Target Pistol | Carrying Case | Spotting Scope | Ear and Eye Protection | Stop Watch | Scoring Aids | Tools | Cleaning Supplies | Targets | Ammunition

When you think of the equipment required for a competitor to excel in Bullseye Shooting, you might compare it to any specialized sport. While one only needs the bare essentials to get started in this sport, to become truly competitive he must obtain special equipment. For example, a single hockey stick and a puck is all that a youngster needs to begin a lifelong affinity with the sport of hockey and to learn the most basic skills. However, to participate in competition and at the same time further develop his skills, he will need skates, pads, gloves, a helmet and more. The same is true with the developing newcomer to the sport of Bullseye Pistol Shooting.

Use this article as a guide to selecting and acquiring equipment to participate in this sport. You certainly may get involved in this sport with only some of the equipment I have described in this article. I am certain, however, that if you truly wish to become a competitor, and possibly a champion, you will eventually obtain every item in the list. On the other hand, gadgetry can be an obsession, and unneeded expenses can be avoided by using a little logic.

Keep it Organized!

If you acquire a lot of "stuff" there is a tendency, especially for beginners, to create a real mess of junk on the firing line. This is not the place to be fumbling for items you probably don't even need! Herschel Anderson, one of the greatest shooters of all time brought an incredibly small number of items to the firing line. Whatever you do decide to cart up to the firing line, keep it organized on the shooting bench. Here is what I bring to a match and how I organize it on the bench, the exact identical way every time...

Selecting a .22 Target Pistol

While there are a dozen different choices for a .22 caliber pistol, I am only going to introduce a few domestic ones. European pistols are clearly superior to our domestic, but carry big price tags. Down the road, if your wallet can afford it and your skills justify it, the Swiss-made Hämmerli 208s is clearly the ultimate pistol for the bullseye sport, carrying a price tag of $1800. In your quest for a pistol, I suggest that you do your own research, studying not only the facts and figures, but also how the gun "feels" to you. In your considerations, I would place the following pistols at the forefront of your list...

Of the .22 target pistols that I own, my favorite is a Smith and Wesson Model 41. This pistol is arguably the finest American-made target pistol available today. Spare magazines and replacement parts are readily available and are quite inexpensive. My pistol is a stock model with the 7" long barrel that I had Lou Lombardi cut down to 6". Even as it was, the long barrel was actually lighter and easier to shoot than the stock "heavy" 5-1/2" barrel. But with it shortened and the optics mounted fully rearward, the pistol is light, easy to handle, and it balances perfectly. I have equipped it with a set of custom Randall Fung European-style anatomical match grips. For sights, I have selected a 30mm Ultra Dot Sight for its dot size and clarity, and light weight. I am quite fond of the trigger action and the way that the pistol handles during recoil - it is very shootable. While I find that Eley Tenex is most accurate, I have had no reliability problems with any ammunition that I have tried, all with the standard recoil spring.

My suggestion for the beginner looking for an entry-level pistol is to consider the Ruger Mark II. Its accuracy is excellent and its reliability is second to none. Its only flaw is that its trigger action as it comes from the factory, is usually criticized as long and sloppy and merits an inexpensive trigger job. While certainly affordable, the Ruger Mark II is not a beginner's-only pistol. Many very high scores are shot with these pistols every day. One drawback of the Ruger is that its stock grips have a different size, shape and angle than of that of the 1911 .45 caliber pistol. As shown here, this is my first target pistol now relegated to backup duty. It is a stock "Target" model with the 6-7/8" tapered barrel. I have added an UltraDot sight and a trigger job which included a Clark steel trigger replacement. With these additions, this gun easily produced master-level scores. As you can see, the later addition of those fancy Randall Fung anatomical grips are certainly not a necessity but, I must admit, they did help improve my scores. Grips are available from several sources that convert its angle to approximately that of the 1911.

Other pistols available in the "affordable" price range are the Hi Standard, Hammerli Trailside, and the Browning Buckmark. The High Standard may require some fine tuning of the magazines. The Trailside and the Buckmark will definitely need some trigger work.

Selecting a .45 Target Pistol

While conventional (bullseye) pistol is a three-gun affair, the top shooters generally agree that using the .45 caliber pistol for both the Centerfire Match and the .45 Match is the best way to go. This means that the scores fired with this single .45 pistol make up 2/3 of the total 270-shot aggregate! Therefore, it is most important that your .45 does not throw away points beyond your control. But there's a catch. While even the more inexpensive .22 autoloaders are accurate enough right out of the box to score a potential 300/300 NMC, a "stock" .45 could never do that. What is required, then, is an "accurized" or a "custom-built" model.

Most often, the accurized pistol is a stock Model 1911A1 that has been worked over by a pistolsmith. The stock pistol is initially purchased and then later sent to the pistolsmith for parts to be replaced and/or refitted. The work generally performed on a stock pistol includes barrel bushing replacement and refitting, barrel link replacement and refitting, barrel hood refitting to slide, and squeezing the slide and peening the rails until tight with the frame. Almost always, the stock barrel is replaced with a Kart, Bar-Sto or other match-quality barrel. In addition, a trigger job is done to improve the quality of the trigger pull and reduce its weight to just over 3.5#. With the exception of checkering the frontstrap, adding other "bells and whistles" at additional expense is COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY for a bullseye .45 pistol, and have no bearing on accuracy or shootability in match conditions. An ambidextrous safety is stupid. Even "pretty" doesn't score points - a match pistol's ONLY value is in its ability to shoot high scores. Don't forget that.

