TargetTalk

I just got my set of 10m air rifle target paper. Looks intimidatingly small. If I don't miss the bull I am sure I can handle most home invasion.

I'd like to know how to do score a 10, since 10 is a dot; especially when we have decimal counts. There is no "inner ten".

I'm a bit confused.

My two pellets.

the distance between 10.0 and 10.9 is a hair over 2.25mm, or the radius of a pellet. If the pellet grazes the dot, its a 10.0, and if you hit center over the dot perfectly, its a 10.9.

Do you have an iPhone or iPad? TargetScan is pretty accurate down to the decimal, Ive found.

Thanks for the info. precision-sports.com has decimal point overlays for air rifle. I'll get a couple from them.

I guess since there is no inner ten, and everyone is shooting 598-600, they have to start counting in digits now. But on the other hand with a good scanner or overlay I am sure they can come up with "inner ten" (10.9)? I still like the old idea of counting Xs.

IIRC inner tens are shots that completely cover the 10 dot. So anything 10.3 and higher is an X. Again IIRC

conradin wrote:I'd like to know how to do score a 10, since 10 is a dot; especially when we have decimal counts. There is no "inner ten".

I'm a bit confused.

Can I suggest reading the ISSF rules.

For Air Rifle, Air Pistol and 50m (Free) Pistol section 6 will tell you most of what you need to know with sections 7 & 8 adding equipment specification and testing (and a few other bits).

It won't only help on this question but also some of the other posts you have made recently.

conradin wrote: I still like the old idea of counting Xs.

I know that counting X's is very popular in the US, In fact your domestic prone targets encourage it, as most competent shooters should be very capable of shooting possibles all the time. I do not like the idea of counting X's, especially where scores are regularly approaching possibles. It is not really a good way of deciding who had the best shoot over all. In all likelihood who had the better shoot, the guy who shot 599 59X or the guy who shot 600 0X? Xcount is Ok for breaking ties where the scores are not consistently approaching possibles, as a shooter is not likely to be "punished" for a bad round of ammunition.

If scores are consistently approaching possibles then it really is time to reduce the size of the target, and make all shots within a "band" of "equal" value to the overall score. As all ISSF sanctioned events are held on electronic scoring ranges introducing decimal scoring at international level, where the scores are now starting to approach consistent possibles on the 1989 target is actually a very sensible idea. The grass roots shooters can continue using the same target, as it is probably about the right level of difficulty for even top level domestic shooting on paper targets. While making splitting the elite shooters on the world stage much easier, without punishing those who may have a bad round of ammunition etc.

I would not worry about decimal scoring on AR until you are at least shooting a consistent 95+ average. If you cannot hold the 9 ring then it is really not worth bothering with at all.

Alan

Alan,
Back in the 70s or early 80s there was consideration to switch to a smaller prone target. They had us shoot a match on what they called a "decimal" target which I believe was the 50m int. target sized for 100 yds. It was tough in the Eastern winds that switch a lot. If I remember correctly, {doubt it} it discouraged novice shooters into giving up when the wind was bad. The 50 yd. conventional targets were identified as "encouraging" when one can shoot a 400. I remember my first match when the wind was calm on anysight day and I was heading for a "clean" match. I had match nerves because I thought I had a chance to win. Well I had a 400-21 and the winner was 400-38X {or more}. That taught me a valuable lesson on nerves which served me well and allowed me to win once I was good enough.

We also had a conversation about 400-0X vs 399-39X. We decided it would be extremely difficult to shoot clean with no Xs with one leaking in the x or 9 rings. Also, the sport is arbitrarily defined with the goal of shooting tens first; Xs break ties. Therefore, all tens wins. As far as "one bad round" goes, there was lots of talk about who gets the best ammo. I don't know if a smaller target would help someone who has bad ammo to win.
That's my 2 cents.
Ben

For learning scoring scoring basics, recommend read National Standard 3P Air Rifle Rules 8.1 thru 8.3. Simple explanation. See at http://www.odcmp.com/3P/Rules.pdf

For air rifle inner tens, the 11.5mm outward air pistol gauge (page 33) is fastest & most accurate way.

Also a good scoring read in 'A Plea for Improved Scoring' in Dec 07 issue of "On the Mark." http://www.odcmp.com/Comm/Gary_OTM.htm

Hi all,

the air rifle ten is 0.5mm. A ten is given, if the 4.5mm pellet will even touch this 0.5mm area.

This means, the point of impact or the center of the pellet must at least 0.25mm (radius of the ten) + 2.25mm (radius of the pellet) = 2.5mm or closer to the center of the target. This 2.5mm is also the distance between the ten and the nine and so on.

So the distance in decimal scoring air rifle is always the same and is 2.5mm / 10 = 0.25mm.

Here are the maximal allowed distances, always measured from the center of the target to the center of the pellet:

2.50mm <> 10.0
2.25mm <> 10.1
2.00mm <> 10.2
1.75mm <> 10.3
1.50mm <> 10.4
1.25mm <> 10.5
1.00mm <> 10.6
0.75mm <> 10.7
0.50mm <> 10.8
0.25mm <> 10.9

It is easy to extend this table for the lower decimal scores. The point of impact of a 9.9 is max 2.75mm away from the center and so on.

Because there is no real inner ten on the air rifle target, it is defined and the definition says, a result equal or greater 10.2 is a inner ten.

One last hint: The hole of a pellet in the target is not always 4.5mm in diameter. So for serious scoring you have always measure with a scoring gauge or with an electronic scoring machine. These machines measure always from center to center. This is the reason for sometimes seeing holes on the target, who not really touch the ten area, but will still given a ten from the machine. It can also sometimes the opposite.


And sorry guys (and girls) from the colonies or so, target shooting is serious, so we don't use any imperial measurements here. ;-)


Regards from Germany

Frank - longtime shooter and sometimes an official