Summer 2013 - National Rifle Association

NATIONAL RIFLEASSOCIATIONJOURNALSummer 2013 – Volume XCII No. 2 £4.25ImperialpreviewThe Queen’s Prize looms largePhoenixMeetingBehind the scenes at BisleyClassic riflesA 1917 SMLE and twoWWII veteransSpring reportsEngland TR & GB GR in South AfricaEnglish Twenty spring meetingSouth Saxon CupOPEN DAY SUCCESS ■ HANDBOOK UPDATE ■ WHY NOT TRY: CLAYS

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National RifleAssociationSummer 2013 – Volume XCII – Number 26 IntroductionAndrew Mercer reviews a successfulOpen Day and discusses civilianshooting on MoD ranges248 NewsHBSA and Harrow Club celebratebirthdays, Monmouth RC holds a prizedraw for Help for Heroes – plus yourchance to get involved10 LettersMore reaction to George Granycome’sHungary report in the Winter Journal plusa member’s comment on the Centuryrange targetsFront cover: Philip PlotkinCover photo by James MarchingtonManaging editor: Colin FallonAssistant editor: Craig NicholsonGraphic design: Matt SmithAd design: Ryan DixonAdvertising sales: Toni ColeOperations director: James FolkardAssistant publisher: Ruth BurgessPublisher : Wes StantonContributors: Peter Cottrell, Tony deLaunay, John Deane, Barry Desborough,Tim Finley, Neil Francis, GeorgeGranycome, James Harris, Frank Harriss,Laurie Holland, Barry Morgan, TedMolyneux, Charles Murton, Iain Robertson,Derek Stimpson, James WatsonStock photography by Matt Limb andJames MarchingtonNRA Chairman: Robin PizerChief executive: Andrew MercerT: 01483 797777F: 01483 797285W: www.nra.org.ukThe NRA Journal is published on behalfof the National Rifle Association by BlazePublishing Limited.Address: Lawrence House, MorrellStreet, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire,CV32 5SZ.T: 01926 339808F: 01926 470400E: edit@blazepublishing.co.uk© Blaze Publishing Limited, 2013All rights reserved. The editorial matter,pictures and text may not be reproducedwithout permission. Views expressed arenot necessarily thoseof the National RifleAssociation.12 Gun reviewTim Finley has searched out someclassic rifles including a SMLE, a LeeEnfield No. 4 and a Mosin Nagant16 Phoenix ReportNeil Francis goes behind the scenes atMay’s Phoenix Meeting21 English TwentyIan Shaw came out on top as thesunshine finally shone at Bisley24 Shooting SafariEngland Rifle Team and GB Gallery Rifletoured South Africa in the spring28 Imperial loomingWe give you all the information youneed with the Imperial on the horizon31 Spring shootsA round-up of the best of the earlyseason shoots including the Ibis35 Shotgun SceneThe Hardy match, shotguns at the SAW,and more practical shotgun reports39 Keep your powder dryWith new powders available from theUSA and the Czech Republic, LaurieHolland gives us the lowdown45 ProductsWe’re focusing on accessories this474 www.nra.org.uk

Contents | Overviewmonth as the competition seasonapproaches its peak48 NoticesOfficial business including upcomingtours to the USA and Canada50 ObituariesTributes are paid to Walter Magnay,Martin Workman, Ivan Seach-Allen andNorman Barton58 ResultsScores from the Phoenix Meeting, theIbis, the Mini Paima and much more62 CalendarUpdated Marksman’s Calendar listingsfor the remainder of 201365 Trade membersFull listings and contact details for theNRA’s trade members285021National Rifle Association5

Open fireWelcomeThe end of the day at Andrew’sfirst Phoenix as chief executiveOPENFIREChief executive Andrew Mercer looks back on a successfulOpen Day at Bisley, and explains how the NRA cansafely champion civilian shooting on MoD rangesSpring has brought the occasionalbout of sunshine to the ranges,and there has been a noticeableincrease in activity on camp. I haveenjoyed my fi rst (cold and horrible) SpringAction Weekend, Open Day, and Phoenix,as well as a host of club competitions.Increased activity has highlightedthe legacy of missed maintenance,and left us playing catch-up to deliverservices to an acceptable standard.The mowing of grass is becoming a petproject for me, and our new equipmentshould give the estate staff a chance toestablish a proper regime. There will bemakeovers all round, with Fultons havingits roof repainted and wonky balconystraightened, and contractors alreadyat work to turn the Old Bisley Gun Clubbuilding from an eyesore to a suitablyattractive building.On Century range, the new 100-yardfi ring point has been christened by thefi rst shooters and we are awaiting thedelivery of six new electronic targets. Theywill be set at 100, 200 or 300 yards, andcan be booked by the hour. Electronictargets have had a mixed record atBisley. The 300-metre facility is a goodexample of a successful installation, butour own recent efforts on Century andStickledown have not gone as smoothly.Electronic targets across themain ranges at Bisley merit seriousconsideration as the costs of deliveringreliable markers become ever morechallenging. The capital costs aresubstantial, but so are the paymentsmade each year for markers, targetmaterials and target shed staff. Otherimportant improvements includecovered fi ring points and accessible carparking nearby, although I have beensurprised at the vigour of the argumentsvoiced against providing simple covers6 www.nra.org.uk

