Shooting Shooting is the act or process of firing firearm s or other projectile weapon s such as bow s or crossbow s . Even the firing of artillery , rocket s , and missile s can be called shooting . A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman . Shooting can take place in a shooting range or in the field in hunting , in shooting sports , or in combat . Technique and safety considerations . Shooting technique differs depending on factors like the type of firearm used ( from a handgun to a sniper rifle ; the distance to and nature of the target ; the required precision ; and the available time . Breathing and position play an important role when handling a handgun or a rifle . Some shooting sports , such as IPSC shooting , make a sport of combat style shooting . The prone position , kneeling position , and standing position offer different amounts of support for the shooter . Holding the gun sideways , as is sometimes seen in movies and on television , is poor gun handling ; it makes the weapon likely to jam as any ejected case may fail to leave the weapon completely . There is an exception to this , however . " Bandit Shooting " , so called because of its use with Chinese bandits of the early to mid - 1900s , is where the gun ( generally a handgun with a high rate of fire ) is tilted on its side and aimed , the index finger is placed on the frame , and the trigger is pulled using the middle finger . It is used for " clean up " indoors or at very short range post - operation , as it is fairly inaccurate . The utmost consideration for many shooters is gun safety . Like many activities such as mountain climbing , skiing , or sky - diving , there is an element of danger involved . And especially here , this danger demands a sober understanding and respect for firearms and the specific rules for the safe handling of them . This is compounded by the fact that the danger can easily extend beyond the participants — a stray bullet can injure or kill people other than those actually firing or handling the arms involved . At public ranges , the safety of all participants depends on the knowledge of everyone at the range . Practical uses . Shooting is used for hunting upland game bird s such as grouse or pheasant , rabbits , culling , deer hunting , or other wild game animals , or shooting pest animals . Sometimes " shooting " refers to the hunting activity itself . Shooting is also used in warfare , self - defense , crime , and law enforcement . Duel s were sometimes held using guns . Shooting without a target has applications such as celebratory gunfire , 21 - gun salute , or firing starting pistol s , incapable of releasing bullets . Entertainment shooting . Because shooting is an activity enjoyed not only by enthusiasts that do not own their own equipment or live in areas where firearms use is heavily regulated , an emerging solution is the entertainment shooting industry . For many years clay shooting with shotguns has been the primary entertainment shooting offering . Now , some shooting ranges in large cities rent guns to customers , and businesses utilize ranges in providing entertainment shooting offerings . Competitive shooting . Marksmanship has inspired competition , and in several countries rifle clubs started to form in the 19th century . Soon international shooting events evolved , including shooting at the Summer Olympics ( from 1896 ) and World Championships ( from 1897 ) . The International Shooting Sport Federation still administers Olympic and non - Olympic rifle , pistol , shotgun , and running target shooting competitions , although there is also a large number of national and international shooting sports controlled by unrelated organizations . Shooting supplies . Government legislation in most countries requires shooters to have some form of shooting licence , and firearms are typically only available from registered firearms dealers .