Field target
Field target is an outdoor airgun field shooting sport. Competitions are usually fired at self indicating steel targets placed between. There are two classes; Piston for spring-piston air guns, and PCP for pre-charged pneumatic air guns. In sanctioned competitions, the same competition rule set is used around most of the world. A small match can consist of 40 to 60 rounds, while the world championship consists of 150 rounds. It is common to use scope sights with high magnification and a short depth of field such that an adjustable parallax knob can be used to precisely determine the target distance. The target kill zones have three standardised sizes, which are 15 mm, 25 mm or 40 mm.
History
The sport originated by the National Air Rifle and Pistol Association in the United Kingdom in 1980, and spread to the USA during the mid-1980s. In 1987, the American Airgun Field Target Association was formed. During this time, the competition rules differed between the two countries. The first Field Target World Championship was held in 1991 with athletes from the United States and Great Britain. The sport spread to Norway during the 1990s, and to Germany shortly after. In 2011, the World Field Target Federation consisted of 30 national member associations. As of 2020, WFTF consists of over 40 member associations.Equipment
s are far less common than rifles in FT, and they are shot in special events designed to accommodate the differences in shooting style.In the UK, 0.177 inch caliber rifles are the most popular, as the higher velocity of the pellets means they fly with a flatter trajectory over the distances involved. One downside is that.177" pellets are very light and can be affected more by light crosswinds than the heavier pellets of a.22" rifle, in cases where.177 pellets and.22 pellets are traveling at the same initial muzzle velocity.
Pre-charged pneumatic rifles are more popular than spring guns as the much lower recoil provides more confidence in aim for most people. There are some FT shooters who compete at very high levels with spring guns, and a well-engineered gun, shot with some skill will be no less accurate than a PCP. There are some "dedicated" FT designs available, with the main features being deep stocks or adjustable platforms to rest on the knee while shooting seated, high or adjustable cheek-pieces to suit the large telescopic sights, and often adjustable butts or butt hooks. Many experienced shooters have chosen to use made-to-measure custom stocks for their rifles, and there are a small number of stockers in the UK who compete in FT and have a good understanding of the specific requirements of the sport.
Telescopic sights are favored for obvious reasons – it is impossible to see the kill zone of the furthest targets clearly with the naked eye. Another advantage of high-magnification scopes is their ability to act as simple range-finding tools. At very high magnifications, most scopes have very shallow depths of field, and one can accurately focus on a series of targets at known distances and mark the scope for future reference. In competition the focus is on the target and deducing the distance from the marks made on the scope's focus control.
Some scopes use side-wheel parallax adjustments to control focus, and this allows the use of large diameter wheels to increase the distance between range markings and effectively improve ranging resolution.
Physics and technique
Pellets from a.177 inch rifle running near the UK legal limit of 16.27 joules will drop around 11 cm over – more than enough to miss the kill of a target completely – so it becomes necessary to compensate for range by adjusting the elevation of the barrel. Two common methods used are: moving the crosshairs above the center of the target by a lesser or greater degree, often using markings on the reticle of the scope for reference, or adjusting a knob on the scope to drop the crosshairs onto the point of impact for a given range such that the pellet appears to go exactly where you point the gun. Competitors will often carry a small printed table of different ranges with their appropriate drop compensation or calibrate their elevation knob – combined with the range-finding ability of the scopes, this allows for very accurate vertical placement of the pellets.Wind presents probably the largest challenge for an FT shooter – while it is not too difficult to hit even the furthest targets on a perfectly still day with a little practice, mastering shooting in wind can take many years. Pellets can be blown sideways by even a light breeze. At longer distances this can start to cause misses, as the pellet will often be blown onto the faceplate if aimed centrally. In stronger winds it is not uncommon to have to aim completely off the faceplate in order to score a hit, and judging the amount of compensation to apply takes a lot of practice and experience. Head and tail winds can also have an effect on the trajectory of the pellets, causing them to hit high or low. It is common to fit a "windicator" to the barrel of the rifle – a piece of light cord with a feather on the end will provide a good indicator of general direction in light winds when it may not be entirely obvious, but it does not indicate what the wind will be doing on the way to the target. Competitors may choose to lift the reset cord of a target off the ground to get a feel for this wind – it will arc gently in a steady crosswind, and may even reveal changes in wind direction caused by nearby trees and foliage. Although many scopes have mechanical adjustment for horizontal offset, it is primarily used to ensure the rifle is shooting straight ahead in still conditions. The variable nature of the wind means it is often easier to aim off target than to try to adjust the calibration of the crosshairs.
One measure of the difficulty of a field target shot is the Troyer. At its simplest, a Troyer is the distance to the target in yards divided by the kill zone diameter in inches. Thus, if a target is at 45 yds and the kill zone is 2 in, the difficulty is 45/2 or 22.5T. In practice, there are additional multipliers for various conditions such as targets over 45 yards, wind, "extremely" dark or bright conditions, standing or kneeling positions, and uphill or downhill shots. A typical course has a difficulty averaging about 25T with a spread of difficulties from as low as 10T to as high as 60T. A well-designed course can be used for all field target classes although the PCP shooters will typically outscore the piston shooters.
UK rules
In the United Kingdom rules, competitors aim to shoot the small "kill" zone that forms part of a larger metal faceplate. These face plates are often shaped to resemble small game animals, although there is currently a move towards simple geometric shapes. On most competition targets, the kill zone forms the end of a short lever that tips the faceplate backwards when successfully hit. These targets have to be reset by tugging on a length of cord attached to the faceplate above the hinge.Targets are shot from open "gates" in a firing line, and are divided into "lanes" of two targets each. Many competitions impose a time restriction of two minutes to shoot both targets after a competitor first looks through his or her sights.
Targets may be placed at any distance between 10 yards and 55 yards from the firing line. Targets are often placed at about the same height as the shooter, but it is not uncommon for them to appear high up banks or in trees, or down steep slopes.
The hit or "kill" zone of a target is always circular, and nominally 40 mm in diameter, although "reducer" targets as small as 25 mm diameter may be employed for seated shots up to 35 yards.15 mm kill zones at close range are also becoming popular. The targets are painted with the kill a contrasting color to aid visibility, although the paint is quickly removed by hits during competitions, making it harder to distinguish.
The majority of shots may be taken in any stance, but the seated position is the most popular due to its stability and often the need to see over logs or long grass that would preclude prone shooting. Most competitors carry a small beanbag or cushion to sit on while shooting and they are often used as a protective rest for guns while competitors wait their turn to shoot.
In competition, 20% of the lanes are designated as compulsory standing or kneeling, and there must be as even a split as possible between the two. Most competitions have 40 targets arranged in 20 lanes, so it is usual to have 2 standing lanes and 2 kneeling lanes. Grand Prix events have 25 lanes, so there are 2 lanes of one position and 3 of the other. Standing or kneeling targets must be no more than 45 yards from the firing line.
Points are scored with 1 for a hit, and 0 for a miss. The highest score of a competition forms the benchmark for all the other scores – they are calculated as a percentage of this score rather than the total number of targets.
Members of the British Field Target Association are graded according to their performance every six months. The average percentage score over this period determines which of the four grades is given – C, B, A and AA. Prizes at shoots are awarded by grade