how far do biathlon shooters shoot

Biathlon shooters fire at targets 50 meters away in all standard international competitions.

Basic shooting distance

• In biathlon, the target range is set at 50 meters from the firing line.

• This distance is the same whether athletes are shooting prone (lying down) or standing.

• The targets are metal plates that flip from black to white when hit.

Target sizes (why 50 m feels hard)

• Prone targets: about 45 mm (around 1.8 inches) in diameter, which looks tiny at 50 m.

• Standing targets: about 115 mm (around 4.5 inches) in diameter.

• Athletes shoot with .22 caliber rifles and open sights (no magnifying scope), making precision at 50 m a real challenge, especially with a racing heart and in winter conditions.

Quick FAQ style notes

• Do they ever shoot farther than 50 m?
  In modern Olympic and World Cup biathlon, no; 50 m is the standardized distance.

• How many shots per bout?
  Five shots per shooting bout, each at its own target.

• What happens if they miss?
  Typically, a 150 m penalty loop or a time penalty is added, depending on the race format.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.