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73-465: A Schützenfest ( German: [ˈʃʏtsn̩ˌfɛst] , marksmen's festival ) is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of Switzerland , Germany , Austria and the Netherlands . At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on their shooting abilities, for example, by shooting at a wooden representation of an eagle . The competition's winner becomes

146-479: A palace guard, which was an elite group of troops chosen to guard a royal palace or the royalty. This was around the 10th century, although records of some 9th century English Kings show the listings of groups of marksmen specifically chosen for their militaries. In the Australian Army , marksmanship is currently recognized by the award of one of three skill-at-arms badges. The 'Skill at Arms Badge' consists of

219-559: A Catholic Appenzell Innerrhoden and a Protestant Appenzell Ausserrhoden . The division led to civil war (the Wars of Kappel ) and separate alliances with foreign powers by the Catholic and Protestant factions, but the confederacy as a whole continued to exist. A common foreign policy was blocked, however, by the impasse. During the Thirty Years' War , religious disagreements among the cantons kept

292-612: A further enlargement of the confederacy; Fribourg and Solothurn were accepted in 1481. By defeating the Duchy of Burgundy in this war, the Confederacy managed to stop the growing Burgundian threat. In the Swabian War against Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I , the Swiss were victorious and exempted from imperial legislation. The associated cities of Basel and Schaffhausen joined the confederacy as

365-515: A high level of marksmanship and fieldcraft through grueling selected courses. Candidates must achieve recce qualification and marksman designation before being considered for the basic sniper course. The Indian Army uses a locally manufactured licensed variant of the SVD Dragunov in the Designated Marksman role as part of each infantry platoon . The Dragunov is used in conjunction with

438-574: A large share of the bounty. The city-states of Fribourg and Solothurn wanted to join the confederacy, but were mistrusted by the central Swiss rural cantons. The compromise by the Tagsatzung in the Stanser Verkommnis restored order and assuaged the rural cantons' complaints, with Fribourg and Solothurn accepted into the confederation. While the treaty restricted freedom of assembly (many skirmishes arose from unauthorised expeditions by soldiers from

511-642: A laurel wreath and is awarded to the final 20 competitors in the annual Champion Shot for the Army. The winner of this competition is also awarded the Champion Shots Medal . Only one badge may be worn. In the British Armed Forces , "marksman" is traditionally the highest shooting rating and holders may wear a crossed rifles badge on the lower sleeve. In the United States Army and Marine Corps ,

584-621: A major threat to the Swiss states. King Rudolf I added large amounts of territory in Switzerland and Swabia to his domain , and sieged down Bern in 1289 to enforce imperial taxes. This aggression from the Habsburgs would likely be a major factor in the creation of the Swiss Confederacy. The foundation of the Confederacy is marked by the Rütlischwur (dated to 1307 by Aegidius Tschudi ) or

657-526: A representation of crossed .303 Short Magazine Lee–Enfield (SMLE) rifles and is awarded for achieving a prescribed standard of shooting skill. This must be repeated within twelve months for the badge to be awarded in perpetuity to the recipient. The 'Sniper's Badge' is similar in design but incorporates the letter 'S' into the design and is awarded to soldiers who qualify on the Army Sniper's Course. The 'Army Top 20 Badge' consists of crossed .303 SMLE rifles upon

730-523: A result of that conflict, and Appenzell followed suit in 1513 as the thirteenth member. The federation of thirteen cantons ( Dreizehn Orte ) constituted the Old Swiss Confederacy until its demise in 1798. The expansion of the confederacy was stopped by the Swiss defeat in the 1515 Battle of Marignano . Only Bern and Fribourg were still able to conquer the Vaud in 1536; the latter primarily became part of

803-609: A ribbon for qualifying at the expert level, although a bronze star can be earned if the wearer qualifies on both of these types of small arms. Within the United States military, a marksman in the U.S. Army is referred to as "Squad Designated Marksman" (SDM), and a marksman in the Marines is called a " Designated Marksman " (DM). The United States Army particularly emphasizes the fireteam concept : according to US Army Field Manual 3-21.8 (Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad, formerly FM 7-8)

