Holt County Shooting Sports Disciplines Handbook

•  Firing distance for BB Gun is 5 meters or 16 feet 4¾ inches.
• Targets of BB Gun are AR 4/10 bull target 
• There are two bulls within a rectangular box on the AR 4/10, which are used to sight your gun in either during a sight-in period if given, or during the course of a match. Be careful if sighting in during a match so your shot does not go out of the sighter box, or it will count against your score. Be sure during a sight-in period to notify the range officer if you have a shot outside of the sighter box so they can initial it and it will not count against you.
• If you shoot the same bull twice in competition – raise hand immediately and notify the range officer. Skip one bull so you only have 10 holes in total on your target. 

• Ten minutes allowed per target or one minute per each bull, most shooters finish with plenty of time. Try to slow down and concentrate on each and every shot. 

• Model 499 Daisy BB Gun
  • Weighted up to a maximum of 6 pounds
  • Stock can be shortened or lengthened
  • Butt can be checkered to help reduce slippage
  • Triggers can be honed for easier pull
  • These are modifications that are recommended only for the serious competition shooter with the exception of shortening or lengthening the stock for correct pull.
• 5899 Daisy Sight
  • Sight adjustment and sight-in are best handled by the coach if the shooter is a first year with little to no experience.
  • For second year shooters, it is recommended that they do their own sight adjustments.
  • Only move the sights if there is a definite pattern after firing a group of shots which shows that the average center of the group is consistently one way from the bulls.
• Tips for Sight Adjustments
  • The top knob turned in the direction of the arrow marked up will move your point of impact up on the target (turn this way to correct shooting low). Turn the opposite way of the arrow to lower your point of impact (to correct shooting high on the target).
  • The knob on the right-hand side will move your point of impact to the right if turned in the direction of the arrow (to correct for shooting left on the target and turn the opposite direction of the arrow to move the point of impact to the left (to correct for shooting to the right of the target).
  • With other sights move the rear sight in the direction that you want your point of impact to move. Example, you are shooting left on the target and want your point of impact moved to the right, move the rear sight to the right. 
  • Front sights are just the opposite, move them in the opposite direction that you wish to move the point of impact. Example, you are shooting left on the target, and you want your point of impact moved to the right, move the front sight to the left.
  • A starting point with the model 5899 sight is three clicks to a ring. This is highly variable as to each individual sight. Also, a good tip is to dry fire the gun a couple of times before firing an actual BB through it. This seems to settle the sights a little after adjustment.
• Eye Protection
  • All competitors, coaches and other personnel in the immediate vicinity of the range complex are urged to wear eye protection devices.
  • Eyeglasses - Specially made shooting glasses with adjustable lens for target shooting are prohibited. 
• Audible Timing Devices - Audible timing devices are not allowed.
• No cell phones are allowed on the firing range.

• BBs - Only round .177 (4.5mm) lead or steel BBs are permitted

• There are four positions using in BB Gun in this order: 
  • Prone
    • Competitors may lie on the bare surface of the firing point, or they may use a mat. The body will be extended on the firing point with the head toward the target. The BB gun will be supported by both hands and one shoulder only. The cheek may be placed against the rifle stock in the sighting position. The BB gun may be held by means of a sling. The BB gun may not touch or rest against any other point or object. Competitors’ forearms must be clearly and visibly raised from the surface of the firing point. Competitors’ forward forearm may not form an angle less than 30 degrees from the horizontal (floor or mat), on which the elbows rest (measured through the axis of the forearm). (Left-handed competitors reverse these descriptions.)
  • Standing
    • The competitor shall stand free with both feet completely on the ground. The BB gun shall be held with both hands and the shoulder, or the upper half of the upper arm closest to the shoulder, the cheek and the part of the chest next to the shoulder. The upper left arm and elbow may be supported on the chest or on the hip. The sling cannot be used. (Left-handed competitors reverse these descriptions.)
  • Sitting
    • Weight of the body supported on the buttocks and the feet or ankles, no other portion of the body touching the ground. The BB gun will be supported by both hands and one shoulder only. Elbows may rest on the legs at any point above the ankles. (The elbow is defined as 4 inches from the point of the arm when bent.) No portion of a competitor’s foot may cross the firing line.
  • Kneeling
    • The competitor shall touch the ground with the right foot, the right knee and the left foot. The BB gun shall be held in the same way as when shooting in the prone position, i.e., with both hands and the right shoulder. The left elbow shall be supported on the left knee. The point of the elbow may not be more than 10 cms (3.9 inches) from the point of the knee. The BB gun may be held by means of the sling. If the kneeling roll is placed under the instep of the right foot, the foot may not be turned at an angle of more than 45 degrees. If the kneeling roll is not used, the foot may be positioned at any angle, to include placing the side of the foot and the lower leg in contact with the ground. No portion of the upper leg or buttocks may touch the ground at any point. Competitors may kneel completely on the ground cloth (Rule 3.10) or they may only have one or two of the three points of contact (toe, knee, foot) on the ground cloth. (Left-handed competitors reverse these descriptions.) No portion of a competitor’s foot may cross the firing line

