Like any specialised activity, shooting has it’s own lexicon of terms and abbreviations. We have captured some of those here in the hope that those who are new to this sport, or just curious, will find some useful information.
Shooting in the Supine position – lying on your back with the muzzle of the rifle down by your feet.
Traditional low explosive (potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal) used in muzzleloaders and vintage firearms, distinct from modern smokeless powder (propellant).
A lateral adjustment of the rear sight to compensate for any off-centre bias in the shooter’s technique or position.
A person positioned in the “butts” who is responsible for marking, scoring, and patching bullet holes on targets.
The area and structures at the end of a shooting range that are designed to safely stop bullets. In practice, ‘the butts’ include the targets as well.
Noun: A person who will read the wind during a competition and may adjust the shooter’s rear sight to compensate.
Verb: Reading the wind and making adjustments to windage – a shooter will self-coach in individual competitions.
Accommodation rooms within the clubhouse that have an established ‘owner’ who holds priority booking rights during the first quarter of each year for any dates across the year. Full members have priority booking rights during April over non-members wishing to book accommodation across the year.
This is a precision, long-range discipline, characterised by two main divisions: F-Open, which allows any calibre up to 8mm, uses front rests and rear bags, with a 10kg weight limit, and F/TR (Target Rifle), restricted to .308 Win or .223 Rem calibres, using only a bipod/rear bag and limited to 8.25kg. Typically shot at distances of 600-1000 yards.
A category of rifle used for target shooting, typically chambered in pistol calibres like .22LR, .38/.357, .44, or .45, often with classic underlever actions but also including modern variants (such as semi-automatic carbines), shot at short to medium distances.
A form of severe adhesive wear where metal surfaces of the bolt, typically the locking lugs or the body, seize to the receiver’s internal surfaces due to friction and pressure. This “cold welding” can cause rough bolt lift, permanent damage to components, and potentially cause the bolt to seize entirely, making the action difficult or impossible to operate.
The process of manually assembling your own ammunition from individual components like cases, primers, powder, and bullets, instead of buying factory-made rounds. Often done to save costs or to improve accuracy by custom tailoring loads.
Long-range precision shooting at distances from 1,000 to 1,200 yards, shot in the supine position or using telescopic sights and rests for stability in the prone position. Ususally with .308 calibre factory or handloaded ammunition.
Radio Message numbers used to communicate with the Butts during a firing detail:
1 Raise target, firing about to commence.
2 No spotting disc visible.
3 Spotting disc disagrees with score board.
4 A shot has been red but no signal made. Examine target.
5 Firer has challenged for a higher score. Examine target.
6 Suspected second shot on target.
7 A miss has been signalled but firer has challenged for a shot. Examine target.
8 The spotting disc appears to not have moved. Confirm spotting disc is in the latest shot hole.
9 Marking appears to be very slow. [Speed up please]
10 Stand easy (take a break) – half-mast target (could mean finished for the shift).
A muzzle-loading pistol is a handgun loaded from the front (muzzle) of the barrel, requiring separate powder, wadding, and projectile to be inserted for each shot, distinct from modern breech-loaders.
[Note: The NLRC does not currently include muzzle loaded rifle in our scope of activity.]
MOA is used in two ways when shooting: Firstly to adjust sight elevation to accommodate the effect of gravity on the bullet resulting in an increased drop in height over increased distances. Secondly the size or spread of a shooter’s group of shots can be expressed in MOA as will the size of the bullseye they are aiming for.
Examples of recognised outside organisations whose members may be guest members of approved rifle and muzzle-loading pistol clubs are: scouts and guides, schools, rotary clubs and Women’s Institutes. [Source gov.uk]
Plotters in a Team context will mark the fall of shot on a plotting sheet that incoprates a representation the target and records the score as well as the sight adjustments for each shot.
An elevation chart is developed on the sheet to help keep the group centered on the target face.
POA (Point of Aim): Where you aim.
POI (Point of Impact): Where the bullet hits.
The chemical compound or powder inside a cartridge that burns rapidly when ignited to produce gas that drives the projectile(s) down the barrel of a firearm.
Typically two types: Smokeless powder and Black powder.
Whenever live firing takes place, one individual is allocated the responsibility of supervising the activity to ensure that it is conducted safely and in accordance with applicable rules – known as the Range Officer (RO), or if responsible for such a large or varied activity that assistance is required, the Chief Range Officer (CRO).
A Range Conducting Officer (RCO) is a person who holds a formal qualification from a recognised authority to supervise live firing within limits specified.
A team member assigned, during a competition, to observe and record the individual shot scores (and total) of a competing team’s shooter.
See Handloading
A practice shot (or shots) taken before the official scoring begins. In many competitions, sighters may be convertible – meanng they are included in official scoring and the total number of shots fired is decreased accordingly.
This is the process of assigning shooters (and other team members) to specific groups, firing points and time slots for a competition or practice session. The assignments are published as ‘start lists’.
Prone position shooting at ranges of 300 to 1000 yards using specific calibres (typically .308 Winchester/ 7.62x51mm NATO) and non-magnifying (iron) sights. Elsewhere, TR may include Kneeling and Standing positions.
Shooter Classification for Compeitions: Tyro – Previously unclassified (not in a prize list before).
A – One who has during the last three years been: placed 51st to 100th in either of HM The Queen’s/King’s Prize or the St George’s Prize, placed 51st to 150th in the Grand Aggregate, or during the last ten years qualified as Class X in two or more separate years and is aged under 70 on 1 July in the current year.
X – TR – One who has during the last three years been either of: top 50 of HM The Queen’s/King’s Prize, top 50 of the St George’s Prize, top 50 of the Grand Aggregate.
O – Not classified as T, A or X.
TR: A shooter who in any single previous Meeting has not been in three or more open prize lists above the “Last O in”, in any competition included on the current individual’s entry form in which the firearm is given as TR.
MR: A shooter who has never been any of: Class X (TR); a member of a GB representative F Class team; has never appeared in the top 20 places of the Hopton, or been in the top 10 in any other MR competition included in the Hopton.[source: NRA]
Originally a military muster or “weapon show” in Scotland and Northern England. Today, it often refers to a fun, local event like a shooting match or social gathering with historical roots.
The amount of lateral sight adjustment to compensate for wind effects.
Zeroing is adjusting the rifle’s sights or scope so that the point of aim matches the point of impact at a specific distance. Once complete this is called zeroed, as in “my rifle is zeroed to 300 yards”. From this you can apply an elevation correction in MOA to adjust to other distances.
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