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876-653: A typical United States Army fireteam consists of four soldiers. In the context of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT)'s Infantry Rifle Companies, one man from each fireteam in a rifle squad is either the Squad Anti-armor Specialist ( RMAT ), armed with the FGM-148 Javelin , or the Squad Designated Marksman (DM), who carries the M4 carbine and M14 rifle . In both cases this specialized function replaces

949-522: Is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long. It is the longest parade in the world. The landmark of the funfair is one of the highest transportable big wheels (US = Ferris wheels) in the world. It is 60 metres (200 ft) high and offers seating for 420 people in 42 cabins. Schützenvereine (associations of marksmen) und Schützenfeste (their festivals) belong to communal life in the Germanic regions of Europe. Their tradition dates back for centuries and has continued to

1022-685: Is known as a shooter's marksmanship , which can be used to describe both gunnery and archery . In common usage, " sharpshooter " and "marksman" are synonymous. Within the specialized fields of shooting sports and military usage, however, sharpshooter and marksman each refer to different levels of skill. Specifically, in the US Army, "marksman" is a rating below "sharpshooter" and "expert". Four levels of skill are generally recognized today in American military and civilian shooting circles: unqualified, marksman, sharpshooter, and expert. Marksmanship badges for

1095-551: The Acht Orte (Eight Cantons)—consolidated its position. The members (especially the cities) enlarged their territory at the expense of local counts—primarily by buying judicial rights , but sometimes by force. The Eidgenossenschaft , as a whole, expanded through military conquest: the Aargau was conquered in 1415 and the Thurgau in 1460. In both cases, the Swiss profited from weakness in

1168-778: The Freie Ämter ("Free Districts"), the Thurgau , the Rhine valley, and Sargans , and furthermore the Catholic cantons were excluded from the administration of the County of Baden . The "German bailiwicks" ( German : Deutsche Gemeine Vogteien, Gemeine Herrschaften ) were generally governed by the Acht Orte apart from Bern until 1712, when Bern joined the sovereign powers: Several bailiwicks ( Vogteien ) were generally referred to as "transmontane bailiwicks" ( German : Ennetbergische Vogteien , Italian : Baliaggi Ultramontani ). In 1440, Uri conquered

1241-827: The Schweizerischer Schützenverein in the Restored Confederacy , for the first time in 1824. The first federal Schützenfest after the formation of the federal state , again held in Aarau, in 1849, figures prominently in Gottfried Kellers Das Fähnlein der Sieben Aufrechten , where Keller portrays the shooting clubs as vital for the preservation of direct democracy in the young Swiss federal state. Further festivals were held between 1859 and 1939 at irregular intervals of 2 to 4 years, and between 1949 and 1977, at intervals of 3 to 6 years. From 1985,

1314-659: The Civilian Marksmanship Program which began just after the turn of the 20th century as a government chartered program and the Division of Civilian Marksmanship. One of the newest and currently the fastest growing marksmanship programs in North America is Project Appleseed which was started by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association in 2006. Shooters who score 210 out of 250 or better on

1387-796: The Eidgenössisches Schützenfest was held regularly every five years. The 2020 event, postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland , is scheduled to be held from 11 June to 11 July 2021 in Luzern. Countless cantonal and regional Schützenfeste take place in Switzerland every year. Schützenfests are celebrated mainly in Bavaria and Lower Saxony , but also in the Lower Rhine and Middle Rhine regions as well as in Westphalia (especially

1460-511: The Habsburgs . Its success resulted in the addition of more confederates, increasing the number of cantons to thirteen ( Dreizehn Orte ) by 1513. The confederacy pledged neutrality in 1647 (under the threat of the Thirty Years' War ), although many Swiss served privately as mercenaries in the Italian Wars and during the early modern period. After the Swabian War of 1499 the confederacy

