10 meter air rifle is an International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) shooting event, shot at a bullseye target over a distance of using a calibre

air rifle An air gun or airgun is a gun that uses energy from compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized and then released to propel and accelerate projectiles, similar to the principle of the primitive blowgun. This is in contr ...

with a maximum weight of . It is one of the ISSF sports governed in

shooting sport Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such ...

s included in the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

since the

1984 Los Angeles Games The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

. Shots are fired from the

standing Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an upright (orthostatic) position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the ...

position only, as opposed to some other airgun disciplines such as for

three positions International Rifle events that occur in three positions are conducted with an equal number of shots fired from the Kneeling, Prone and Standing positions, although the order has changed over the years. Each of the three positions shot during the ...

(popular in the United States) or in

disabled sports Parasports are sports played by people with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. Some parasports are forms of adapted physical activities from existing non-disabled sports, while others have been specifically created f ...

, which allows

sitting Sitting is a basic action and resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the bony ischial tuberosities with the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal surface such as a chair seat, instead of by the low ...

and

prone position Prone position () is a body position in which the person lies flat with the chest down and the back up. In anatomical terms of location, the dorsal side is up, and the ventral side is down. The supine position is the 180° contrast. Etymology T ...

s. Due to the low

recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, for according to Newton's third law the force requ ...

of air guns and the need for stability, the shooter frequently adopts a deliberately

lordotic Lordosis is historically defined as an ''abnormal'' inward curvature of the lumbar spine. However, the terms ''lordosis'' and ''lordotic'' are also used to refer to the normal inward curvature of the lumbar and cervical regions of the human sp ...

and scoliotic posture, which allows the non-dominant

elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...

to be rested against the chest to support the

forearm The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in anatomy, techn ...

and improves the stability of the shooting stance. The use of specialized rigidly padded

vest A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit) or vest ( US and Canada) is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. It ...

is allowed to prevent chronic back injury, which can be caused by prolonged asymmetric load on the

spinal column The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmen ...

. The major competitions are the Olympic Games every four years and the

ISSF World Shooting Championships The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is the governing body of Shooting at the Summer Olympics, Olympic shooting events. It also reg ...

every four years (the Games and the Championships are held two years apart). In addition, the event is included in the

ISSF World Cup The ISSF World Cup was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation in 1986 to provide a homogeneous system for qualification to the Olympic shooting competitions. It still is carried out in the Olympic shooting events, with four comp ...

series, the ISSF World Cup Final, continental championships, and many other international and national competitions. It is an indoor sport. In many clubs and ranges,

electronic target Electronic scoring systems or electronic targets are automated scoring systems used for shooting sport, sport shooting where the shot placement and score is automatically calculated using electronics and presented on screens to the organizer and s ...

s are now being used instead of the traditional paper targets. Scores in 10-meter air rifles have improved rapidly during the last few decades. During the 1970s, technical advances in the employed match air rifles made the ISSF, known as the International Shooting Union or UIT () back then, decide to significantly reduce the size of the 10-meter air rifle

target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

to its current dimensions.

Rules

Until 2013, the maximum achievable aggregate score (qualification + final) was 709 for men (600 + 109.0) and 509 for women (400 + 109.0). The score for the qualification used integers (10 as the highest score per shot), and the final stage included decimals (10.9 as the highest score per shot). No top competitor achieved an official perfect aggregate score under these rules. Under rules introduced in 2013, finals became "start from zero", with qualification scores no longer carried forward, and the best eight competitors started all over again. In the 20-shot final, the highest achievable final score was 218.0 points. No competitor achieved an official perfect final score under these rules. Rules introduced in 2018 ended the differences in competition format between male and female athletes. Also, the final was changed to 24 shots (5 shots + 5 shots + 14 shots elimination phase). In the final, the highest achievable final score is 261.6 points. Until 2020, no top competitor has achieved an official perfect final score under these rules. The current world record is 253.7 for men and 252.9 for women.