• Scoring is 10 points for a bullseye with each consecutive larger ring being one point less.
• A shot hole must touch the ring to be counted for the next higher score.
• Scoring plugs are used to help determine close shots.

• By the greatest number of center shots (Note 14.11), then
  • By the greatest number of shots of the second highest value, etc., tens, nines, etc.
  • If still a tie, by the highest score on the last bullseye, including center shots, then
  • By the highest score on the next to the last bullseye, including center shots, etc.
  • If still a tie, by the highest-ranking score in the standing position, then kneeling, then sitting, and then prone

• Coaches/Spotters are encouraged on the firing line, there are several things the Coaches/Spotters can do on the firing line:
  • One is cock and load the firearm, this is especially helpful in the prone position
  • Another is to be a spotter for the shot to help determine if the adjustment of the sight is necessary.
  • Have shooter follow through and not look up at the target immediately after firing
  • Remain calm and not place undue stress on the shooter, remember this is supposed to be fun!
  • Practice good sportsmanship and have the shooter refrain from excess noise or other distractions while on the firing line.
• Some helpful things for Coaches/Spotters would be:
  • Binoculars or spotting scope
  • folding stool, 
  • safety glasses (required), 
  • shooting pad (carpet roll or rug), 
  • BB holder board with same configuration as the target, this will help keep track of what bulls have or have not been shot, try to get shooter to shoot the same configuration each time.

For more details on the rules and regulations, Holt County Shooting Sports follows the NRA rules and regulations. 

NRA BB Gun Rule Book (Revised January 2020) http://rulebooks.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/RuleBooks/Bbgun/bb-book.pdf 

• Cub - 8-11 - Junior Ages for 4-H tournaments
• Youth - 12-14 - Intermediate based on age as of January 1
• Young Adult - 15-18 - Senior of the current year.

The following classes will be used at any Holt County Events along with your age group. 

Ex.  9-year-old shooting a basic bow will be: Junior BB or Cub BB

**Note there are more available classes when shooting at the state level. Ask instructor prior to competing at state what class they will want to enter in.

• Any sight or scopes, any stabilizer, any rest, and any release aid may be used provided it is hand-operated and supports the weight of the bow.

• Any sight or scope, any stabilizer, any rest, release aids are limited to gloves tabs or fingers. NO mechanical releases allowed.

 BASIC BOW: (BB) 

• Archers shooting barebow style will use bows arrows strings and accessories free of any sights, marks, or blemishes.
• No written memoranda shall be used.
• An adjustable arrow rest may be used to control space between the arrow and the face of the sight window.
• The use of stabilizers is permitted.
• No mechanical device will be permitted other than one non-adjustable draw check and level mounted on the bow. Neither may extend above the arrow.
• Release aids are limited to fingers, tabs, or gloves.
• Ends or edges of laminated pieces appearing on the inside of upper limbs shall be considered a sighting mechanism and are illegal.
• A cable guard shall be allowed if it is not in the sight window.

