Sports in the traditional sense have always focused on physical performance. Whether you love playing football, basketball or baseball, you’re constantly using your body to win the game. Your mind has to be proactive and see openings your opponent has not but for all intents and purposes, you are still using your physical actions to impact the game. But there are other sports that take just as much skill but require far fewer physical movements. Projectile sports are slowly catching on and becoming available to a wider audience thanks to the internet. They require finesse and understanding of physics, they utilize specific equipment and they do sometimes have a steep learning curve. But don’t let that put you off, there’s so much to be gained from projectile sports.
Entering the F-Class
There are many cultures that shooting is taken very seriously. Long-ranging shooting especially an incredibly important part in modern militaries. This has been translated over to the civilian world as there are competitive shooting tournaments. The F-class is the long-range shooting competitions that the NRA high-power rifle program has created. It’s a simplified version of the tests that the armed forces go through. Essentially, you are shooting out to targets that are way beyond 1,000 yards. Some of the best long-range civilian shooters can easily hit targets out to 2,000 yards and some can even hit targets out to 3,000 yards. But what kind of equipment would you need to perform that kind of shooting?
You will need a high-power rifle and a high-power scope. You may want to look into some companies that are well-known for making some excellent tack-driving rifles. Accuracy International is arguably the best precision-rifle company in the world. Hailing from England, they have exported their rifles in 7.62 NATO and more famously in .338 Lapua Magnum. Look at the models available from Savage, McMillan and Ruger for your American design and made long-range rifles. Schmitt and Bender are quite clearly the best scope manufacturers but look at others like Knights Armory. To finish off all you need is a carbon fiber bipod that is using military-grade hardcore anodized aluminium. It has height-adjustable legs, rotating claw and above all is lightweight. Find your nearest F-class club to get started in long-range target shooting.
A silent release
Archery may seem something that is a bit old-fashioned and a skill that isn’t relevant in any way shape or form these days. But it’s something you just can’t take your eyes off when you’re watching competitive archers going at it. Slinging silent arrows through the air to hit a target they must judge in distance and height with the naked eye is amazing in-person. The Olympic Games has hosted archery for a long time now and it’s grown a large fanbase. It’s a sport that is instantly rewarding because you can see where your arrow hit and if your skill is improving.
To get into archery, it’s best to find your nearest club. As with shooting, you need to be in a safe controlled environment when you’re fire projectiles of any kind. There are 3 types of main bows. The classic English longbow, the Mongol recurve bow and the modern compound bow. All three have their own unique handling qualities and power. Next, you should learn the basics of the bow and how you should handle each part of it. Any archery club will run you through the releasing principles and basics as well. It’s just like any other sport, you will have to climb the ranks and earn your stripes. The more advanced you get, the more competitions you will be encouraged to enter either at the club itself or when various clubs get together in the city.
Clay pigeon shooting
This is another Olympic sport that is slowly growing in popularity among the young. Clay pigeon shooting is a pastime that has been modernized so that anyone with enough training can have fun shooting at clay disc targets. There’s no shooting of real birds despite the name of the sport, so don’t worry if you’re not into that sort of thing. You will, of course, need to join an outdoor activities club that has clay pigeon shooting. You’ll need to be taught how to handle the shotgun by an expert at the range. You’ll be firing birdshot which is a stream of small pellets that covers a reasonably large area. It has low recoil so it won’t push you back or bully you around when fired in the shotgun.
You can buy equipment from a club but you can also find this list of things online as well. Shooting glasses will protect your eyes from the sun as you look up to spot the clay pigeon. Earplugs will protect your eyes from your own shot and from other firearms going off around you. As for the shotgun itself, there are quite a number of shotgun brands which make models great for beginners. However, look for double-barrelled or ‘over and under shotguns. You get two shots from each loading and these are very quick to be reloaded; perfect for skeet shooting.
IPSC = John Wick?
Competitive pistol shooting has been around for many decades. It’s a sport revolving around fast pistol shooting and completing courses where there are multiple targets and various scenarios you have to react to. It’s called IPSC and it’s where some of the best shooters go to win in tournaments held all around the world. Even Hollywood stars such as Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry have trained in this kind of sport and competitive shooting. Again, joining your nearest club is highly recommended as health and safety is kept to a high level.
Projectile sports are awesome, they provide a very different challenge to all other kinds of sports. A lot of self-discipline is required when handling firearms but any club that offers such sports, health and safety is like their bread and butter. Try out archery first if you want something that’s more affordable and easier to grasp quickly.