The Paris 2024 shooting tournament will see 340 shooters compete in fifteen events, shared equally – five events each – between rifle, pistol and shotgun. The competition will take place at the Centre National de Tir, the National Shooting Centre, in Châteauroux, central France.
So what is Olympic shooting and what are the rules? It’s a story that has its origins in medieval Europe. Here’s your guide to shooting at the Olympics.
A Brief History of Sport Shooting
Pistol shooting athlete (Credit: ilbusca via Getty Images)
The sport of shooting may be traced back to Switzerland as early as the 1450s. The tradition of marksmanship in Switzerland dates back to medieval times, with organised shooting competitions being held among Swiss marksmen. These early competitions were often connected to militia training, as marksmanship was an essential skill for defending the city-states. Over time, these shooting contests evolved into more structured sports events, laying the foundation for modern competitive shooting sports.
By the nineteenth century, recreational and competitive shooting gained popularity, leading to the formation of formal clubs and national associations. The Industrial Revolution facilitated the mass production of firearms, further popularising the sport. In the twentieth century, shooting became a recognised Olympic sport under the auspices of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). Today, shooting sports encompass a wide range of disciplines, from precision rifle and pistol competitions to dynamic shotgun events.
The Olympic Games: Shooting Makes Its Debut
Statue of Baron Pierre de Coubertin in Atlanta, USA (Credit: Diane Macdonald via Getty Images)
It just so happened that Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the co-founder of the International Olympic Committee and father of the modern Olympic movement, was also a French pistol shooting champion, so shooting at the Olympics was on the programme at Athens 1896 and aside from St. Louis 1904 and Amsterdam 1928, it has been a permanent fixture.
The competition’s early years included live pigeon shooting (Paris 1900, replaced immediately after with clay pigeons) and duelling (London 1908, using wax bullets and protection for face, torso and hands) but the ISSF was formed in 1907 that eventually codified the rules and introduced a series of standardisations.
Olympic Games shooting was held between 1908 and 1924 and after a hiatus, it was re-introduced at Los Angeles 1932 with two events. The number steadily increased until Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 which peaked with seventeen events. Since the 2008 Games in Beijing, the number of events has stayed steady at fifteen.
At the Paris 2024 Games, the following shooting events will take place:
- 50m Rifle Three Positions | Men, Women
- 10m Air Rifle | Men, Women, Mixed
- 25m Pistol | Women
- 25m Rapid Fire Pistol | Men
- 10m Air Pistol | Men, Women, Mixed
- Shotgun Trap | Men, Women
- Shotgun Skeet | Men, Women, Mixed
The Olympic Rules for Shooting | Rifle Competition
Rifle shooting competitor (Credit: vladacanon via Getty Images)
Rifle shooting at the Olympics has now been standardised and there are five medal competitions across two event types: 50m Rifle Three Position (men and women); 10m Air Rifle (men, women, and mixed).
50m Rifle Three Position
Positions: Shooters compete in three different positions: kneeling, prone (lying down), and standing, and the target is set fifty metres away.
Shots: Each shooter fires 40 shots in each position, making a total of 120 shots.
Scoring: Each shot can score up to 10 points, based on how close it hits to the centre of the target. The highest possible score is 1200 points. The outer ring is worth one point, the next ring in is worth two points, the following ring is worth three, and so on. This pattern continues to the innermost ring, or bullseye, which is worth 10 points and just a few millimetres wide.
Time Limits: In an incredibly demanding test of focus, accuracy and mental strength, the 40 shots in the kneeling section must be taken within 1h 15m, for the prime section it’s 1h, and for the standing section, the shooters are allocated a maximum time of 1h 30m.
Equipment: Shooters use .22 calibre rifles with a maximum weight of 5.5kg and wear specialised shooting gear to help with stability and accuracy.
Winner: The shooter with the highest total score from all three positions wins the competition.
10m Air Rifle | Men & Women
Position: Shooters compete in a standing position only with the target set 10m away.
Shots: Each shooter fires 60 shots and is allowed a maximum of 1h 15m to make the shots.
Scoring: Each shot can score up to 10.9 points. The target is divided into rings, with the outer ring scoring one point and the innermost ring (the bullseye) scoring 10 points. Precision is measured to the nearest 0.1 point in the finals, allowing a maximum of 10.9 points per shot.
Equipment: Shooters use .177 calibre air rifles and wear specialised shooting gear to help with stability and accuracy.
Winner: In the qualification round, the top eight shooters advance to the finals. In the finals, shooters start from zero and fire additional shots in elimination stages. The shooter with the highest total score in the finals wins the competition.
10m Air Rifle | Mixed
The mixed competition features teams, each consisting of one male and one female shooter. In the qualification round, each team member fires 40 shots in the standing position and they have 50 minutes each. The combined score of both team members determines the team’s total score. The scoring is exactly the same as the individual competitions. The top eight teams qualify for the final rounds, and matches are played in a straight knockout format. The team with the higher combined score advances to the next round, until the final match determines the gold and silver medallists.
The Olympic Rules for Shooting | Pistol Competition
Competitive pistol shooter taking aim (Credit: microgen via Getty Images)
There are five medal competitions in the pistol section of the Olympic Games shooting tournament.
25m Pistol | Women
Positions: Shooters compete in two stages: precision and rapid-fire with the target set 25m away.
Stages: In the precision stage, shooters fire 30 shots in six series of five shots each. Each series is allotted five minutes. In the rapid-fire stage, shooters fire 30 shots in six series of five shots each. In each series, shooters have three seconds to fire each shot, with a seven-second pause between shots.
Scoring: Each shot can score up to 10 points. The target is divided into rings, with the outer ring scoring one point and the innermost ring (the bullseye) scoring 10 points.
