Bullseye Information
What is
Bullseye
Learn How To Qualify
What is Bullseye
Bullseye is the granddaddy of all popular handgun competition in
this country. Its three-gun, 2700-point format goes back to the 1941
National Matches and has been the standard ever since for national
and state championships, regional championships, and most outdoor
tournaments.
Here at PF&G, we fire many different
formats, which will be explain further. 900, 1800 and 2700
matches, using .22, centerfire and .45 caliber semi-automatics
and revolvers, over various courses of 50 feet, 25 & 50
yards.
Today the NRA has 42,000 classified bullseye shooters nationwide,
and that's not counting the thousands of competitors who compete in
unsanctioned matches. That's 14 times the number of action
pistol competitors. An NRA-sanctioned bullseye match is a
three-gun affair that requires you to shoot identical 90 shot
courses of fire with each gun. Gun one must be a .22 rimfire pistol
or revolver, gun two must be a centerfire pistol or revolver of .32
caliber or larger, and gun three must be a .45 caliber pistol or
revolver. Most competitors use two guns for an entire match: a .22
rimfire semiautomatic pistol and a 1911-style .45 ACP. Using two
guns instead of three saves the expense of a third match-grade
pistol, and it requires the shooter to accustom himself to the
recoil, grip, and trigger pull of only two guns. Even so, a Smith
& Wesson Model 52 in .38 Special or a Walther in .32 S&W
Long is occasionally seen on the centerfire line. Also, optical
sights are allowed, including conventional scopes and red dot
sights, although many shooters still use open sights.
At PF&G, all 900 matches are .22 caliber. 1800 matches are
.22 and Centerfire. 2700 matches are .22, centerfire and
.45. If you only have a .22, you are still allowed to fire the
first part of the 1800 and 2700 matches.
Our Winter Pistol League is fired on a 50 foot, 8 station indoor
range using .22 caliber pistols and the Gallery format of 30 shots,
10 slow fire, 10 timed fire and 10 rapid fire.
Slow
Fire
The standard 90-shot course of fire begins
with 30 shots of slow fire. In the slow-fire stage the target is
placed at 50 yards and you're given 10 minutes to fire 10
shots. (The Indoor Gallery course is only 10 shots at 50
feet). The targets are scored and repaired after each string
of 10 shots.
The slow-fire course gives shooters fits. It
places more stress on shooter and gun than the other two courses and
is often the deciding factor in a match. At 50 yards the
l0-ring-only 3.3 inches in diameter-seems minuscule. Inside of the
3.3-inch l0-ring is a 1.7-inch X-ring used to break ties. The mental
fortitude required to concentrate on the sight and trigger squeeze
while at the same time holding the gun steady with one hand is
substantial. Most shooters worry more about their slow-fire scores
than any other part of the match.
Having a gun that can keep
10 shots out of 10 in a three-inch group at 50 yards is necessary
too. Conventional wisdom says that your gun and ammunition
combination should be able to hold the X-ring at 50 yards from a
machine rest. That's a 1.7-inch group, remember. Bull-barreled
target .22s manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Browning,
High Standard, and many of the European makers are capable of this
level of accuracy right out of the box, assuming the shooter has
done his homework with respect to ammunition. The 1.7-inch group
with the 1911 .45 is much more elusive; it requires the skills of an
above-average pistolsmith and solid load development.
Ammunition used for the .22 stage ranges from
standard-velocity target fodder to expensive imported match grade
stuff. Most shooters find what works in their gun from an accuracy
and reliability standpoint and then stick with it, almost to a
fault. We've all read time and time again how ammunition, powder,
and primers can differ from lot to lot. If you are looking for match
accuracy of 1.7 inches at 50 yards, then you must be prepared to
test each lot of ammo.
For the .45, most competitors shoot
200-grain cast-lead SWCs purchased from a commercial bulletmaker
over Hercules Bullseye powder and a standard Large Pistol primer.
4.5 grains of Bullseye is also great for a 185-grain HBWC.
While Bullseye is the powder of choice and has been since FDR was
President, my personal favorite is Winchester WST. WST possesses all
the best attributes of Bullseye, but it burns cleaner. W231, Solo
1000, and HP38 are also used on the bullseye line. The key to
match-accurate ammunition is to launch the bullet at 730 to 780 fps.
If you don't have access to a chronograph, try 3.6 to 4.3 grains of
Bullseye or WST and vary your charges by .1 grain. Odds are you'll
hit a good load.
