The sport of target shooting with an air rifle or pistol has become quite popular around the world; this is mainly due to the international coverage on television of the Olympics and International championships. The demand for good international quality air rifles has also risen; however, there are only a handful of top quality manufacturers in the world, with one of the biggest being the German company of Feinwerkbau.

Famous History

Feinwerkbau was established in 1949 by two ex-employees of the Mauser Company that manufactured arms and ammunition, mainly to design and manufacture small arms. Because of the restrictions imposed on them by the Allies after World War II, they started with the manufacture of Air rifles. Today, they manufacture three different products, air rifles, air pistols, small caliber rifles, and competition pistols along with many innovations and designs that are instrumental in making them one of the best air rifle manufacturers in the world. Currently, individuals entering this sport as competitors or as a hobby have to choose the appropriate air rifles for target shooting. There are certain criteria that need to be met when making the final selection of an air rifle; this could include selecting the most appropriate air rifle based on the type of competition and the budget.

Careful Selection

The sporting weapons of today are a far cry from the old air guns because they are made from very modern materials, light but still strong and capable of taking harsh treatment. They are very accurate and meet the strict standards set by the international body overseeing the sport. The shooting disciplines at the Olympics comprise of 15 events for men and women and ISSF World Championships cater to nearly 55 events. The events that come under the International Sport Shooting Championships are divided into the categories of Men, Women, Men Junior and Women Junior. It is obvious that selecting the right air gun for competition is the primary goal of the sportsperson, but selecting the appropriate air gun pellets is also vitally important, especially when it comes to competition sports. Choosing the right type of air gun pellets for your weapon is important, as pellets used in sport gives different results.

Pellet Calibers

Some of the most popular air gun pellets manufactured today comes in the .177 caliber range of hollowpoints with 5.56 grains, 7.2 grains, and 16.1 grains. There are many different types of air gun pellets available in the market; these are hollowpoints, domed, roundhead, pointed, semi-hollowpoint, and wadcutters. Each of these calibers and different types of pellets has different uses, sports, target practice, plinking, etc, and can be selected from special online providers that cater to this special sport. The current air rifles for target shooting are very sophisticated and also very adaptable for individual users, to ensure they are perfectly at ease during the tense rounds of a shooting competition. These air rifles use compressed gas or air to deliver the pellets as accurately as possible.