A nation may earn up to 2 quota places per event, except for women's trap and skeet, which is entitled only to a maximum of one per NOC.
The qualification consists of two parts:
Each quota place gives the national federation the right to send one shooter to compete in that event. However, there is a maximum of two shooters per event and country. On the other hand, a shooter filling a quota place in one event may compete in other events as well, as long as the MQS have been fulfilled. Most shooters combine events in this way (apart from those in 25 metre rapid fire pistol and skeet, who generally do not, because there are no events similar to theirs on the program). [1] [2]
| Event | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 World Shotgun Championships | April 30 – May 8, 2001 |  Cairo |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #1 | April 10–19, 2002 |  Sydney |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #2 | April 20–29, 2002 |  Shanghai |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #3 Rifle & Pistol, & Running Target | May 18–26, 2002 |  Atlanta |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #4 Running Target | May 27–30, 2002 |  Plzeň |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #4 Rifle & Pistol | May 29 – June 3, 2002 |  Milan |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #3 Shotgun | June 22–30, 2002 |  Suhl |
| 2002 ISSF World Shooting Championships | July 2–16, 2002 |  Lahti |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #4 Shotgun | August 16–25, 2002 |  Santo Domingo |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #1 Shotgun | March 3–15, 2003 | Perth |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #2 Shotgun | March 15–22, 2003 |  New Delhi |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #1 Rifle & Pistol | May 3–11, 2003 | Fort Benning |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #2 Rifle, Pistol, & Running Target | June 2–8, 2003 |  Zagreb |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #3 Rifle & Pistol, & Running Target | June 9–16, 2003 | Munich |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #3 Shotgun | June 22–28, 2003 |  Granada |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #4 Rifle & Pistol, & Running Target | June 29 – July 7, 2003 |  Changwon |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #5 Running Target | July 24–26, 2003 | Suhl |
| 2003 European Championships (Small-bore) | July 17 – August 6, 2003 | Plzeň |
| 2003 European Championships (Shotgun) | July 30 – August 6, 2003 | Brno |
| 2003 Pan American Games | August 2–9, 2003 | Santo Domingo |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #4 Shotgun | September 2–8, 2003 | Lonato |
| 2003 World Shotgun Championships | September 10–17, 2003 |  Nicosia |
| 2003 African Continental Championships | September 21–27, 2003 |  Pretoria |
| 2003 European Championships 10m events | November 4–12, 2003 |  Gothenburg |
| 2003 Oceania Continental Championships | November 15–22, 2003 |  Auckland |
| 2004 Asian Continental Championships | February 6–19, 2004 |  Kuala Lumpur |
| Event | Quota places | Qualified athlete | Announced competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #2 |  Sweden | Pia Hansen | Pia Hansen |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #3 |  China | Wang Jinglin | Li Qingnian |
| 2002 World Championships |  Chinese Taipei | Lin Yi-chun | Lin Yi-chun |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #1 |  United States | Kimberly Rhode | Kimberly Rhode |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #3 |  Australia | Susan Trindall | Susan Trindall |
| 2003 European Championships (Shotgun) |  Russia | Yelena Rabaia | Yelena Dudnik |
| 2003 Pan American Games |  Canada | Cynthia Meyer | Cynthia Meyer |
| 2003 World Shotgun Championships |  South Korea | Lee Bo-na | Lee Bo-na |
| 2003 Oceania Championships |  New Zealand | Nadine Stanton | Nadine Stanton |
| 2004 Asian Championships |  Japan | Megumi Inoue | Megumi Inoue |
| Athletes qualified in other events | Australia | Suzanne Balogh | |
| Canada | Susan Nattrass | ||
| China | Gao E | ||
 Germany | Susanne Kiermayer | ||
 Spain | María Quintanal | ||
| Total | 15 |
| Event | Quota places | Qualified athlete | Announced competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 World Shotgun Championships |  Azerbaijan | Zemfira Meftahatdinova | Zemfira Meftahatdinova |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #2 |  Slovakia | Andrea Stranovská | Andrea Stranovská |
| 2002 ISSF World Cup #3 |  Finland | Maarit Lepomäki | Maarit Lepomäki |
| 2002 World Championships |  Hungary | Diána Igaly | Diána Igaly |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #1 |  Italy | Chiara Cainero | Chiara Cainero |
| 2003 ISSF World Cup #3 | China | Wei Ning | Wei Ning |
| 2003 European Championships (Shotgun) | Russia | Svetlana Demina | Svetlana Demina |
| 2003 Pan American Games | United States | Brandie Neal | Connie Smotek |
| 2003 World Shotgun Championships | South Korea | Son Hye-kyoung | Kim Yeun-hee |
| 2003 Oceania Championships | Australia | Natalia Rahman | Lauryn Mark |
| 2004 Asian Championships |  North Korea | Ri Hyon-ok | Ri Hyon-ok |
| Athletes qualified in other events | United States | Kimberly Rhode | |
| Total | 12 |
