Air Rifle Field Target

Air Rifle Field Target has its origins overseas, with the first official event held in 1980 at Magham Down in Sussex, England. More than 100 shooters attended the inaugural competition.

The sport began informally, using silhouette targets with visible “hit zones.” As popularity grew across the United Kingdom, the now-standard fall-when-hit targets were introduced in the mid-1980s, significantly shaping the modern discipline.

Around the same time, the sport expanded into the United States, leading to the formation of the American Field Target Association in 1987. International competition followed soon after, with early World Championships alternating between the UK and the US.

During the 1990s, additional countries joined the sport, including Norway and later Germany. By 2012, the World Field Target Federation had grown to more than 30 member nations, with SSAA National recognised as the regional governing body for Australia.

Air Rifle Field Target was officially introduced as an SSAA discipline in late 2012, promoting precision air rifle shooting using equipment capable of reliably engaging reactive targets at unknown distances.

For more information, see the World Field Target Federation website.

Matches

Air Rifle Field Target competitions are structured as simulated field events. A range is set up with a minimum of 10 lanes and a maximum of 25 lanes, with two to three targets per lane.

Targets must:

• Be of the fall-when-hit type
• Be resettable from the firing line
• Have a circular hit zone in a contrasting colour

A match consists of no fewer than 30 targets.

Scoring is simple:

• 1 point for a hit (target falls)
• 0 points for a miss

Any movement that does not result in the target falling is scored as a miss. Targets must be shot in numerical order; shots taken out of sequence are scored as misses.

Firearms

The discipline caters to both springer and PCP air rifles.

• Springer rifles generate power using a spring or gas ram and piston
• PCP rifles use a chamber of compressed air or gas, which may be filled via a scuba tank, compressor, hand pump or integrated pump

Rifles using permanently attached remote bulk-air supply systems are not permitted.

Any shooting position is allowed, including:

• Standing (offhand)
• Sitting or kneeling
• Prone

Stocks of any configuration may be used and adjusted to suit shooting positions, provided no attachments are added or removed during competition.

Permitted equipment includes:

• Butt hooks
• Single- or two-point rifle slings
• Shooting mats or ground cloths

Any sighting system may be used except laser sights. Laser rangefinding devices are prohibited, whether built-in or separate. Spotting scopes are not permitted on the firing line during competition.

Selection policy

There are two selection methods for SSAA International Teams:

Invitational Team

The National Board or President may appoint and approve an Invitational or Presidents Team, with advice from the National Coaching and Discipline Supervisor and National Discipline Chairman.

Selection Criteria

The National Discipline Chairman submits a team selected according to the Selection Criteria to the National Board for approval.

To qualify for a SSAA International Team, a person:

• Must be a current financial member of SSAA
• Must hold or be eligible for a valid Australian passport, or have an approved exemption
• Must meet all requirements outlined in SSAA Inc Information and General Requirement for SSAA Team Members

Discipline selection criteria

Selection is based on a discipline’s Annual National Championship, with competitors from at least two SSAA State or Territory Associations.

Additional selection rules and timelines apply as outlined in the official Selection Policy document.

Approved by the SSAA National Board on 18 November 2018, effective 1 January 2019.

• Air Rifle Field Target guide revision 2023
• SSAA official practice targets
• Air Rifle BR30
• Discipline posters 2019 Air Rifle Field Target
• SSAA Standard Rules No 9.2 Rev Nov 2022
• ARFT Score Sheet