending up in the center, at the end of the round.

Any gauge shotgun may be used, of any type, as long as it can fire at least two shots. The preferred shot size is #9, but nothing larger than 7-1/2 should ever be used. Since strength is not a factor, women are able to compete equally with men. Left handed shooters do just as well as right.

F Class Shooting

F-Class shooting is a Canadian invention.

Take any caliber or centre file rifle (from 223 on up subject to range restrictions) put it on a rest or bipod, lay down behind it and shoot targets that range from 300 to 1,000 yards away. 308 calibre, 6.5mm and 7mm rifles are very popular in F class.

The origin of F class was that a Canadian TR shooter (see TR page), Mr Farquarson, wanted to carry on shooting so he added a rest and a scope and called it ‘F’ class.

F-Class shoots are ‘deliberate’ which means that each individual shot is scored and displayed to the shooter before the next shot, allowing you to adjust your sights for a ‘perfect’ shot. The targets used are the bulls-eye format, so they are very easy to see and aim at. The important thing about F-Class is that almost any scoped bolt action rifle, of pretty much any caliber, can be used.

To make competitions fair, there are 3 recognized subdivisions of F Class, based
upon the rifle used. Open Class, Restricted Class and Factory Class. All F Classes shoot the same course of fire, alongside each other.

Open F-Class
This is the class with the least restriction for rifles of any caliber up to 8mm depending on range restrictions. It must not weigh more than 10kg (about 22-lb) including all attachments. Any safe, mechanically operated trigger can be used provided a safe level of sear engagement is retained.

Restricted F-Class
Exactly as for Open F Class except that only .308in/7.62mm or .223in/5.56mm caliber can be used. The overall weight of the rifle, with all attachments, must not exceed 8.25 kg including an attached bipod or 7.5kg if the bipod is not fixed on.

Factory F-Class
This class is restricted to mass-produced rifles of any calibre (like Open Class) that can be purchased readily at many gun shops and that have not been customized to improve ballistic performance. Factory Class is for people shooting ‘out-of-the-box’ rifles; Remington, Winchester, Ruger, Savage, Tikka, Browning, Sako or similar, using the original manufacturers parts. Some ‘adjustments’ are permitted, but not the replacement of parts.

The rules governing F(M) qualified rifles have been devised to create a low cost class for competitors and in the recognition that the majority of mass-produced rifles are not capable of accuracy equal to the sophisticated Open Class rifles. The rifle must be ‘as manufactured’ and available in quantity, as described in the manufacturers catalogue (i.e. mass produced). This excludes specialist TR guns or Bench Rest actions, wildcat calibres and custom built guns. There is no restriction on the type of rifle that can be used; bolt action, falling block, lever action or semi-automatic rifles are acceptable.

These rules are interpreted to mean that a Factory Class rifle:

• Must have the original manufacturers barrel.

• Must have the original trigger (which can be adjusted or tuned).

• Must have the original stock (which can be reshaped).

• Must have the original chamber (no re-working or improving).

• Can be any calibre (subject to range rules).

• Can be bedded and floated in the original stock.

• The barrel can be re-crowned.

• Can have any type of sight system.

• As in F(O) class, any type of front and rear rests may be used.

Factory or hand loaded ammunition may be used

SASS 

CAS is a multi-faceted sport shooting activity. Shooters must use firearms typical of the American Far West period, prior to the year 1900.

What characterizes the action shooting sector is that shooters wear period costumes from that era. Participants also adopt aliases associated with real or fictional persons from the 19th century.

Grouped as the SASS (Single Action Shooting Society), founded 30 years ago, this organization has over 100,000 members in more than 20 countries. In Canada, there are 30 affiliated clubs, with three currently in Québec.

The term « action » in the CAS acronym refers to the main type of firearm used, a holstered single action revolver.

• Equipment

Two holstered single action revolvers, a lever action rifle and a shotgun, typical of the era.

From .32 to .45 for the revolver/rifle (generally .38SP, .45 SP and .45 Colt).

Maximum velocities: revolver 1000ft/sec, rifle 1400 ft/sec.

NO modern calibres (later than 1900), for example: 9mm, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, etc.

Shotgun: 12, 16, 20 calibre, 7, 7 ½, 8 gauge.

Smokeless powder or black powder. Lead bullets only.