Glossary

• .177 caliber
  
  4.5mm or .177 inch . Official size of lead pellet used in International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) airgun competition.
  
  
• 10M
  
  10 Meter. Official International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) distance for International and Olympic airgun competition. Equal to 33 feet.
  
  
• 3P air rifle
  
  3-Position air rifle. Standard junior course of fire requiring shooting in the prone, standing and kneeling positions.
  
  
• 3P range
  
  A rifle range designed to accommodate firing in the prone, standing and kneeling positions.
  
  
• Adult airgun
  
  Referring to AIAC's adult (18 and older) airgun program and 10M range facility.
  
  
• Adult range
  
  AIAC's 10M airgun range designed for adult International air rifle and International air pistol shooters.
  
  
• Aiming Mark
  
  Black circular mark in center of a target containing scoring rings. Also know as "Bullseye".
  
  
• Airgun
  
  General term for a rifle or pistol that uses compressed air or Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to propel a projectile, usually a lead pellet.
  
  
• Airgun range
  
  A location that is designed to provide for the safe discharge of airguns.
  
  
• Air pistol
  
  A pistol that uses compressed air or Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to propel a projectile, usually a lead pellet.
  
  
• Air rifle
  
  A rifle that uses compressed air or Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to propel a projectile, usually a lead pellet.
  
  
• AP
  
  Standard abbreviation for Air Pistol.
  
  
• Aperture sight
  
  A sighting system, also known as “metallic” or “peep” sights, that uses alignment of concentric circles (front and rear sight apertures) to encircle the target “bullseye” for aiming.
  
  
• AR
  
  Standard abbreviation for Air Rifle.
  
  
• Bullseye
  
  A black circular aiming mark or the type of target having a black circular aiming mark.
  
  
• Caliber
  
  A measurement in metric or imperial units to describe the inside diameter of a barrel or outside diameter of a projectile - .177 caliber equals .177” or 4.5 mm.
  
  
• CMP
  
  The Civilian Marksmanship Program. Established to promote firearms safety training and marksmanship for U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth.
  
  
• FPS
  
  Feet Per Second. A unit of measurement to express speed (velocity) of a projectile.
  
  
• International Air Pistol
  
  Type of air pistol competition fired with 1-hand stance. No special supportive gear is allowed. All International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF), as well as NCAA and regular Junior Olympic air pistol competitions, are fired 1-handed only with no supportive gear. Open sights only.
  
  
• International Air Rifle
  
  Type of air rifle competition fired in the standing position only. Olympic-quality air rifles and special supportive clothing are allowed. All International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF), as well as NCAA and regular Junior Olympic (non-3P) air rifle competitions, are fired in the standing position only. Metallic sights only.
  
  
• ISRA
  
  Illinois State Rifle Association. Established in 1903 as Illinois' leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.
  
  
• ISSF
  
  The International Shooting Sport Federation. Governing body of sport shooting competition in the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cups, Continental Championships / Games.
  
  
• Junior air pistol
  
  Air pistol category made up entirely of junior competitors. A “junior” competitor may be considered “School Age” (enrolled in high school) or up to 20 years-old depending on the sanctioning organization of an event.
  
  
• Junior Olympic 3P
  
  3P air rifle category made up entirely of junior competitors. A “junior” competitor may be considered “School Age” (enrolled in high school) or “20 years-old or younger” depending on the sanctioning organization of an event.
  
  
• Metallic sights
  
  General term for a non-optical sighting system. Sighting system found on most competition air rifles that uses a small rear aperture in conjunction with a circular front aperture that is centered around the bullseye (aiming mark) on the target. Most ISSF shooting disciplines require metallic (rifle) or open (pistol) sighting systems.
  
  
• Multi-Bull target
  
  A target card containing multiple aiming marks (bullseyes). A multi-bull air rifle target containing 12-bullseyes (2 “sighter” bullseyes and 10 “record” bullseyes) is most often used for junior 3P air rifle competition. A 4-bull target is commonly used for air pistol competition if the range is not equipped with a target retrieval system.
  
