Target Shooting comprises three different disciplines based on the type of firearm being used. While some shooters spend time participating in different disciplines most end up with one preferred discipline where they focus their practice and develop their skills.

Pistol and revolver sport target shooting are very popular recreational and competitive activities in Canada. The highly competitive recreational sport target shooting events serve as pathways to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to lifelong involvement in target shooting.

Pierre De Coubertin, the creator of the modern Olympic Games, was a pistol shooter, and pistol events have been at every summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement in 1896.

Olympic, Paralympic and ISSF World Shooting Championship pistol events

The following events fall under the rules of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

Air Pistol – 10M

The 10 metre air pistol is an Olympic precision shooting event governed by the ISSF, where competitors use 4.5 mm (.177 caliber) air pistols at a distance of 10 metres.

  • Pistols must meet restrictions on size, weight, and trigger pull.
  • Shooting is done one-handed in a standing, unsupported position.

25m Rapid Fire Pistol

The 25 meter rapid fire pistol is an ISSF event using .22 LR pistols and has been part of the Olympics since 1896. The rules have evolved significantly, with major revisions in 1989 and 2005, restricting pistols to sport models and standardizing ammunition. These changes led to slightly lower scores in competitions.

  • Fire 60 shots in two stages of three time limits: 8 seconds, 6 seconds, and 4 seconds (two series each).
  • Shots fired one-handed at five adjacent targets, 25 meters away.

25m Pistol (known as 25M Sport Pistol)

This event is the same as 25M Center Fire but using a .22 calibre firearm. Internationally this is a women’s event. 

Athletes with a disability (AWAD) compete in Shooting Para Sport in Pistol in the Paralympic Games.

The following events are also included in the ISSF World Shooting Championships.

50 M Pistol

The original Olympic pistol discipline. ISSF 50-meter pistol, or “Free Pistol,” is arguably the premier precision pistol discipline and to many, the most challenging. 

Has been a staple at ISSF competitions like the World Shooting Championships since the very beginning.

  • Shooters fire 60 shots in two hours at 50 meters one handed. The target is identical to the 25-meter pistol but at double the distance.

25M Center Fire Pistol

The 25-meter center-fire pistol is a 2 staged event with a precision stage and a rapid fire stage. It has roots in 19th-century military-style pistol competitions. It is shot with center-fire handguns (caliber 7.62 mm to 9.65 mm). In Canada, this calibre is allowed for target shooting.

  • Shooting is done one-handed and unsupported.
  • Targets differ between stages, with smaller scoring zones in the precision stage and larger zones in rapid-fire.
  • In the rapid stage (also called “Duello”), the arm starts from a 45-degree angle before each shot.
  • In Rapid, you must not rest your gun on the bench between shots.

25M Standard Pistol

The 25m Standard Pistol event, introduced at the ISSF World Championship in 1970, combines precision and rapid-fire elements.

  • Slow Fire Stage – Four series of 150 seconds each.
  • Time Fire Stage – Four series of 20 seconds each.
  • Rapid Fire Stage – Four series of 10 seconds each.

Rifle events have been present at every summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement (1896) with the exception of 1904 and 1928.

Early Settlers in Canada had a rifle in hand. Essential for survival, the rifle and hunting with it formed in large part a piece of Canada’s national heritage. That heritage continues to be practiced and enjoyed today, particularly as a recreational pastime and competition. A pastime that has been and still is officially recognized by the Government of Canada in the form of its own unique match rifle sport… Sporting Rifle.

Sporting Rifle competitions have become an important part of Canada’s National Sport Organization governing Canadian National Team members and Olympic Athletes, the Shooting Federation of Canada. Since the federation’s adoption of Sporting Rifle, it has served as a feeder and development sport for ISSF Match Rifle and 3 Position competitions.

These events fall under the rules of the ISSF.:

Air rifle – 10M: Men, Women, Mixed

3 positions (Kneeling, Prone, Standing) – Men, Women

Clay target shooting is a very popular recreational and competitive event for many shooters across Canada.

Shotgun events have been introduced at the summer Olympic Games at different times, depending on the specific discipline.

Trap

The Olympic and Parasport Trap disciplines use over and under style shotguns that fire 24 grams of pellets at 10 cm orange discs. Each athlete stands one of at 5 different stations that have 3 machines below ground level situated 15 meters in front of the athlete. Machines throw each target at variable heights and angles at speed near 90km/ hour away from the athlete. Each time an athlete calls for a target, one of the three machines throws the target, and the athlete has 2 shots to break the target. Each round is 25 targets, and an event is 125 targets plus a final.

Skeet

Skeet is the shorter-range discipline of the Olympic Shotgun sports. Two machines throw the 10 cm targets in fixed and opposite directions. The athlete moves to 8 different stations in a semicircle from the “high house” to the “low house” and are required to shoot single and pairs of targets at these stations. The variety of angles from which the targets are shot and the requirement of the athlete to not shoulder the shotgun until the targets are visible makes this an enjoyable challenging sport. Five rounds of 25 targets make up an event in this sport with a final consisting of only pairs to determine the winner.

Shooting Para Sport

Athletes with a disability compete in 13 events across the Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun disciplines.

International Paralympic competition has taken place since the 1976 Toronto Paralympic Games.

The Sport of Shooting Para Sport consist of men’s, women’s and mixed events. Seven co-ed events are open to both women and men, and three additional events are separate for men and women.

The Sport follows the World Shooting Para Sport Technical Rules and Regulations in conjunction with the latest ISSF Rules and, integral to the WSPS Classification Rules.

Regardless of what discipline you choose if you want to train, and compete in a shooting discipline on the program of the Olympics, here is how to get started:

Seek out a club to be a part of that teaches beginners and hosts competitions. Click below to find a club near you.

Get your local club to start matches. Find an established pistol league. Participate in regional matches and learn about opportunities in your province.