<P> During the 1890s, air rifles were used in Birmingham, England, for competitive target shooting . Matches were held in public houses, which sponsored shooting teams . Prizes, such as a leg of mutton for the winning team, were paid for by the losing team . The sport became so popular that in 1899, the National Smallbore Rifle Association was created . During this time over 4,000 air rifle clubs and associations existed across Great Britain, many of them in Birmingham . During this time, the air gun was associated with poaching because it could deliver a shot without a significant report . </P> <P> In terms of power modern air guns are capable of delivering high levels of energy, the recently showcased Umarex Hammer fires a . 50 caliber air bullet delivering over 700 ft lbs of energy (950 Joules). </P> <P> Air guns are used for hunting, pest control, recreational shooting (commonly known as plinking), and competitive sports, such as the Olympic 10 m Air Rifle and 10 m Air Pistol events . Field Target (FT) is a competitive form of target shooting in which the targets are knock - down metal silhouettes of animals, with a' kill zone' cut out of the steel plate . Hunter Field Target (HFT) is a variation, using identical equipment, but with differing rules . The distances FT and HFT competitions are shot at range between 7.3 and 41.1 metres (24 and 135 ft) for HFT & 7.3 and 50.29 metres (24.0 and 165.0 ft) for FT, with varying sizes of' reducers' being used to increase or decrease the size of the kill zone . In the UK, competition power limits are set at the legal maximum for an unlicensed air rifle, i.e. 12 ft ⋅ lbf (16 J). </P> <P> The different methods of powering an air gun can be broadly divided into three groups: spring - piston, pneumatic, and compressed CO . These methods are used in both air rifles and air pistols . </P>

What is the range of an air rifle
find me the text answering this question