Field target shooting first became popular in the early eighties. It is a discipline of shooting targets outdoors in woodland or open fields, as opposed to the popular indoor 10 and 25 metre disciplines, and hence the reason it became known as “field target”.
The targets are of the metal knock down variety, originally shaped in the silhouette of animals or now also in basic shapes (e.g. circle, diamond etc). Within the silhouette is a disc, referred to as the “hit zone”. A strike on the hit zone results in the target falling flat and a point is scored. A course normally consists of either 30, 40 or even 50 targets, placed within lanes, normally consisting of two targets to a lane.
For field target three standard diameters of hit zones are used on the targets, 15mm, 25mm, and the other being 40mm which is full size. The targets are placed between ranges of 10 yards to 55 yards and can be on the ground or elevated within trees.
The range of the target is not given to the shooter, and they must estimate this by eye or using the telescopic sights parallax feature. The shooter will then calculate the required amount of scope adjustment or hold over / under, windage and thentake the shot. You only get one shot per target before moving on to the next lane.
There are clubs located all over the UK and these clubs organise regional competitions and leagues, so you get the opportunity to shoot at other people’s clubs. Participation in these events is purely down to the individual. Over the summer a number of national events take place, called Grand Prix. The top shooters from these go on to a final showdown shoot, and some can go on to represent the UK at European and then World levels.
Over the winter months Broadlands competes in the FFTA Fenland Field Target Association winter league. The aim is to see what club has the best shooters so we can select individuals to represent our region at the inter- regional competition against the other 7 regions within the UK. In 2022 we came third to SEFTA (2nd) and WFTA (hosts). This demonstrates the potential gain within the sport, but for most of us, it’s an enjoyable Saturday afternoon hobby.
You can have a further look at what we do on our Broadlands Facebook Page and if you fancy a go give our club secretary a shout via the contact page.