Field target shooting first became popular in the early eighties. It is a discipline of shooting targets outdoors in woodland or open fields, as opposed to the popular indoor 10 and 25 metre disciplines, and hence the reason it became known as “field target”.
The targets are of the metal knock down variety, originally shaped in the silhouette of animals or now also in basic shapes (e.g. circle, diamond etc). Within the silhouette is a disc, referred to as the “hit zone”. A strike on the hit zone results in the target falling flat and a point is scored. A course normally consists of either 30, 40 or even 50 targets, placed within lanes, normally consisting of two targets to a lane.
For field target three standard diameters of hit zones are used on the targets, 15mm, 25mm, and the other being 40-45mm which is full size.
The targets are placed between ranges of 8 yards to 55 yards, and can be on the ground or elevated within trees.
The range of the target is not given to the shooter, and they must estimate this by eye or using the telescopic sights parallax feature. The shooter will then calculate the required amount of scope adjustment or hold over / under, windage, and take the shot. You only get one shot per target before moving on to the next lane.
There are clubs located all over the UK and these clubs organise regional competitions and leagues, so you get the opportunity to shoot at other peoples clubs. Participation in these events is purely down to the individual. Over the summer a number of national events take place, called grands prix. The top shooters from these go on to a final showdown shoot, and some can go on to represent the UK at European and then World levels.
This demonstrates the potential gain within the sport, but for most of us, its an enjoyable Sunday morning hobby.
Find a club near you using the clubfinder on the top menu.
More information on Field Target shooting can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_Target
Many thanks to ICENI Marksmen for this helpful article