• All classes/styles will be divided by age and equipment not based on gender.
• Archers with special needs should contact the archery committee early so they can determine what can be done to accommodate the archer.
• Archers shooting in a concurrent or N.F.A.A. tournament should be advised that the age in these tournaments is your age at the time of the match.
• Archers may shoot in only one class/style at any State 4-H shoot. Local shoots may specify differently.
• All archers in 4-H matches must be signed up in the 4-H Shooting Sports Archery project in their respective county.
• Kisser buttons and/or peep sights must be permanently affixed and not moved during competition. Kisser buttons and /or peep sights are permitted in the Freestyle, Bow Hunter and Freestyle Limited Classes 
• Strings shall be made of one or more strands. The center serving on the string will be served one layer of any material suitable to use, but material will be of one consistent color and size. String and serving need not be the same color.
• Consult the N.F.A.A. Rule Book for additional rule and equipment clarification. 9. Sights may be adjusted at any time during the tournament with the exception of the Bow Hunter class.
• No practicing will be allowed on ranges prior to the start of or immediately following any competition.
• Maximum draw weight is 60 pounds.

ARROWS:

• All arrows shall be identical in length, weight, diameter, and fletching with allowance for wear and tear.
• Arrows shall have commercially manufactured points. These may be either screw-in or glued points. Only field points are allowed.
• Maximum arrow size is 27/64.

COURTESY:

• Do not turn and leave the line when the person on either side of you is drawing or at full draw. Wait until both have shot and are nocking another arrow.
• When stepping off the line, make sure your bow, stabilizer, or other equipment does not contact the archer on either side of you. Sidestep back one or two steps to give you more room.
• Make sure your equipment, bow, quiver, or arrows does not contact another archer when on the line.
• Do not talk, hum, sing, or swear while on the line. Others do not want to hear you.
• DO NOT bend over to pick up a dropped arrow. It is dangerous and distracting. Shoot your extra arrow that you should carry. Pick up the arrow when all shooters on your line have completed shooting.
• Be courteous to other shooters when behind the line by controlling noise and activities to not create a distraction.

4-H’ers will be in charge of their own scoring. Events will be double scored meaning that 2 score cards will be used for each archer. Designated groups will need to appoint 1 individual to call the scores and 2 individuals to write the scores. When all scoring is completed the 2 scorekeepers will then compare score cards to ensure that they match before turning them in.

• Do NOT touch any arrows that have not been called yet as this will result in a zero.
• Scorekeepers must have arrows recorded prior to any arrows being removed from the target.

In the case of a discrepancy on an arrow call a line judge may be called. All other arrows in the target must be recorded prior to a line judge making the final call.

• Sub-Junior (9-10 years of age) 
• Junior (11-12 years of age)
• Intermediate (13-14 years of age)
• Senior (15-18 years of age)

NRA International Style Pistol Rules (Most recent printing). 

• Sub-Juniors (8-9 yr. olds) Seated rests the grip (and hands) on supporting material. Must have a coach.
• Juniors and Intermediates can be one hand supported (support must be counterbalance type support) or unsupported. Coaching encouraged.
• Seniors must stand free, without support, completely within the firing point. The complete pistol must be held and fired with one hand only. Bracelets, wristbands, or similar items that might provide support are prohibited on the hand and arm which holds the pistol.

Any 4.5 mm (.177 cal.) compressed air, CO2, or pneumatic air pistol.

Only open sights are allowed. Optical, mirror, telescope, laser-beam, electronically projected dot sights, etc. are prohibited.

Scoring will be completed by members of the State Committee
USAS General Technical Rule 6.15.1.

• The highest number of inner tens.
• The highest score of the last ten (10) shot series working backwards by 10-shot series in full ring scoring (not inner tens or decimals) until tie is broken.

If not yet broken, refer to 6.15.1 for further details.

NRA International Style Pistol Rules (Most recent printing). NGB?? ISSF

• Sub-Juniors (8-9 yr. olds) Seated rests the grip (and hands) on supporting material. Must have a coach.
• Juniors, Intermediates, and Seniors must stand free, without support, completely within the firing point. The complete pistol must be held and fired with one hand only. Bracelets, wristbands, or similar items that might provide support are prohibited on the hand and arm which holds the pistol.

8.7.1 FIRING Position - The competitor must stand free, without any artificial or other support, with both feet and/or shoes completely within the firing point. The pistol must be held and fired with one (1) hand only. The wrist must be visibly free of support.  

8.7.2 READY Position - Shooting must start from the READY position (see illustration, pg. 368 in link below).

6/3/2024 8 Ready position: The competitor’s arm must point downward at an angle of not greater than 45 degrees from the vertical. The arm with the pistol must not be pointed at the ground within the forward edge of the firing point. The arm must remain in this position while waiting either for the appearance of the target or, when EST are used, for the green light(s) to come on.

