RIFLE
AIR RIFLE
With separate events for men and women, air rifle shooting joined the Olympic program in 1984. Competitors stand and shoot lead pellets from .177 caliber guns at targets 10 meters away. The bullseye, or 10-ring, is one-half millimeter wide, the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
The Guns: Air rifles can be either air or gas-powered and weigh up to 12 pounds by international regulation. World-class guns (e.g. FWB 601, Anschutz 2002) typically retail for $1500-$2000.
Course of Fire: Men take 60 shots in one hour and 45 minutes, while women have one hour and 15 minutes for 40 shots.
Perfect Match Score: For men, 600 is perfect and 590 is world-class. For women, 400 is perfect and 393 is world-class.
Finals: The top eight competitors advance to a 10-shot final round, with 75 seconds allowed per shot. The final is calculated in tenths of a point and added to the match score to determine winners. A perfect final score is 109.
Perfect Aggregate (Match + Final) Score: 709 for men, 509 for women.
Last U.S. Olympic Medal: Pat Spurgin won the women's gold at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. U.S. men have not won a medal in this event.
THREE-POSITION RIFLE
In three-position, athletes fire .22 caliber smallbore rifles from the prone, standing, and kneeling positions at targets 50 meters downrange. The bullseye is 10.4 millimeters in diameter, smaller than a dime. Though today there are separate events for men and women, from 1952-80 three-position was an open Olympic event, meaning that men and women competed head-to-head.
The Guns: Men and women use different types of smallbore rifles. Women fire standard rides, which weigh up to 12 pounds and cannot be modified in any way. Men shoot free rifles (up to 17.6 pounds), which can be customized with special accessories and/or alterations that fit the shooter's needs and comforts. Both men's and women's guns have metallic sights. World-class standard rifles (e.g. Anschutz 2007) cost $ 1900-$2000; free rifles (e.g. Anschutz 2013) run about $2400-$3000.
Course of Fire: Men fire 40 rounds per position for a total of 120 shots. Time limits for men are one hour for prone, one hour and 30 minutes for standing, and one hour and 15 minutes for kneeling. Women shoot 20 rounds per position for a total of 60 shots. They have a total of two and one-half hours for all three positions.
Perfect Match Score: For men, 1200 is perfect and 1165 is world-class. For women, 600 is perfect and 580 is world-class.
Finals: For men and women, the top eight performers advance to a 10-shot final round, fired entirely from the standing position with 75 seconds allotted per shot. The final is calculated in tenths of a point and added to the match point total to determine winners. A perfect final score is 109.
Perfect Aggregate Score: 1309 for men, 709 for women.
Last U.S. Olympic Medal: Launi Meili won the women's gold and Bob Foth won the men's silver at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
FREE RIFLE PRONE
This men's event has been on the Olympic program since 1908. Athletes lie on their stomachs and shoot .22 caliber rifles at bullseye targets 50 meters downrange. The target's center is 10.4 millimeters wide, smaller than a dime.
The Guns: Athletes use free rifles, which | have metallic sights and can be customized with special accessories and/or alterations that fit the shooter's needs and comforts. World-class free rifles (e.g. Anschutz 2013) weigh up to 17.6 pounds and run about $2400-$3000.
Course of Fire: 60 shots in one hour and 30 minutes.
Perfect Match Score: 600 is a perfect score, 597 is world-class.
Finals: The top eight shooters advance to a 10shot final, with a 45-second time limit per shot. The final is scored in tenths of a point and added to the match score to determine winners. A perfect final score is 109.
Perfect Aggregate (Match + Final) Score: 709 points.
Last U.S. Olympic Medal: Ed Etzel won the gold at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
NON-OLYMPIC INTERNATIONAL RIFLE EVENTS:
Men—300-meter prone, 300-meter three position standard rifle, 300-meter three position free rifle.
Women—standard rifle prone.
FOR ALL EVENTS:
Clothing, Equipment, Accessories
All rifle clothing and accessories are governed by strict rules for thickness and stiffness. Shooters start with sweatshirts and tights, then put on jackets and pants made of leather or canvas. This ensemble improves physical stability and helps muffle the pulse during these lengthy contests. Shooting jackets cost anywhere from $275-$600, while pants sell for $200-$450.
Flat-soled leather boots aid the rifle shooter's stability from the standing and kneeling positions. Leather gloves with rubber-padded palms helps minimize the discomfort of the heavy rifle and leather shoulder sling. Shooting boots sell for roughly $ 150; the gloves go for $50.
Athletes use a leather sling (extending from the triceps to the front of the rifle stock) and a floor mat for support when shooting from the prone or kneeling positions. In the standing portion of the men's three-position match, athletes may use palm rests for extra comfort and gun elevation. Between shots, competitors rest their rifles on a shooting stand and use spotting scopes to view their targets.
Shooting glasses, ear and eye protection are other important accessories. A scope and stand sell for about $500; the sling goes for roughly $40. A shooting mat goes for about $50, and ear protection headsets cost $20-$30. Glasses can run as much as $130.
USA OUTLOOK
The U.S. rifle team has a deep pool of talent, with a number of good shooters capable of winning medals.
“Our strengths are in women's air and 3x20 and men's three-position,” says National Rifle Coach Bob Mitchell.
Top U.S. rifle shooters include Bob Foth, David Johnson, Glenn Dubis and Rob Harbison in men's three-position. Ken Johnson, Pete Durben and Tommy Tamas are also rifle shooters to watch in 1995.
In women's competition, Ann-Marie Pfiffner and Elizabeth Bourland head an experienced group of shooters, including Tammie (DeAngelis) Forster, Pam (Stalzer) Vossen, Kate Kelemen and returning Olympic medalist Wanda Jewell.
“The number of highly competitive shooters in the world has increased, but so has our number of skilled, experienced shooters who can shoot the scores to win medals,” adds Mitchell.
INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK
German, Bulgarian, Norwegian and former Soviet shooters will be among the top international competitors the U.S. will face in 1995.
Watch for Torsten Kregs of Germany to shoot for the gold in men's air rifle. Lindy Hansen and HaraldStenvaag are expected to continue winning for Norway, while 1992 Olympic silver medalist Vessela Letcheva is expected to do the same for Bulgaria.
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