Competitors shoot at a stationary target consisting of ten concentric rings, with the innermost being the ‘inner ten’ with a diameter of 5 mm. The targets are placed 50m away and shooters fire from the prone (lying down), Standing and Kneeling positions in that order.
The Rifle is:
- .22 (“Small-bore”) calibre using .22 Long Rifle ammunition
- a maximum permissible weight of 8kg for men and 6.5kg for women
- Correcting lenses and telescopes must not be attached to the rifle.
For the men’s 3×40 event, the shooter fires 40 shots each in the prone (lying down), standing and kneeling positions at a target set 50m away, giving a maximum score of 1200. The best eight shooters from this opening program qualify for the final, which consists of ten further shots, each fired on command. Each shot is evaluated in decimal tenths (10.9 being the maximum). The decimal score gives a maximum “Final” score of 109. The “Final” Score is added to the score from the opening program, giving a Overall maximum score of 1309. The Total time-limit allowed is 3 hours, which is split into sections for each position as follows: Prone: 45 Minutes Standing: 75 Minutes Kneeling: 60 Minutes. Before the competition begins there is a 10-minutes preperation time, during which the shooter may shoulder the rifle and dry fire. They MAY NOT fire any rounds, blank or live. For the Mens event there is a change-over between position of a maximum of 10 minutes.
For the women’s 3×20 event, the shooter fires 20 shots each in the prone (lying down), standing and kneeling positions at a target set 50m away, giving a maximum score of 600. The best eight shooters from this opening program qualify for the final, which consists of ten further shots, each fired on command. Each shot is evaluated in decimal tenths (10.9 being the maximum). The decimal score gives a maximum “Final” score of 109. The “Final” Score is added to the score from the opening program, giving a Overall maximum score of 709. The total time-limit allowed is 2 hours and 15 minutes. Unlike the men’s event, the time for each position is not designated, and shooters progress to the next position as and when they are ready. The beginning of the shoot is preceded by a 10-minute preparation period, during which the shooter may shoulder the rifle and dry fire. They MAY NOT fire any rounds, blank or live.
USA Shooting video describing the Men’s and Women’s 50m 3-Position Rifle Event