Participating in Competitions

[Sourojit]

Hello!

Can an individual independently participate at the various district,state and national level Airgun Shooting competitions or is it mandatory to represent a club or the state?

I mean,what are the procedures..how is it done?
What kind of guns are allowed?

I searched here and on Google but couldn't find much relevant information.

Thanks!

PS. : As per the ISSF Rulebook 2017 the IHP and Precihole PCP Rifles are competition ready as regards length,weight,calibre,grip.But I didn't find any mention of the officially accepted firing system(Spring,Nitro,CO@,Pneumatic or PCP),sights,muzzle speed or muzzle power,allowed cylinder pressure,single shot or magazine fed(the new Precihole PX-100 can take a magazine it says on the website),feed system(break barrel,side or underlever,top loader,magazine,etc).
Can anyone throw some light on these matters?

And is there any district,state or national level ex or present shooter in this forum? I think budding shooters can benefit a lot from their partcipation in the discussions.I think there are a few members here who are also members of South and North Calcutta Rifle Clubs.If any of you know Joydeep Karmakar,Mampi das or such shooters will you request the to join here?

[sohampaul11]

As per the rifles, all I can say is that I dont think there is any officially accepted firing systems.
The powerplant can be anyone of your choice, most prefer PCPs though due to their ease of loading and recharging.
Sights have to be diopter sights. Muzzle speeds above 600 fps are not preferred because the pellets seem to tumble over that speed and their accuracy drop.
Muzzle energy is dependent on both the muzzle velocity as well as the weight of each pellet. Here again there is no official standards since every rifle responds differently to every pellet.
There is no limit on allowable pressure,but the rifle needs to fire at least 70-80 shots in one cylinder. A regulated PCP is preferable here due to the linear shot to shot consistency they provide.
The rifle must be single shot. No magazines are allowed except in 25m rapid fire pistol. Feed system can be anything which you are comfortable with. Most prefer bolt action PCPs due to their ease of loading and lower recoil. Many shooters shoot using second hand SSP air rifle of german make.

As regards whether an individual can participate independently, I think you have to talk with WBRA or your state's rifle association. An example would be Abhinav Bindra. So, I think you can, I'm not sure though.

[Sourojit]

Thanks a lot sohampaul11 !

[sohampaul11]

Pleasure

[Basu]

Dear Soham,
Is there any competition among springers with open sight ??

Basu

[sohampaul11]

Yes you can Basu sir. In the open sight category, but only upto state competitions. And springers can be used. Infact most of the shooters use spring/nitro piston air rifles. But I've seen a couple people shoot with an Anchutz SSP air rifles fitted with open sights.

[Basu]

Thanks

Basu

[sohampaul11]

Pleasure!

[Sourojit]

@sohampaul11 : Have you participated in any springer events at the district or state level? How can one participate in such an event?

Added in 2 minutes 33 seconds:
I browsed through WBRashooting.com but they did not have info on participation and qualification criteria or even criteria for the guns to be used.

[sohampaul11]

I'm a State level open sight, as well as peep sight shooter. I'm a member of North Calcutta Rifle Club.
For participation in any events, the easiest way would be to contact your rifle club, if you are member of one.
The club announces the events and the requisite formalities are done at the club itself.
Pre-competition shooting matches are conducted to gauge an average score of an individual who has been selected to represent the club in the team events.
A participation fee of 550/- is charged. The matches are usually 3-4 day events.
If one doesn't have any weapon, he/she must inform the club so that the club can arrange his/her weapon.This has to be done atleast a week prior to the matches.
The first day is usually the introductory day. The inauguration is done by eminent persons. This is also the same day to get yourself accustomed to a new shooting range environment.
Practice begins quite early in the day during some events, but sometimes it gets really late in the evening. This is the day when you will be asked to contact your team manager to collect your competitor card. Without this card, you'll not be able to participate.
Matches start from the next day and continue till the 3rd day. Results are announced soon after.
Prize distribution and closing ceremony is conducted in the evening.
If you've won a medal, then it's wonderful. If you haven't,there is always next time. Anyway, each participating shooter receives a certificate from WBRA. That is your solid proof of participation as a shooter. You can laminate it, use it to get benefits from school/college/office, or just keep it to yourself.

[Sourojit]

Woww greatt!! thumbsup to you!

And thanks for the enlightenment.
I have one more query though.Can a person participate individually,without representing a club?
I went through WBRA and the 2016 Event Circular says Rifle shooters cannot participate in Pistol shooting and vice versa.But as far as I can remember I have seen Rifle shooters participate in Pistol events in the Olympics.

Which gun do you use for such State level events and what pellet?
And may I ask how old you are?

[sohampaul11]

I told you, I think you have to contact WBRA directly with that matter.
Yeah. Those are the rules here. Not only in state championship,but district championships as well. And I think it has been the case for quite a long time. Please don't compare the Olympics here because it's played in a wholly different format. In district and state championships, finals are not played, equipment control is not that strict, format is different like the open sight air rifle event is a 40 shot event and the peep sight event is a 60 shot event. Also, these competitions are so organised so that maximum shooters can get the chance to compete, and since there is young and new blood involved, shooters are required to participate in either rifle or pistol events. But once you are in that category, shooters can either participate in all the rifle or all the pistol events.

For open sight I shoot my trusty Precihole NX100 Club Elite air rifle. And for the pellet I use RWS GECO, since it groups the best with this rifle.

For peep sight I use my Anschutz 8001 Club air rifle with RWS R10 as my pellet of choice.

I'm 22 by the way.