While this isn't intended to be a loading
clinic, one final thought is in order: Top shooters weigh their cast
bullets, whether homemade or commercially cast. Unseen air bubbles
can cause more grief and bad scores at 50 yards than you can
imagine. I weigh my slow-fire bullets to .5 grain, but other
shooters vary theirs by up to as much as one full grain. The key
ingredient is to weed out the really bad bullets that could be two
to three grains off the average.
Yes, all this emphasis on
accuracy is necessary to score well. The best shooters will "clean"
slow-fire targets occasionally, and even an average shooter can see
the difference between an 8-ring gun and an X-ring gun. If your gun
and ammunition can't hold the X- or l0-ring, you don't have a prayer
of ever shooting a perfect slow-fire target. Even if you're not
capable of shooting a perfect score, you will still score better
with topnotch iron and ammo.
Timed
Fire
After the slow-fire course is complete, the
targets are moved to 25 yards for timed fire. Then 30 shots are
fired in five-shot strings, 10 shots to a target, with 20 seconds
allowed for each five- shot string. (The Indoor Gallery course
is only 10 shots at 50 feet).
Unlike other handgun sports
that use a handheld timer, in bullseye each target rotates to and
from the shooter to regulate the timing. As the shooters prepare to
fire, only the edge of the target is visible. The target rotates to
face the shooter when shooting is to begin. The target rotates away
when time has expired.
Timed fire is considered the easiest
stage of the match. The target is the same one used for slow fire,
except only the 9- and l0-rings are black instead of the 8-, 9-, and
10-rings, and it's at half the distance. And 20 seconds to fire five
shots is plenty of time. As a friend of mine says, timed fire is
sustained slow fire. Top shooters shoot perfect 100's and 99's every
time, and even average shooters will clean a timed-fire target on
occasion.
Rapid Fire
The third and final stage is
rapid fire. It's identical to timed fire: same target at 25 yards
with only 10 seconds allowed for each five-shot string. (The Indoor
Gallery course is only 10 shots at 50 feet). There is
nothing like standing on the line with your .45 in hand and shooting
alongside 30 or 40 shooters during a rapid-fire string. The noise,
the smoke, the adrenaline- you just have to be there to appreciate
it. The top shooters shoot 98s, 99s, and perfect 100's every time in
rapid fire. But for the beginner the .45 rapid-fire course is the
most challenging. A .45 held in one hand-even with light target-load
ammunition-is a handful, and a lapse in concentration during rapid
fire is readily apparent on the target (or rather all over the
target).
Take The Challenge - You'll Have Fun
Now for those of you with your face twisted up in knots
wondering what's the point of shooting a pistol one handed at 50
yards with light-loaded ammunition, let me say I understand
completely. After all, you've never shot a pistol with one hand and
probably never will, you'll never practice with target loads that
don't approximate the recoil of full-power ammo, and only hunters
and silhouette shooters with steady rests shoot at 50 yards or more
with a handgun and actually expect to hit the target. The point is
bullseye is like Indy car racing. Practical? Maybe not. Fun and
challenging? Definitely. It's so much fun that there are nearly 14
times more classified bullseye shooters than action pistol shooters.
As for challenging, consider that no one has ever fired a perfect
900 out of 900 let alone 2700 out of 2700.
Membership applications forms are available online or at the
club. Simply complete the form and return it to the club for
review. Applicants will be invited to attend an orientation
session. Upon successful completion of the mandatory
New
Member Club & Safety Orientation, you will be issued a membership card and you
may begin using the club. Become indoor range certified and
join a team or come to a practice session. To get
started in bullseye, contact the Bullseye Chairman.
The Indoor Pistol Range is for qualified club
members only, club sanction shoots and league shooting.
A member may qualify for use of this range by hitting a standard 50
foot target with five (5) consecutive shots in bulls eye fashion (one
hand) as witnessed by the Safety Committee Chairperson or his/her
designee. The $5 annual Indoor Pistol Range dues will be collected
upon qualification to use the range.
A trial program has been initiated by the
Safety Committee to qualify family members of qualified club
members. The same qualification method will be used.
Once qualified, the family member will be issued a Pistol Range Card
without combinations and they may only use the range only when
accompanied by the regular qualified member. This pertains to
both Indoor .22 rifle and/or pistol, and the card will be so marked
to indicate the permitted use.
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