Olympic Air Gun Events

Overview | Field Target Shooting | Hunting With Air Guns| Metallic Silhouette
Olympic Air Gun Events | Plinking With Air Guns

This precision shooting event is full of fun and excitement at every summer Olympic games. The best shooters from all over the world come to compete in the following events:

Air Rifle

Men and Women’s 10m Air Rifle

Any .177-caliber (4.5 mm) rifle powered by air or carbon dioxide may be used in this event. The firearm may not weigh more than 5.5 kilograms (12.1 pounds). Any sight not containing a lens or system of lenses is permitted. Competitors complete 60 shots in 105 minutes. The shots are fired in the standing position at a target 10 meters (32 feet, 9¾ inches) away that has a center ring 0.5 mm (0.02 inches) in diameter. Eight athletes advance to the finals, where they each have 75 seconds to fire 10 shots. Other aspects of finals selection are the same as for other rifle events.

In women’s 10m air rifle, the same firearm requirements apply as in the men's 10m air rifle, but the number of shots is reduced—with only 40 shots in 75 minutes. The same targets are used as in the men’s air rifle event.

Men's 10m Air Rifle—Running Target

Rifles requirements are the same as in other air rifle events, except telescopic sights are permitted, but the length of the sight must not exceed 300 mm (11.8 inches) in length and may have a magnifying power no greater than 4x. Shooting rounds differ from other air rifle events, as indicated below, but finals selection is similar to other rifle events, except as described below.

Sixty shots are fired, 30 in a slow round and 30 in a rapid fire round. In the slow round, the target, which is pulled across an aisle measuring 2 meters (6 feet, 7 inches) in width, is visible for five seconds. In the rapid round, the target is only visible for two and a half seconds. During both rounds, the target is 10 meters (32 feet, 9¾ inches) away and its center ring is 5.5 mm (0.22 inch) in diameter. In different rounds, the targets alternately appear from the right or left. The six best athletes from the preliminary round advance to the 10-shot final, which is shot from the standing position with the target moving at a rapid speed.

Air Pistol

Men and Women’s 10m Air Pistol

Any .177-caliber (4.5 mm) pistol powered by air or carbon dioxide may be used in this event. The weight of the firearm may not exceed 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds). The overall size of the pistol is limited to a length of 420 mm (16½ inches), a height of 200 mm (7.9 inches) and a width of 50 mm (2 inches). No part of the grip or accessories may enclose the hand. Only open and metallic sights are allowed.

In women’s 10m air pistol, the same firearm requirements apply as in the men's 10m air pistol, but, again, the number of shots is reduced—with only 40 shots in 75 minutes. The same targets are used as in the men’s air pistol event.

This event is shot single-handed in the standing position at a distance of 10 meters (32 feet, 9¾ inches). The center ring of the target is 11.5 mm (.45 inches) in diameter. Each competitor fires 60 shots, in series of 10, with a time limit of 105 minutes. Eight athletes advance to the finals, which consists of a series of 10 shots with 75 seconds allotted per shot. In the finals, the score is evaluated in tenths of points. The score from the finals is added to the preliminary round score to determine the order of finish.

Material courtesy of National Shooting Sports Foundation