It was one of those matches where the sun was actively trying to kill us; we were splitting the firing line between three disciplines that afternoon.

I remember glancing over my shoulder and being taken aback by what I saw. I remember thinking, “Those people don’t have scopes on their rifles and are wearing leather shooting jackets. They must be insane.”

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to sling shooting.

What is sling shooting?

This challenging sport uses rifles that appear out of a sci-fi movie. It’s one of the few sports where you can get your feet wet without breaking the bank. The competitors engage a target from six to ten football fields away with iron sights. In other words, no scopes. Let that sink in for a minute.

Let’s get into the details.

This discipline is closely linked to service and air rifle sports, but those are articles for another day. The course of fire is identical to F-Class, even at a Palma match, so both specializations attend the same events.

Sling competitors make use of shooting jackets. These have two primary purposes. The first is to assist in holding the shooter’s firing position. The second is to take pressure/stress off the body while maintaining a 14 lb rifle. They’re also bear repellent on a hot day.

Like other shooting sports, They allow competitors to use a spotting scope. This will enable them to read the wind and see where their previous shot landed.

Even though the rules prohibit scopes mounted to their rifles, sling shooters wear glasses that resemble something a watchmaker would have. These optics are basically reading glasses for target rifles.

Almost every state has a youth team.

Every time I observe the youth teams at events, they are grinning ear to ear. Most would agree that’s better than having them sit in front of a TV, pale-skinned, red-eyed, and playing video games all day. Then again, I’m sure some would complain. Welcome to the internet (lol).

Here’s a funny side note.
I heard this story from a team volunteer:

We rented a U-Haul truck to transport the team’s gear to the national match at Camp Perry. So, I am going down the road in a truck filled with guns and ammo. I’m gripping the wheel so tight it’s cut off the circulation to my fingers. I keep thinking, oh god, don’t let me get pulled over in Illinois!

I hope this article has sparked your interest in sling shooting. If it did, here is what I suggest: Find and watch a match. Ask questions, and let them know you are a potential new shooter. You will be surprised at how helpful they will be.

After that, it’s in your hands. – Mac R

Shooting sports explained

5 Gun Nation is one of the world’s largest competition shooting websites. We have multiple articles on shooting sports and adding more all the time. If you can’t find it here. We are working on it. – Mac R