Many pistolsmiths prefer to build a custom gun "from the ground up," selecting every single component based on his expertise, including the frame and slide. Arguably, these are the most accurate and shootable, yet most expensive accurized .45 pistols available. Another consequence, pistolsmiths like (former USMC armorer) Mike Curtis will make you wait sometimes over 18 months for him to completely build a custom pistol from the fitted parts that he hand selects from several different manufacturers. But this careful selection and fitting is the magic. You might consider mass-produced accurized pistols like those by Rock River or Les Baer, as these guns are in fact quite accurate. However, due to their mass-produced nature, their triggers are usually marginal and warrant the extra expense of a trigger job.

A brand new basic stock Springfield M1911A1 at $550 will clearly not be accurate enough for bullseye shooting. You can expect as large as 10" groups at 50 yds., meaning that a perfectly aimed and destined "X" might end up a mere seven! However, this model is an EXCELLENT choice for a base pistol to be accurized. Sending this basic stock pistol to a qualified pistolsmith like Ed Masaki can turn it into a sub-3" group shooter for a few hundred dollars.

Don't consider high dollar pistols that cannot shoot less than 3" groups guaranteed. Flashy "pseudo-customs" like the Kimber Match Custom may be beautiful pistols but you would be a complete idiot to dump over a $1000 into a gun that will still need to be accurized in order for you to be competitive! If you just want to throw your money away, please send it to me - I could use it!

The design of the 1911-type .45 pistol complicates the method of mounting an optical sight, and there are several mounting systems to consider, each with their own advantages. Consider one of the two most popular: mounting directly on the top of the slide (with a Weaver-type mount such as a Clark), or mounting the scope to the stationary frame (with a bridge-type mount). The frame mount completely isolates the scope from slide movement, thus having no effect on cycling speed or resistance. This isolation possibly extends the life of the scope and allows the use of the lightest possible loads. On the other hand, a slide mount is clearly more popular these days. It allows the scope to be mounted closer to the bore axis making the pistol easier to shoot. The additional mass of the scope upon the cycling slide helps to dampen recoil, making the slightly heavier loads - that are typically more-accurate, much easier to handle. Dot sight life is not an issue if you select an Ultra Dot - they have a LIFETIME warranty. After shooting a frame-mounted scope for years, I converted to a slide-mount because it is the best way to go. (My primary .45 is a Les Baer Bullseye Wadcutter Model with a 1" UltraDot mounted to the slide with a Clark mount. My backup is another of the same model pistol but with a bridge-type mount and a 30mm UltraDot.)

Extra Magazines

It is a good idea to have extra magazines for several reasons. The obvious one is to have a replacement if one stops functioning during a match. Another is to allow you to preload several magazines during a target change so that you are not rushed between two strings of timed or rapid fire. Some fellows take this to an expensive extreme and have a magazine preloaded for EVERY string of the match! On the other hand, a large number of top competitors feel more comfortable using a single magazine and loading it before each string; by keeping their empty backup magazines out of view, they avoid the mental error of inserting an empty magazine. I prefer to reload only two magazines at a time after every stage.

Shooting Box

By design, competition pistol boxes solve several problems: They allow secure transport of your valuable firearms in a lockable case as required by Federal regulations. In addition, they provide the space and means to keep all your shooting accessories organized and handy.

In most cases, the opened lid serves as a stable and easily accessable holder for your spotting scope. Most pistol boxes are designed to accomodate these needs of the competitive pistol shooter. It is simply your decision to find the case that is right for you.

Pictured on the left is the "classic" design of the Pachmayr competition pistol box. This design remains the most popular among bullseye shooters as it still dominates the firing lines nationwide. Gun-Ho probably manufactures more boxes of this classic style than any other company today. There are alternative designs for pistol boxes, most notably the Ed Masaki Custom Gun Box as pictured on the right. His very popular and top-quality case addresses the requirements of a versatile competition box with a slightly different approach, definitely worth a look!

Another option, probably not worth the enormous amount of work unless you like to build things like myself, is to construct your own pistol box. I have designed and built several boxes of different materials, shapes and sizes in order that I could have the features that I wanted. My favorite box is a lightweight, yet full-size, 4-gun aluminum box of traditional "front flip-up" design (see photo near the top of the page). Hopefully it will last forever, because it was such a pain in the neck to make, I'll never do it again!!!

Suitable Spotting Scope

A spotting scope is an invaluable tool for the target shooter. It allows you to verify where each shot hits in slow fire and where your five shot strings group are in timed and rapid fire. You will want a scope of the 20x or 25x power and the largest objective lens and BEST SHARPNESS you can afford. This is a one time investment that is worth spending a few extra bucks. An inexpensive scope will cause eyestrain and will make seeing .22 holes at 50 yards difficult or impossible.