  
• NRA
  
  National Rifle Association, offering America's preeminent shooting, training, educational and public service programs that foster the safe, responsible ownership and use of firearms.
  
  
• NRA certified rifle instructor
  
  A person who has satisfactorily completed an NRA Instructor Training Course and received the endorsement of the NRA Training Counselor conducting the course. Graduates train individuals and uphold the quality and integrity of national firearm safety and training standards established by the NRA.
  
  
• Olympic style
  
  Air rifle or air pistol discipline fired at the Olympic Games that follows specific guidelines for range specifications, guns, and related equipment established by the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). Olympic air rifle competition is fired in the standing position only, Olympic air pistol competition is fired 1-handed only.
  
  
• Open sights
  
  Type of sighting system, required on pistols in ISSF competition, that uses a front post and a rear notch to align the gun on the target. Sights must not be covered (hooded) or contain an aperture.
  
  
• Optical sights
  
  Sighting system that uses lenses to view the target and align the gun - a scope.
  
  
• Pellet
  
  Small lead projectile - specifically .177 caliber for official 10M airgun competition. Match pellets are hourglass-shaped with a flat front to cut clean holes in the target.
  
  
• Pneumatic airgun
  
  An airgun that uses a lever on the gun to compress air used to propel the projectile.
  
  
• Pre-charged or SCUBA-powered airgun
  
  An airgun that uses highly compressed air in a cylinder mounted on the gun to propel the projectile. Gun-mounted air cylinders are typically filled to 3000 psi (200 BAR) with a SCUBA tank or special hand pump.
  
  
• Precision-class 3P air rifle
  
  An advanced junior air rifle category that allows the use of Olympic-quality air rifles and special supportive gear such as shooting pants, jackets, and boots.
  
  
• Progressive Position Pistol (PPP)
  
  Type of junior air pistol competition designed to allow younger boys and girls to compete by incorporating a “supported” class where the shooter is allowed to rest the pistol on a support or use a 2-hand grip not allowed in International air pistol competition. PPP also has an “unsupported” division where more experienced junior shooters can fire in the traditional 1-hand position without support.
  
  
• Range officer
  
  The person who is in complete charge of the range facility and is responsible for range safety. Their duties include direct supervision of all activities on the firing line.
  
  
• Record shots
  
  Shots that make up the official score for the match.
  
  
• Safety
  
  A device that blocks the firing mechanism of a gun. Typically, match-quality airguns do not contain a safety.
  
  At the AIAC range, a “safe” gun is one that is unloaded with the loading gate open, has a Clear Barrel Indicator (CBI) inserted in the barrel, is pointed down-range, and is not being touched in any way.
  
  
• Sighters
  
  A term for aiming shots, allowed before the start of official match scoring, fired on special “sighter-bullseyes” only. 3P competitors are allowed unlimited sighter shots on sighter bullseyes before the start of each stage (prone, standing, and kneeling) of the competition. Sighters are allowed only before firing the first record shot of the match.
  
  
• Sporter-class 3P air rifle
  
  The most popular junior air rifle competition category. Sporter-class 3P air rifle competition stresses training over equipment by restricting the type and cost of the gun and limiting the use of special shooting clothing.
  
  
• Target
  
  Usually a paper card containing a group of scoring rings with an aiming mark in the center. The innermost ring or dot has a value of 10 points, with decreasing values as the circles grow larger.
  
  
• Target velocity airgun
  
  This rating can be considered a power rating under 700 fps. Generally, match rifles come in power settings of 500-700 fps and muzzle energy of less than 6 foot pounds. Do not confuse a low powered air rifle with a velocity of 600 fps with a match rifle. A match rifle is designed to be extremely accurate for 10 meters.
  
  
• USA Shooting
  
  USA Shooting is the U.S. governing body for the Olympic shooting sports and those governed by the International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF). The organization is responsible for training and selecting the shooting teams to represent the United States at World Cups, World Shooting Championships, the Pan American Games, and the Olympic Games.
  
  
• Velocity
  
  Speed of a projectile, usually expressed in Feet Per Second (FPS), Most Olympic-style airguns have a velocity in the area of 500-600 FPS.