WELCOME | Chief Executiveto protect shooters from the vagaries ofthe weather.Away from Bisley, the issue ofmaintaining civilian shooting on MoDranges is rapidly becoming a keychallenge, and I attended a meetingwith the Defence Land Ranges SafetyCommittee (DLRSC) at Abbey Wood,Bristol, to discuss access. In many respectsthe MoD’s concerns are understandable.When a soldier steps up to the fi ringpoint they know he will have completedan annual weapons handling test andhave a good understanding of therifl e, ammunition, target, and course offi re. Civilian shooters use myriad rifl es,ammunition, targets and courses of fi rethat are in many cases a mystery to MoDand Landmarc range staff. The ShooterCertifi cation Card (SCC) system gives theMoD confi dence that the civilian shooteris competent and shooting a recogniseddiscipline approved by the NRA. Therehas been confusion in the past withcards issued by the NSRA, but we haveagreed with them that in future the NRAwill be the sole body authorised to issueSCCs for fullbore disciplines. As part ofthis scheme we are conducting audits ofaffi liated clubs to ensure the proceduresagreed with the MoD are being properlyadhered to. It is essential that the SCCprocesses are fully implemented to givethe MoD and their agents the necessaryconfi dence in the competence andsafety of civilian shooters.The May Open Day was a delight, withmore than a thousand guests enjoyinga spectacular array of shooting guidedand coached by nearly 400 volunteers.In all, 43,000 rounds of ammunition wereused. I had invited two ‘mystery shoppers’to give a detailed review of proceedings,and their feedback was interesting.As expected, signage and generalappearance of the site drew some sharpcomments, but the enthusiasm shown bycoaches and guides was highly praised.A later survey yielded some interestingstatistics, with almost 50 per cent ofguests saying this was their fi rst openday. The investment in volunteer energy,range and staff time, and ammunition isconsiderable, and we are musing overhow best to maximise the yields in PR,goodwill and membership.We have just completed the Phoenixat Bisley, and the range of shootingcompetition was genuinely confusing.I was astonished to see pistol shootingat 1,000 yards on Stickledown, and myimpertinent questions to the range offi ceras to whether they were actually able tohit the target yielded the fi rm responsethat their accuracy would put some ofthe rifl e shooters to shame.Our new accounts team have fi nalisedthe annual accounts for 2012, whichshow that we are making good progress.All live litigation has been settled, ashave the outstanding issues regardingPAYE / NI and VAT, and the overall resultis a modest loss of £65k on a turnoverof £4.9m. The full accounts and annualreport are available on the website, and Iam looking forward to meeting membersat the Annual General Meeting at Bisleyon Friday 14 June 2013. ■{ }I invited two ‘mystery shoppers’ to give adetailed review. The enthusiasm shown bycoaches and guides was highly praisedThe International Sporting RifleChampionship, shot alongsidethe ILRPSA event at the PhoenixNational Rifl e Association7

NewsGet involvedThe National Rifle Association is once again making the callfor members to get involved in making the Association stronger.There are many areas you can get involved in – event coordination,RCO and coaching, and getting youngsters intothe sport. But the area most relevant to concentrate on here iscontributions to the Journal.We are always looking to extend the range of disciplinesand events covered in our reports and features sections, whilemaintaining the Journal’s role as a ‘journal of record’. To achievethese goals, we arelooking for more resultsand reports fromcompetitions – not justat Bisley but from eventsfurther afield that equallydeserve coverage.If you are interestedin contribution, emailthe managing editor oncolinf@blazepublishing.co.uk or the head ofmembership on Richard.Blackmore@nra.org.uk.British2013-2020British Shooting has published its latest strategic plan for theperiod 2013 to 2020.The plan is the summary of the objectives and targets set outby the sport to deliver shooting throughout Great Britain.Feedback and constructive suggestions are requested andshould be sent to admin@britishshooting.org.uk.The full document is available to download from theNRA website at www.nra.org.uk/common/files/news/13/BritishShootingStrategyMay13.pdfOpen Day successOn behalf of everyone at the NRA, I would like to thank allcoaches, volunteers and staff who helped make the NRAOpen Day on 4 May a success.We enjoyed a cracking good day on Saturday and havereceived super feedback from large numbers of visitors.The enthusiasm of the coaches and teams guiding thelarge crowds to the firing points drew much praise. Yourpatience, knowledge, good humour and passion for shootingsent our guests away with a positive impression and we will nodoubt convert many to full membership of the NRA (25 signedup on the day and more to come).We registered 1,053 guests over the day, and theyaccounted for over 43,000 rounds of ammunition. TheOpen Day is a huge investment in volunteer time andenergy and we have made many notes and suggestions forimprovements that will help the day run more smoothly andincrease the yield for our sport. Better signs, improving thesupply of rifles/shotguns and ammunition, and managingthe long queues at some of the disciplines are all areas fordiscussion. Your thoughts, suggestions and observations will bemuch appreciated – please contact me by email at andrew.mercer@nra.org.uk or write to me at Bisley.Our enthusiasm to review and improve the Open Dayshould not distract us from satisfaction for a good job welldone – please accept my grateful thanks for your help andsupport.Andrew Mercer, NRA Chief Executive8 www.nra.org.uk

news | Club milestonesHBSA turns 40The NationalRifleAssociationcongratulatesthe HistoricalBreechloadingSmallarmsAssociationon its 40thanniversary.The usualactivities and shoots of the year will be complemented by aweekend of celebrations from 20-22 September.The HBSA was founded in 1973 by a group of academics,students of arms and collectors concerned with the threat tothe preservation of privately owned historical firearms, whichrepresent an irreplaceable part of our social, industrial, militaryand sporting heritage.A national organisation with branches and membershipgroups that provide a regional presence in Wales, NorthernEngland and the Borders; the HBSA is the governing body forshooting with historical breechloading smallarms within theUnited Kingdom.The fundamental aims of the HBSA are to encourage thepreservation of breechloading firearms and ammunitionand to foster the study of all aspects of the subject, fromthe aesthetics of sporting guns and the engraver’s art to thefunctional aspects of firearms used by the soldier, targetshooter and the sporting shooter. The HBSA considers that theprivate collection and use of historical arms and ammunitionis essential to facilitate historical research, and to achievepreservation of these heritage artefacts for future generations.As well as advising on care and conservation, and actingas a forum for the exchange of information, the HBSA pursuesthe study of historical smallarms through a combination oflectures, research reports and a programme of shootingactivity. Monthly lectures are held at the Imperial WarMuseum in London and at the Royal Armouries in Leeds,venues where they are acknowledged as a specialist usergroup and given privileged access to arms and documentsheld in reserve collections.HBSA maintains close links with other European collectingorganisations through the Federation of European Societiesof Arms Collectors (FESAC). Research papers, extracts fromhistorical documents and articles written by HBSA membersand others are published in an annual journal while theproceedings of meetings and other activities are published ina quarterly report.For more information please contact the Secretary ChrisSmith at general.secretary@hbsa-uk.org or visit the websiteat www.hbsa-uk.org.Harrow ClubHITS 122Harrow Rifle and Pistol Club celebrates its 122nd birthdaythis year following another successful year shooting .22RF andair league and club competitions.The club, whose members regularly shoot at Bisley, hasseen an increased number of enquiries from young peopleand, as a result, new memberships.President Derek Stimpson said the club, whose range is onland leased from the local council, relies on new members tomaintain rent at a tenable level.“For many relatively small local rifle clubs maintaining aninflux of new, younger, members is vital,” he said.“Club facilities are good with prone .22 RF rifle (25yds);Standing Sporting Rifle (.22RF and air) and air pistol (20yds)and 10m air rifle and pistol.”MonmouthRC helps H4HMonmouth & District Rifle Club will be holding aprize draw on 7 July in support of Help for Heroes.Prizes on offer include a new Browning X-bolt rifle,kindly donated by BASC and Browning and severaldays’ sport including partridge shooting and deerstalking in Scotland.The event, which is supported by membersof the Stalking Directory, hopes to raiseseveral thousand pounds for the forcescharity.The club will also be holding an onlineauction of a special bottle of port, donatedby the officers’ mess at Hereford of 22Special Air Service Regiment.This is a rare opportunity to obtain amemento of a famous regiment whileraising money for a most deserving causeand the club has already received bids inexcess of £200.Draw tickets, which cost £1, can bebought online at www.bmycharity.com/MonmouthSDRifleShoot.To place your bid for the special bottle ofport, email the club at MonmouthSD@gmail.com confirming your donation and givingyour name and contact details.National Rifle Association9

