One might argue about the competitiveness of human nature that ever since the second person purchased a weapon, be it a crossbow, handgun or rifle, they challenged each other as to who was the better shot. The Germans, Austrians and the Swiss were very active with their Schützenfeste, a cultural event dating back to the 1500’s, first with crossbows and later firearms, as can be seen in the image from the Schützenfest in Konstanz (Switzerland) of 1458 as depicted in the Luzerner Chronik of 1513. Rifles and pistols developed into an artform as time went by as can be seen in the E.F Büchel’s Model Ideal Falling block 8mm Target Pistol, dating from the early 20th Century. (Erlmeier, Brandt Ref. 86).
