Rifle shooting: A game of nuance

NCAA shooters hit targets that most of us can barely see, carrying rifles that some of us could barely hold steady.

A college team fires small-bore rifles and air rifles that weigh between 12 and 17 pounds, or two to three times what normal hunting and military rifles weigh. The added weight helps keep the rifles steady on target.

The athletes fire air rifles while standing, but they shoot the small bore rifles in the prone, squatting and standing positions. Unlike hunters and snipers, they cannot use tripods or other supports. And they cannot use...