Views YOURIf you have an opinion or suggestion you wouldDearlike to share, write to “Journal Letters” at NRAHQ or email nra@blazepublishing.co.ukSTILLHUNGRYFORCHANGEDear Editor,It is with some interest that I read theletters page of the Spring Journal inwhich a number of writers responded toa previous article regarding an overseasshotgun match which I myself attendedand had the satisfaction of being thehighest-placed GB competitor.Apart from complaining that MrGranycome did not enjoy himselfat the said event, not one of thecorrespondents provided any evidenceof where he was incorrect despite all ofthem claiming his report was inaccurate.Mr Bloss, however, made an excellentobservation that only truthful reportingwill maintain the integrity of our sport,something that is of vital importance.Therefore should you or your readerswish to check the veracity of this or anyfurther articles regarding such ShotgunCENTURYNUMBERSOFF TARGETEditor,I shot at 600 yards on Century Range at Bisley on10 March, my fi rst TR of the year.The target number boards that identify thetargets have been changed during the winter,it appears. The replacements are beyondevents please feel free todreadful.contact me via targetshotgun@ There were relatively few points in use,nra.org.ukbut there was signifi cant cross-shooting. ItYours sincerelyappears certain that this was the result of theJames Harrisappalling quality of the new number boards.Discipline representative for The numbers themselves are smaller, and theTarget Shotgun – NRAcolour contrasts employed are deplorably bad.Quite how or who decided these shouldDear Sir,be changed from the boards that workedl was surprised to read not only previously is beyond me.Mr Granycome’s report on the I will be very disappointed and surprisedIPSC World Championships in the if these are not replaced again very quickly.Winter 2012 Journal, but also the However, I invite all users of Century to comethree letters critical of it in the to their own conclusions.Spring 2013 Journal.Keith McLuckieI have attended more than SInce this letter was written, furthera 100 practical (i.e. dynamic renumbering has taken place on Century tofi re and movement) shooting fi x the problem.competitions over the last 15or so years and Mr Granycomehas been a fellow competitorscan of the World Championship resultsand RO at most. He has written match shows him to have beaten some of thereports on many of them, most of UKPSA-selected GB team, impressive forwhich were published by the UKPSA, an OAP.and his style has been consistentlyHe is used to a shooting 'diet'entertaining, informative, accurate and that is both varied and intellectuallypositive; his report in the Spring Journal stimulating. It seems he entered theis representative.World Championships reasonablyThat his report of the Worldexpecting a lavish banquet, but wasChampionships is uniquely critical served only a variety of cereals.actually enhances its credibility, in my For those accustomed to a dietopinion. His three critics have attended of only gruel, a bowl of muesli maysome of those 100+ competitions, but seem exotic and 'full English' wantonlyvirtually none in the last fi ve years. hedonistic; perhaps this explains theMr Granycome’s own performances differences of opinion?have been consistently towards the Yours faithfully,upper end of match results; a quick Matthew Warne10 www.nra.org.uk

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Comparing theclassicsThey may largely have been hoarded by collectors over the years, but if you look inthe right place you can still find rifles from the First World War. Tim Finley comparesa 1917 classic with a pair of WWII veteransIdon’t know many shooters who have notshot a classic or veteran rifle. By classic,we mean a military rifle made before1919, i.e. the World War One era. Veteranrifles are dated between 1919 and 1946, tobe more specific.As part of my probation when joining afullbore club back in the day, the first gunI ever shot at the club was a .303 calibreshort magazine Lee-Enfield – or SMLEfor short – out at 600 yards. This is a trueclassic rifle, and suffice to say I enjoyedshooting it immensely, although I did findhitting the target with the open sightssomething of a challenge.The same club uses the Lee-Enfield No.4 from WWII, the later British army .303, onChristmas shoots for all the competitors.Trying to get the top score on a target, whilealso trying not to hit the balloon flutteringover the target at 100 yards, is hard work –though it’s fun to watch someone else hitthe balloon. These open-sighted old rifleshark back to basic riflemanship and as suchare very popular.There are a few things you have toremember. Because we are dealing withold rifles, bear in mind that, being ex-militaryrifles, they are unlikely to have been lookedafter in the same way as a civilian rifle. Thegood guns are bought up by collectors whowon’t actually shoot them. This means thebest and cleanest examples are unlikely tobe on sale for shooting use. These rifles alsocome at a hefty premium.The rifles for shooting use are not overlyexpensive, as long as the bore is clean andthe actions safe. A bit of dinked woodworkand lack of bluing or blacking is not muchof an issue. Do not expect to buy a Lee-Enfield with all matching serial numbers inpristine condition; these guns will have beensquirreled away by a collector eons ago.As with all guns, you cannot really shootbefore you buy if you go to a dealer. Whatyou can do is make sure you buy from areputable gunsmith. Always, always inspectthe bore. If you cannot even see down thebarrel for crud, do not buy it. If there is anysign of a damaged receiver, also steer clearof the gun. Check that the safety catchworks and that the bolt operation is ok andit locks up. Look at the locking lugs and boltface for signs of fractures or a deep ringaround the firing pin hole.The classic rifle – SMLE III*It’s not all horror stories – I picked up threegood examples of classic and veteran riflesfrom Henry Krank of Leeds for comparison.First is the oldest and most expensive of thebunch, the SMLE III*. The rifle was stampedup as being made by BSA in 1917 – therehad been some woodwork repairs andrestorations but it is 96 years old.I do like the look of the SMLE – the snubend to the rifle is very distinctive. It is a .303calibre rifle with a detachable 10-shot12 www.nra.org.uk