1533-770: The Leventina Valley from the Visconti , dukes of Milan . Some of this territory had previously been annexed between 1403 and 1422. Further territories were acquired in 1500; see History of Ticino for further details . Three bailiwicks, all now in the Ticino , were condominiums of the Forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden: Four other Ticinese bailiwicks were condominiums of the Zwölf Orte (the original 13 cantons, minus Appenzell) from 1512: Another three bailiwicks were condominiums of

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1606-675: The Sauerland ), with festive processions. Since German Reunification , Schützenfests have also begun to emerge in eastern parts of Germany. The traditions connected to the Schützenfest vary significantly from one region to another in Germany. These traditions include the "Blow of the Flag" (a particular way of waving a flag). The Blow of the Flag in particular, and the waving of the flag in general, are executed according to fixed rules. Competitions are held in

1679-455: The Schützenkönig ("king of marksmen") until the following year's competition. The commercially-organized Hanover Schützenfest , Germany, is the largest marksmen's funfair in the world with more than 7,000 marksmen, 250 rides and inns, five large beer tents, and the "Marksmen's Parade". The parade, with more than 10,000 participants from Germany and all over the world and more than 100 bands,

1752-527: The Swiss Confederacy , was a loose confederation of independent small states ( cantons , German Orte or Stände ), initially within the Holy Roman Empire . It is the precursor of the modern state of Switzerland . It formed at the end of the 13th century, from a nucleus in what is now Central Switzerland , expanding to include the cities of Zürich and Bern by the middle of

1825-591: The Swiss peasant war of 1653 in Lucerne, Bern, Basel, Solothurn and the Aargau. The revolt was put down swiftly by force and with the help of many cantons. Religious differences were accentuated by a growing economic discrepancy. The Catholic, predominantly rural central-Swiss cantons were surrounded by Protestant cantons with increasingly commercial economies. The politically dominant cantons were Zürich and Bern (both Protestant), but

1898-777: The United States Marine Corps ), and the Quirinus Band and Bugle Corps (under its current Bandmaster Peter Hosking - Ex Light Division), Germany's 1st ever band and bugles in the traditions of the British Army Light Division regiments (now The Rifles ), that were based in West Germany during the Cold War years, have been a part of the parades there in recent years. A re-formed band, the Kapellen-Efrt Band of

1971-581: The canton of Bern , with a small portion under the jurisdiction of Fribourg. The Reformation in Switzerland led to doctrinal division amongst the cantons. Zürich, Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen and associates Biel, Mulhouse, Neuchâtel, Geneva and the city of St. Gallen became Protestant ; other members of the confederation and the Valais remained Catholic . In Glarus, Appenzell, in the Grisons and in most condominiums both religions coexisted; Appenzell split in 1597 into

2044-745: The "Forest States", had been granted imperial immediacy and autonomy during the reign of the Hohenstaufens . The region was endowed with these privileges because the Gotthard Pass went through the area. This pass was important in the Hohenstaufen struggle against the Italian Lombard League . Due to the fragmentation of Swabia following the collapse of the Hohenstaufens, many nations began to compete for land. The Habsburgs in particular were

2117-539: The "Quick and Dirty" Appleseed AQT earn the Rifleman designation and are issued a Rifleman patch. Similar to the U.S. military marksmanship ratings of Unqualified, Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert (see Marksmanship Badge (United States) ), the Appleseed ratings have the same levels, with the exception that instead of "Expert", the equivalent performance level is called "Rifleman". The National Rifle Association of America

2190-511: The 1315 Pact of Brunnen . Since 1889, the Federal Charter of 1291 among the rural communes of Uri , Schwyz , and Unterwalden has been considered the founding document of the confederacy. The early Swiss Confederacy was simply a defensive pact, but over time the states grew closer and closer. Following a victory against the Habsburgs in 1315, the members of the Confederacy vowed not to form alliances with outside states without consent of

2263-523: The 14th century. This formed a rare union of rural and urban communes , all of which enjoyed imperial immediacy in the Holy Roman Empire. This confederation of eight cantons ( Acht Orte ) was politically and militarily successful for more than a century, culminating in the Burgundy Wars of the 1470s which established it as a power in the complicated political landscape dominated by France and