Qualification Round

Pre 2013 qualification rules

The course of fire was an unlimited number of sighter shots followed by 60 competition shots for men or 40 competition shots for women, all fired within 75 minutes for men or 50 minutes for women. During this initial or qualification phase, a maximum of 10 points was awarded for each shot. Top competitors sometimes achieved maximum results (a "possible") for the initial or qualification phase (600 for men and 400 for women). Most of these full marks were achieved non-directly ISSF supervised international and national-level matches and championships, where official ISSF-recognized world records cannot be set. This leads to many national records being equal to the world records.

2013 to 2018 qualification rules

The course of fire was 60 competition shots for men or 40 for women, and all fired within 75 minutes for men or 50 minutes for women. During this initial or qualification phase, a maximum of 10.9 points was awarded for each shot. The highest possible 60-shot score for men was 654.0 points, and for women, 436.0 points.

2018 qualification rules

ISSF rules introduced in 2018 ended gender differences, expanding the 40-shot qualification phase for women to 60 shots and setting the highest possible 60-shot score at 654.0 points.

Finals

Pre 2013 finals rules

The top eight shooters from the qualification round moved on to a finals event consisting of 10 shots – each decimal scored to a maximum of 10.9 – with the cumulative score determining the winner (qualification + finals score). Every scoring ring is 5 mm wide and sub-divided in 0.5 mm (≈ 0.1719

MOA Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. Moa or MOA may also refer to: Arts and media * Metal Open Air, a Brazilian heavy metal festival * MOA Museum of Art in Japan * The Moas, New Zealand film awards People * Moa ...

) increments in 10 "subrings". Like the other scoring rings, the maximum of 10.9 is derived from an additional set of 10 "subrings" within the center 10-point circle, increasing in 0.1 point value as the rings approach the center of the target.

2013 to 2018 finals rules

In November 2012, The ISSF announced other final rules. This finals rules had the best eight shooters starting from zero, eliminating the qualification scores that used to be combined with the finals scores for competition results. The format consisted of 20 final shots scored in 0.1 point value as the rings approach the center of the target, setting the highest possible 20 shots score at 218.0 points.

2018 finals rules

Since 2018, the ISSF finals rules have ranked the eight best shooters, starting from zero and eliminating qualification scores. The format consists of 2 series of 5 shots each, to be fired within 250 seconds per series. This is followed by 14 single shots fired on command, with 50 seconds for each shot. Eliminations of the lowest-scoring finalists begin after the tenth shot (series + first 2 single shots) and continue after every two shots until the gold and silver medalists are decided. There is a total of 24 finals shots, setting the highest possible 24 shots score at 261.6 points. If there is a tie for the lowest-ranking athlete to be eliminated, the tied athletes will fire additional tie-breaking single shots until the tie is broken.

Equipment

Air rifle

The occurrence of high scores in modern times is mainly due to the continuous development of precision match air rifles from spring-piston type designs into single-stroke pneumatic and then regulated pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) designs. Modern PCP match rifles feature

regulated Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...

powerplants to minimize shot-to-shot variation in output pressure and resulting

muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity is the speed of a projectile (bullet, pellet, slug, ball/ shots or shell) with respect to the muzzle at the moment it leaves the end of a gun's barrel (i.e. the muzzle). Firearm muzzle velocities range from approximately t ...

. Modern PCP rifles are practically recoilless and vibration-free. Mechanical and electronic match triggers offer low shot development time (at low

lock time Lock time or action time refers to the time interval (often measured in milliseconds) from when the Trigger (firearms), trigger of a firearm is activated until the firing pin strikes the Primer (firearms), primer, and depends on the design of the ...

s, factors like the dwell time of the pellet in the barrel become influential). Weight and balance can be tailored via an adjustable stock and various accessories to the individual shooter's preferences, promoting comfortable and accurate shooting. ISSF rules mandate the use of non-magnifying

diopter A dioptre ( British spelling) or (American spelling), symbol dpt or D, is a unit of measurement with dimension of reciprocal length, equivalent to one reciprocal metre, . It is normally used to express the optical power of a lens or curved mi ...

and

globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

sights. Combined with appropriate match pellets, these rifles produce a consistent 10-ring performance, so a sub-10.0 average result can be attributed to the participant, and at the 2019 top competition level, a 10.5 average result can be regarded as excellent.

