SRA-shooting
| Highest governing body | International Military Shooting Federation |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | SRA |
| Developed | 1980-90s, Finland |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No |
| Type | Action shooting |
| Equipment | Rifle, pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Mainly Finland |
| Olympic | No |
| World Championships | No |
| Paralympic | No |
| World Games | No |
SRA-shooting (Finnish: Sovellettu Reserviläisammunta, lit. 'applied reservist shooting') is an action shooting sport focused on weapons skills useful for military reservists. SRA competitors shoot stages formulated around imaginary combat situations that require firing on multiple targets, movement and magazine changes, thus emulating weapons handling skills required in military scenarios.[1][2] The stages are non-standardized[3] and can be themed around, for example, clearing a room or manning a checkpoint.[4] The stages can also include non-shooting elements such as evacuating simulated wounded persons.[5] The scoring emphasizes speed and accuracy.[4]
The weapons used in SRA are rifle, pistol, shotgun, and sniper rifle, with a focus on the rifle and to a lesser degree on the pistol.[6] Military gear is either allowed or required depending on the class a participant competes in. As of 2025, competitors in the TST class are required to wear a minimum of 12 kilograms (26 lb) of gear, including a chest rig, a flak jacket or a plate carrier, a helmet, military-style clothing, a first aid kit, a knife, and at least one 1 litre (0.26 US gal) of water.[7]
Depending on the source, the sport was developed in Finland either in the 1980s[4] or the 1990s,[1][8] but surged in popularity following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine with the number of Finnish hobbyists doubling from 2017 to 2024.[1] According to the Finnish Reservist Sports Federation, the sport's raise in popularity is limited by the federation's ability to provide safety courses and shooting tests required from newcomers.[2]
The rules of the sport are regulated by the International Military Shooting Federation. The federation was founded in November 2023 by the Finnish Reservist Sports Federation, the Finnish Reservists' Association, the Finnish Reserve Officers' Federation and the Defence Guilds' Federation of Finland.[9][10] In Finland, individuals participate in the sport through reservists' or national defence associations, but participation does not require being an actual military reservist.[4] In addition to Finland, the sport is also practiced in Estonia.[11] A similar sport called Tillämpat tjänsteskytte (TTS) is also practiced in Sweden, with changes to align the rules with Swedish Army regulations.[12]
References
- ^ a b c Vallinheimo, Eija (19 February 2024). "Toiminnallisten ampumalajien suosio kovassa nosteessa − reserviläisammunnan harrastajamäärä tuplaantunut muutamassa vuodessa" [Action shooting sports gaining popularity - number of SRA-shooting hobbyists has doubled in a few years]. Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (in Finnish).
- ^ a b Ritvanen, Ilkka (10 February 2024). "Suomalaiset ostavat nyt innolla reserviläiskiväärejä, koska moni on löytänyt uuden harrastuksen" [Finns keen to buy reservist rifles, as many have found a new hobby]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish).
- ^ Valli, Jussi (11 June 2018). "SRA:n viehätyksenä lajin monipuolisuus" [SRA Entices with Multifacetedness]. Kankaanpään Seutu (in Finnish). p. 15.
- ^ a b c d Virtanen, Virpi (14 May 2003). "Tarkkuus ja nopeaus ratkaisevat" [Accuracy and Speed Decide]. Ruotuväki (in Finnish). p. 7.
- ^ Määttänen, Lauri (6 December 2023). "Anni ja Jesse Kallio ovat Liperin Reserviläisten aktiiveja, eikä heidän harrastustaan enää ihmetellä" [Anni and Jesse Kallio are active in the Liperi Reservists Association, and their hobby is no longer a cause for wonderment]. Karjalan Heili (in Finnish).
- ^ Olkkonen, Veikko (25 July 2024). ""Ampumaan oppii ainoastaan ampumalla" – Sovelletussa reserviläisammunnassa pääsee haastamaan itseään" ["You Only Learn to Shoot by Shooting - SRA Allows One to Challenge Oneself]. Ruotuväki (in Finnish).
- ^ Finnish Reservist Sports Federation. "Sovelletun reserviläisammunnan säännöt ver. 8.1" [Rules of Applied Reservist Shooting ver. 8.1] (PDF) (in Finnish).
- ^ Gabrielsson, Maarit (12 June 2017). "Taistelutilanne toisensa jälkeen" [A Combat Situation After Another]. Uusimaa (in Finnish). p. 6.
- ^ "Kansainvälinen SRA-lajiliitto perustettu" [International SRA Association Founded]. Finnish Reservist Sports Federation (in Finnish). 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Haku IMSF toimikuntiin avoinna" [Applications Open to IMSF Committees]. Finnish Reservist Sports Federation (in Finnish). 16 February 2024.
- ^ Valli, Jussi (2 August 2021). "Ripeys ja tarkkuus ratkaisee" [Promptness and Accuracy Decide]. Kankaanpään Seutu (in Finnish). p. A12.
- ^ Swedish Armed Forces (25 July 2024). "Skyttemästerskapet där deltagarna utmanas både fysiskt och psykiskt" [The shooting championship where participants are challenged both physically and mentally] (in Swedish).
External links
- Reserviläisurheiluliitto, The Finnish Reservist Sports Federation