What Is Olympic 10 meter Air Rifle Shooting?
10 metre air rifle is a precision Olympic and Paralympic shooting discipline.
Athletes fire .177 calibre (4.5mm) pellets at a target 10 metres away using highly specialised air rifles. The goal is to hit the bullseye — which is just half a millimetre wide.
Every shot is measured to a tenth of a point. That means you don’t just need to hit the centre — you need to hit the **centre of the centre**.
It’s not about reaction time. It’s about control.
This is a Olympic 10 meter air rifle target up close.
The dot in the middle is .5mm wide.
Thats the bullseye.
That Black Dot In The Green Box In The Background Is What The Target Looks Like From Where I sit.
The Format and Equipment
A standard match consists of **60 shots**, fired in a time limit of 1 hour and 15 minutes. The highest possible score is 654.0 (using decimal scoring).
In the SH2 classification, athletes like me use a spring-mounted rifle support. This allows shooters with impaired arm function to aim and fire using only one arm.
The spring doesn’t steady the shot — it simply holds the rifle’s weight. All the control still comes from the shooter: breath, sight alignment, trigger control, and follow-through.
“The rifle tells the truth. It only reflects your process.”
Discipline
&
Precision
Success in 10m rifle doesn’t come from power — it comes from precision, discipline, and deep mental focus.
Athletes spend hours training visualisation, breath control, and mental rehearsal. One heartbeat, one moment of distraction, one uncontrolled breath can turn a 10.9 into an 8.7.
I train mindset every day — because this is a sport of stillness under pressure.
This sport is about doing the same exact movement, 60 times in a row — perfectly. That’s what makes it elite.
THE MARGIN FOR ERROR
There’s Is No Room for Error
- Target is 10 metres away
- Bullseye = 0.5mm wide
- Decimal scoring up to 10.9
- Only 1–2mm separates a 10.9 from an 8
Why This Sport Demands Respect
10m rifle is one of the most mentally challenging precision sports in the world.
There’s no luck. No opponent to beat. No one else to blame. Just you, your breath, your process — and the truth of each shot.
That’s why I chose it. And that’s why I train every day to master it.
Join the Mission
If this sport speaks to you — the discipline, the focus, the demand for mental mastery — then you’ll understand why I chose it.