Scoring will be completed by members of the State Committee USAS General Technical Rule 6.15.1.

• The highest number of inner tens.
• The highest score of the last ten (10) shot series working backwards by 10-shot series in full ring scoring (not inner tens or decimals) until tie is broken.
• If not yet broken, refer to 6.15.1 for further details.

Rapid Fire:

• The Match consists of: *One slow fire string of 10 rds. in 5 minutes.
• *Three timed fire strings of 5 rds. in 20 seconds
• *Three rapid fire strings of 5 rds. in 10 seconds
• See NRA Rules 10.7 for commands and details.
• Malfunctions: Will be left up to the discretion of the range officer.
• Shooters will be allowed time to finish shooting if the range officer is notified. (AKA. Calling for an alibi.)

Slow Fire Bullseye: 
• All slow-fire; 30 shots 
• 10 shots per 10-minutes string

Version 2020 NRA Precision Pistol Rules for Metallic Division (3.2.2 and 3.4) apply.
(3.2.2) Metallic Division - Any semi-automatic handgun or revolver authorized by Rules 3.4, 3.5, and/or 3.6, with the exception that peep, ghost, optical or electronic sights are prohibited. Any pistol (single shot or semi-automatic) or revolver chambered for .22 caliber rim-fire long rifle may be used: barrel length, including cylinder, not more than 10 inches. The firearm used in competition shall be serviceable and safe. All operational safety features of the firearm must function properly. If any firearm is observed to be unserviceable or unsafe, it shall be withdrawn at the request of the tournament director.

• Trigger pull not less than 2 pounds.
• .22 caliber rimfire - long rifle
• Open sights only (4-H National Championship match rule). Rear sight may be adjustable, but sight radius no more than 10 inches.

SHOOTING

POSITION

GENERAL RULES 

• All smallbore rifles are required to have the action open and a Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) type CBI (Clear Barrel Indicator) in place when the rifle is not being fired and is uncased.
• Cased rifles will be the last equipment to be brought to the range and the first to be removed from it.
• Official weight of a rifle will be determined with the magazine inserted in the rifle. The CMP rifle trigger must be capable of lifting and supporting the 3.0 # weight without firing. Triggers which break as the weight is lifted will not pass.
• No cell phones on the firing line.

The silhouette targets will be shot at four separate distances.

• 10 Rams at 100 meters or 109 yards, size 13 inches
• 10 Turkeys at 77 meters or 84 yards, size 7.5 inches
• 10 Pigs at 60 meters or 65 yards, size 22 inches
• 10 Chickens at 40 meters or 43 yards, size 26.75 inches

1/5 scale metallic silhouettes - this size is shot at national and are available for practice if requested.

• 10 Chickens at 40 yards,
• 10 Pigs at 60 yards,
• 10 Turkeys at 77 yards
• 10 Rams at 100 yards

Targets knocked off the rail or laying in a non-vertical position on the rail, in proper sequence, are scored as hits. Targets hit out of order will be scored as misses.

GENERAL INFO

In the 4-H shotgun project area there are three events: skeet, sporting clays and trap. Our main focus is practicing trap in Chambers at the fairgrounds; however, we have the ability to learn both skeet & trap at the O’Neill Gun Club, by joining the trap team.

Holt County Fair Invite is a trap competition.

Targets broke, chipped or shattered count as a hit.

All shotgun actions are opened immediately upon being uncased with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Shotguns must be carried from station to station with the action open and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

A shooter shall place a live shell in their gun only when on a post facing the trap house. A contestant may place only one live shell in their gun at a time and must remove it or the empty shell before moving from one post to another. In changing from one post to another, the shooter shall not walk in front of the other competitors or turn towards the other competitors.

Shooters shall move to their next station upon completion of their final shot on each station. No shotgun will be loaded and/or closed until all shooters have rotated to their next station.

Amateur Trap Association (2024 Target Year). It can be found at https://shootata.com/portals/0/pdf/Rulebook.pdf

Bottles:  As outlined on the target. Completely within neck-10 pts; nicking the neck -7 pts; within body -5 pts; nicking the body -3 pts. Bottom 5 bottles will be used as scoring targets.

Haffner: Highest scoring area touched by ball. X closest to animal’s eye will be used for scoring.