International Affiliations
The Trinidad Rifle Association holds the Affiliations for the International Federations listed below and as such, is the sole Governing Body in Trinidad & Tobago for the shooting disciplines governed by these Federations.
1. The National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom www.nra.org.uk
2. The National Smallbore Rifle Association www.nsra.co.uk
3. The International Shooting Sport Federation www.issf-sports.org
4. The International Practical Shooting Confederation www.ipsc.org
5. The Gun Trade Association Ltd. of England www.gtaltd.co.uk
6. The International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations www.icfra.com
7. The Confedracion Americano de Tiro (CAT)
8. The Commonwealth Games Federation www.thecgf.com
9. The West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council
10. The Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee www.ttoc.org
A Criteria for Hosting Shooting Events using the Rules & Scoring systems for any of the disciplines that is Governed by the above International Federations in the Region of Trinidad & Tobago has been established for the protection of our International Federations and the Trinidad Rifle Association.
The Various Disciplines of Sport Shooting in Trinidad & Tobago under the Governance & Guidance of the
Trinidad Rifle Association
ISSF Shooting (International Shooting Sports Federation)
The ISSF recognizes shooting sport events in four disciplines:
- Rifle
- Pistol
- Running Target
- Shotgun
All events can be conducted as individual and team events - three members by teams - for men, women, men junior and women junior.
RIFLE
Rifle Competition: In all the rifle events, competitors earn points by shooting at a 10-ring target. The shooter who totals the most points throughout the all competition wins. In the Finals (Olympic events only), the 10 rings on the target are sub-divided into ten score-zones. The highest score for a shot is therefore 10.9 points. The final-round score is added to the qualification-round score to determine the winner.
Distances: ISSF Rifle competitions include 10 meters, 50 meters and 300 meters events.
Positions: Shooters fire from standing, kneeling and prone positions, depending on the event and on the stage of the competition. In the standing position, the rifle is held with both hands and rests on the shoulder, the left arm may be supported on the chest or hip. When kneeling, the right-handed shooter may touch the ground with the toe of the right foot, the right knee and the left foot. In the prone position, a shooter may not let the rifle rest against, or touch, any object. The right-handed shooter's left forearm must form an angle of at least 30 degrees from the horizontal.
Rifle Sights: Only "metallic" sights are permitted, which have no lenses or system of lenses. Coloured filters are permitted and the rear sight has fine adjustments for windage and elevation.
PISTOL
Pistol Competition: Pistol events are scored the same as rifle events, with competitors aiming at a 10-ring target. During Finals (Olympic events), the 10 rings on the target are sub-divided into ten score-zones. The highest score for a shot is therefore 10.9 points. The final-round score is added to the qualification-round score to determine the winner. The shooter who totals the highest score wins.
Distances: ISSF Pistol competitions include 10 meters, 25 meters and 50 meters events.
Positions: Pistol shooters use a standing position and must hold and fire the gun with one hand, with the wrist clearly free of support.
Pistol sights: Only "open" sights are permitted. The open sights consist of a post or blade sight at the front and the notch at the rear. Optical, mirror, telescope, laser beam or electronically projected dot, sights are prohibited. The rear sight usually has fine adjustments for windage and elevation.
RUNNING TARGET
Running Target Competition: In the men's running target events, competitors shoot at a moving target. The event involves a "slow run" and a "fast run" stage. A third event will be shot as “mixed” event.
Distances: ISSF Running Target competitions include 10 meters and 50 meters events.
Position: The shooter must stand unsupported and shoots in a standing position, starting with his rifle at the hip level and raising it only after the target appears.
Sights: No optical sights are permitted.
SHOTGUN
Shotgun Competition: In all 3 of the Shotgun events (Trap, Double Trap and Skeet) the shooters, drawn in Squads of 6, must stand on designated shooting stations to shoot at clay targets which are released on or after the shooter’s command. A “HIT” is declared when the target is shot at according to the rules and at least 1 visible piece is seen by the Referee to fall from it. The shooter who hits the most targets (qualification rounds + Finals) wins.
