history of RFP target changes

[Spencer]

any experts out there know when RFP targets changed:
- were there variations from the 1896 'man' target? If so, how many and when?
- from 'man' to stylised?
- 6 targets reduced to 5?
- scoring rings were introduced?
- 'shoulders' went from squared to tapered?
- target clipped top and bottom to the 6-ring?
- circular target was introduced?
- year the white lines were introduced?

[David Levene]

To answer the easiest one first, the circular target was introduced in 1989.

If nobody answers before, I'm sure I'll be able to give you the date of the "white lines" when I get home this evening.

I'm pretty sure that we lost the top and bottom of the "oval ring" target in 1985.

I certainly can't go back any further than that I'm afraid.

[j-team]

I'm pretty sure that we lost the top and bottom of the "oval ring" target in 1985.

I started shooting in 1986 and it was just the "torso' then, the head and legs had gone.

As for the reduction from 6 to 5 targets, I seem to remember reading that it was from 1948 Olympics onwards, but don't quote me on that!

[gn303]

I don't know the answers to all questions, but for what my memory is worth...

When I started shooting in 1970 the Rapid Fire Target was man-shaped. After that the head was rounded off and the result was a coffin shape. But for some reason that still resembled too much to a man, so the top and but were omitted. The shape became rectangular. So far there weren't any changes in the size or form of the scoring rings. Those were made later when the round target was introduced. The latest change was the introduction of the horizontal lines.
Regards,
Guy

[RMar]

The head, shoulders and legs were eliminated from RFP targets after the 1984 Olympics. (The turning targets in Los Angeles could accommodate the full length targets and the target frames were shaped in the full human silhouette. Turning target machines afterword were made for shorter, retangular targets.)

Targets were retangular from 1985 through 1992 and the scoring rings remained oval or oblong through the 1992 Olympics and maybe the 1992 World Cup Final.

Circular scoring rings were introduced for the next quadrennium starting in late 1992 and have remained that way.

The white lines were incorporated when scoring for RFP went electronic, say around the time immediately following the World Cup Final in Munich in the Fall of 1993. The white lines were in full use in time for the World Championships in Milan, Italy, Summer of 1994.

[David Levene]

Targets were retangular from 1985 through 1992 and the scoring rings remained oval or oblong through the 1992 Olympics and maybe the 1992 World Cup Final.

Circular scoring rings were introduced for the next quadrennium starting in late 1992 and have remained that way.

The white lines were incorporated when scoring for RFP went electronic, say around the time immediately following the World Cup Final in Munich in the Fall of 1993. The white lines were in full use in time for the World Championships in Milan, Italy, Summer of 1994.

I'm afraid that you are definitely wrong about the change to the circular target; it was 1989. We had a year of training on them before shooting at the Commonwealth Games in Aukland in January 1990. I have photographs of them in use there.

You could be right about the introduction of the white bars. They weren't there in the first printing of the 1993 rules but were in the first printing of the 1997 rules. I thought that I had kept my 1993 rules updated with all amendments but I could be wrong.

[RMar]

Targets were retangular from 1985 through 1992 and the scoring rings remained oval or oblong through the 1992 Olympics and maybe the 1992 World Cup Final.

Circular scoring rings were introduced for the next quadrennium starting in late 1992 and have remained that way.

The white lines were incorporated when scoring for RFP went electronic, say around the time immediately following the World Cup Final in Munich in the Fall of 1993. The white lines were in full use in time for the World Championships in Milan, Italy, Summer of 1994.

I'm afraid that you are definitely wrong about the change to the circular target; it was 1989. We had a year of training on them before shooting at the Commonwealth Games in Aukland in January 1990. I have photographs of them in use there.

You could be right about the introduction of the white bars. They weren't there in the first printing of the 1993 rules but were in the first printing of the 1997 rules. I thought that I had kept my 1993 rules updated with all amendments but I could be wrong.

I shot on the retangular targets in Barcelona in 1992. I have video and the scores from 1992 correspond with scores on the older retangular targets with oval or oblong scoring rings.

I also shot on the electronic targets with horizontal white lines at the World Championships in Milan in 1994, however the World Cup in Milan in June of 1994 were on turning targets.

Perhaps there were parts of the world that switched to the circular targets early. Or maybe some countries ran test events using the anticipated round targets, which we knew were coming but were not officially used until the start of the new quad. Major changes, such as a change in scoring rings/targets, normally take affect at the start of a new quad.

[David Levene]

Major changes, such as a change in scoring rings/targets, normally take affect at the start of a new quad.

That was 1989.

The European Championships in Zagreb in 1989 and the World Championships in Moscow in 1990 also used the round target.

It was at Moscow 1990 that the current CF team record was set. Had they shot that on the old "oval ring" target then it would have been superseded by a later record.

[j-team]

I'm afraid that you are definitely wrong about the change to the circular target; it was 1989. We had a year of training on them before shooting at the Commonwealth Games in Aukland in January 1990. I have photographs of them in use there.

Absolutely right David, the targets changed to the current round in 1989. That same year the AP target also lost 0.5mm from the 10 ring (12mm to 11.5mm).

The Auckland range was built that year and the target frames were 550mm square and would not fit the retangular targets.

White lines aded in 1994.

[RMar]

I stand corrected. Circular targets were earlier as David stated.

Must be all the lead on my old brain. My memory isn't what it used to be.

[brucef]

I have a photo of the taken at the Zurich World Cup in 1989, where they shot Centre Fire as a 3 person 'teams match' for the first time on the 'round targets'. (It was a 'Grand Prix' event, not part of the official 'World Cup' matches.) I was in the Australian team that beat the 'English' (or Great Britain?) team and the French. I might be wrong, but we Aussies claim that it was a 'Teams World Record' for about a month before the next teams event in Zagreb. (We would also like to thank the Russians for only sending 2 shooters....)

David L should remember this as he was also standing on the podium, but on a lower level (grin). The organisers had to actually hold over the medal presentations until the next day as the Aussies had gone back to their accomodation and had not considered being in medal contention for the teams. I think we averaged 576 and beat the next team by only 1 or 2 points.
Not quite answering the original post, but it sticks in my memory.
Thanks Bruce F

[David Levene]

David L should remember this as he was also standing on the podium, but on a lower level (grin).

Yeah, thanks for that Bruce. ;-)

(It was a GB team).

[gn303]

Thanks to all for the interesting RF history. It sure helps memory when someone was on the fire line (not to mention the podium!), rather then in the visitors seat.
Regards,
Guy

[Joakim]

I also think that the thick white lines were added before the 1993-1996 cycle was over. I remember being allowed to compete on both versions for a period, although that may well have been a national rule.

Anyway, the major changes in number of targets and scoring rings were in effect already at the 1947 Stockholm WCH, the first global championships after WW2. There had been scoring rings on some of the older targets, but only used as a tie-breaker when several shooters had the same number of hits. Throughout the 1930s though, ties were always resolved by shoot-offs, so I don't think there were any scoring rings printed anymore.

And the 1947 change must have been a long time coming, considering the number of shooters achieving maximum scores in the 1930s. Perhaps points were designed to be used already in the 1940 or 1944 Olympics, if those hadn't been cancelled; at any rate the 1939 WCH ended up being the last with hits or misses. Of course, the 1930s competitions must have been interesting by way of spectacular shoot-offs. No matter how big the targets were, one has to be impressed by Renzo Morigi's 1932 Olympic gold-winning series of six hits in two seconds.