Cissi Lindberg and Erik Stjernlöf Reload with COA
After winning silver at the World Shoot in South Africa and completing an intense spring season with several major matches, Cissi Lindberg is preparing for her next championship. Together with Erik Stjernlöf, she is now in the final stage of preparation for the IPSC European Handgun Championship in Hungary.
Cissi Lindberg and Erik Stjernlöf are two of Sweden’s top competitors in dynamic pistol shooting. They train together, analyze together and push each other forward. Ahead of this year’s European Championship, both have also taken a new step in their equipment: they are now shooting with the Aimpoint® COA®.
For Cissi, the European Championship comes after a season that has already included several important checkpoints. After matches in Helsingborg, Skepplanda, Uppsala and, most recently, the Czech Republic, she has a clearer picture of what needs to be fine-tuned before the championship.
“I will focus on the things that the match in the Czech Republic confirmed I need to work on. Small steel plates, above all. I need to keep my hits tighter and not lose focus,” says Cissi Lindberg.
For Erik, the final period before the European Championship is about the same thing it always is in the Open division: getting every detail right. The division is often described as the shooting world’s equivalent of Formula 1. The equipment is highly specialized, the competition is fierce, and the shooter can constantly adjust, analyze and optimize.
“Now it is about training at home and making sure everything works,” says Erik Stjernlöf.
The Open division places high demands on both equipment and execution. The guns are built for maximum performance, but that also means the shooter needs full control of everything from ammunition and optics to movement patterns and strategy. For Erik, who loads his own ammunition and analyzes every detail, that is a natural part of the sport. It is not only the shooter who needs to perform, but the entire system.
The final major test before the European Championship was the Extreme Euro Open in the Czech Republic, one of Europe’s largest matches, with many of the continent’s best shooters on the field. For both Cissi and Erik, the match provided confirmation of what is working and what still needs to be refined.
Ahead of the European Championship, Cissi will also spend a lot of time studying the stages in advance.
“I will look at how they are built, what kind of design they have and what elements may come up, at least based on the stage brief,” she says.
The goal is clear, but the road there looks different for the two Swedish shooters. For Cissi, who won silver in Production Optics Lady at the IPSC World Shoot in South Africa, the dream is to reach the podium again.
“The dream goal is to stand on the podium again,” she says.
At the same time, she is careful to point out that championships are not decided by ambition alone. The preparation has to be there, but once the start signal sounds, it is also about accepting what can be controlled.
“You can only do your best. I am satisfied if I feel that I have done everything I can, even if I do not win. Of course, you always want to win, but even doing your best is not guaranteed to be enough,” she says.
New Equipment for the Season
Ahead of this season, both Cissi and Erik have switched from the Aimpoint Acro to the Aimpoint COA. For Erik, who competes in a division where the pistol and equipment are a central part of the overall system, every change has to be tested, evaluated and proven to work under pressure.
For Cissi, the difference has been clear in this type of shooting, where movement, speed and precision all have to work together.
“It is a little better and a little easier. The sight is lighter on the slide, and you can feel that. There is less mass moving,” she says.
She also points to how the sight picture feels.
“You get the impression that the window is larger because a lot of things have been removed. The tunnel from the Acro is gone. I see it as a real step forward. It is better for this type of shooting,” says Cissi.
Then she adds, with a laugh:
“And it looks better too.”
IPSC is a shooting discipline where the margins are often very small. The shooter has to move quickly through stages with varied targets and challenges while maintaining precision. Every miss, every hesitation and every wrong decision costs time or points.
For Cissi and Erik, only the final fine-tuning remains before the trip to Hungary. The foundation has been laid through the winter and spring. Now it is all about the details.
“Matches show you what you need to train. When you are tested under pressure, you see where things break down,” says Cissi.
Facts: IPSC European Handgun Championship 2026
Date: May 30–June 13, 2026
Location: Buzsák, Hungary
Venue: LZ Range
Discipline: Dynamic pistol shooting
Organizer: International Practical Shooting Confederation, IPSC
Facts: What Is IPSC?
IPSC stands for International Practical Shooting Confederation and is an international competition format in dynamic shooting.
The shooter moves through stages with varied targets and challenges, where speed, accuracy and safety are all evaluated. Each stage is unique and challenges the shooter to quickly analyze, plan and execute a strategy.
IPSC competition is conducted with handgun, rifle or shotgun, often under time pressure.