Shotguns and cartridges: Shotguns must be smooth bored. They are invariably 12-gauge and of the single trigger “over-under” type (one barrel above the other) and fire cartridges loaded with pellets. The weight of the pellet load must not exceed 24.5g and each pellet must not exceed 2.6 mm diameter. Guns and cartridges are subject to official checks during the shooting program. The maximum effective range of such a clay target shotgun is considered to be about 50m.
Clay targets: The flying saucer shaped clay target is about 110mm (4 inches) in diameter and about 25mm (1 inch) in height. It is actually not made of clay but is a mixture of pitch and chalk. It is bright orange in colour, for better sighting and the targets used in the Finals rounds also contain a powder that is more easily seen by spectators and on television when the target is hit (so called flash powder).
Clay target launching machines: These are called “traps”. They are sophisticated automatic machines that are capable of throwing a clay target the trajectories and distances required for each event. The target is released from the trap via a microphone system that responds to the call of the shooter.
This discipline is conducted by the Trinidad & Tobago Trap & Skeet Association under the Governance of the Trinidad Rifle Association. A Country's Representative is known as the Secretary General
Fullbore Rifle Shooting
Target Rifle (TR) Shooting evolved from Service Rifle (SR) shooting in the late '60s. Previously the No. 4 Service Rifle was used with sights either adjustable or not adjustable for windage. Modern target rifles are extremely accurate, and have sights which are fully adjustable for elevation and windage. Target Rifle involves prone single shot precision shooting using aperture iron sights at 'round bull' targets at distances from 300 to 1000 yards, with each shot carefully scored and analysed. The normal calibre is 7.62mm.
F ('Farquarson') Class evolved from Target Rifle (TR) shooting in the mid 1990s. Whereas the usual calibre for Target Rifle is 7.62mm, F Class may be fired in any calibre up to 8mm. This new variant of Target Rifle shooting allows other calibres and also bipods, telescopic sights etc. This class was originally intended to allow Target Rifle shooters with eyesight or other physical problems to carry on in the sport by allowing greater freedom in optical sights, rifle rests etc. It has now, however, developed into a new discipline in its own right.
The National Rifle Association (now the governing body of Fullbore Rifle & Centrefire Pistol shooting in Great Britain) was founded in 1859, originally to provide a focus for marksmanship for the newly formed corps of volunteers which had been raised to meet the perceived threat of invasion by the French. The NRA was granted Royal Charter in 1894. This Royal Charter continues to this day for the "promotion of marksmanship in the interests of the Defence of Realm and permanence of the Volunteer Forces, Navy military and Air".
The Trinidad Rifle Association became a Member of the NRA of the United Kingdom in 1953 with members of the Association participating at Bisley matches in Bisley England every year since then with top shooters such as Michael Perez, Ezekiel Joseph, Norris Gomez and Justin Lall to name a few.
IPSC Shooting (Practical Pistol Shooting)
The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) was established in 1976 to promote, maintain, improve and advance the sport of IPSC shooting, to safeguard its principles and to regulate its conduct worldwide in order to cultivate the safe, recreational use of firearms by persons of good character.
Accuracy, power, and speed are the quintessential elements and have become the foundation of IPSC shooting. The Latin words Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (DVC) meaning accuracy, power, and speed was introduced to reflect these balanced elements. Range procedures and rules for competitions, as well as safe gun handling standards, were also adopted.
The organization currently has more than eighty-seven active Countries (which are referred to as Regions) from Argentina to Zimbabwe. In 1996 the Trinidad Rifle Association became the newest member of the IPSC family until 2001. In 2009 the Trinidad Rifle Association continued to conduct matches using IPSC Rules & Regulations with members participating in various Regional & International IPSC Competitions. On October 4th 2011 the Trinidad Rifle Association fielded a team of four persons to who traveled to the island of Rhodos in Greece to represent the Association and more importantly our Country where the membership into the IPSC family was re-acquired by the Trinidad Rifle Association. A Country's representative is known as the Regional Director
The holder of the office of the Honorary Secretary of the Trinidad Rifle Association is the representative for the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago to all international Organisations
Individuals, organisations and all other entities not affiliated to the Trinidad Rifle Association are prohibited from using the property of the Trinidad Rifle Association (i.e. ranges, logo, acronym T.R.A., name, official targets, rules & scoring systems) without the prior written approval of the Trinidad Rifle Association
The Trinidad Rifle Association holds the Affiliations for the International Federations listed below and as such, is the sole Governing Body in Trinidad & Tobago for the shooting disciplines governed by these Federations.