Gun review | Classic riflesThe SMLE’s left-handed safety works inthe classic manner. Rear for safe......and forward for fire, so you can takeup the smooth and consistent triggermagazine. The open sights are protectedby metal side shields front and back. Therear sight is a simple ‘V’ and the sliding sightadjustment is graduated from 200 yards to2,000 yards in 25-yard increments. It haspermanently fitted sling loops, and shootingwith a sling is part of the game of classicrifle shooting.The stock is, of course, ambidextrous,with the bolt action operated from the righthandside. The butt has a metal plate fitted;comfort when shooting was not high on theagenda for military rifles. The manual safetycatch is at the rear of the receiver on the lefthandside. The trigger blade is highly curvedand has a grooved surface. I checkedthe trigger pull on the SMLE; the first stagemeasured in at 1.7kg, while the secondstage to release the shot was 3.1kg.The pull weight was extremely consistent.This makes for an accurate trigger in thefield, as the shooter will never be caught outby an unpredictable trigger. In the front ofthe trigger guard is the magazine releasecatch – push this upwards and the magazinecan be dropped out of the bottom of theaction. The pressed steel 10-shot magazinesare relatively cheap these days at £40-70depending on condition.The SMLE has a shorter sight base thanthe other two review rifles at 490mm. Therear sight is almost mid-rifle; there is even awooden section of stock between the front ofthe action and rear sight elements. Shootingit at 100 yards, I did struggle with the shortsight base and the short length of pull (lengthof the rear stock). A 90mm five-shot groupwas the best I could manage.The veteran rifle – Lee-Enfield No. 4The first relatively young rifle is the No. 4 Lee-Enfield, which is dated 1942; a MKI. The No.4 has a heavier barrel than the SMLE and hasits own distinctive silhouette. The protrudingbarrel and high side shields protecting theforesight element set it apart from the SMLE. Ithas an ambidextrous stock, sling loops and asight base of 720mm. This longer sight baseis because the rear sight has been movedfrom its position in front of the action on theSMLE to the rear of the action on the No. 4.The sights were also improved with a rearpeep-style battle sight as well as a flip-upadjustable peep sight for more accuratelong-range shooting out to 1,300 yards. Theyrealised after World War One that having a2,000-yard setting was a bit redundant.The sniper versions of the No. 4 were theones for accurate long-range shooting.They are very highly prized and cost an armand a leg for examples with matching serialnumbers. These are used in more specificsniper-type competitions. These guns areaccurate out to 600 yards, and with the flip-Rule of three: It’s a head-to-head-to-headbetween a classic and two veteransNational Rifle Association13

up open sights I managed 72.2mm for five shots at 100 yards. I didprefer the flip-up sights on the No. 4 over the other three.The Russian veteran – M91/30The Russian Mosin-Nagant M91/30 is also relatively young, havingbeen in production since 1943. This is a big rifle, and it is fair to sayit’s the most crudely built, but I thought the trigger was the best of thethree. It was a single-stage trigger with a pull weight of 2.1kg, whichwas the lightest of the three. It also gave the most consistent triggerpull readings. I can see why the sniper variants of this rifle were sohighly rated.Tthe M91/30 was more than capable of one-inch groups at100m. The long 29in (735mm) barrel dominates the rifle. I have shotthe M38 carbine Mosin-Nagant with its 20in (510mm) barrel and canhonestly say it was not a pleasant experience or one I wish to repeatany time soon.Not so with the M91/30. This has simple sights akin to the SMLE,marked from 100 to 2,000 metres on a sliding push-button rear sight.This proved to be the most accurate of the three, and the easiest tozero. I set the crude sight to the 100m mark, and it was not too far offat 100 yards. I shot a 39.8mm five-shot group with the open sights at100 yards. Then I put three aimed shots into a high-viz target markerat 100 yards, which measured in at 29.6mm. I couldn’t get on withthe bolt and how it finishes at the 12 o’clock position, but you cannotargue with the M91/30’s accuracy.Other rifles to look at are the Yugoslavian copies of the MauserK98; German stamped examples are rare and expensive. There isalso the straight pull (as opposed to bolt action) Schmidt Rubin fromSwitzerland. The latter uses the accurate 7.5x55 round and is verypopular with classic rifle shooters.There are still spares available and many gunsmiths who specialisein these old rifles. The history of the guns can be just as interesting asshooting them.The ammunition used is readily available, ranging from ex-militarysurplus to modern made. Some examples are in the box below:There are many clubs and organisations that shoot these rifles.They shoot prone off sandbags or use the rifle’s sling to steadytheir aim, sometimes using older-style canvas jackets. The classic/veteran rifles are also shot from benches and even kneeling.Courses of fire start with shorter-range, scaled-down targets,even indoors at 15, 20, 25 and 50 yards, which are popular. Morepopular are the outdoor shoots of 300 or 600 yards, which I havetaken part in. These old guns have a lot to offer to the shooter– with factory loads it is more of a level playing field althoughcompetitions are nowhere near as cutthroat as some I have shot.The joy of shooting is the real key to these guns. A spottingscope will be needed if you want to get the best out of yourshooting but it is still a relatively cheap competitive type ofshooting when it comes to fullbore rifles.Thanks to all at Henry Krank for the help in producing this article. ■The Lee Enfield’s comfortable bolt throwis a direct contrast to the M91/30, belowclassic ammo round-upSize RRP NRA price0.303 British 174 grain FMJ BT £77.00 a 100 £62.50 a 1007.62mmx54mm 168 grain FMJ BT £68.40 a 100 £65 a 1007.5mmx55mm 174grain FMJ BT £68.40 a 100 £65 a 1008x57 198 grain JS FMJ BT £82.75 a 100 Not stocked14 www.nra.org.uk

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PhoenixKeeping theflyingNeil Francis(GR&P rep)With more than 75 competitions over one weekend, Neil Francis discovers thatit’s the unsung heroes who make the Phoenix a successWelsh wonder: Gwyn Roberts collected thePhoenix Gallery Rifle Champion trophyThe weather was reverse echelonfor the 2013 Phoenix meeting, heldfor the 17th time over its traditionalend-of-May bank holiday weekend. Fineand sunny for the whole weekend, andhorrible and wet both leading up to themeeting and again when everyone wasback in the office afterwards. Ok, we knowthe meeting starts on Friday and that daywas probably the most miserable, cold,wet and wind-ridden that’s ever existed(unless you were at the SAW), but at leastthe range jackets the ROs received thisyear were put to good use.A bad day’s shooting is still better thana good day in the office, and despitethe difference of Friday’s weather fromthat on Saturday and Sunday, whichwas truly astounding and quite franklyunbelievable, the meeting itself was atraditionally standard affair with no major16 www.nra.org.uk

