The art of marksmanship had a different role long before it became a sport. Shooting dates back to man's earliest origins as spear-throwing contests improved hunting skills.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the first shooting clubs were formed in German-speaking countries -- exclusively for men -- and the wheel-lock musket was used. Bows and wheel-lock muskets were shot from the standing position at first and by the 16th century, public matches showcased firearms with rifled barrels.
Matches and shooting festivals -- usually one-shot matches fired at painted wood targets -- were usually held on holidays and prizes were usually of gold. In 1710, target shooting made its way to the U.S. and the events were called "turkey shoots" at first with food items being the prizes.
In the 1790s, the U.S. developed match rifles with long barrel and double-set trigger features. By 1825, formal match shooting began and trapshooting contests followed five years later. Countries began forming their own national federations around the same time and eight nations formed the International Shooting Union by 1907.
Shooting was an event at the 1896 Games in Athens and missed only the 1904 and 1928 Games.