By Martin Zeilig
Chief Warrant Officer Jim Sandall, who works at 1 Canadian Air Division, is a literal straight shooter when it comes to handguns.
His latest achievements prove it.
He won three medals, including gold in Center Fire, at the 2024 Canadian National Handgun Championships in Cookstown – Innisfil, Ontario, August 17-24.
CWO Sandall also won two silver medals in Rapid Fire and Standard Pistol, respectively.
The competition was organized by the Shooting Federation of Canada, which is an incorporated, not-for-profit association that is governed by an elected Board of Directors, notes its website.
The SFC is recognized by Sport Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and other organizations involved in the Canadian sport system, as well as being recognized internationally by the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF).
“Throughout the six day event, I competed in five different events,” CWO Sandall said during an interview with the Voxair on August 27.
“The silver medal in Rapid Fire was determined during the finals because only certain events have finals. In the gold medal match, a younger competitor from Saskatchewan beat me out (for Rapid Fire). It was awesome shooting with him.”
He is a member of the Canadian National Shooting Team, as well as a Team Canada CISM (International Military Sports Council) shooting team member, but, as CWO Sandall noted, our CISM team is “on a hiatus” right now.
“So, I’m always representing the CAF at these competitions,” he said.
During the championship, CWO Sandall used three different pistols: a .22 calibre pistol for Rapid Fire and Standard Pistol manufactured by Pardini; a .32 caliber Pardini for Military Rapid Fire and Centre Fire; a high pressure 3000 psi air pistol built by Morini.
Live ammunition was used in the .22 and .32 caliber pistols, and a .177 caliber pellet was used in the air pistol event.
“For the live fire events, the targets are either precision targets that are scored from ten down to zero, while the rapid fire events are shot from twenty-five metres away with a larger black circle with scoring from ten down to five,” CWO Sandall explained.
He added that hearing and eye protection is required for the live fire events, but not required for air gun.
“Because of my eyesight, I require corrective lenses and then I use a blinder for my non-shooting eye,” he said.
“That just makes it easier on my eyes. Some athletes need special eyewear. I wear hearing protection even during the air gun competition just to help block up the distractions behind me.”
“I started shooting thirty-two years ago, competing at the Canadian Forces Small Arms competition,” he said. “I changed shooting disciplines in 2003 to the current style of target shooting.”
He also noted that his first medal was won at the 2007 Canadian National Championships
“It’s been a long time,” he observed.
“It was something to do when I was a young private at CFB Cold Lake. I tried out at the base shooting team. I made it on my first tryout. Then, I started competing at the CAF national small arms competitions in Ottawa. I was on the Cold Lake shooting team for twelve years. That got me hooked on sport shooting. From there, I attended several international competitions as a member of the RCAF.”
As a high-performance athlete you have to devote the time to your particular sport, CWO Sandall said.
“It’s twenty to thirty hours a week,” he said.
“I spend time on the phone with mental performance coaches too.
You have to be ready (to shoot in a competition) on somebody else’s timing. It’s performance on demand. There’s the physical strength training, as well as the physical range time. It’s been hard to balance all three with work and family requirements.”
He trains at the Winnipeg Revolver and Pistol Association Range just north of City of Winnipeg.
“It’s a great facility,” MWO Sandall said.
He’s also competed at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru and at the 2024 Championships of the Americas in Buenos Aires, Argentina (March 31 – April 7)—not medaling at either competition.
“Next year, I’ll keep pushing forward to the Championships of the Americas in 2026 and hopefully make that team and do well and go on to the Pan Am Games team,” he said.
“Those two championships are the best chance Canadians have to win an Olympic team spot.”
He commented that he’s shot with people who are into their 80s.
“As long as I keep enjoying it, I will keep on going.”
It’s a sport for life.
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