REPORT | Phoenixchanges or surprises encroaching intothe fold.That was my take on it anyway. Ipersonally spent this Phoenix helping withback-office duties. I didn’t get time to shootbut I did get time to visit all administrativeareas of the meeting and all the ranges.Some may have noticed the new NRAchief executive and head of competitionsand shooting also roaming around theranges seeing what was going on andchatting to people. This is a very welcomedevelopment as they are clearly taking aninterest in what the meeting, Gallery Rifleand Pistol are all about.The Phoenix is an NRA open meeting,and as such the shooting division team iswhere the planning and administration ofthe meeting takes place in the run up. Atthat point the army of volunteers cometo the fore and make the actual meetinghappen. About 100 volunteered for thisyear’s meeting, and I’m sure I speak formore than 500 competitors shooting morethan 3,000 match cards in extending mythanks to all who generously give their timeto help out.For those that may not be aware, theshooting division is the corner of the NRAoffices off to the left of the main NRASA success: The International SportingRifle trophy heads to South Africareception. This is where your amiable frontof-housevolunteers sometimes retreat towhen competitors have questions thathave to be passed down the line. Thesecould be anything from late entries,scorecard or rules queries, squaddingchanges and, heaven forbid, complaints.Shooting division doesn’t actuallyhandle the stats – that is again the work ofvolunteers. Usually the ‘stats crew’ is foundin a car park isolated from the main drag,but it decided to abandon this salubriousenvironment and take up residence ina much larger space at the back of theNRA building this year. Imagine a neverendingflow of scorecards rolling in fromall corners of the camp. Unlike Sisyphus,the guys in there can actually see an endto their toil. Please pay a thought or twoto them when shooting for the day hasfinished, however – they usually still have anhour or so left. I always stay out of stats onSunday afternoon – it’s probably advisableeveryone else does as well.Pistol plethora: It’s one of the biggestweekends of the year for GR&P shootersNational Rifle Association17

Of course, a lot of shooting takes place atthe Phoenix. Having historic legacy in PistolAD, it’s primarily a GR&P meeting. However,the longer ranges are also put to good use.I also noted the old pistol range, Winans,had received a facelift. The IPAS crew wasrunning a pay-and-play setup and one oftheir open competitions throughout theweekend. I chatted to the guys there; theyrun something every Phoenix, so if youfancy something a bit different, pay thema visit next time.A few new trophies were on offer thisyear, including one in memory of AlanWhittle, a well known and enthusiasticgallery rifle shooter who died in 2012. Theclubs Alan was most associated with overthe last few years generously donateda couple of contemporary trophies.Thanks go to Bristol and District Rifle andPistol Club, Frome and District Pistol Club,Fulwood Shooting Club (Liverpool) and theGallery Rifle Great Britain Squad for thesegenerous efforts.The newcomers’ trophy, the Rifled Spiral,is awarded to first-time Phoenix entrants.The Gallery Rifle Classic Trophy, the SpearBullet, rewards excellence in Gallery Rifleclassic iron-sights shooting.Thanks to Low Mill Ranges, whodonated an exquisite Damascus steelfolding bowie knife in an equally exquisitepresentation case for the winner of theSporting Rifle competition. The UKPSA isalso to be thanked for recognising theexcellent shooting achieved within thePhoenix standards points system. Anyonenot familiar should consult the Phoenixbooklet. Personal objectives can alwaysbe achieved without being a top Xclass shooter so thanks to the UKPSA forappreciating and promoting this aspect.For many years the meeting has hostedinternational shooting. The bank holidayMonday morning usually plays out to aninternational 1500 match between thenations of the International Gallery RifleFederation (IGRF). This year witnessed theinaugural IGRF Gallery Rifle World Cup,which is set to become a bi-annual event.Launched in 2006, the IGRF promotesthe development of competitive GalleryRifle shooting worldwide. It now has fivemember countries, having recentlywelcomed Australia. ■Results for all events are available at www.nra.org.uk or at www.galleryrifle.comFry up: Terry Fry was awarded GrandestMaster and a prize donated by one ofthe meeting's gold sponsors, the UKPSAThe distinctive Gallery Rifle ClassicAggregate trophy goes to Alan PodevinThe McQueen’s range on ShortSiberia for this 200-yard competition18 www.nra.org.uk

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Report | English XXSunshineaplenty at the 2013The long-awaited arrival of summertimeworked wonders for the English Twentyspring meeting, reports Tony de LaunayTwentyThe decision to allow competitorsthe choice of using their ownammunition paid dividends forthe English Twenty Club organisers of theEnglish Open Spring Meeting at Bisley.With 70 per cent of the 90 shootersopting to supply their own, the entry wasup by nearly 30 per cent over last year.Given that the council of the EnglishTwenty broke with tradition in response toa groundswell of opinion against everrisingcosts, the organisers can be quietlysatisfied with the outcome. Rightly orwrongly, the perception of ever-increasingcosts of ammunition ‘as issued’ is one of anumber of areas of critical importance forthe future of the sport.It was all change in the weather too.Brilliant sunshine could be seen and feltduring the three days. That was the goodnews: it was the winds that were to testthe top runners to their limits.There were six maximum scores of105 in Saturday’s opening match, theAssociation, over a Queen’s I course offire. Paul Kent took the prize, with last year’sQueen’s Prize winner John Warburtonsecond and Surrey’s David Rose (freshfrom his GB West Indies tour) third. Sundaywas the Second Stage (Queen’s II), whereno one managed a maximum 150. TobyRaincock came nearest with 149.22, justone central bullseye ahead of Ireland’sAlwyn McLean, with Kent third.Fifteen shots at 600 yardsfor the Cortis followed,with talk of changesfrom three left totwo-and-a-half rightas the fish’s tail waggled in earnest.Nevertheless, another six maximum 75sappeared, with Roy Booth counting outJon Underwood on centrals to finish afterboth had made 75.12. Welshman EdJeens, part of the Welsh squad using theevent as a selection trial, was third, onecentral behind.And so to the deciders. All thatscrub and tree removal down theleft-hand side of Stickledown rangehas left its mark – in the form of openNational Rifle Association21

