The 10-meter air rifle has changed a lot over the years. Continuous development has led to the modern competition air rifle. Previous air rifles were single-stroke pneumatics. These rifles were somewhat cumbersome and required extreme skill to fire well. Today's competition air rifles use regulated pre-charged pneumatics, which have greater precision and accuracy and are easier to use.
Modern competition rifles minimize shot-to-shot pressure variations, muzzle velocity inconsistency, low shot development time (which pushes the pellet out of the barrel faster), are nearly vibration free, exhibit minimal movement and balance shifts, and can be tailored through the adjustable stock, sights, and other components of the rifle to suit the individual shooters' preferences to keep them comfortable and shooting accurately from a standing position. When shooters use the appropriate match pellets, these rifles produce a consistent 10-ring performance, making a sub-10.0 average result up to the skill of the competitor.