A shot timer is a shot activated timer used in shooting sports, which starts the competitor by an audible signal and also records the competitor's time electronically by detecting the sound of each shot, together with the time from the start signal. When the competitor is finished, the timer will show the time from the start signal until the last shot. The time is usually recorded to hundredths of a second (centisecond), which is required by competitions in the International Practical Shooting Confederation.
Before the introduction of shot timers, the referee had to manually stop a stopwatch when the shooter was finished.
Some shot timers can be linked to big board displays to provide instant feedback to the audience.
International Practical Shooting Confederation
The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) is the world's largest shooting sport association, and the largest and oldest within practical shooting. Founded in 1976, the IPSC nowadays affiliates over 100 regions from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. Competitions are held with pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, and the competitors are divided into different divisions based on firearm and equipment features. While everyone in a division competes in the Overall category, there are also separate awards for the categories Lady, Super Junior, Junior, Senior, and Super Senior.
Five of the most famous shooters from the beginning of practical shooting in California during the late 1950s. Left to right: Ray Chapman, Elden Carl, Thell Reed, Jeff Cooper and Jack Weaver. (The sixth "Combat Master", John Plahn, is missing from this photograph.)
A squad of shooters get their stage brief by an IROA Range Officer on stage 11 of the 2017 IPSC Rifle World Shoot in Russia.
A high-speed photography of a .38 Special bullet fired out of a Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver.
An Open division competitor during a stage in USA.