Gil Hebard manufactures a handy gadget that attaches your scope to the inside of the lid on your pistol box. This gadget allows you to place the scope in just about any position imaginable, accommodating the height of any shooting bench (or shooter for that matter).

Ear and Eye Protection

If you are blessed with good vision and you don't already wear glasses, you will need to buy shooting glasses. Protection from a rare shattered case fragment or bullet splatter from the backstop easily justify the expense of glasses. As another benefit, yellow-tinted lenses will slightly improve contrast outdoors and may seemingly brighten and clarify the target. However, I have found that either clear lenses on a normal day, or grey lenses in extreme bright sunshine maximize my scores. Regardless of color, the QUALITY of the optics is the most important factor. Do not buy wrap-around polycarbonate goggles although they may look "cool," they clearly distort your vision, regardless of what the manufacturers purport.

Ear protection is equally important! Besides preventing the obvious long-term damaging effects of gunfire, maximum ear protection will help eliminate flinching. The unmuffled roar of gunfire during rapid fire would cause ANYONE to get a little shaky! You have several options in this matter: sonic earplugs, ear muffs, or as I wear, BOTH. Don't consider any product with less than 20dB of reduction as ear protection. Spend the extra two dollars and get something that works.

Another item that will assist in optimizing your vision is a cap. The bill of the cap will keep light from reflecting off the inside of your glasses and will also prevent an ejected case from the pistol of the shooter to your left from falling between your glasses and your face. (They are a little on the hot side.)

Electronic Stop Watch or Timer

For under twenty dollars, you should purchase an electronic stop watch or timer. This little gadget will make sure that you make the best use of the time allotted in slow fire. Without it, you will probably shoot too quickly, wasting the opportunity to wait for the wind to stop blowing or for your arm strength to be restored after a shot. The inverse is a bigger problem, having taken too much time and still having two rounds left unfired at the end of ten minutes. Radio Shack makes an electronic timer that is not only two timers that operate independently in one unit, but they can be set to either count DOWN from a time you preset, or count UP from zero. I prefer to just reset it to ZERO and count up to ten minutes starting at the command "commence firing." Whichever method you choose, keep it simple and do it the same way EACH TIME.

Scoring Aids

A scoring overlay, a clear piece of plastic with "circles" of common bullet sizes, is a valuable tool in scoring targets. It allows you to determine whether those borderline shots are actually touching the scoring ring. Some overlays have a small arc of a few inches of the four innermost rings of the target. Tight groups that make a big hole, thus "erasing" part of the scoring ring, can be scored by reconstructing the scoring ring with the overlay. A second overlay on top shows which shots are touching the "restored" ring. They are cheap. Get a set.

Tools for Repairs or Adjustments

A complete toolkit for your pistol is like the American Express card: Don't leave home without it! Make certain that you have every Allen wrench or screw driver you might need for every adjustable part on your gun. If you need to adjust your sights, you will have the proper size screwdriver for the job. If your optical sight's mount or one of your pistol's grip panels loosens, you can tighten it back up properly. A pocket or utility knife is also a valuable tool that shouldn't be overlooked, with two purposes being opening a new box of cartridges or prying a stuck case out of the chamber.

Another handy gadget to keep in your box is a 12" length of wooden dowel rod for clearing your barrel of a squib round. For the .45 caliber pistol, a 3/8" diameter rod is perfect for the task.

Targets for Competition

While the correct targets are furnished by the officials at a competition or league event, you must provide your own when you practice. You should always practice with the official targets used for the event you are shooting. Not doing so will create bad habits and a variety of sighting problems, and it will give incorrect scoring feedback of your shooting. The correct targets are readily available from several sources including Gil Hebard. The official NRA targets for conventional pistol are as follows:

Selecting .22 Caliber Ammunition

The task of selecting ammo for your .22 pistol is an important one. Regardless of the pistol, the following factors must be considered in the selection process:

1. Accuracy (and consistency from lot to lot)
2. Functioning (some types malfunction in certain guns)
3. Cost (the biggest variable)

If a certain ammo does not function well in your pistol, change to another. It is the only of the three factors of which you have no control. Beyond that, selection is really a matter of how much accuracy you can afford. However, even some of the most inexpensive cartridges still produce satisfactory groups. For tips on how to conduct your own ammunition accuracy test, select the following link:

Testing Ammunition Accuracy

Cleaning Supplies

A properly cleaned and maintained gun will operate more reliably, produce greater accuracy and will wear more slowly than one that is not. Only a fool would risk losing a match with a double-alibi in rapid fire due to a dirty gun! In addition, while smokeless powders and non-corrosive primers are not caustic to your pistol, their residue IS ABRASIVE and will cause wear during operation if not removed.

Similarly, a pistol should be lubricated, but never to excess. While the .45 caliber pistol might prefer quite a bit of lubrication, the .22 caliber pistol should be oiled at a bare minimum in only the proper places. Too much oil may attract dirt and residue and actually induce wear.

Here is the list of cleaning supplies that I feel you should have...