But it comes with the territory. The team's season runs from the start of the fall semester through the national competition held at the end of March. Rifle shooters compete with specially built .22 caliber German match rifles. Pistol shooters compete with .22 caliber pistols and lead pellet air guns. There actually are several different events at each competition, most of which originated from Olympic shooting events.
Different events emphasize different skills.
Other events are designed to emphasize speed and accuracy. In general, however, competitors shoot at circular targets from 50 feet away. As with practically all sports involving marksmanship, the target consists of concentric overlapping circles, and shooters receive more points the closer their shots are to the center, with the bull's-eye being the goal. Most team members describe shooting as a sport that helps them develop focus and, amazingly enough, relax. From match to match conditions are the same, so it's an even playing field.