Shooting was originally a means of survival, but as hunting grew less of a necessity shooting as a sport was born. This growing sport has increased from just three events in the 1896 Olympic Games to 17 events today (15 events in  the 2008 Beijing Games).

Shotgun, rifle, pistol, and running-target events comprise the four different shooting disciplines. In the shotgun events, competitors shoot at clay targets propelled upward in different directions meant to simulate birds. Marksmen receive points when a visible chunk of clay breaks from the target because of a bullet. Three separate disciplines exist in the shotgun events: skeet, trap, and double trap. In each of the disciplines the shooter stands in a stationary position while the clay targets are shot from different cannons. In trap, one clay target at a time is launched from any one of three different areas. In double trap, two targets are released simultaneously. Finally in skeet, two targets are released from different traps at either end of a semicircle.

Held on shooting ranges, the rifle and pistol events involve participants shooting at targets from distances of 10, 25, and 50 meters. The two types of events are the same with the exception of the gun that is used by the marksman to hit the stationary target built of ten concentric rings, with the innermost being the bulls-eye. In the fourth and final shooting event, the running event, competitors use an air rifle outfitted with a telescopic sight to hit a paper target that moves across a two-meter-sized opening from a distance of 10 meters.

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