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2336-592: The Burgundian Wars), it reinforced agreements amongst the cantons in the earlier Sempacherbrief and Pfaffenbrief . The civil war during the Reformation ended in a stalemate. The Catholic cantons could block council decisions but, due to geographic and economic factors, could not prevail over the Protestant cantons. Both factions began to hold separate councils, still meeting at a common Tagsatzung (although

2409-481: The Catholic cantons were influential since the Second War of Kappel in 1531. A 1655 attempt (led by Zürich) to restructure the federation was blocked by Catholic opposition, which led to the first battle of Villmergen in 1656; the Catholic party won, cementing the status quo . The problems remained unsolved, erupting again in 1712 with the second battle of Villmergen . This time the Protestant cantons won, dominating

2482-635: The Eight Cantons ( Acht Orte ), then in 1481 to ten, in 1501 to twelve, and finally to thirteen cantons ( Dreizehn Orte ). Associates (Zugewandte Orte) were close allies of the Old Swiss Confederacy, connected to the union by alliance treaties with all or some of the individual members of the confederacy. Three of the associates were known as Engere Zugewandte : Two federations were known as Ewige Mitverbündete : There were two Evangelische Zugewandte : Condominiums ( German : Gemeine Herrschaften ) were common subject territories under

2555-957: The Grenadier Guards, perpetuates the traditions of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Household Division , which were deployed during the Cold War in Lower Saxony. A few corps only make use of the US-style hand-over-heart civil salute during the Großer Zapfenstreich to distinguish these associations from the Bundeswehr, which uses the military hand salute . Notable German Schützenfests include Schützenfeste organized by German or Swiss expatriate communities overseas: Marksman The proficiency in precision shooting

2628-586: The Habsburg dukes. In the south, Uri led a military territorial expansion that (after many setbacks) would by 1515 lead to the conquest of the Ticino .None of these territories became members of the confederacy; they had the status of condominiums (regions administered by several cantons). The reason for these Swiss victories was their innovative military tactics. Their perfection of the Pike Square made them excellent defensive warriors in their home mountain terrain, and they became highly sought after mercenaries throughout Europe (ex Swiss Guard ). At this time,

2701-479: The INSAS family of weapons to give flexibility and striking power at short to mid range firefights, to Indian Army infantry units engaged with opposing forces. The Army Marksmanship Unit trains members for sports shooting as well as military shooting. The United States has a long tradition of marksmanship going back to its beginnings including the role of common men in its Revolutionary War. There are several organizations which promote civilian marksmanship including

2774-437: The Middle Ages, many towns had to find ways to defend themselves from gangs of marauders. For this reason, clubs and associations were founded, comparable to militias ; these paramilitary associations were sanctioned for the first time in the Law for the Defensive Constitution of the Towns by King Henry I , and officially integrated into the towns' defense plans. Accompanying the military exercises and physical examinations of

2847-413: The administration of several cantons. They were governed by reeves ( Vögte ) delegated for two years, each time from another of the responsible cantons. Bern initially did not participate in the administration of some of the eastern condominiums, as it had no part in their conquest and its interests were focused more on the western border. In 1712, Bern replaced the Catholic cantons in the administration of

2920-421: The basic rifleman position in the fireteam. As with other Commonwealth armies, the Marksman in the Canadian Army is a shooting achievement recognized by a badge bearing the monarch's crown and crossed .303 Lee–Enfield No. 4, Mk I rifles. On operations within the Canadian Infantry Battalion, rifle company designated marksman can be assigned. This is not to be confused with Canadian sniper designation; these attain

2993-464: The centuries and became meaningless with the creation of regular troops and garrisons for national defense. The Schützenfests, however, continued in the form of a regional patriotic tradition. Schützenfeste played a central role in the Old Swiss Confederacy , during the 15th century, participants shooting the crossbow , contributing significantly to the coherence between the individual cantons . Eidgenössische Schützenfeste were organized by