{Shaw took the championship title byone point, by dint of solid shooting anda little genius when it matteredShaw thing: Scotsman Ian Shawproved a worthy overall winner}heathlandover which the left-handwinds raced in. And they did justthat with corrected brackets at 900yards of 6-12 minutes. England’sPaul Sykes took the Long at 900 bythree centrals, best of only four 74s,followed by Wales’s Chris Hockley.Next it was a Scot, Ian Shaw,who gave the field a masterclassin reading the impossible winds at1,000 yards in the final. With reportedbrackets from 8 to 14 left, changesinvisible and changes visible butfalse, the field was tossed around ina state of bemusement. All exceptfor Shaw with 72.6, warding off afierce challenge from England’s JohnPugsley who managed 71 with nofewer than 10 centrals, but points winprizes. Andy Gent was third.So when it was all added up, Shawtook the championship title by onepoint ahead of Pugsley, by dint of solidshooting and a little genius when itmattered. Paul Kent was the only oneof the early leaders to hold position,eventually finishing third. All round itwas an intriguing weekend. ■22 www.nra.org.uk

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Early seasonin the sunDespite having to practise out in the elements of a Blightywinter, an England rifle team with young guns and old headsalike headed to South Africa in good spiritsThe England Rifle Team toSouth Africa April 2013By James Watson, Team CaptainThe South African Championships takeplace each year around Easter. This year,the English Twenty Club sent an Englandteam of 21 people to compete in theirmatches. The ranges are located just outsideBloemfontein, approximately a four-hour drivefrom Johannesburg airport. Often tours toSouth Africa take in some of the impressivelandscape or take the opportunity to spot theanimal kingdom’s ‘Big Five’. On this occasionthe main touring party chose to approachThe team showed what unites themdespite their 54-year age rangeit as more of a business trip – we flew out onEaster Monday, a couple of days before thefirst team match and left 13 days later, thenight after competitions finished.One of the challenges facing teams toSouth Africa is getting practice in so early inthe season, and while in previous years teamshave had the fortune of sunny weekends,our experience was more akin to practisingfor a tour to the Arctic! Snow and heavy raingreeted weekends in February and March, soour tour was a significant contrast.My philosophy as captain was to selecta core of strong shooters but take a largenumber of new caps. The team was madeup of three ladies and 18 men and had anage range of 54 years – the youngest was22, the eldest 76. This highlights how our sportreally is a sport for life.For the first time, the NRA of America hadgranted permission to shoot the AmericaMatch outside of the US & Canada and thiswas scheduled after a local competitionbut before the main championships began.England put in a good performance butwere beaten into third place – the fact that itwas so early in our season showed.The South Africans do not shoot onSundays so, as God intended, it was a dayof rest – much needed after the teamhad let off some steam in Bloemfonteinon Saturday night. Peter Bramley, a localfarmer and shooter extended his regularhospitality to the team who turned upin force to eat even more cow andshoot bows and arrows – one membermanaged to puncture Peter’s irrigationresults: America matchSouth Africa 2362.251USA 2349.217England 2340.218Ireland 2303.164Wales 2189.122RSA International MatchSouth Africa 1741.147England 1708.126USA 1690.98Ireland 1624.65Protea MatchSouth Africa 1769.193England 1767.182USA 1766.172Ireland 1702.110SA ChampionshipParag Patel (Eng) 951.113PA Haasbroek 951.110Johan du Toit 950.9624 www.nra.org.uk

eport | south africa tourspipe! Others sat around enjoying somelocal wine and talking to General MacAlexander, the CRO. A large number ofthe team had also taken the opportunityto visit the local cheetah sanctuary andmeet some wildlife.With the warm-up matches over, Mondaysaw the opening ceremony and thebeginning of the Grand Aggregate. Weexperienced a range of conditions duringthe six days of the championships; the windalmost never blew from the same directionand one day we had a southerly Antarcticwind that made our winter training seemrather relevant. As the Grand finished wehad a number of the team in contentionand going into the State President’s Final(equivalent of our Queen’s Final), all but twoof the team qualified.Saturday morning was the Protea Match,something of a monopoly for the SouthAfricans who have only been beaten twiceby GB teams. England took the unorthodoxapproach of having six people shoot andcoach, with an additional six shooters makingup the team. We won two of the threeranges, leading after 300m. But dropping anadditional five points over the SA and USAteams at 600m meant we were beaten bytwo points, with the US one behind us. I havenever shot in a match where the top threewere decided by so slim a margin (0.01%).The most significant trophy for theSouth Africans is the Championship, andwhen the Grand scores were added tothe second stage and the final (shot onSaturday afternoon), Parag Patel wasdeclared the aggregate winner by amargin of three V-Bulls.Touring is a valuable experience. Itfosters relationships with other internationalsportsmen and sportswomen, it allows lessexperienced shooters the opportunity tolearn from seasoned tourists and givesshooters something to aspire to; and thenthere’s the shooting and the chance to visitoverseas countries. ■Anyone wishing to read more aboutthe tour, see full results and view the onlinebrochure can visit the website at www.teamengland2013.co.ukPlaying to theGalleryTeam GB struggles to acclimatise as South Africa hosts its first international GR eventGallery Rifle GB tour toSouth AfricaBy Charles MurtonIn early October 2012, the NRA sent itsfirst ever Gallery Rifle GB team to SouthAfrica. The South Africans had becomeinterested in Gallery Rifle (GR) three yearspreviously and had been sending teamsto compete at the Phoenix meeting;they were now ready to host their firstinternational GR match.The GB team consisted of Taff Wilcox(captain), Jim Smith (vice-captain), DaveHolt (adjutant), Steve Lamb, Mel Beardand Andy Summers. Jacky Lamb and Iaccompanied the team as individualcompetitors (which is a nicer term thanhangers-on).The weather in SA turned out to be a bitdifferent to what we were expecting. Weknew it would be warm, but apparentlymid-30s temperature plus near-zerohumidity are unusual for them at thistime of year. We spent the first few daysshooting precision events, “short” eventsand 1500 matches at a military range nearCenturion, a suburb of Pretoria.All in one: The GB team and guestsline up behind the SAHGCA’s Nic RoetsNational Rifle Association25

