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Tetrathon - Shooting

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This phase uses .177 in Air Pistols and Pony Club Targets. Obviously the first requirement is a pistol and the second and most important some expert knowledge in how to handle it. If there is no-one in your Branch with any experience in pistol shooting and you are new to shooting then you should contact your Area Representative and ask if there is an Area Tetrathlon Co-ordinator in your Area, or for the nearest Branch to you already competing in Tetrathlon who might help you.

Failing this, contact your local Sports Council who should be able to put you in touch with either a coach or a pistol or rifle club. Many Rifle Clubs have a pistol section. The police also often have a shooting instructor in their area. Try contacting the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) and ask them about their Youth Proficiency Scheme in Air Pistol Target Shooting.

This of course should be done well in advance of your competition or rally, although you could use your fun competition as your members’ first introduction to shooting under the guidance of the expert you have found. Perhaps a local shooting club or another participating Pony Club branch will bring along their pistols, give each competitor a little instruction and allow them some practice shots and then a competition set of shots.

When you decide to buy a pistol for the branch, consult another branch which already does Tetrathlon for the names of good pistols. It is better to buy a pistol which will allow your members to reach a reasonable standard of competition, because once started they will quickly improve, than to buy a cheap beginners pistol. Also Branch pistols should have interchangeable grips for right handed and left handed people.

The The Area Tetrathlon Co-ordinator should be able to advise on pistols and range equipment.

Length of Range

The distances given in the Rule Book are 10 metres for Senior Boys and Girls and 7 metres for all others.

Shooting is much better indoors where the vagaries of the weather do not affect the shooting scores. So for your fun competition do not worry too much if your barn, hay shed, or whatever allows you only six and a half metres. Make your range a convenient distance and make it the same for everyone. Hang a soft backcloth of sacking, old carpet, curtains or old tarpaulin to prevent ricochets.
Targets can be attached to soft boards, stiff corrugated card, or corrugated plastic packing material. You can even attach the backing sheets to two stretched strings at the appropriate height between two jump stands.

The base of the targets should be four feet from the ground and the distance between two targets at least two feet. A table should be placed in front of the competitors. As well as being a convenient place to put pistol boxes and pellets, it is a safety measure in preventing them accidentally shooting their toes.

Commands

There must be a firing point steward aged 21 years or over who is in charge of each detail and who gives the commands. The commands used should be those used in Official Pony Club competitions for static targets. The commands should be given in a normal voice, not shouted. They are:

  • Load
  • Are you ready
  • Stand by
  • Fire
  • Stop (after 4 seconds)
  • Reload
  • Are yoy ready (etc.)
  • At the end of five shots - Guns Down

    • Targets

    Targets can be obtained from Headquarters. Competitors usually need three targets each; one practice card and two competition cards, five shots on each.

    Scoring

    Each target has a score marked upon them depending upon how close to the center the bullet strikes up to 10 for the center. Each competitor has 5 shots per target and two targets (10 shots in all). The scores from each shot are added together and then multiplied by ten to give a maximum possible score of 1,000.

    Officals needed

    Firing Point Steward 1
    Target Steward to change targets when guns are on the table 1
    Competitors could do this themselves
    Marshalling Steward 1
    Scrutineers and Scorers 2
    Although you could get by with 1
    Total 3 to 5

    Safety

    WEAPONS ARE DANGEROUS AND SAFETY SHOULD BE OF PRIME IMPORTANCE

    1. Pistols must always be pointed down the range or in a safe direction.
    2. Between rounds pistols must always be placed unloaded on the table.
    3. No-one changes targets or goes down range for any purpose whatsoever until all pistols are on the table, i.e. Guns Down is obeyed.
    4. It is essential that competitors obey the Firing Point Steward at all times.

    Air Gun Law
    Safety Guidance for Shooting & Firing Point Stewards
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