1. The National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom www.nra.org.uk
2. The National Smallbore Rifle Association www.nsra.co.uk
3. The International Shooting Sport Federation www.issf-sports.org
4. The International Practical Shooting Confederation www.ipsc.org
5. The Gun Trade Association Ltd. of England www.gtaltd.co.uk
6. The International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations www.icfra.com
7. The Confedracion Americano de Tiro (CAT)
8. The Commonwealth Games Federation www.thecgf.com
9. The West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council
10. The Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee www.ttoc.org
A Criteria for Hosting Shooting Events using the Rules & Scoring systems for any of the disciplines that is Governed by the above International Federations in the Region of Trinidad & Tobago has been established for the protection of our International Federations and the Trinidad Rifle Association.
The Various Disciplines of Sport Shooting in Trinidad & Tobago under the Governance & Guidance of the
Trinidad Rifle Association
ISSF Shooting (International Shooting Sports Federation)
The ISSF recognizes shooting sport events in four disciplines:
- Rifle
- Pistol
- Running Target
- Shotgun
All events can be conducted as individual and team events - three members by teams - for men, women, men junior and women junior.
RIFLE
Rifle Competition: In all the rifle events, competitors earn points by shooting at a 10-ring target. The shooter who totals the most points throughout the all competition wins. In the Finals (Olympic events only), the 10 rings on the target are sub-divided into ten score-zones. The highest score for a shot is therefore 10.9 points. The final-round score is added to the qualification-round score to determine the winner.
Distances: ISSF Rifle competitions include 10 meters, 50 meters and 300 meters events.
Positions: Shooters fire from standing, kneeling and prone positions, depending on the event and on the stage of the competition. In the standing position, the rifle is held with both hands and rests on the shoulder, the left arm may be supported on the chest or hip. When kneeling, the right-handed shooter may touch the ground with the toe of the right foot, the right knee and the left foot. In the prone position, a shooter may not let the rifle rest against, or touch, any object. The right-handed shooter's left forearm must form an angle of at least 30 degrees from the horizontal.
Rifle Sights: Only "metallic" sights are permitted, which have no lenses or system of lenses. Coloured filters are permitted and the rear sight has fine adjustments for windage and elevation.
PISTOL
Pistol Competition: Pistol events are scored the same as rifle events, with competitors aiming at a 10-ring target. During Finals (Olympic events), the 10 rings on the target are sub-divided into ten score-zones. The highest score for a shot is therefore 10.9 points. The final-round score is added to the qualification-round score to determine the winner. The shooter who totals the highest score wins.
Distances: ISSF Pistol competitions include 10 meters, 25 meters and 50 meters events.
Positions: Pistol shooters use a standing position and must hold and fire the gun with one hand, with the wrist clearly free of support.
Pistol sights: Only "open" sights are permitted. The open sights consist of a post or blade sight at the front and the notch at the rear. Optical, mirror, telescope, laser beam or electronically projected dot, sights are prohibited. The rear sight usually has fine adjustments for windage and elevation.
RUNNING TARGET
Running Target Competition: In the men's running target events, competitors shoot at a moving target. The event involves a "slow run" and a "fast run" stage. A third event will be shot as “mixed” event.
Distances: ISSF Running Target competitions include 10 meters and 50 meters events.
Position: The shooter must stand unsupported and shoots in a standing position, starting with his rifle at the hip level and raising it only after the target appears.
Sights: No optical sights are permitted.
SHOTGUN
Shotgun Competition: In all 3 of the Shotgun events (Trap, Double Trap and Skeet) the shooters, drawn in Squads of 6, must stand on designated shooting stations to shoot at clay targets which are released on or after the shooter’s command. A “HIT” is declared when the target is shot at according to the rules and at least 1 visible piece is seen by the Referee to fall from it. The shooter who hits the most targets (qualification rounds + Finals) wins.
