Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon. Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can be considered acts of shooting. When using a firearm, the act of shooting is often called firing as it involves initiating a combustion (deflagration) of chemical propellants.
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 and bows/crossbows.
Practical shooting, also known as dynamic shooting or action shooting, is a set of shooting sports in which the competitors try to unite the three principles of precision, power, and speed, by using a firearm of a certain minimum power factor to score as many points as possible during the shortest time. While scoring systems vary between organizations, each measures the time in which the course is completed, with penalties for inaccurate shooting. The courses are called "stages", and are shot individually by the shooters. Usually the shooter must move and shoot from several positions, fire under or over obstacles and in other unfamiliar positions. There are no standard exercises or set arrangement of the targets, and the courses are often designed so that the shooter must be inventive, and therefore the solutions of exercises sometimes vary between shooters.
Metallic silhouette shooting is a group of target shooting disciplines that involves shooting at steel targets representing game animals at varying distances, seeking to knock the metal target over. Metallic silhouette is shot with large bore rifles fired freehand without support out to 500 meters, and with large bore handguns from the prone position with only body support out to 200 meters. Competitions are also held with airguns and black-powder firearms. A related genre is shot with bow and arrow, the metal targets being replaced with cardboard or foam. The targets used are rams, turkeys, pigs, and chickens, which are cut to different scales and set at certain distances from the shooter depending on the specific discipline.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events. It also regulates several non-Olympic shooting sport events. The Federation's activities include regulation of the sport, managing Olympic qualification events and quota places, as well as organization of international competitions such as the ISSF World Cup series and ISSF World Championships.
Shooting sports in Canada are practised across the country at recreational and competitive levels, including internationally and at the Olympics. Each province has its own organizations that govern the various disciplines. Many of the disciplines are connected nationally and some are part of larger international organizations.
The European Shooting Championships are the continental championships for ISSF sport shooting disciplines in Europe, including 10m air rifle and air pistol, cartridge rifle and pistol. Sometimes the competition also includes trap shooting, skeet and running target shooting events, usually organized in special championships.
The Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA) is the National Sports Association (NSA) governing shooting sports in the Philippines, covering both Olympic discipline shooting sports and non-Olympic shooting events like the bench rest or practical pistol. PNSA is the Philippine shooting sport NSA recognized by and a regular member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), funded by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Norges Skytterforbund (NSF), literally the Norwegian Shooting Association, is a Norwegian umbrella organization for shooting sports, and is internationally affiliated with the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse (FITASC) and Precision Pistol Competition (WA1500). NSF was founded in 1946, and is also organized under the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports.
The Finnish Shooting Sport Federation, FinnishSuomen Ampumaurheiluliitto (SAL), was founded in 1919 and is an umbrella organization for sport shooting in Finland, representing many international shooting sport organizations in Finland.
The Practical Shooting Federation of Argentina, ArgentineFederación de Tiro Práctico de la República Argentina, is the Argentine association for practical shooting under the International Practical Shooting Confederation.
The Royal Spanish Olympic Shooting Federation, SpanishReal Federación Española de Tiro Olímpico (RFETO), organizes all shooting sports in Spain and is amongst other a member of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and the European Shooting Confederation (ESC).
The Monaco Shooting Federation, MonégasqueFédération Monégasque de Tir is the Monacan association for shooting sport under the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and the Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse.
The Association of Maltese Arms Collectors and Shooters (AMACS) is a Maltese umbrella association for sport shooting and arms collectors.
The French Shooting Federation (FFTir), FrenchFédération Française de Tir, is the umbrella organization for sport shooting in France. It was founded in its current form in 1967, but has roots as far back as 1866.
Jamaica Rifle Association was founded in 1896 and is the umbrella organization for sport shooting in Jamaica, being a member of the international organizations:
The Hellenic Shooting Federation (HSF), Greek: Σκοπευτική Ομοσπονδία Ελλάδος, is an umbrella organization for sport shooting in Greece.
Shooting competitions for factory and service firearms refer to a set of shooting disciplines, usually called service rifle, service pistol, production, factory, or stock; where the types of permitted firearms are subject to type approval with few aftermarket modifications permitted. The terms often refer to the restrictions on permitted equipment and modifications rather than the type of match format. The names Service Rifle and Service Pistol stem from that the equipment permitted for these types of competitions traditionally were based on standard issue firearms used by one or several armed forces and civilian versions of these, while the terms production, factory and stock often are applied to more modern disciplines with similar restrictions on equipment classes.
South African Shooting Sport Confederation (SASSCo) formerly known as South African Shooting Sport Federation (SASSF) is the governing body for shooting sports in South Africa. SASSCo is the highest body responsible for the development and promotion of target shooting sports in South Africa. SASSCo is registered with both SASCOC and Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) as the officially recognised overall federation for shooting sports in South Africa, and is also affiliated to the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and the African Shooting Sport Federation (ASSF).
The Icelandic Shooting Sports Federation is an organization on Iceland for sport shooting with pistol, rifle and shotgun. The federation was founded on 1979 February 16, and is internationally affiliated with the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), European Shooting Confederation (ESC), Nordic Shooting Region (NSR) and World Benchrest Shooting Federation (WBSF).
