The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of accuracy and speed when shooting various types of guns, including airguns. Shooting with bows and arrows is not treated in this article, but at Archery. Sometimes hunting is also considered a shooting sport, and indeed shooting of live pigeons was an Olympic event (albeit only once, in 1900). The shooting sports are categorized by the type of firearm or target used.

History

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Competing in shooting accuracy has a history almost as old as weaponry itself. During the 19th century, shooters began to organize themselves nationally, and one of these was French pistol champion Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics. This fact certainly contributed to the inclusion of ten shooting events in the 1896 Olympics. Soon World Championships were being organized as well.

During the years, the sports have been changed a number of times and new ones have been added. For instance, from the beginning many of the targets had human-like (or in the case of running target, animal-like) shapes; most have now assumed a circular form to reduce the connotations with the use of guns in wars. One fact that has not changed, however, is that it is only at the Olympic Games that the sports gain attention from the media and public. As a participant sport, however, it is one of the largest in the world.

Recently, a number of threats to the shooting sports have become apparent. In many countries, the majority of voters disapprove of wide possession of handguns, because of the perceived risk of handgun violence and the view that the firearms serve no useful purpose in civilian hands. By extension, handgun shooting sports may be disapproved of by local governments or legislatures. School teams, particularly, are viewed as encouraging the use of handguns and firearms more generally, and if not already disbanded have come under pressure to end. Some governments that enact restrictive gun control legislation include shooting sports specifically in the restrictions, notably the British. Even when sanctioned, shooting sports may not be televised or publicized. For example, television networks rarely televise shooting events held during the Olympics, in part because they are difficult to televise in an interesting way, and partly because of the widely perceived association between guns and violent crime.

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