Air gun competition has spent the past decade shedding its reputation as a purely recreational pursuit, and this week offers a reasonable measure of how far that has gone.
The Pyramyd Cup opens Wednesday at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, roughly 30 miles north of Columbus, and runs through Saturday. Organizers put the field at 240 competitors, which they say makes it the largest turnout the match has drawn. Hatsan USA has signed on as platinum sponsor. Competitors are shooting for cash, trophies and gear.
Three disciplines make up the tournament, and they ask for almost entirely different skills.
Benchrest is the least forgiving. Targets sit at 100 yards, a distance that punishes any inconsistency in a pellet or slug at air gun velocities, and matches routinely come down to fractions of an inch on the scorecard. Wind reading matters as much here as it does in smallbore, arguably more, given how little energy the projectile carries downrange.
Field target, sanctioned by the American Airgun Field Target Association, moves the shooter off the bench. Knockdown targets are set at unknown distances and engaged from a mix of positions meant to approximate hunting scenarios, which puts a premium on rangefinding by reticle and on holding steady without support.
Gunslynger is the spectator event. Competitors face off head to head against 20 targets apiece, staged from 10 to 55 yards, with the faster clean run advancing. Speed contests of this kind have done more for air gun spectatorship than any amount of paper punching.
“The continuous growth of the Pyramyd Cup reflects the passion and dedication of the global air gun community,” said Val Gamerman, president of Pyramyd Air.
A vendor area runs alongside the matches with product demonstrations and access to manufacturer technical staff, which for anyone shopping a new field target rig is worth the drive on its own.
Scores, schedules and vendor information are posted at pyramydaircup.com.
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