https://unsplash.com/photos/WQuJCjGgqms

Rifles played a significant role in history, but they’re very much present today too. Although most people disregard rifles as weapons of the past, modern sporting rifles are a favorite among numerous weapon enthusiasts.

With centerfire and rimfire rifles available, shooting sports take pride in many different disciplines people can engage in for recreational or competitive purposes. With a rich history, shooting sports are the perfect blend of old and new traditions.

However, shooting sports have raised some eyebrows, and they continue to do so. This is mainly because sporting rifles are often confused for military rifles, as they’re aesthetically similar. There are numerous differences between the two, and here you’ll find all the basics about modern sporting rifles.

Shooting Sports

Shooting sports consist of various shooting disciplines using different weapons. When talking about rifles, some of the most famous shooting sports are Bullseye shooting, Field shooting, Running target shooting, and Long-range shooting. These disciplines are played recreationally or competitively, and some are even part of the Olympics.

So, let’s quickly go through the most popular shooting sports and explain their basics.

Bullseye Shooting

This discipline is like playing darts, only with rifles. The goal is to hit the center of the circle, and accuracy and precision are the primary skills tested in this discipline. Still, competitors must pay attention to other factors that might affect the results, such as breathing, trigger control, and weather conditions, since the Bullseye shooting is usually played outside.

Also, various shooting positions and distances are available. Lots of enthusiasts have bought high-quality used aimpoint optics for Bullseye shooting because these are among the most reliable and accurate rifle scopes on the market. Modifying your gun this way is an excellent investment if Bullseye shooting is your sport of choice.

Field Shooting

Similar to Bullseye shooting, Field shooting also tests your precision and accuracy. You still need to hit a specified target, but it’s more flexible. Usually, there are no permanently set ranges and distances, as the competitors are required to get accustomed to temporary ranges placed in nature.

Here, again, precision and accuracy are tested, but with a twist. Shooters are also required to perform well, disregarding the terrain or any weather conditions that may hit them.

Running Target Shooting

Another popular discipline using rifles is running target shooting. This competition involves a target running through the shooting field to challenge and test the shooter’s abilities and mimic real-life hunting. The running target is typically an animal popular among hunters, such as deer, moose, or a boar.

Here, in addition to precision, the competitors are also tested in their reflexes and the ability to estimate the speed and movement of the target to hit it successfully.

About Modern Sporting Rifles

Modern sporting rifles are all based on the AR-15 platform. These are semi-automatic rifles widely popular in the sporting world. As they’re semi-automatic, they can fire only one round with one pull of the trigger, while automatic rifles can do more than that.

Even though these two rifles are entirely different internally, some people think AR-15 and M-16 are the same guns as they’re visually almost identical. Besides, automatic rifles aren’t allowed in public. They are only used by the military, while semi-automatic rifles like AR-15 are used in hunting, shooting competitions, and even recreational shooting on the range.

Today, many people are fighting to ban modern sporting rifles simply because they look like military weapons, disregarding the fact they have nothing in common besides the looks. So, let’s clear that out. The AR-15 platform is chambered in 5.56 NATO, typically with .223 Remington or .308 Winchester calibers, although other options are available as well.

These modern sporting rifles can also be customized and modified by adding necessary tools such as best 1 4x scope, lights, slings, sights, and numerous hunting tools.

Rimfire vs. Centerfire Rifles

Today, both rimfire and centerfire rifles are on the market. So, let’s distinguish the differences. Essentially, rimfire or centerfire ammunition depends on the location of the primer in the cartridge. The names are pretty self-explanatory, but rimfire ammunition contains the primer at the rims of the cartridge, while the centerfire ammunition has the primer in the middle of the round.

It’s easy to find the difference between the two just by looking at the two kinds of the cartridge: a larger cartridge and an inner circle in the center of the bottom casing signal the centerfire design; a smaller cartridge with no visible centers usually signals the rimfire design.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages relating to price, reliability, calibers, and the possibility of reloading.

Conclusion

All in all, modern sporting rifles are an essential and useful firearm for many purposes. Although close attention needs to be paid when handling a firearm, and you should carefully examine the laws, rifles are the favorite tool among many firearm enthusiasts.

With modern sporting rifles as their first choice, people enjoy activities such as hunting, competing in shooting, or having shooting as a hobby.