Shooting
Shooting sport tests accuracy with rifles, pistols and shotguns. In rifle and pistol events athletes fire at fixed targets, scoring by the ring each shot hits, 10 at the centre; in the shotgun events, trap and skeet, they shoot at flying clay targets, a point for each one broken. In Olympic events the best eight in qualification go to a final and start again from zero.
New to shooting? Start here
Which to watch first, and how long
Start with Rifle. A single score that grows with every shot, and finals that knock one out at a time.
- Rifle
- Qualification, then a final in which the lowest score is knocked out shot by shot
- Pistol
- Qualification and finals, as in rifle
- Trap
- Rounds of 25 clay targets
- Skeet
- Rounds of 25 clay targets
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (shooting)The title shooting is measured by.Every 4 years · Holder: 15 events; China won 5 golds
- 2ISSF World ChampionshipsThe sport's own world title.To check (all disciplines every 4 years; shotgun more often) · Holder: Rifle and pistol: Cairo
- 3Asian Games (shooting)Asia's multi-sport title; for India often the most reachable major medal.Every 4 years · Holder: 28 events; China won 16 golds
- 4Commonwealth Games (shooting)A multi-sport title against the Commonwealth nations.Every 4 years · Holder: 19 events; India won 7 golds and 16 medals
India
- Shooting at the Olympic Games: 7 medals: 1 gold (Abhinav Bindra, men's 10 m air rifle, 2008), 2 silver, 4 bronze
- ISSF World Shooting Championships: Cairo 2025: 13 medals (3 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze), third in the table. Baku 2023: 14 (6 gold, 8 bronze), third
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaISSF World Shooting Championships: 16 golds, 17 silvers, 18 bronzes (latest 2025); Shooting at the Commonwealth Games: 68 golds, 46 silvers, 28 bronzes (latest 2018)
- ChinaISSF World Shooting Championships: 104 golds, 87 silvers, 46 bronzes (latest 2025); Shooting at the Asian Games: 237 golds, 142 silvers, 88 bronzes (latest 2026)
- United StatesShooting at the Olympic Games: 58 golds, 34 silvers, 29 bronzes (latest 2024); ISSF World Shooting Championships: 39 golds, 23 silvers, 26 bronzes (latest 2023)
- South KoreaISSF World Shooting Championships: 23 golds, 24 silvers, 30 bronzes (latest 2025); Shooting at the Asian Games: 71 golds, 103 silvers, 107 bronzes (latest 2026)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Official Statutes, Rules and Regulations, Edition 2025 (second print 07/2026), effective 1 July 2026 |
| International federation | International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) |
| In India | National Rifle Association of India (NRAI): recognised, on the MYAS list for 2026 |
Where and when it is played
On ranges: rifle and pistol at 10, 25, 50 and 300 metres; shotgun ranges for trap and skeet. The big events: the Olympic Games every four years, the ISSF World Championships and the ISSF World Cups every year, with India hosting some.