Connecticut Air Gunners

Connecticut Air Gunners runs outdoor precision air rifle matches on private land at 1001 Trumbull Highway, Lebanon, CT. The club is AAFTA-registered (American Air-gun Field Target Association) and NRA-affiliated since April 2018.

Field target is outdoor precision shooting with an air rifle—essentially simulated hunting or sniping. You engage targets at unknown distances ranging from 10 to 55 yards, hitting a paddle through small circular kill zones ranging from 3/8" to 1.5" diameter. The challenge: you don't know the exact distance, so range finding through your scope becomes critical.

Squads assigned after shooter's meeting. Communal air available for PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) shooters who need tank refills.

Matches follow World Field Target Federation standards:

• •50% of targets greater than 38 yards with 1.5"/40mm kill zones
• •10% or less with 1"/25mm kill zones at 38 yards maximum
• •10% or less with 1/2"/15mm kill zones at 22 yards maximum
• •Max 2 lanes with kneeling position, 2 targets each
• •Max 2 lanes with standing position, 2 targets each
• •Shoot targets near to far, 2 shots per target, 3 targets per lane = 6 shots per lane

PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic) Option - Air Venturi Avenger .177 caliber – $350 - Requires small carbon fiber air tank and hand pump for fills

Spring Piston Option - Weihrauch HW50 .177 caliber – $332 - Requires quality scope rated for recoil

Common Competition Rifles

WFTF shooters typically use: Steyr LG110FT, RAW TM1000, Thomas FT, Air Arms XTI-50, Crosman Custom Shop Benjamin Marauder, Hammerli AR20FT, Steyr Challenge FT, FX Streamline, Weihrauch HW110 ST, FWB 800X FT, Ataman M2 Sport FT, Walther LG400-M, Anschutz 9015 HP ONE FT.

Spring piston shooters commonly use: Air Arms TX200, HW97K, HW77K, HW98, RWS/Diana 54, Walther LGU (many customized with Vortek aftermarket springs).

• •Reticle: Mil-Dot or similar for range finding
• •Parallax: Adjustable down to 10 yards (adjustable objective or side focus)
• •WFTF/Open Division: No magnification limit (10-50x60 popular, 24x minimum)
• •Hunter Division: 16x maximum
• •Popular Options: Sightron with ExacTrack, Leupold Competition fixed (35x45mm, 40x45mm, 45x45mm), TAC Vector Optics Sentinel 10-40x50mm, Hawke Air Max 30 SF, Leapers/UTG, Optisan Mamba Lite/Taipan

Shooting Essentials - Eye protection (shooting glasses required) - Pellet tin (500-count) - Hard or soft padded rifle case/carrier - Pellet pouch - Wind indicator (plastic cable tie + 8"+ wool string)

• •Positional Equipment (varies by division)
• •Open/WFTF: Bum bag or folding stool
• •Hunter: Turkey hunter's seat, bucket (no back rest)
• •Quick adjustable bipod or regular shooting sticks

Recommended Pellets - WFTF (12 FPE limit): 7.9 grain Crosman, 8.5 grain, 7.87 grain Air Arms Express, 8.4 grain Air Arms, 7.87 grain JSB Express, 8.44 grain JSB - Open/Hunter (20 FPE limit): 10.5 grain Crosman, 10.3 grain Air Arms, 10.34 grain standard

PCP Accessories - Small carbon fiber air tank for mid-match refills - High pressure hand pump

Rifles should: - Achieve 1" ten-shot groups at 50-55 yards OR 1/2" ten-shot groups at 25-30 yards - Generate less than 20 foot-pounds energy for standard division (935 fps max with 10.3 grain pellet) - Generate less than 12 foot-pounds for WFTF division (802 fps max with 8.4 grain pellet) - PCP rifles: 50+ shot capacity per tank fill (most have regulators) - Caliber options: .177 (most popular), .20, or .22

All shooters must sign a liability release before participating. Key rules:

• •All air guns unloaded until on firing line, muzzle downrange
• •Muzzles always pointed away from people and animals
• •No cocking or loading until "HOT-LINE" called
• •Safety lever must not be released until muzzle on target and shooter ready to fire
• •When cocking piston air guns, hold lever while inserting pellet to prevent accidental discharge
• •Eye protection required
• •NO children on firing line (junior shooters must pass Range Safety Officer instruction)
• •NO pets on firing line
• •NO alcohol on range
• •NO firearms allowed (air guns only)
• •Rifles must be cased when moving between lanes

• •Leo Gonzales – Founder, Match Director
• •Chas DiCapua – President
• •Ron Dumond – Land Owner (allows club use of his private property)
• •Dan Breidenbach – Member
• •Plus 7+ additional members

• •Upcoming: September 7, 2025 (Sunday) – 10 lane, 30 target, 60 shot match

• •Past Matches: Club has maintained consistent match schedule since 2017, hosting 3-4 events annually with complete results and photos archived online.

• •AAFTA Website: American Air-gun Field Target Association rules and standards
• •AirgunWarriors: Field target community and event calendar
• •Northeast Regional Field Target Calendar: Multi-state match schedule
• •Free Trajectory Calculator: airguns.net/trajectory.php (helps calculate elevation clicks for Open/WFTF divisions)
• •YouTube References: Umarex deer knock down targets, Pyramyd Air TactaCam 5.0 scope view footage, Steel Plinkers scope footage

"This is the last year for CAGC. The cost of NRA club insurance have grown beyond our financial resources. We will close the club down and not renew our AAFTA membership and non-profit company status with the state of CT. The majority of our members are part of Rockville Fish & Game Club. We will do more air gun events at that club moving forward."

Future air gun events in Connecticut will migrate to Rockville Fish & Game Club in Vernon, CT, where most Connecticut Air Gunners members are based.