Olympic Shooting (Yawn)

[Rocket57]

Interesting rifles. I'll bet they don't come cheap.

Final: Men's 50m Rifle, 3 Positions - Shooting Video | NBC Olympics

Sorry if this is a dupe

 

[Hawkeye]

im sure they don't! extremely specialized and not what I would say - practical! they guys have great skill though! the .22 LR's have about the same amount of sound as the air pistol competition I watched two Saturdays ago. Way too many adds interrupting the discussion.

 

[tenring]

I worked the small bore range for the Pan American Games quite a few years ago. The rifles used then are antiques compared to those. Notice the Korean shooter had a golf ball for a bolt knob? Now that is customizing! And those rifles are in the 5K and up range.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I was watching one of those three positions a while back and caught the names off a couple of the rifles. I googled that, and zounds yeah they start a bit under 5K, but I bet that's before all the optics and whatnot. I wondered if someone took a 10/22 or Savage in there with regular eyepro how well they'd do.

 

[printcraft]

Sad new is the British shooting team was arrested for possession of
a firearm shortly after they competed.

 

[tenring]

It has been known that when the Japanese want to send pistol shooters to the Olympics, the team goes to Hawaii to practice.

 

[Leo]

Precision shooting is not really a spectator sport. I can assure you, small bore and Air Rifle are extremely demanding. When the "X" in the center of the target is only .039" diameter, you have to hold hard. The pressure to perform and the challenge is very real. What ruins it for spectating is that there is not much action and that the winner is the one who moves the least. There is no part that gives opportunity for a lot of talking either. It is a sophisticated discipline, that you have to really understand to be able to appreciate. The masses do better watching stock cars turn left and crash.

 

[williamnewman1]

wait I'm confused i though, i thought when you shot a target while being filmed that the target exploded into an excessive fireball (sons of guns/American guns etc)

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I saw exactly ZERO shooting this olympics. NBC's website had a bunch of times, and I DVR'd them all. The descriptions on the guide didn't match what was listed on the website, and ultimately the actual footage didn't match either the website list or the guide description. Web would tell me skeet shooting final, guide would say basketball, soccer & badminton... then the actual recorded program would have water polo, kayaking and swimming. bizarre.

...Really disappointed in the coverage/scheduling.

 

[conan1rice]

Sad new is the British shooting team was arrested for possession of
a firearm shortly after they competed.

that sounds about right.

 

[tenring]

Precision shooting is not really a spectator sport. I can assure you, small bore and Air Rifle are extremely demanding. When the "X" in the center of the target is only .039" diameter, you have to hold hard. The pressure to perform and the challenge is very real. What ruins it for spectating is that there is not much action and that the winner is the one who moves the least. There is no part that gives opportunity for a lot of talking either. It is a sophisticated discipline, that you have to really understand to be able to appreciate. The masses do better watching stock cars turn left and crash.

Denna Wigger told me that the Olympic trainers teach them to shoot between heart beats. Now that is training!

 

[BE Mike]

The pressure of the finals must be monumental. I can't imagine having a time limit to shoot one shot (unsupported) and then having everyone in the gallery applaud for the performance; then having to repeat. It takes a ginormous amount of self-control. I always enjoyed the precision shooting sports. Hitting the mark is what it is all about.

 

[spitfire51]

I was able to catch the finals of the men's 3-position rifle. Heard the commentator say that those rifles have a 2-ounce trigger pull. I cannot imagine a trigger that light.

 

[n9vmo]

I saw exactly ZERO shooting this olympics. NBC's website had a bunch of times, and I DVR'd them all. The descriptions on the guide didn't match what was listed on the website, and ultimately the actual footage didn't match either the website list or the guide description. Web would tell me skeet shooting final, guide would say basketball, soccer & badminton... then the actual recorded program would have water polo, kayaking and swimming. bizarre.

...Really disappointed in the coverage/scheduling.

I belong to a UK based members only site where I have been able to get a lot of the shooting competitions as shown by the BBC. Great coverage but it is boring. On the plus side there is absolutely NO commercials.

 

[BE Mike]

I belong to a UK based members only site where I have been able to get a lot of the shooting competitions as shown by the BBC. Great coverage but it is boring. On the plus side there is absolutely NO commercials.

Shooting in general is a participation, not spectator sport. That being said, it's not boring to those who have tried the sport. Being able to watch the shots as they are made on the electronic target is a big plus. Of course I don't get what is so fascinating about watching golf on tv or people unloading a magazine with a semi or full auto and not hitting anything.