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April 25th, 2015
This article appears courtesy Target Shooter magazine from the UK.
 Field Target (FT) and Hunter Field Target (HFT) airgun disciplines are popular outdoor shooting sports that simulate the challenges of hunting small game. One of the unique aspects of FT competition is target range-finding using parallax and optical focus. (HFT is limited to lower power scopes, so this type of range-fiding is not used in HFT.) Range-finding is very important because the pellets shot by FT airguns drop rapidly once they leave the muzzle (pellets can drop roughly 5″ at 50 yards). If you don’t have your scope set to the correct distance, you’ll probably miss the target high or low.
FT competitors employ high-magnification (35-55X) scopes to sight targets placed from 10 to 55 yards (7.3 to 50m in the UK). Because these scopes have very short depth-of-field at high-magnification, the target will be out of focus unless you have the scope focus/parallax control set very precisely. But competitors can use this to their advantage — once the target is precisely focused, you have effectively established its distance from the shooter. FT scopes often have large-diameter wheels on the side parallax control so the focus can be set very precisely. You can then read marks placed on the scope to adjust the amount of elevation need to put the pellet on target.
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March 19th, 2015
With the high price of reloading components, and the limited availability of .22 LR rimfire ammo, perhaps it’s time to consider an air rifle. Modern air rifles can be very accurate, and, the last time we checked, air was still free (the government hasn’t figured out how to tax air yet).
In the world of air rifles, you’ll find a huge range of products, from low-cost plinkers to $5000.00+ Olympic-class position rifles. If you’re looking for a high-quality air rifle in the $1200.00 range, consider the Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC. This versatile rifle received exceptionally high marks from Hard Air Magazine (HAM), a specialty website for air gunners. HAM’s editors gave the Air Arms S510 a 93% total score, the highest score of any air rifle the magazine has tested to date. Accuracy was outstanding with the heavier pellets in the standard HAM test range. HAM tested a .22 caliber version, but Air Arms also offers the S510 in .177 or .25 caliber. The .177 version is suitable for Field Target Competition.
CLICK HERE to Read Full Air Arms S510 Review. (Very Comprehensive).
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August 19th, 2014
There’s a chap in Poland named Łukasz Pietruszka, who is a bonafied “Wizard of Wood”. Lukasz handcrafts unique custom stocks, selling them through his LP Gunstocks company. Many of his most eye-catching stocks are for airguns (particularly Field Target rifles), but he also produces fine stocks for rimfire and centerfire hunting rifles. Lukasz is a master carver who includes exquisite details on many of his stocks. Some of these designs, crafted from exotic hardwoods, raise stock-crafting to an art form.
Check out the figure on this Turkish Walnut stock by Łukasz Pietruszka.
You can see a variety of Lukasz’s stocks in a video sampler. If you’re a fan of fine wood, you’ll love this video. So pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, and enjoy this 16-minute video interlude.
 Watch Video in High Definition
NOTE: We recommend you view this video in high definition, in wide screen format. To do this, start the video, then click on the gear-shaped icon at the lower right-hand corner of the video frame (it’s located just to the right of the clock icon). If you have a fast internet connection, select 720P or 1080P from the pop-up menu. (1080P is the highest resolution.) Now select theater mode or full-screen mode using the small icons on the lower right of the frame.
Radical ‘Shockwave’ from LP Gunstocks
Here is a truly amazing bit of craftmanship. The images below show a one-of-a-kind Shockwave stock created by Łukasz for a Steyr Field Target air rifle. Over the top? Perhaps… but you have to admire the imaginative design and exquisite worksmanship.
Video find by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
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July 6th, 2014
Next weekend, July 11-13, Crosman Corporation will welcome 100 competitors to the largest airgun event of its kind in the United States. The Northeast Regional Field Target Championship will feature participants from fourteen states and Canada competing.
Now in its fifth year, the Northeast Regional Field Target Championship (NRFTC) is the country’s largest regional championship with nearly 100 shooters participating in nine shooting disciplines. Open to professionals, amateurs and families, the NRFTC offers a challenging yet forgiving shooting course in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. The event will be held on the Crosman Corporation campus in Bloomfield, NY from July 11-13, 2014.
“[This] has turned into the top open competition in the country for Field Target,” said Mark DeBoard, Crosman Shooting Services Manager. “Technically it’s a regional competition but we draw participants from across the U.S. and we have international competitors as well. Age, height, and weight don’t offer any advantages, so we see both adults and youth performing at high levels,” says DeBoard. The public is invited to come and watch the action — this is a great opportunity to learn about Field Target.
The rifle event takes place over two days with competitors taking 60 shots each day. The event runs under American Airgun Field Target Association rules. Field target competitors attempt to knock down a variety of steel targets set at distances ranging from 15 to 50 yards. Competitors shoot in a variety of divisions and classes based on the equipment they use, taking both their airgun and support equipment into consideration.
CLICK HERE for Online Registration, Event Rules, and Lodging Options..
“Spots are limited, so please register soon,” says Mark DeBoard, Shooting Services Manager for Crosman. “Field target is a fun event for all skill levels. Participants will benefit by shooting alongside members of Team USA and other [top shooters] from across the country.
Field Target Competition Explained — Video from 2013 World Championship
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March 20th, 2014
Now in its fifth year, the Northeast Regional Field Target Championship (NRFTC) is the country’s largest regional championship with nearly 100 shooters participating in nine shooting disciplines. Open to professionals, amateurs and families, the NRFTC offers a challenging yet forgiving shooting course in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. The event will be held on the Crosman Corporation campus in Bloomfield, NY from July 11-13, 2014. NOTE: Pre-registration closes June 1 when the match fees increase from $50 to $60.
