Bullseye shooting is a category of shooting sport disciplines where the objective is to score points by hitting a round shooting target as close to the center as possible with slow precision fire. The name refers to the center of the target, "the bull's-eye". In Scandinavia this type of shooting competition is referred to as Range-Shooting. A large emphasis is put on accuracy and precision through steady breath, sight picture and trigger control, and fixed and relatively long time limits give competitors time to concentrate for a perfect shot. An example of bullseye shooting competitions is the ISSF pistol and rifle events, but there are also many other national and international disciplines which can be classified as bullseye shooting, e.g., NRA Precision Pistol competitions in the United States. Matches are normally held at permanent shooting ranges where the competitors are lined up beside each other and shoot during the same predetermined time period at their own stationary targets which are placed at the same fixed distances from match to match. Distances in bullseye shooting disciplines are typically given in round numbers such as 10, 15, 25, 50, 100, 200 or 300 meters, depending on firearm type and discipline. During competition, the line consisting of shooters is called the firing line, while the line consisting of targets is called the target line. Due to its simple format, bullseye shooting is often recommended for beginners in shooting sports in order to learn the general fundamentals of marksmanship. Bullseye shooting is a part of the olympics, and considerable training is needed to achieve a high level of proficiency.
Examples of bullseye disciplines
Rifle disciplines
Bullseye shooting with rifles can refer to several disciplines:
Small-bore shooting competitions are a set of several disciplines usually shot at distances of 10, 15 or 50 meters, usually only for small-bore rifles in.22 LR caliber.
Fullbore rifle shooting usually refers to disciplines where one uses intermediate or battle rifle cartridges which comparably are larger and more powerful cartridges than the small-bore.22 LR cartridge.
While many shooting sport disciplines share the same fundamental characteristics, bullseye competitions can be set apart from other disciplines in many ways.
Long range shooting competitions puts a larger emphasis on knowledge and application of ballistics in different weather conditions, mostly to compensate for wind drift on longer ranges. Rifle shooting disciplines with distances beyond 300 meters are often distinctively referred to as long range shooting, even though some of these disciplines also fulfill all the characteristics of the bullseye shooting disciplines which however are shot at shorter distances. Among long range disciplines are the ICFRA Palma and F-Class competitions, where competitors shoot from the same line, at fixed target ranges between 300 and 900 meters during the same predetermined time period. However, disciplines referred to as long range shooting differ from those simply referred to as bullseye in that external ballistics is of much larger importance.
Speed shooting competitions, which puts a large emphasis on time since a course must be shot with the most points in the shortest amount of time.
Field-shooting or terrain-shooting differ in that they usually are shot from temporary shooting ranges in the terrain at varying distances, rather than permanent shooting ranges at fixed distances.
Other disciplines differ for instance in that targets are moving, or that the competitors shoots one and one at a time.
