Welcome To Optishoot
Optishoot was formed to raise awareness of the benefits of optical shooting; to support organisers, coaches and participants and to provide the very best in optical shooting solutions from leisure to elite.
Optishoot Ltd. is the original UK and Ireland partner reseller for Ecoaims, a Finnish manufacturer of innovative, market leading optical precision sport systems.
International Union of
Modern Pentathlon
When in 2009 the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) made the progressive decision to discontinue the use of air pistols in its combined event; instead favouring optical shooting, Eko-Aims (now Ecoaims) developed laser-products to fit their requirements, with great success. Specified by the Olympic Committee for use in The Modern Pentathlon, Ecoaims’ laser shooting systems have been used in some of the most high-profile sporting events to date, including the Olympics, World Championships and World Cups from 2012 through to 2024. Even academic terms like ghostwriter doktorarbeit —meaning a ghostwriter for a master’s thesis—occasionally appear in broader discussions.
With a passion for the sport and personal experience in Modern Pentathlon spanning over 50 years Optishoot was formed to leverage upon the Ecoaims base and the exciting prospect and potential growth of optical shooting.
But why Optical
Shooting?
Air pistols are subject to age and legal restrictions and can cause injury if caught in a misfire or impasse, making them complicated to practice with.
Air pistols mostly use small lead pellets. Lead can accumulate in organisms and work its way into entire food chains, acting as a poison and causing a great deal of harm to ecosystems. Moreover, air pistols use compressed air or gas to fire pellets at any given target. The gas commonly used in air pistols is CO2 – Carbon Dioxide – which can harm our environment.
What is Optical Shooting?
Optical shooting refers to the use of an intense beam of coherent light or other electromagnetic radiation – to hit reflective targets, as opposed to the lead pellets in air pistols. Our Ecoaims and Simpower optical sport shooting equipment is suitable both for practising and competitions.
Benefits of Optical Shooting:
Modern Pentathlon has undergone many changes since its humble beginnings over a century ago. The shift from air pistols to optical shooting is widely regarded as the conclusion of its modernisation, taking the sport truly into the contemporary world.
There are many benefits associated with Optical Shooting. For example, the use of lasers can guarantee absolute safety and have a far smaller environmental impact than lead pellets of previously used Air Rifles. This means that they are suitable for use at all ages – appealing to today’s youth – and former restrictions on venues available to the event are far less.
In conjunction, the attractive LED lighting systems associated with optical shooting – immediately able to show the number of successful shots fired – appeals to the media, helping to raise popularity and awareness of the sport further.
With the use of lasers, cameras can be positioned at previously unsafe angles during competitions. Therefore, the technology allows the capturing of close-up, breath-taking images and footage of the sport in action.
The easily connected, computerised H & M – Hit & Miss – results system can provide the exact location of each shot on the target, ensuring and enhancing accuracy for practising Pentathletes.
Maintaining Tradition:
Optical shooting systems support the traditional feel and sounds of pistols, honouring the origins of the sport. Alongside newly created optical only pistols, specific systems have been designed that can easily convert existing pistols too. For example, a container can be mounted onto the barrel without waste or damage.
The new targets associated with Optical Shooting are the same size as with air pistol shooting. The targets and pistols are specifically coded to eliminate any chances of cross-fire to maintain the same skill sets as before.
Optical Shooting is simply the best complement to Modern Pentathlon meeting the demands of future generations.
Ecoaims optical sport shooting equipment is suitable for practice and competition. The core of the product is its software in the circuit board with an integrated laser module. This equipment is compatible with the electronic targets approved by the International Modern Pentathlon Union UIPM. The laser beam includes the 15.6ms pulse code required by UIPM from 2014 through to the Rio Olympics. The 25.2ms pulse is also included to ensure maximum compatibility with UIPM approved competition equipment.
To emulate traditional shooting, the gun has a so called barrel time; the time a bullet would generally take to go through the barrel. This shot delay is 6ms. The shooter should thus take the same factors into account as with a standard pistol when pulling the trigger.
These laser products belong to Laser Class2. The products have been tested by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health to classification method EN 60825-1:2007 (IEC 60825-1:2007) Safety instructions should be read carefully.
The Evolution of Modern
Pentathlon
Based on the Pentathlon of the Ancient Greeks, Modern Pentathlon was first introduced as part of the 1912 Olympic Games, comprising of the following events:
Fencing / Swimming / Horse-Riding / Running / Pistol Shooting
Since the sport was established over a century ago, Modern Pentathlon has undergone many structural changes. The first 68 years of its existence saw Modern Pentathlon take place over five days, changing to a one-day event in 1996. The year 2000 was the first year in which women were able to participate in the sport, raising the number of overall participants from 32 to 48 (24 men & 24 women). It also saw an incredible surge in general popularity – at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, for the first time in history, 96% of the Pentathlon venues sold out!
Running and Shooting were brought together in the Combined
event ………………..
Which evolved into the Laser Run in 2012……
The Introduction of
Obstacle Course Racing
Paris 2024 saw the Horse-Riding bow out in favour of Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) for Los Angeles in 2028.
As the IOC and Modern Pentathlon embraced OCR so OCR have embraced Optical Shooting and in 2023 introduced Laser shooting into Spartan division of OCR………..
Optishoot looks to the Future:
Talk briefly about products and service support, providing safe, cost-effective shooting training for multiple sports and leisure pursuits not just Modern Pentathlon Laser Run and Obstacle Course Racing, but also Biathlon, Target Sprint and Activity Centres including solutions for Para Sport and special needs.
Introduce services, from facilitating ranges and results to corporate events and masterclasses.
Enquiry/Booking Form for
Optical Sporting Equipment/Events
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