SHOOTING STANDARDS & AGGREGATES
Twelve standardized shooting stages that appear at Qualifier and Skirmish events throughout the season — built on one shared framework of target sizing, distance limits, cadence and scoring so you can compare your performance across every match.
Standard Framework
Foundation for all shooting standards across The Tactical Games. These standards apply to every division.
Paper Target Specifications
- Pistol paper: ≈ 1.3 cm / 2.7 m — 14 m ≈ 6.4 cm.
- Rifle paper: 4 MOA — 91 m ≈ 10 cm.
Distance Limits
- Maximum pistol: 91 m.
- Maximum rifle: 640 m.
String of Fire Cadence
- Pistol cadence: 3 s / shot min.
- Rifle cadence: 4 s / shot min.
Round Limits & Scoring
- Virginia Count string: max 12 rifle + 12 pistol / stage — penalty over limit.
- Grease ring scoring: edge = hit.
The 12 Published Aggregates
Tap a stage to view the briefing, loadout, starting position, scoring and penalties. Full per-stage briefings not yet published online are released at the match.
Firing Sequence
Rifle from each of the three far positions, then pistol from each of the three near positions.
Starting Position
Athletes start in one of the back rifle boxes of their choice. Pistol unloaded and holstered. Rifle loaded and at high ready with buttstock touching belt.
Stage Description
On the audible beep the athlete engages that side rifle target within the shooting box with two shots to the head, performs a reload, moves between the two shooting boxes and engages the centre target with two shots to the head, conducts a mandatory reload, then moves to the opposite box and engages that side target with two shots to the head. The athlete shows a clear rifle then moves into the pistol box on the same side they started with rifle and engages that side target with two torso shots, moves between the two boxes and performs a mandatory reload, engages the centre target with two torso shots, performs another reload, then moves to the last box and engages that side target with two torso shots.
Scoring
Rifle hits are scored in the head box above the perforated shoulder line. Pistol hits are scored anywhere on the torso below the perforated shoulder line.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Throttle Control tests the athlete's ability to balance speed and accuracy across mixed rifle and pistol engagements with cadence requirements. Full stage briefing is published at the event by The Tactical Games match staff.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Rifle engagement of steel plates at varying distances within the published rifle distance limits. Plate sizes scale at 4 MOA per published distance. Full stage briefing is released at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Pistol engagement of steel plates at varying distances within the published pistol distance limits (max 91 m). Plate sizes scale at approximately 1.3 cm per 2.7 m. Full stage briefing is released at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Rifle engagement from multiple barricade positions, testing positional shooting, transitions and stability. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Pistol engagement from multiple barricade positions, testing strong-hand, support-hand and braced positional shooting. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Movement-intensive drill engaging targets in a Z-shaped pattern across multiple shooting positions with both rifle and pistol. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Combined rifle and pistol drill with mandatory reloads and transitions. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Athlete engages outer targets then returns to a central position between each engagement, testing recoil management and position recovery. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Low cover / close range pistol drill with constrained shooting positions and cover use. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Engagements completed support-hand only for both rifle and pistol, testing weak-side proficiency. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
Starting Position
Per stage briefing on competition day.
Stage Description
Rifle drill cycling through standing, kneeling and prone positions at varying distances. Full stage briefing is published at the event.
Penalties
- +5 secMiss
- +10 secFailure to Engage
- +5 secProcedural
How Aggregates Work
These standardized stages appear at Qualifier and Skirmish events throughout the season, allowing you to compare your performance against competitors from other qualifier events and track your progression over time.