Equipment: Shooters use .22 calibre pistols with a maximum weight of 1.5kg. They wear standard shooting attire that provides stability and comfort.
Finals: The top eight shooters from the combined score of the precision and rapid-fire stages advance to the finals. The finals consist of four series of five shots each in the rapid-fire format. The shooter with the highest total score in the finals wins.
25m Rapid Fire Pistol | Men
Positions: Shooters compete in the standing position with the target set 25m away.
Stages: In the qualification round, shooters fire 60 shots, divided into two courses of 30 shots each. Each course consists of six series of five shots each. In each series, shooters have different time limits to complete their shots:
- First Stage: Two series with an eight-second time limit per series.
- Second Stage: Two series with a six-second time limit per series.
- Third Stage: Two series with a four-second time limit per series.
Scoring: Each shot can score up to 10 points. The target is divided into rings, with the outer ring scoring one point and the innermost ring (the bullseye) scoring 10 points. A hit within the scoring rings is counted, and the total score from all series determines the shooter’s qualification score.
Finals: The top six shooters from the qualification round advance to the finals. The finals consist of additional series, following a knockout format –
- Shooters fire in five-shot series with a four-second time limit per series.
- After each series, the lowest-scoring shooter is eliminated.
- This process continues until two shooters remain to compete for the gold and silver medals.
10m Air Pistol | Men & Women
Position: Shooters compete in a standing position only with the target set 10m away.
Shots: Both the men and the women fire 60 shots and have 1h 15 minutes to complete all 60.
Scoring: Each shot can score up to 10.9 points. The target is divided into rings, with the outer ring scoring 1 point and the innermost ring (bullseye) scoring 10 points. Precision is measured to the nearest 0.1 point in the finals.
Equipment: Shooters use .22 calibre pistols. They wear standard shooting attire that provides stability and comfort.
Finals: The top eight shooters from the qualification round advance to the finals. In the finals, shooters start from zero and fire additional shots in elimination stages. After every two shots, the lowest-scoring shooter is eliminated until only two remain to compete for the gold and silver medals.
10m Air Pistol | Mixed
Teams: Each team consists of one male and one female shooter.
Qualification Round: Each team member fires 40 shots in the standing position. The combined score of both team members determines the team’s total score. Each team member has 50 minutes to complete their 40 shots.
Scoring: The scoring is the same as the individual competitions.
Finals: The top eight teams from the qualification round advance to the finals which are conducted in a head-to-head knockout format. In each match, both team members fire a set number of shots and the team with the higher combined score advances to the next round, until the final match determines the gold and silver medalists.
The Olympic Rules for Shooting | Shotgun Competition
Clay pigeons ready to be fired (Credit: mikedabell via Getty Images)
Like the rifle and pistol competitions, there are five medal events in the shotgun section of the Olympic Games shooting tournament.
Shotgun Trap | Men & Women
Positions: Shooters compete from five different shooting stations arranged in a semi-circle around a trap house. Targets are launched from a single trap house located 15 metres in front of the shooters.
Targets: Targets are clay pigeons, which are launched at varying angles and heights, and each shooter must shoot at a total of 125 targets in the qualification round, made up of five rounds of 25 targets each.
Scoring: Each hit target scores one point and missed targets score zero points. The total score is the sum of all hit targets.
Equipment: Shooters use 12-gauge shotguns and wear appropriate shooting gear, including ear and eye protection.
Finals: The top six shooters from the qualification round advance to the finals. In the finals, shooters start from zero and shoot at 50 additional targets and are conducted in a knockout format with progressively fewer shooters after each round. After 25 targets, the lowest-scoring shooter is eliminated. This process continues until only two shooters remain to compete for the gold and silver medals.
Shotgun Skeet | Men & Women
Positions: Shooters compete from eight different shooting stations arranged in a semicircle and a straight line between two trap houses (high house and low house).
Targets: Targets are clay pigeons, which are launched from the high house and low house. Each shooter must shoot at a total of 125 targets in the qualification round, made up of five rounds of 25 targets each.
Scoring: Each hit target scores one point and missed targets score zero points. The total score is the sum of all hit targets.
Equipment: Shooters use 12-gauge shotguns and wear appropriate shooting gear, including ear and eye protection.
Shooting Sequence: Shooters face different sequences of single and double targets (pairs) from various stations. Targets are launched simultaneously or sequentially from the high and low houses, depending on the station.
Finals: The top six shooters from the qualification round advance to the finals. In the finals, shooters start from zero and shoot at 60 additional targets. The finals are conducted in a knockout format with progressively fewer shooters after each round. After 20 targets, the lowest-scoring shooter is eliminated. This process continues until only two shooters remain to compete for the gold and silver medals.
Shotgun Skeet | Mixed
Teams: Each team consists of one male and one female shooter.
Positions: This is the same as the individual competition.
Targets: Targets are clay pigeons, which are launched at varying angles and heights, and each shooter must shoot at a total of 75 targets in the qualification round.
Scoring: Each hit target scores one point and missed targets score zero points. The total team score is the sum of all hit targets.
Equipment: This is the same as the individual competition.
Shooting Sequence: This is the same as the individual competition.
Finals: The top six teams from the qualification round advance to the finals. The finals are conducted in a knockout format with progressively fewer shooters after each round. After a set number of targets, the lowest-scoring teams are eliminated. This process continues until only two teams remain to compete for the gold and silver medals.
Olympic Shooting on Discovery+
Pull...! (Credit: Mitch Kezar / Design Pics via Getty Images)
We hope you enjoyed reading this Olympics shooting guide and don’t forget, you can catch all the action from Paris 2024 on discovery+!
