Scoring

For illustrative purposes only

Target : USA Shooting 50 foot Smallbore Rifle Target (ISSF 50m reduced to 50ft)

One of the most challenging targets to shoot (and to to score) is the USAS '50 foot Smallbore Rifle Target'. It is the "ISSF 50m target reduced to 50ft. Probably the most challenging issue for a new shooter is scoring this target after many thousands of rounds in air rifle.

The air rifle target, the AR 5/10, is very similar is appearance upon first glance to the 50ft target, however upon closer inspection you can see that they are very different. The lines are differently spaced, and there are no rings for the 1 and 2 ring, on the USAS 50ft target.

The 10 ring (a dot actually), is bigger on the smallbore target, but the 3 ring diameter is smaller! We also know that the .22 caliber bullet has a bigger diameter than the 0.177 pellet. Bigger diameter projectile, bigger bulls eye, should be a piece of cake, right?

Let's start with the salient section of the rule book to give us a basis to start.

USAS Rule Book - GTR-11

Rule 6.3.2.2C

All bullet holes are scored according to the highest value of the target scoring zone or ring that is touched by that bullet hole. The use of an outward scoring plug is recommended to score rings 4-10 on this target. An outward gauge measures against a scoring ring that has not been disturbed by a bullet hole.

If the outside edge of the gauge is outside of the outside edge of the scoring ring, score lower value; if the outside edge of the gauge is tangent to the outer edge of the scoring ring or closer to the center, score the higher value.
An inward scoring gauge may be used to score all shot values on this target. Any shot hole touching the 10 dot but not touching the outside edge of the 8 ring with the aid of the smallbore inward scoring gauge is scored as a 10.
Sponsors of matches should put in their programs which scoring gauge they will be using.
Inner Ten: The inward scoring gauge must be used to determine inner 10's. The 10 dot must be completely removed by the shot hole to score an inner 10 when using the inward scoring gauge.

So what in the world is an inward scoring gauge and an outward scoring gauge?

A scoring gauge is what is also known as a 'plug'. A plug in smallbore is similar to the air plug, of course only bigger.

	Smallbore	Air
10 Ring diameter (mm)	0.76	0.50
inward plug diameter (mm)	5.60	4.50
outward plug diameter (mm)	9.03	5.50

Table 1

A plug is exactly what it sounds like. It has a thinner probe to aid in guiding it into the shot hole, but then has a landing that is bigger than the actual hole that is the exact diameter of the pellet or bullet. The inward plug diameter is this diameter, for example, 5.60mm for a .22 and 4.50mm for a 0.177.

Figure 1

Borrowed from the USAS Rule Book

GTR - 79

Below is a shot of the actual diameter of a .22 hole on this target. For this example, we used a vinyl overlay (Skid Gauge) to simulate this.

Figure 2

Using an overlay to simulate an inward plug, we can see what it looks like overlaid onto a target (shown in negative for effect). The below picture shows the outer most location of a shot that still can be considered a 10.

Figure 3

.22 Target with overlay

Not a lot of room for error here and very much tighter than the typical air target.

Figure 4

Air target with overlay

The other point to remember is that there are different 50 foot targets. The NRA uses the A-36 target for indoor 50ft matches. When the overlay is superimposed on it we see that compared to Fig 3, it is very similar to the USAS 50ft scoring area.

Figure 5

So lets look at an example of a USAS target and see how it might be scored

Figure 6

If this were an air rifle shot, it would be considered close, however, for this target it is clearly a 9. The obvious question is why? Because the .22 bullet has a rounded point and the air pellet is flat, or a 'wad cutter'. It does not cut a perfect clean hole every time.

The .22 has a 5.6mm outside diameter by definition, but the hole that we see looks much smaller because it tears the paper totally only in the center with its rounded point. This hole is just over 2mm in diameter. The balance of the 'hole' is obscured by partially torn paper. Because we can see the center hole more clearly than the actual diameter, we are fooled and at first ignore the additional ~1.5mm on either side of what we clearly see.

Let's do a little test. On the shot in figure 5 below, what is your call?

Figure 7

Page Down once you have decided what it is.

Figure 8

Here you can clearly see that the hole breaks the 8 ring and therefore should be scored a 9.

Let's do another. Is it a 10 or otherwise and if so how deep would you think it is?

Figure 9

Page Down once you have decided what it is.

figure 10

Did you call a inner 10.3 - 10.5. If so then very good! If not, then you belong here. It is harder to call than one would think, especially of you only have extensive air experience.

Scorers will have the same problem as well by the way. When they are scoring 2,000 bullseyes in the course of a match, they are human and can make errors as well. If you thought your score was different then what the Statistical Officer posted, check your targets to see where the discrepancy lies. Best case you get the points you earned. Worse case, you learn how they score.

Notice that the overlay ring (or plug ring if we could replicate it) just barely missed the 8 ring. Had it gone past the outer edge of the 8 ring, it would have been scored a 9.

This phenomenon is what gives a novice smallbore shooter so much trouble in visually scoring this target without benefit of an external aid like a plug or an overlay. Remember the rule; Any shot hole touching the 10 dot but not touching the outside edge of the 8 ring with the aid of the smallbore inward scoring gauge is scored as a 10.

Practice scoring your own targets after a training session so that you get a clear idea in your mind as to what is close or not, and what the value is without benefit of of the gauges or the plug. Experienced shooters and scorers generally have a very good idea of what the shot value is before they plug. How many times have you heard a shooter say 'it'll plug a 10'. That only comes from hundreds of rounds down range and scoring the same number of shots.

Hard to Call Examples

Try your hand at scoring the below targets

Target 1

Example 1

Target 2

Example 2

Target 3

Example 3

Target 1 overlayed

Plugs as an 8

Target 2 overlayed

Example 2a

The limit of the 10 ring. This kind of shot shows where using only the inward scoring plug can give you issues because the edge of the bullet is rough and it is right on the line, but determined to not be over it.

Target 3 overlayed

Example 3a

Sometimes Scoring goes in your Favor!

Lastly - When you shoot a 3, make sure it is deep, because the scoring shack can plug any shot at any time. This is close as you get to a 4.0 and not make it!

GOOD LUCK and Have Fun !!!!

The rings on the air target versus the 50 ft USAS target is spaced as follows:

Ring	Smallbore	Air
10	0.76	0.50
9	4.12	5.50
8	9.00	10.50
7	13.87	15.50
6	18.75	20.50
5	23.63	25.50
4	28.50	30.50
3	33.38	35.50
2	not used	40.50
1	not used	45.50

Credits:

Thanks to JP O'Connor and Bill Gagne

If the outside edge of the gauge is outside of the outside edge of the scoring ring, score lower value; if the outside edge of the gauge is tangent to the outer edge of the scoring ring or closer to the center, score the higher value.

An inward scoring gauge may be used to score all shot values on this target. Any shot hole touching the 10 dot but not touching the outside edge of the 8 ring with the aid of the smallbore inward scoring gauge is scored as a 10.

Sponsors of matches should put in their programs which scoring gauge they will be using.

Inner Ten: The inward scoring gauge must be used to determine inner 10's. The 10 dot must be completely removed by the shot hole to score an inner 10 when using the inward scoring gauge.