The various events produced a few‘situations’ for the GB shooters. Most of usoverheated to some degree and lots ofwater was poured over heads and downnecks. Some of our handloads turnedout to be off-spec (low powder) and onerifle ended up with a ruined barrel. MyRuger malfunctioned so badly on the firststage of my 1500 match that I pulled outwith only two shots fired. In the centrefireInternational match Taff put down thebest score on the range – all the way upto the last stage, where his gun jammedand forced him to withdraw with severalhundred points missing. Other guns alsodeveloped problems along the way – wesuspect the heat was affecting the gunsas well as their operators.Fortunately our hosts provided goodemergency gunsmithing support and mostproblems were fixed either by quick gunrepairs or gun loans. I shot my centrefireshort events with a borrowed gun andfactory ammunition – and put in a betterscore than I usually do at home with myown gun and carefully tuned handloads.Go figure.I’d never visited South Africa before andI’m glad I made the trip. The people madeus feel welcome – not just our SA HuntersIndividual resultsTaff WilcoxMel BeardSteve LambAndy SummersInternational results1st Multi-Target GRCF, 1st Multi-Target GRSB, 2nd 1500 GRCF, 2nd 25m PrecisionGRCF, 3rd 25m Precision GRSB, 3rd Timed & Precision 1 GRSB1st 50m Precision GRCF, 2nd Timed & Precision 1 GRSB2nd Multi-Target GRCF, 3rd 25m Precision GRCF3rd Multi-Target GRSBGRCF 1st South Africa 5912GRCF 2nd Great Britain 5900GRCF 3rd Germany 5871GRSB 1st South Africa 5811GRSB 2nd Great Britain 5809GRSB 3rd Germany 5770hosts but everyone we came across. Weworked as a team throughout the whole twoweeks and all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Ithink that, given the chance, any of us wouldgo back again when SA Hunters hosts its nextGR International – which will probably be in2014. I will certainly go back if I can. Whoknows – if I get some practice in (and fix mygun) I might actually be able to qualify forthe team next time.Full results, together with more photos, canbe found on www.galleryrifle.com.26 www.nra.org.uk

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Queen’sAll eyes on thePrizeAs ever the month-long Imperial Meeting is the highlight of a busy Bisley shootingcalendar. With the event just weeks away, we have all the information you need28 www.nra.org.uk

imperial | PreviewThis year’s Imperial Meeting willrun from Wednesday 26 June toSaturday 20 July starting with theService Rifle, Civilian Service Rifle andPractical Rifle events, followed by theSchools Meeting, Target Rifle events andending with HM The Queen’s Prize Finalon Final Saturday.The Imperial represents the pinnacleof target shooting in all its forms. Itattracts 14-year-old cadets new toour sport right up to, let’s say, someremarkably able senior shooters, with alllevels of experience and ability.Target Rifle, F Class andMatch RifleThe individual TR/MR and F Class entryforms may now be downloaded fromthe NRA website. However, online entryis easier, quicker and more accurateand will save a postage stamp. If youare able to enter the Imperial Meetingonline, please do so.A 10 per cent surcharge will applyfor entries to individual TR, MR and FClass events after 31 May with 25 percent extra payable after 30 June. It isunlikely that entries for any squaddedcompetition will be accepted after12pm the day before that competition.If you are new to target shooting andneed help with completing the entryform or advice about which eventsto enter, call the Shooting Divisionon ext 160. The ‘aunts and uncles’scheme is there to provide real supportfor inexperienced shooters duringthe Imperial, and in every shootingdiscipline there are plenty of people onhand to offer advice and guidance.You need only ask!Service RifleEntry forms for Service competitors maybe obtained from the NRA website orNRA offices and should be returned by24 June 2013. This year the NRA will runmatches 46 and 47 on one day only –Wednesday 26 June.The matches may be shotconcurrently during the various ServiceOperational Shooting Competitions(OSCs). However, with MoD use ofCentury Range becoming a premium,the NRA SR event offers an opportunityfor units to win some fabulous trophiesand medals, and also put in somevaluable practice on Century Range.Civilian Service Rifle/Practical Rifle/MethuenThe Civilian Service Rifle/Practical Rifle(CSR/PR) programme offers challengingcourses of fire for four classes: HistoricEnfield, Any Iron, Optic Service andOptic Practical.The Methuen match will be heldon Sunday 30 June on Century,immediately after the TA Queen’s Medalfinal. Teams of six compete in thisincreasingly popular event, which usedto be shot alongside the military and isbased on the ‘Army 100 Cup’.For a full description of these classesand other regulations specific to theCSR/PR discipline, please see the NRAHandbook (Bisley Bible) or contactShooting Division.Pistol and Gallery RifleEntry forms for the Pistol and GalleryRifle events can be found on the NRAwebsite and on the gallery rifle web site(www.galleryrifle.com).Entries for the Trophy matches onSaturday and Sunday and the GrandAggregates can also be made onlinevia (only) the Galleryrifle.com website(www.galleryrifle.com/imperial-pgr).The meeting will run from Wednesday10 July to Sunday 14 July. Unlimited entryevents will be running throughout themeeting with squadded trophy matchesrunning Saturday and Sunday only.For those not familiar with the meeting,it is renowned for offering an excellentmix of Gallery Rifle shooting disciplines,offering challenges not found anywhereelse for the iron sight aficionado. Trophymatches are iron sights only. Unlimitedsare any sights (scopes allowed) butthe Grand Aggregate, one nominatedcard in each event, is also restricted toiron sights. Choose when to shoot yournominated card with care.New for 2013 are High Possible Score(HPS) jewels, which can be claimed inaccordance with the criteria outlinedin the Bisley Bible and offer a chanceof recognition for that one-off card thatmay never be repeated.Overall – with very reasonably pricedentry fees and simple shooting challengesnot found at any other meeting – theP&GR is worth a visit this year.Imperial Historic ArmsMeeting – July 6-7This is a smaller version of the TrafalgarMeeting which is held later in the year.It’s an opportunity to bring historic andclassic guns and to compete ‘in thespirit of the original’.There are a wide variety of events onoffer on Melville, Century, Running Deerand Boar and Short Siberia.The entry form is available fordownload from the NRA websitetogether with general information fromthe historic and classics disciplinecommittee and the courses of fire andmatch conditions.There are some changes this yearin the programme: there are a fewmore events, and the dateline forpost-veteran firearms has now beenextended to 1960.The biggest change this year is thatthe meeting will be fully squadded inthe same way as the Trafalgar. Pressureon range space at the Imperial is everpresent and it is up to all the elementsof the Meeting to make the best use ofthe targets.Imperial DrawsCongratulations to the winners of thevarious draws for a cash prize or full orpartial entry fee refunds.The Early Entry Online Draw winner was:– David Morris £100The Early Entry Draw winners were:– 1st Prize: Ian Dampney100% refund of entry fee– 2nd Prize: Gary Bowman50% refund of entry fee– 3rd Prize: Anthony Fraser25% refund of entry feeNational Rifle Association29

