Service Rifle Shooting (TAR): FFTir's historic discipline · PewPewLife

What is TAR

Tir aux Armes Réglementaires (TAR — “Service Rifle Shooting”) covers the shooting disciplines practiced with guns of genuine military origin, in their period configuration, chambered in the caliber they were originally built for. No modern replicas, no cosmetic clones. A real 1942 Mas 36, a real 1944 K98, a real 1936 Mosin-Nagant — pulled off the rack, cleaned, and fired exactly as it was back then.

It’s a recognized FFTir discipline, organized nationally, with a strict rulebook. There’s also a dedicated federation, the FFTAR, which works with FFTir on the major competitions. For a shooter, it feels like classic precision shooting — but with an extra layer: you’re handling a historical object, using a caliber that shaped the last century, and accepting the mechanical constraints of the gun exactly as it was designed.

Eligible guns

The TAR rulebook defines categories by period and mechanism. The classics:

Military bolt-action rifles: Mas 36 (1936, France), Lebel 1886/M93, Berthier 1907/15, K98 Mauser (1898, Germany), Mosin-Nagant M91/30 (Russia/USSR), Springfield 1903 (USA), Enfield SMLE (UK), Carcano M91 (Italy), Arisaka Type 38/99 (Japan).
Historic semi-auto rifles: Mas 49/56 (France), Garand M1 (USA), SVT-40 (USSR), G43 (Germany).
Short carbines: Mas 36 CR39 para, M1 Carbine .30, short-version Mauser Kar 98k.
Service pistols and revolvers: Mab D, Luger P08, Walther P38, Tokarev TT-33, Colt 1911 A1, Mas 1873, Nagant 1895.

The gun must be in its original configuration, with its wood stock, its iron sights, its factory caliber. No shortened barrel, no replaced stock, no added optic (except for the dedicated sniper category for guns that came equipped from the factory, like the K98 ZF41).

The TAR disciplines

Three distances structure most of the competitions:

50 meters: centerfire or rimfire rifles, prone position, standard C50 target.
100 meters: military bolt-action rifles, prone and standing positions, C200 target.
200 and 300 meters: bolt-action and semi-auto rifles, prone position, international target.

Shooting is done mostly with the gun’s original iron sights — aperture or notch, depending on what the gun has. That’s what makes the discipline demanding: reading the sights of a Mas 36 at 200 meters takes a fine touch, perfect stability, and knowledge of the gun’s quirks (the Mas 36’s notch sight is known to shoot a bit high at 200, while the K98 needs a hold at the bottom of the target at certain distances).

Why practice TAR

Four reasons keep coming up in the community.

Heritage. Firing a Mas 36 that your grandfather might have carried in 1944 isn’t a metaphor — it’s a tactile, historical experience you won’t find in any other discipline.

The aesthetics. A walnut stock, a machined bolt action, a 7.5x54 caliber — mechanically and visually, it’s light-years from a modern polymer PCP.

The technical challenge. No optic, no match trigger, no carbon bipod. You shoot with whatever the factory worker in Châtellerault sent out the door. If you hit a bullseye at 200m with a Berthier, you earned it.

Reasonable ammo cost. Military calibers (.30-06, 7.5x54, 7.92x57, 8x50R Lebel) are mass-produced by Prvi Partizan, Sellier & Bellot, S&B Match. You stay under €1/round for most of them, versus €2-4/round for modern .300 PRC or .338 Lapua. And most TAR shooters reload — that cuts the cost in half again.

Where to practice

Most FFTir clubs run TAR activity if their range allows it (100m and beyond). Search fftir.org for an affiliated club in your area and check whether it offers TAR sessions. More specialized clubs are affiliated with FFTAR — a bit rarer, but they’re the ones running the major national competitions.

To get started concretely: get an FFTir license, do a few taster sessions with a gun borrowed from the club (most have a Mas 36 or a Mosin-Nagant on the rack for beginners), and if you get hooked, start looking for your own gun.

Basic gear

A used military rifle in good condition runs between €400 and €1,200 depending on model and condition. Mosin-Nagants remain the most affordable (€300-500), Mas 36s climb higher (€600-900), and original non-replica K98s go up fast (€800-1,500). Garands are pricier and require a bit more paperwork to import.

You’ll need:

An A2P-certified safe if the gun is category C or B (most are category C).
A military or neutral sling (the original strap works fine).
A cleaning kit matched to the caliber.
A carry bag or transport case.
Modern military ammo or the supplies to reload (press, brass, powder, bullets, primers).

And for the veterans: a gunsmith tool set (wrenches, drift punches, a de-cocking sleeve for the Mas 36) quickly comes in handy, since these guns are 60-90 years old and need serious upkeep.

The rulebook in brief

The FFTAR rulebook defines the gun categories (A1, A2, B1, B2, C, D based on mechanism, period, and type), the allowed distances, the shooting positions, and the timing. Most matches are shot as 13 scoring rounds + 1 sighter, on paper targets. Prone position with or without support depending on the category. No modern bipod, no technical rest cushion — a military sling is allowed, which is what keeps the shooter close to historical practice.

How to get started

First session: club introduction, borrowed gun. Check whether handling the bolt action bothers you (the loading ritual is deliberately slow).
First month: 3-4 sessions to master the bolt cycle, ejection, and adjusting the iron sights.
First purchase: Mosin-Nagant or Mas 36 if you’re going French. Caliber 7.62x54R or 7.5x54. Find a serious seller (gunsmith, gun show, specialized platform), and check the barrel condition with a borescope if possible.
First match: come as a spectator at a regional match. You’ll understand the logistics before you put your name down.

FAQ

Q: Is TAR accessible to beginners? A: Yes. It’s actually a great entry point into precision shooting — the guns are mechanically forgiving (manageable recoil, no tricky trigger), and the community is patient because they usually started the same way.

Q: Do you need historical knowledge to practice? A: No, but it comes quickly. The club and community are constantly discussing origin, factory marks, and stampings. You’ll pick it up without even trying.

Q: Is a modern replica accepted? A: No. TAR requires an authentic historical gun. Modern reproductions (Pedersoli-type, Davide Pedersoli) have their own category in black powder shooting, not in modern TAR.

Q: What total budget do you need to start properly? A: Budget €1,200-1,800 fully equipped: gun €400-1,000, safe €200, ammo €100 for the first six months, accessories €100-200, license and club fees €250-400.

Q: Does TAR count toward the three FFTir seasons for category B? A: Yes. A TAR session stamped in your shooting logbook counts exactly like a 25m pistol session for calculating seasons.

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App2Niche

Sport shooter for 10 years. Writes at night, after the range.