Ammunition

For the 10-meter air rifle and air pistol disciplines, match-grade diabolo pellets are used. These pellets are

wadcutter A wadcutter is a special-purpose flat-fronted bullet specifically designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under approximately . Wadcutters have also found favor for use in self-defense guns ...

, meaning the pellet head is nearly completely flat. This leaves smooth-edged round holes in paper targets and allows easy gauging for scoring. Match pellets are offered in tins and more elaborate packaging, avoiding deformation and other damage that could impair their uniformity. Match air rifle shooters are encouraged to perform shooting group tests with their gun clamped in a machine rest to establish which particular match pellet type performs best for their particular air gun. To facilitate maximum performance out of various air guns the leading match pellet manufacturers produce pellets with graduated "head sizes", which means the pellets are offered with front diameters from up to . However at higher and top competitive levels, even these variations are thought too coarse-grained and match pellets are ''batch-tested''; that is, the specific gun is mounted in a machine rest test rig and pellets from a particular production run on a specific machine with the same ingredients fed into the process (a ''batch'') are test-fired through the gun. Many different batches will be tested in this manner, and the pellets which give the smallest ''consistent'' group size without fliers (shots which fall outside of the main group) will be selected (small but inconsistent group sizes are not valuable for a top competitor); and the shooter will then purchase several tens of thousands of pellets from that batch. Group sizes of diameter are theoretically possible, but practically shot groups of are considered highly competitive.Haendler & Natermann Finale Match Rifle
/ref> Unbatched ammunition, especially if the air gun is not regularly cleaned, is generally thought to be capable of only diameter group sizes. Batch-testing match pellets for a particular gun is not considered worthwhile until the shooter reaches a high proficiency level (around the 95% level, i.e., 570 for the qualification round).

Gallery

File:Nancy Johnson (sport shooter) 1.jpg, Women's 10 m Air Rifle competition at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

in Sydney File:Tir-sport.jpg, Chinese students shooting 10m air rifle on their school range File:Nancy Johnson (sport shooter) 4.jpg, Olympic gold medalist

Nancy Johnson Nancy Elizabeth Johnson (née Lee; born January 5, 1935) is an American lobbyist and politics in the United States, politician from the U.S. state, state of Connecticut. Johnson was a United States Republican Party, Republican member of the Un ...

aims carefully as she competes in the women's 10 m Air Rifle

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indi ...

at the

in Sydney File:Hattie Johnson 2.jpg,

Hattie Johnson Hattie Johnson (née Ponti; born September 18, 1981) is a former Olympic athlete. The Athol, Idaho, resident competed in the Women's 10-metre Air Rifle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, finishing in 14th place. At the 2003 Pan A ...

aiming her air rifle. She competed in the women's 10 m Air Rifle competition at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

in Athens, Greece File:191029-F-RB000-001.jpg, U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Peter Fiori using corrective

shooting glasses Shooting glasses are specialized corrective glasses for use in shooting and are used almost exclusively in sport shooting competitions. Like other glasses, they are worn in front of the eyes to compensate for the shooter's ametropia with optica ...

as a visual aid File:Issf 10m air rifle 2014-06-15 23-22.jpeg, Competitor resting between shots during an ISSF competition File:AnSchaft1.jpg, User adjustable stock of a PCP match rifle File:Spc. Dan Lowe Rio Olympics air rifle (28586077650).jpg, Electronic scoring system used at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

World Championships, Men

World Championships, Men Team

World Championships, Women

World Championships, Women Team

World Championships, Mixed Team

World Championships, total medals

Current world records

Post 1 January 2013 World and Olympic Records

Post 1 January 2018 World and Olympic Records

References

ISSF World Records

ISSF Official Statutes Rules and Regulations
{{DEFAULTSORT:10 Metre Air Rifle ISSF shooting events Rifle shooting sports Pneumatic weapons