1. PURPOSE
To offer all NHSA members equal opportunity to participate in standardised In-House Postal Target Shooting Exercises, which conform with international standards, so as to build-up a personal record of annual shooting participation. The focus is on FUN in participation and not on competition other than with oneself.
2. PARTICIPATION
a. Only NHSA members may participate in these exercises. The Annual National Postal Target Shooting Competition, which is conducted during September annually, has its own set of rules posted on the website in August annually.
b. Members shoot targets on recognised shooting ranges of their choice (see NHSA friendly ranges on the website under postal target shooting). They then fill in the scores they achieve on their personal Natshoot web page under the heading Scores, where they also upload the scanned shot target for verification purposes.
c. Members must always please only use the most current targets as indicated per exercise on the Targets & Exercises page on the Natshoot website.
d. Their scores are then ratified at the office. Scores and dates on which these were achieved are then available on the personal page of a member for as long as he/she remains a paid-up member, and can be used as proof of participation in sport-shooting or target practice when application is entered for a new firearm licence (or for renewals). Members are thus in effect in control of their own activities, can build up an own record of which they are in control, and obtain official proof thereof whenever they would want same from their personal page on the website.
e. Members use the firearm they own, as is, and in the way in which they have adapted these to suit their own needs (open or scoped sights).
f. Members may also use the firearms of their colleagues as long as this is done in a legal manner in the presence of the licence holder.
g. Members may shoot individually or they may organise local groups to shoot simultaneously.
h. NHSA members usually shoot at least 3 in-house events per annum – as they are all serious about firearm ownership and the responsible handling of such firearms.
3. CATEGORIES OF PARTICIPATION
Participants are divided into the following participation categories:
Seniors - participants 60 years of age and older (ladies included)
Men’s Open - all male participants in the age group between 21 and 59
Ladies’ Open - all lady participants in the age group between 21 and 59
Juniors - all members 20 years of age and younger (not gender specific)
4. CENTRE-FIRE RIFLE SHOOTING EXERCISES
All Calibres of Centre-Fire Rifle Calibres (22 to .50 Cal)
5. SHOOTING DISTANCE
The shooting distance measured from the target to the edge of the firing line closest to the
shooter for all Centre Fire Rifles is 100 metres.
6. COURSES OF FIRE
5 shots at 100m on your own time, shot on one A4 target and scored out of 50 points.
7. FIRING POSITION
Any shooting position or stance is valid. Members may shoot from shooting benches with the butt rested on a separate rest (Gun rests of which the front and the back are connected by a centre piece may not be used)
8. TARGETS
a. Only the specific A4 exercise relevant postal target, which can be downloaded from the website, may be used (see Targets & Exercises on the Natshoot website). Please ascertain that you use the latest relevant dated target.
b. Shooting ranges are not responsible to furnish members with targets.
c Members may make good quality copies of the official A4 NHSA Targets.
d. Shot targets must at all times be counter signed by personnel at the range or by a verifying witness. All other fields on the Target must be filled in.
e. Electronically submitted targets of which all fields have not been filled out (i.e. name, ID-number, range name, calibre of handgun, scoring complete, etc.) will not be ratified by the office after the scores had been logged by the member on his/her personal Natshoot web page.
9. SHOOTING RANGES
a. Members may shoot on any generally recognised shooting range (or farm range which has been approved by Exco).
b. Members are required to pay the necessary shooting range fees as specified per shooting range, or as specified by the range for each course of fire.
c. A list of NHSA Friendly Shooting Ranges is available on the Natshoot website, however, there is no requirement that members may only use these ranges.
d. Ranges are not responsible to teach members the rules for participation – that is what this guide is for.
e. Shooting ranges are not responsible to furnish members with targets or to submit members’ scores.
f. Members are requested to please ask the ranges where they shoot to register with the NHSA – registration of ranges is FREE of charge – other NHSA members in the vicinity of the range would also want to make use of the facility.
10. SCORING
a. The target is defined as the entire A4 card or A4 paper on which the scoring rings are printed but shall not include the backing against which the A4 target is pasted.
b. The X-ring on targets = 10 points
c. A shot hole, the leaded edge of which comes in contact with the outside of the bulls eye or any of the lines of scoring rings on a target, is scored as the higher value (i.e. if the bullet hole is in the 7 ring but clearly touches the line of the 8 scoring ring the score is indicated as cut 8 and the score for that shot equals 8 points).
d. In case of key-holed or tipped shots, the higher value is awarded if the leaded edge of the bullet hole touches the scoring ring of higher value, even though the hole is elongated to the bullet`s length rather than being a circle of the bullet`s diameter.
e. In case of skid shots, the higher value is awarded if the leaded edge of the bullet hole touches the scoring ring of higher value, except the value of a skid shot may not be more than one ring higher than the original point of bullet contact with the target.
f. When a bullet enters a target from the back of the target, it will be scored as a miss – thus counts zero.
g. Hits on the outside of all the scoring rings are scored as misses – thus counts zero.
h. Targets which are entered without being correctly scored and/or all fields not having been filled in correctly and completely, will be disqualified without exception !