Shotguns and cartridges: Shotguns must be smooth bored. They are invariably 12-gauge and of the single trigger “over-under” type (one barrel above the other) and fire cartridges loaded with pellets. The weight of the pellet load must not exceed 24.5g and each pellet must not exceed 2.6 mm diameter. Guns and cartridges are subject to official checks during the shooting program. The maximum effective range of such a clay target shotgun is considered to be about 50m.
Clay targets: The flying saucer shaped clay target is about 110mm (4 inches) in diameter and about 25mm (1 inch) in height. It is actually not made of clay but is a mixture of pitch and chalk. It is bright orange in colour, for better sighting and the targets used in the Finals rounds also contain a powder that is more easily seen by spectators and on television when the target is hit (so called flash powder).
Clay target launching machines: These are called “traps”. They are sophisticated automatic machines that are capable of throwing a clay target the trajectories and distances required for each event. The target is released from the trap via a microphone system that responds to the call of the shooter.
This discipline is conducted by the Trinidad & Tobago Trap & Skeet Association under the Governance of the Trinidad Rifle Association. A Country's Representative is known as the Secretary General
Fullbore Rifle Shooting
Target Rifle (TR) Shooting evolved from Service Rifle (SR) shooting in the late '60s. Previously the No. 4 Service Rifle was used with sights either adjustable or not adjustable for windage. Modern target rifles are extremely accurate, and have sights which are fully adjustable for elevation and windage. Target Rifle involves prone single shot precision shooting using aperture iron sights at 'round bull' targets at distances from 300 to 1000 yards, with each shot carefully scored and analysed. The normal calibre is 7.62mm.
F ('Farquarson') Class evolved from Target Rifle (TR) shooting in the mid 1990s. Whereas the usual calibre for Target Rifle is 7.62mm, F Class may be fired in any calibre up to 8mm. This new variant of Target Rifle shooting allows other calibres and also bipods, telescopic sights etc. This class was originally intended to allow Target Rifle shooters with eyesight or other physical problems to carry on in the sport by allowing greater freedom in optical sights, rifle rests etc. It has now, however, developed into a new discipline in its own right.
The National Rifle Association (now the governing body of Fullbore Rifle & Centrefire Pistol shooting in Great Britain) was founded in 1859, originally to provide a focus for marksmanship for the newly formed corps of volunteers which had been raised to meet the perceived threat of invasion by the French. The NRA was granted Royal Charter in 1894. This Royal Charter continues to this day for the "promotion of marksmanship in the interests of the Defence of Realm and permanence of the Volunteer Forces, Navy military and Air".
The Trinidad Rifle Association became a Member of the NRA of the United Kingdom in 1953 with members of the Association participating at Bisley matches in Bisley England every year since then with top shooters such as Michael Perez, Ezekiel Joseph, Norris Gomez and Justin Lall to name a few.
IPSC Shooting (Practical Pistol Shooting)
The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) was established in 1976 to promote, maintain, improve and advance the sport of IPSC shooting, to safeguard its principles and to regulate its conduct worldwide in order to cultivate the safe, recreational use of firearms by persons of good character.
Accuracy, power, and speed are the quintessential elements and have become the foundation of IPSC shooting. The Latin words Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (DVC) meaning accuracy, power, and speed was introduced to reflect these balanced elements. Range procedures and rules for competitions, as well as safe gun handling standards, were also adopted.
The organization currently has more than eighty-seven active Countries (which are referred to as Regions) from Argentina to Zimbabwe. In 1996 the Trinidad Rifle Association became the newest member of the IPSC family until 2001. In 2009 the Trinidad Rifle Association continued to conduct matches using IPSC Rules & Regulations with members participating in various Regional & International IPSC Competitions. On October 4th 2011 the Trinidad Rifle Association fielded a team of four persons to who traveled to the island of Rhodos in Greece to represent the Association and more importantly our Country where the membership into the IPSC family was re-acquired by the Trinidad Rifle Association. A Country's representative is known as the Regional Director
The holder of the office of the Honorary Secretary of the Trinidad Rifle Association is the representative for the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago to all international Organisations
Individuals, organisations and all other entities not affiliated to the Trinidad Rifle Association are prohibited from using the property of the Trinidad Rifle Association (i.e. ranges, logo, acronym T.R.A., name, official targets, rules & scoring systems) without the prior written approval of the Trinidad Rifle Association
