Learn › Track 07 · The ISSF circuit
The ISSF range
Walk into any ISSF 10 m range in the world, from Doha to Daegu, and it should feel the same: same distance, same target height, same light. That sameness is deliberate. It means a score shot in one hall can be compared with a score shot in another. Start with the number your arm feels most.
Think first: How high above the floor of the firing point is the centre of an ISSF 10 m target?
Distances and heights
All 10 m ranges are indoors. The key measurements:
| What | Rule |
| Firing line to target face | 10 m ± 0.05 m |
| Target centre above the firing-point floor | 1.40 m ± 0.05 m |
| Target to the side of the firing point | at most 0.25 m |
| Firing point width | at least 1.00 m (1.25 m if shared with a 50 m range) |
| Bench height | 0.70–1.00 m, edge nearest the shooter 10 cm in front of the firing line |
| Chair | at each firing point in qualification; none on a finals range |
| Spectators | at least 7.0 m behind the firing line |
Ranges must also have countdown clocks and compressed air available on site, so you can refill your cylinder at the venue.
Think first: Your club hangs its targets with the centre 1.30 m above the floor. Does that meet the ISSF rule?
- Yes. It is within the tolerance.
- No. The allowed range is 1.35 to 1.45 m.
- It only matters for electronic targets.
Light
Light is measured in lux. Minimum values:
General lighting in the hall: at least 500 lux.
Targets: at least 1500 lux; over 1800 is recommended.
Finals firing line: at least 1000 lux, about 1500 recommended.
The target minimum is three times the hall minimum. A club hall lit like a living room is far below both.
Think first: A light meter reads 650 lux in the hall and 1350 lux on the target faces. Does the range pass?
- Yes, both readings are fine
- No. The targets need at least 1500 lux.
- No. The hall needs at least 1500 lux.
The finals range
A finals range is built for an audience. There is no chair, so you stand between shots. The firing line itself must be lit to at least 1000 lux. Music plays, and loud crowd support is encouraged. If your only range experience is a quiet club hall, a finals range will feel very different. More on that in The final.
What to copy at home
You can’t build a full ISSF range at home, but some measurements are cheap to copy.
Think first: You are setting up a dry-fire spot at home in a 4 m room. Which ISSF measurement is most worth copying exactly?
- The 10 m distance
- The 1.40 m target-centre height
- The 7 m spectator distance
See Dry firing & holding drills for the drills themselves.
- 10 m ranges are indoors. Firing line to target face is 10 m ± 0.05 m.
- Target centre is 1.40 m ± 0.05 m above the firing-point floor. Copy that height at home.
- Light: hall at least 500 lux, targets at least 1500 lux, finals firing line at least 1000 lux.
- Bench 0.70–1.00 m. Chair in qualification, none in finals. Spectators at least 7 m behind the line.