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3066-417: The common council was deadlocked by disagreements between both factions until 1712, when the Protestant cantons gained power after their victory in the second war of Villmergen ). The Catholic cantons were excluded from administering the condominiums in the Aargau, the Thurgau and the Rhine valley; in their place, Bern became co-sovereign of these regions. The confederation expanded in several stages: first to

3139-575: The common forms of Swiss awards. Swiss shooting medals were struck in a variety of metals including gold , silver , bronze , white metal , and aluminum , with silver being the most common. Mintages are very low, with the average mintage of the 45 millimetres (1.8 in) silver being 700-800 pieces. The scarcity of medals has increased over the years due to the awards being melted for bullion, being lost, and general attrition. The size of most medals range from 23 millimetres (0.91 in) to 62 millimetres (2.4 in) with 45 millimetres (1.8 in) being

3212-427: The confederacy neutral and spared it from belligerents. At the Peace of Westphalia , the Swiss delegation was granted formal recognition of the confederacy as a state independent of the Holy Roman Empire. Growing social differences and an increasing absolutism in the city cantons during the Ancien Régime led to local popular revolts . An uprising during the post-war depression after the Thirty Years' War escalated to

3285-434: The confederacy. This expansion greatly changed the social climate in the Confederacy. In the original 3 cantons, citizens all held equal rights, but in the newly acquired urban cities, power was in the hands of the wealthy Burgomeisters . This led into a shift away from the traditional Swiss egalitarianism enjoyed by citizens in the original Confederacy. From 1353 to 1481, the federation of eight cantons —known in German as

3358-464: The confederacy. The individual interests of the cantons clashed in the Old Zürich War (1436–1450), caused by territorial conflict among Zürich and the central Swiss cantons over the succession of the Count of Toggenburg . Although Zürich entered an alliance with the Habsburg dukes, it then rejoined the confederacy. The confederation had become so close a political alliance that it no longer tolerated separatist tendencies in its members. The Tagsatzung

3431-445: The confederation. True reform, however, was impossible; the individual interests of the thirteen members were too diverse, and the absolutist cantonal governments resisted all attempts at confederation-wide administration. Foreign policy remained fragmented. The (Alte) Eidgenossenschaft was initially united not by a single pact, but by overlapping pacts and bilateral treaties between members. The parties generally agreed to preserve

3504-413: The discipline of flag-waving. Schützenfests may range from one day to several days and may include and be accompanied by various events. They often occur in the festival room of a local public house or in a pavilion especially erected for the occasion. In the Sauerland, many towns have a special Marksmen's Hall that is used for these festivities. Many Schützenfests start with a festive procession, whereby

3577-489: The eight cantons gradually increased their influence on neighbouring cities and regions through additional alliances. Individual cantons concluded pacts with Fribourg , Appenzell , Schaffhausen , the abbot and the city of St. Gallen , Biel , Rottweil , Mulhouse and others. These allies (known as the Zugewandte Orte ) became closely associated with the confederacy, but were not accepted as full members. They would be known as Swiss Associates . The Burgundian Wars prompted

3650-440: The eight members of the confederacy was the Sempacherbrief  [ de ; fr ] of 1393, concluded after victories over the Habsburgs at Sempach in 1386 and Näfels in 1388, which forbade a member from unilaterally beginning a war without the consent of the other cantons. A federal diet , the Tagsatzung , developed during the 15th century. Pacts and renewals (or modernizations) of earlier alliances reinforced

3723-404: The fashion of calling individual urban cantons republics (such as the Republics of Zürich , Berne and Basel ). The nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps to facilitate management of common interests (such as trade) and ensure peace along trade routes through the mountains. Previously, the communities, also known collectively as

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3796-423: The last pieces of the wooden bird is the new King of Marksmen. Varying traditions may include shooting wooden animals other than birds or special awards won by hitting certain body parts, e.g., wings, beak, etc. Even a Großer Zapfenstreich and band concerts form part of the celebrations as well. The Großer Zapfenstreich done in these civil events, even though the military in origin as the festival itself, comprises

