Shooting refers to the act of discharging a projectile from a weapon, such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe, and includes uses in warfare, hunting, sport, and self-defense. Competitive shooting has a long history, with rifle clubs emerging in the 19th century and events featured at the Olympics from 1896 and World Championships from 1897, now overseen by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). Technique varies with the firearm, target, and position—the National Rifle Association (NRA) identifies four basic positions: prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing, with prone being the steadiest, while historical military variations like the Hythe positions (taught from 1853) also exist. In the United Kingdom, "shooting" often specifically refers to hunting game birds like grouse or pheasants, and clay pigeon shooting was developed after live pigeon releases were banned there in 1921. Finally, firearm restrictions and attitudes vary widely by country, leading to ongoing debates—especially contrasting the more permissive stance in the United States with the stricter laws in the UK and Australia.