When you’re watching the 50m champs it might look like there is not that much going on, but underneath the surface the competitors are drawing from their hours of training to produce that perfect 10. Our competitors come from all walks of life. We have men and women competing, university students, competitors in their 70s and competitors who are blind or otherwise differently abled. While our competitors are diverse, what they have in common is their dedication to their training.
Our competitors have been training for a considerable amount of time. They will have spent years learning and perfecting the setting up of the equipment and rifle, tuning the rifle to the ammunition for it to give the most precise results that it possibly can. While it might sound slightly disinteresting, doing the exact same process time and time again, it is the name of the game. Repetitive practice of processes and movements such as loading the rifle, taking aim, taking up the trigger, and reading the wind is essential because it is the perfection of these skills that will make a competitor a winner.
Mental strength and physical control are essential. Competitors must stay absolutely still other than the small movements required to take their shot. Maintaining mental strength and resilience is just as important. It’s of no benefit to think you are doing very well or very poorly as it can affect the next shot. What competitors need to do if possible is meet each shot in the same way, to forget about what is happening outside of the competition and to focus only on what they themselves can control. In this way, shooting aligns with many forms of meditation where you’ve got to concentrate on one things. It’s not good thinking about what’s for dinner or what’s happening at work. All your focus must be on the process of shooting.
While the competitions are an individual activity, shooting is a great recreational activity where you can meet friends and get away from the pressures of the day. For many people it's quite therapeutic because the training and processes of shooting are repetitive, allowing you to have pure focus on the task at hand.
As with any competition, there are medals to be won. But at the end of the day, shooting is more of a personal competition where you must practice keeping your emotions in control, maintain body position and work in harmony with your body and the elements. Shooting is a way of self-improvement, of bettering yourself in an environment that is social and enjoyable. We have competitors that have been coming back year after year for over two decades - there is obviously something for everyone to love about small-bore rifle shooting!