TargetTalk

Today I was at an Air range and saw someone shooting Air Rifle barefoot. I normally practice at home at 6yds barefoot (I know your supposed to wear shoes like how you normally shoot so no difference between training and competition kit). Is this allowable in ISSF matches? Only Air matches?

A74BEDLM wrote:Today I was at an Air range and saw someone shooting Air Rifle barefoot. I normally practice at home at 6yds barefoot (I know your supposed to wear shoes like how you normally shoot so no difference between training and competition kit). Is this allowable in ISSF matches? Only Air matches?

As far as I know there are no rules baring you from going barefoot. You can download the ISSF rulebook on rifle shooting to be sure. Depending on your balance when you stand it can pretty hard on your feet particularly if your weight is on the balls of your feet. There may also be an issue of shooting in lead contaminated area.

There are no ISSF rules with regards to not wearing shoes, but that said you are still bound by the rules of the actual range which might not allow it.

While there are no rules that explicitly state that footwear must be worn, the rules cannot and do not state everything. There are implicit meanings.

Rule 9.9.1.2 Sneakers, sandals or any other similar footwear without a strap or full support at the heel, without a medical certificate are not
allowed.

May be interpreted that support at the heel is required- barefoot may not cut it in the eyes of some judges.

Interestingly

8.6.1.1 The shooter must stand free, without support, with both feet and/or shoes completely within the firing point. The pistol must be held
and fired with one hand only. The wrist must be visibly free of
support..

makes a distinction between feet and shoes.

I am sure that Spencer will pop his thoughts in when he has a moment away from his current duties.

there is a lot of Delhi flu in the village, and I am one of the three (so far) shooting judges with it....

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ausdiver99 wrote:While there are no rules that explicitly state that footwear must be worn, the rules cannot and do not state everything. There are implicit meanings.

Rule 9.9.1.2 Sneakers, sandals or any other similar footwear without a strap or full support at the heel, without a medical certificate are not
allowed.

May be interpreted that support at the heel is required- barefoot may not cut it in the eyes of some judges.

Rule 9.9.1.2, being a Shotgun rule, would not apply to Air Rifle.

Of much more relevance is 7.4.6.3.4:-
"If a shooter wears shoes, they must be a matched pair externally but see Shooting Shoe Table."

Note the word "If".

Most ranges have a range saftey rule of "encolsed footware must be worn".
A hot shell between the toes makes for a fun livefire range, nearly as good as low or open cut shirt/dress for inducing a war dance with a loaded gun.

Anonymous wrote:Most ranges have a range saftey rule of "encolsed footware must be worn".

I cannot remember ever shooting on an ISSF range with such a rule.

I shot in the Pan Am Games tryouts in Phoenix in the early 1980's. There was a collegiate shooter from MIT who shot air pistol barefoot. Folks were amused, but I don't recall there being any issues with the rules. That was a while ago, so things may have changed.

Rule 9.9.1.2 Sneakers, sandals or any other similar footwear without a strap or full support at the heel, without a medical certificate are not
allowed.

Hmmm I gather that Crocs or similar are OK but ONLY if the heel strap is used behind the ankle.

Define "full support"? a very gray area here.

David Levene wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ranges have a range saftey rule of "encolsed footware must be worn".

I cannot remember ever shooting on an ISSF range with such a rule.

For an air range I see no problems with bare feet/thongs (flip flops in the US).

However for a live range as an RO I would never permit it, the risk of a hot shell between the toes is clearly evident.

Bubsy wrote:However for a live range as an RO I would never permit it, the risk of a hot shell between the toes is clearly evident.

I would have no problem with that, provided it was declared as a range safety rule.

I wouldn't have thought that the risk of a hot case between the toes was much greater than the risk of one down an open necked shirt, behind shooting glasses or sitting at the hand/gun joint.

Kind of depends on the calibre as well. .22lr doesn't get overly hot. Warm certainly, but not burning hot.

On the other hand I've had a 5.56 casing go down my sleeve whilst cocking a straight pull rifle (Cadet GP), and they're a bit toasty!

Depends on the range as well as the gun. We had removable screens between each bay (removed for rapid fire match). However certain guns will eject shells in a non optimum pattern. For club level matches those shooters may stand back a little from the firing line to avoid hitting their neighbour.

In regards likelihood of foot burn versus booby burn, when running a range I am in the "risk mitigation" mindset. Risk to the shooters and risk to the club. Safety first, fun second. I might give a heads up to a chick with low cut top, to watch for hot shells, but I'm not going to make them change. One of the options here would be to put her in bay #1 facing besser block. Then the only shells she will have to worry about are her own.

I was at the nationals a couple of years ago and they prevented a competitor from shooting in her flip flops because of a range rule that she had to wear a shoe that enclosed her feet. I believe the rule was made because they didn't want an accident occurring when a hot shell casing lands on a competitor unprotected foot causing a shooter to do an unexpected dance. She was shooting air pistol at the time, but they still enforced the rule.