CLICK HERE for Online Registration, Event Rules, and Lodging Options..
“Spots are limited, so please register soon,” says Mark DeBoard, Shooting Services Manager for Crosman. “Field target is a fun event for all skill levels. Participants will benefit by shooting alongside members of Team USA and other [top shooters] from across the country.
The event runs under American Airgun Field Target Association rules. Field target competitors attempt to knock down a variety of steel targets set at distances ranging from 15 to 50 yards. “Shooting is truly a level playing field, making it a great family experience. Age, height, and weight don’t offer any advantages, so we see both adults and youth performing at high levels,” says DeBoard.
Field Target Competition Explained — Video from 2013 World Championship
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January 2nd, 2014
Ana Pereira, from Portugal, is a Field Target World Champion. In the three videos below, Ana explains her sport and interviews other Field Target shooters. Field Target competitors shoot air rifles from a variety of positions over a multi-station field course. Targets are typically placed 9m to 50m distant (minimum distance rules vary country-by-country). Targets are usually small animal shapes that fall down when hit. There are a variety of air gun classes for Field Target, with the most exotic pre-charged pneumatic rifles costing many thousands of dollars.
Watch Interview with Ana Pereira
Field Target Shooters use very high-magnification scopes fitted with large side-wheels that control the parallax. The shooters use the parallax control to range the distance to the target and then adjust their elevation accordingly. In the video below, featuring the Steyr LG110 Field Target Air Rifle, you can see how the large side wheels are used for distance-ranging.
In the United Kingdom, most shots may be taken in any stance, but the seated position is the most popular due to its stability (and often one must shoot over logs or tall grass, so the prone position is not practical). Most competitors carry a small beanbag or cushion to sit on while shooting. It may also be used under the knee or to support the ankle during kneeling shots.
Targets are shot from “gates” in a firing line, and are divided into “lanes” of two targets each. Targets are often placed at about the same height as the shooter, but it is not uncommon for them to appear high up banks or in trees, or down steep slopes. The hit zone of a target is circular, usually 40–45 mm in diameter, although “reducer” targets as small as 25 mm may be employed for closer-range shots.
Ana Periera Interviews Springer Class World Champion Heli Jalakas in Estonia.
This Video Also Shows Shooting Sequences from International Competition:
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July 19th, 2013
At its scenic Bloomfield, New York facility, Crosman hosted the largest regional competition sanctioned by the American Field Target Association (AFTA) and the 2013 edition of the Northeast Regional Field Target Championship (NRFTC). Over one hundred competitors (and three international teams) participated in the two-day rifle match, single day pistol match, and Quigley Bucket Challenge.
The big draw was Team USA as they prepare to attend the World Field Target Federation Championship in Germany in August. Nine members of the 15-member team were on hand including past NRFTC champions Hector Medina, Greg Sauve and Harold Rushton. They were joined by five shooters of Team Venezuela and when a few Canadian participants formed Team Canada, the international side match was on. Scores were based on the team aggregate and after Day 1 it was Team USA (41.33) leading Team Canada (38.83) and Team Venezuela (36.80). Anchored by Rushton, Sauve, and Ray Apelles, Team USA took the weekend with an aggregate score of 88.66. Team Canada finished with 78.66, and Team Venezuela posted a 72.60.
CLICK HERE for complete Team and Individual Match Results.
Quigley Bucket Challenge
Always a favorite pre-event competition, the Quigley Bucket Challenge is a re-creation of the dramatic scene in the film Quigley Down Under in which Tom Selleck’s character must shoot a bucket at 700 yards. Scaled for airguns, this equates to a 1.75″ target placed at 55 yards. Shooters must use a 6.5 ft-lb. rifle using only open / iron / non-magnified sights. The Quigley had 45 shooters try five shots apiece. Just eight hit the bucket and after two over-times, Greg Sauve was the only shooter to repeat the feat, thereby winning the Challenge.
Tech Talk: Why the Big Side-Wheels on the Scopes?
Field Target rifles shoot pellets propelled by compressed air. These light-weight, low-BC projectiles drop very quickly, with a looping trajectory. In order to hit targets at distances out to 50 yards or so, you have to adjust your scope to compensate for pellet drop. But you can’t set the scope correctly without knowing the precise range to the target. This is the function of the big wheels on the side of the scope. Field Target Competitors use the parallax adjustment on high-magnification scopes to determine target range. The big wheel allows quick, yet precise parallax adjustment. Markings on the wheel show the shooter the scope settings required for the distance “dialed-in” via the over-size parallax wheel.
See More Photos at Crosman Flickr.com Photo Archive
Photos courtesy Crosman Corp., All Rights Reserved
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January 19th, 2011
It is rare in the shooting sports when a single manufacturer, and single gun type, completely dominate a competitive discipline. But in the world of Field Target shooting, the Air Arms EV2 definitely has proven itself the “best of the best”, winning multiple major events in 2010, among them the European Championship, UK Championship, and World Championship. If you get your hands on an EV2 you’ll notice immediately that the rifle is well-balanced and very comfortable to hold — in any position. All the parts are machined to tight tolerances, and it comes with “all the bells and whistles” right out of the box. Watch the video below to learn more about the EV2 — truly the “choice of champions”.
The Air Arms EV2 is available from PyramidAir.com for $1959.00, your choice of black, sky blue, or Red receiver and barrel-end fixture.
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