3869-446: The marksmanship of the soldiers is ranked based on their skill: marksman-sharpshooter-expert. Holders of each level wear qualification badges below their ribbons with bars for the weapons they qualify in. In the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard , full-sized medals are only issued at the expert level. Both services award separate medals for pistol and rifle proficiency. The United States Air Force gives just

3942-448: The marksmen's king (Schützenkönig) of the following year. The traditional trophy for the winner is an Ehrenscheibe or Königsscheibe, a painted target disk. In rural districts, one finds gables of houses decorated with them. In Switzerland, the first national Swiss Federal Shooting Festival (Eidgenössisches Schützenfest) was held in 1824, but the local festivals also date back centuries earlier. Shooting medals and shooting cups seem to be

4015-416: The marksmen's organizations, torch-bearers, color guards, and a marching band and corps of drums, with an optional fanfare band when needed. Most are done outdoors, and there's an option to have an indoor ceremony done in the same manner as the outdoor ceremony. Many of the groups that help organize these festivities celebrate German pride, local community and state traditions, weapon drills (sans bayonets), and

4088-415: The military, marksmen are sometimes attached to an infantry fireteam or squad (where they are known as designated marksmen ) where they support the squad by providing accurate long-range shots at valuable targets as needed, thus extending the effective tactical reach of the fireteam or squad. In the Middle Ages , in the first use of the term 'marksman' was given to the royal archers , or bowmen , of

4161-488: The most prevalent. Shooting thalers are coins minted to commemorate shooting festivals. Swiss shooting thalers began mintage in 1842, with the Eidgenössisches Schützenfest in Chur , still under the cantonal authority of Graubünden . Shooting thalers between 1855 and 1934 were minted under federal authority , and were legal tender (with a nominal value of 5 francs ). Shooting thalers continue to be minted today, but since 1939 are no longer legal tender. During

4234-424: The peace, aid in military endeavours and arbitrate disputes. Slowly, the members began to see the confederation as a unifying entity. In the Pfaffenbrief , a treaty of 1370 among six of the eight members (Glarus and Bern did not participate) forbidding feuds and denying clerical courts jurisdiction over the confederacy, the cantons for the first time used the term Eidgenossenschaft . The first treaty uniting

4307-399: The present day. The word Schütze means marksman and protector, as contained in "to shield", e.g., a Schutzmann is a German policeman. The pride of strong-armed self-defense underlies the popularity of Schützenvereine comparable to the popularity of volunteer fire brigades, particularly in smaller towns or villages. The main event of a Schützenfest is the shooting competition to determine

4380-407: The reigning King of Marksmen, the royal household, and local dignitaries are all escorted by the marksmen and paraded to the festive square or the festivities. This is often followed by a "royal parade" where the marksmen march past the king and the royal court, with marching bands , Corps of Drums , and fanfare bands playing along. The parading marksmen are formed in platoons or squads depending on

4453-428: The rest of the Confederacy. They also agreed to resolve all disputes peacefully and to support one another in both external and internal affairs. At this point however, the Swiss were still subordinate to the Empire, and they acknowledged the authority of the Holy Roman Empire. The initial pact was augmented by pacts with the cities of Lucerne , Zürich , and Bern . This union of rural and urban communes, which enjoyed

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4526-424: The size of the formation, and in large towns and cities, marksmen are formed in companies and in both cases of the parade color guards march along with them. In a lot of cases, the pavilion is surrounded by a funfair . The most common form of shooting competition is the Bird Shooting . The contestants no longer shoot at actual birds but on a mock bird made of wood and mounted on a pole. The contestant who demounts

4599-449: The status of imperial immediacy within the Holy Roman Empire , was engendered by pressure from Habsburg dukes and kings who had ruled much of the land. Bern in particular had fought against local nobles, including the Habsburgs, on several occasions, and as such was eager to join the Confederacy. In several battles with Habsburg armies, the Swiss were victorious; they conquered the rural areas of Glarus and Zug , which became members of

