Whilst the shooters and coaches on the firing point are concentrating on the shooting, they could not compete without the markers at the far end of the range. In the USA, the shooters take it in turns to go down to the butts and mark the targets, however in Canada and the UK we rely on professional paid markers.

Markers stand in a long concrete gallery, some 8 feet below ground level, open to the elements on one side but covered by a concrete parapet. They hear the crack of the bullet passing overhead and see the splash in the sandbank opposite. Looking up, (hopefully), a tiny shot hole has appeared in the paper target. The target is then pulled down and a small spotting disk inserted into the hole. Along the bottom of the target, the scoring panel indicates the value of the shot. (See the targets page to understand the scoring system). The old hole is patched up and the target is raised for the next shot. Those back on the firing point can then see where the shot has gone on the target.

When necessary, messages are sent down to the butts from the firing point by radio. If you watch on the firing point, you will often hear the shouting of cryptic messages – below we have included a list to help you understand the most common ones: