Issf competitive supported pistol and rifle

[zooma]

We are using these ISSF rules in our current MPL competition - but we "home shoot" at 6 yards rather than 10 metres.

[rapidboy1]

Old thread i know but just wondering how this worked out for those that tried it ?

We have some older shooters who are talking about quitting 10m pistol and im thinking about trying this to see if it might keep them shooting.

[markvulture]

At our club, Bexley Target Shooting Club, we have built up an interest in supported pistol to the point where we have 6+ supported pistol shooters out of a total membership of 30. We compete in two postal leagues and in shoulder to shoulder opens at the Norwich City and Shootability opens. I really think that it is the way forward to extend mature shooters careers. It definitely is not easy! The Hampshire open will be offering supported at their 2025 meeting for the first time.

[RobinC]

Yes an old thread, but the discipline has continued and gained a lot of support ("support", OK sorry!) so an update.

At Norwich it forms a regular class at their open shoots in both pistol and rifle, and has a good following in the club in rifle and pistol. It is intended for the mature shooter, and with the objective of keeping them shooting, and has age cut offs to first qualify to shoot it, then another to allow the more mature (like a good Port!) to shoot sitting, its not intended as a starting discipline for youngsters.

It now has a good following, and we have even encouraged some older small bore prone shooters to join the club, and take up rested air rifle as well. If you do it sitting its easier to get up than prone!

And yes Zooma, I have not taken it up, but have now tried it, (sitting) and yes, its not easy!! I found it a bit frustrating, as I expected it to be easier, I found it as like a cross between prone rifle, and standing air rifle, my scores were similar to my prone scores, but the tendency to add a flyer was more likely! It is satisfyingly difficult to get top scores, so a demanding discipline to get top scores.

The small bore rifle prone, and air rifle rested techniques do cross over and I think are complimentary. I've not tried it pistol so can't comment on that, but I'm aware that older pistol shooters who have gone to it, enjoy it and shoot similar to standing un rested scores from their best days.

Our last visit to Walther in Ulm was just before lock down, and they said then that the rested rifle market was their biggest and most developing target sector, its now very big in Germany.

Have Fun
Robin

[zooma]

Yes an old thread, but the discipline has continued and gained a lot of support ("support", OK sorry!) so an update.

At Norwich it forms a regular class at their open shoots in both pistol and rifle, and has a good following in the club in rifle and pistol. It is intended for the mature shooter, and with the objective of keeping them shooting, and has age cut offs to first qualify to shoot it, then another to allow the more mature (like a good Port!) to shoot sitting, its not intended as a starting discipline for youngsters.

It now has a good following, and we have even encouraged some older small bore prone shooters to join the club, and take up rested air rifle as well. If you do it sitting its easier to get up than prone!

And yes Zooma, I have not taken it up, but have now tried it, (sitting) and yes, its not easy!! I found it a bit frustrating, as I expected it to be easier, I found it as like a cross between prone rifle, and standing air rifle, my scores were similar to my prone scores, but the tendency to add a flyer was more likely! It is satisfyingly difficult to get top scores, so a demanding discipline to get top scores.

The small bore rifle prone, and air rifle rested techniques do cross over and I think are complimentary. I've not tried it pistol so can't comment on that, but I'm aware that older pistol shooters who have gone to it, enjoy it and shoot similar to standing un rested scores from their best days.

Our last visit to Walther in Ulm was just before lock down, and they said then that the rested rifle market was their biggest and most developing target sector, its now very big in Germany.

Have Fun
Robin

Hello Robin (my old friend),

As a fellow "mature shooter" I just had to respond to your comment as I feel sure that it is only a matter of time before you DO take up Supported Airgun Shooting, and I thought this could be an ideal opportunity to help you make the change by illustrating the advantages (along with a definite disadvantage) of doing so.

Getting back up and onto your feet again (unassisted from your prone rifle shooting position) just has to be getting a bigger challenge for you with each passing month, so Supported Airgun Shooting would save you so much energy and potential strain risk as well as avoiding any other related injuries that may be caused as you rise up to your feet from the ground level laying down position - much harder that getting out of bed!

There is also the possibility that you were actually asleep and woken up suddenly by other inconsiderate shooters firing their guns(!) - not good for your nerves or your digestion, and you may spill your cocoa if you were holding it in your hand when you fell asleep...

Fortunately your local airgun club has a facility for you to sit down on a chair and shoot - it will be so much easier for you to get up from!

If you fancy a bigger challenge there is also the option of supported shooting from the standing position, but as you will have found, you cannot use the rifle or its support to help keep you vertical ........so maybe not ....

The DISADVANTAGE of supported shooting(when seated) is that any "snoozing" in-between shooting has more chance of getting noticed than it does when you are already nice and comfy lying down on the ground - especially if you fall off of the chair! so each discipline has its own positives and negatives for you to consider.

Keep smiling......I was 75 earlier this year, and although I may not be able to actually "catch you up", I am not that far behind, so I can share some of the age related aches and pains and the increasingly dark sense of humour that comes when playing Top Trumps with friends comparing their own aches and pains etc.......

Stay in touch,
Bob.