4672-759: The three qualified levels are commonly awarded to both civilian and military shooters who attain proficiency in shooting higher than "unqualified". The main difference between military marksmen and snipers is that marksmen are usually considered an organic part of a fireteam of soldiers and are never expected to operate independently away from the main force, whereas snipers are special ops troops who usually work alone or in very small teams with independent mission objectives. Snipers are also often tasked with responsibilities other than delivering long-range fire – specifically, conducting reconnaissance, battle damage assessment and spotting for coordinates/corrections for artillery fire or air strikes . Within

4745-462: The towns' contingents, festivities were combined with festive processions. Participants from other parishes and, at times, even the feudal heads of state were also invited to these Marksmen's Courts ( Schützenhöfe ). However, the self-confident spirit of the townsfolk that marked these festivities was not always regarded positively by the authorities. For this reason, different traditions developed in other regions. The military significance lessened over

4818-405: The wearing of local military uniforms. The use of the military hand salute is observed in many of these events. Typically the Bundeswehr marching practice is followed. Some have modern-styled marching bands, or bands modeled on foreign militaries, and march along during the parades with different variants per region. In Neuss, for example, the Rhine Guards Drum and Bugle Corps (based on the bands of

4891-474: Was 3.781 kilometres (2.35 miles), on March 27, 2021 in Barnard, Kansas by an American competitive shooter. The bullet flew for 9.4 seconds and hit the upper-left corner of a six-foot square (36 square feet) steel target. The rifle used was a GA Precision Custom, with a Nightforce ATACR 7-35×56 scope, on a bipod. Ammunition was Hornady .338-caliber 300-grain A-Tip. Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy , also known as Switzerland or

4964-402: Was a de facto independent state throughout the early modern period , although still nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire until 1648 when the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War . The Swiss Reformation divided the confederates into Reformed and Catholic parties, resulting in internal conflict from the 16th to the 18th centuries; as a result, the federal diet ( Tagsatzung )

5037-473: Was first used in the 1370 Pfaffenbrief . Territories of the confederacy came to be known collectively as Schweiz or Schweizerland ( Schwytzerland in contemporary spelling), with the English Switzerland beginning during the mid-16th century. From that time the Confederacy was seen as a single state, also known as the Swiss Republic ( Republic der Schweitzer , République des Suisses and Republica Helvetiorum by Josias Simmler in 1576) after

5110-399: Was founded in 1871 to improve the marksmanship of American riflemen. Despite it being known contemporarily as a political advocacy organization for gun rights, the NRA continues to host marksmanship competitions and gun sports in the United States. A different organization, USA Shooting , organizes American shooting sports at the Olympic level. The longest recorded shot in a shooting contest

5183-511: Was often paralysed by hostility between the factions. The Swiss Confederacy fell to a French invasion in 1798, after which it became the short-lived Helvetic Republic . The adjective "old" was introduced after the Napoleonic era with Ancien Régime , retronyms distinguishing the pre-Napoleonic from the restored confederation. During its existence the confederacy was known as Eidgenossenschaft or Eydtgnoschafft ("oath fellowship"), in reference to treaties among cantons; this term

5256-399: Was the confederation council, typically meeting several times a year. Each canton delegated two representatives (including the associate states, which had no vote). The canton where the delegates met initially chaired the gathering, but during the 16th century Zürich permanently assumed the chair ( Vorort ) and Baden became the seat. The Tagsatzung dealt with inter-cantonal affairs and

5329-626: Was the court of last resort in disputes between member states, imposing sanctions on dissenting members. It also administered the condominiums; the reeves were delegated for two years, each time by a different canton. A unifying treaty of the Old Swiss Confederacy was the Stanser Verkommnis of 1481. Conflicts between rural and urban cantons and disagreements over the bounty of the Burgundian Wars had led to skirmishes. The urban cantons of Bern, Zurich, and Luzern in particular wanted to keep

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