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eport | MiscellaneousMatch reportsResults and reactions from target rifle competitions around the countryIbis Rifle Club Open MeetingBisley, 13 AprilBy Frank Harriss, Ibis SecretaryA good field of 41 turned out, depletedby some last-minute cancellations owingto school arrangements and motorwayblockages – or had they read the weatherforecast? Your correspondent found 300difficult, but then he usually does. Thingsseemed to get easier at 500, where therewere six possibles, but more difficult at 600,where the highest scores were two 49s. Theclear winner was Layne Chisholm from HighWycombe with 149.18, followed by SimonShouler from Langar RC with 146.17, countingout John Stirland from Club XXV.After lunch came the special Ibis longrangeshoot, at 1,000 and 1,100. As hasbeen remarked before, such shoots changeone’s long-range perspective, since 1,000becomes the easy range! As predicted, therain began during the first detail at 1,000yards but did not wait until the forecast 4pmto get heavier. It came from 7 o’clock, ademon angle for keeping one’s scorebookdry. By 1,100 yards, the rain was grimlypersistent and visibility was poor, causing anumber of the less intrepid souls to call it aday. The rain made it difficult for the markersto find the shot-holes on a soaking target. TheRCO David Stevens, assisted by Eddie Young,worked valiantly to relay the messages to thebutts and the replies to disconsolate firers, asthe shoots slowly proceeded.Of course, as usual in difficult conditions,some doughty firers came in with goodscores. Vivian Robertshaw from Leeds hada steady 46.1 at 1000 and a sterling 44.2at 1100 to finish on top with 90.3. LayneChisholm was just a point behind, 89.6, veryclosely chased by the Ibis chairman DavidSmith with 89.5. Mention must also be madeof the Ibis captain, Peter Griggs who camefourth with 86.6, made the hard way with45.4 at 1,100.There were four F/TR shooters, shooting atF-class targets, and John Chambers of theNRA won the Short, Long and Aggregatecompetitions. The prize for each was abottle of port, so we hope you are feelingwell when you read this, John! Tom Bond, anIbis member, came second at short range,while Louise, his wife and an Ibis committeemember, beat him into second place atlong range.The stats team of Peter Griggs and DavidSmith did a grand job of deciphering all thesoggy register cards, and Peter presented theprizes in the warm and dry of the clubroom.Layne Chisholm won the Aggregate Cupwith 238.24, followed by Stephen Maris fromSheffield and Peter Griggs. The under-19aggregate was hotly contested by a groupfrom Wellington College, but the winner wasLaura Kennedy from Nottingham City, beatingOscar Graziosi from Wellington. It shouldbe recorded that Laura also beat her olderbrother and her father!The prize for the under-19 aggregate was a£20 gift voucher from HPS Target Rifles, whichsponsors the meeting by supplying four ofthese vouchers as prizes. We are very gratefulfor this support.We still have room for more members andanyone needing details should consult thewebsite www.ibisrifleclub.co.uk.{ }In F Class, John Chambers won theShort, Long and Aggregate competitions.The prize for each was a bottle of portSouth Saxon CupSussex CRA, 24 MarchBy Tony de LaunayIt was certainly not the most welcomingof weather for the first Sussex match ofthe season, with the bitter east wind freshfrom the Russian steppes, and occasionalblasts of sleet dulling the picture. In fact thetemperature did not rise much – if at all –above zero all morning on Century Range.So for the dozen or so competitors whomade it to the firing-point it was a matter ofcontrolling the shivers enough to wobble itinto the middle.Hurstpierpoint’s Alan Fitch emergedas the winner, pipping Horsham’s MartinWoolger. Fitch was quick to acknowledgethe misfortune of Reg Roberts who had oneof his shots declared a ‘miss’ at 600 yardswhen he was heading for what would havebeen a winning score.At the County AGM after the match themembers of the association elected LesWicker as their new president to replace thelate Maurice Ayling. They also confirmedthe County’s decision to move to ‘supplyyour own’ ammunition in an attempt to offershooters a way of controlling their costs.13 and 14 AprilThe Sussex season continued with a narrowteam victory over Berkshire and Hertfordshirein a desperately close encounter. In blusteryconditions Sussex scored 865.89 to 863.79 byBerks and 862.80 by Herts to snatch victory. Inthe Sussex Astor heat, Hurstpierpoint on 589.39snatched the ‘go forward’ card from Horsham(588.48) by a single point with Hailsham third.For full results see pages 56-57.National Rifle Association31

CrossingThe National Clay Shooting Centrehas provided expert tuition formore than 100 years. Barry Desboroughurges members to try something differentthe divideAs part of the National Rifle Association, the National Clay ShootingCentre (NCSC) – also based on Bisley Camp – provides anexcellent place for the clay target shooter to develop andenhance their skills.Set against the backdrop of over 3,000 acres of unspoilt Surrey heathland,the superb layouts are equipped with 72 Mattarelli traps and offer impressivefacilities for clay shooters of all abilities. Many of the formal clay targetdisciplines are on offer, including:– English Skeet– Olympic Skeet– Olympic Trap– Down The Line– Automatic Ball Trap– Double Trap– Universal TrapAs well as catering for the more experienced shot, NCSC aims tointroduce novices into the shooting world with its dedicated training range.Here, beginners are treated to a variety of targets structured to suit theirindividual needs, with qualified instructors on hand for assistance.NRA members are invited to the next ‘Have a Go Day’ event at Bisley,to be held Sunday 21 July. The session will last two hours, and the £40ticket price includes 50 cartridges and clays per person as well as hearingprotection and gun hire. ■To book your place call: 01483 797666.Bisley Clubs' Easter Meeting31 March–2 AprilBy Tony de LaunayShooting does not get much colder than this. It seemedas though all the cold Easters of the 1970s had returned tochallenge those of a hardy – or foolhardy – disposition. Thebitter winds continued to blow, but at least snow and rainheld off for the first time in several weeks for the first majorrifle event of the year. At least the event resulted in hotcompetition, going down to the wire for a count-out on thehighest score at the longest range after David Crispin andDominic de Vere had finished on identical scores of 548and 70 centrals.Careful scrutiny of the outcome of the sixth and final shootat 1,000 yards revealed that Crispin had 72.6 and de Verehad 72.5. It was one central clincher that secured Crispinthe spoils. De Vere had to make himself content with finishingoff his packing, and catching the bus on which the Englandteam left that evening for the airport and South Africa. JohnPugsley took the third podium spot.Bisley BibleIn the latest edition ofthe NRA Handbook (alsoknown as the Bisley Bible)there are changes thatpertain to many areas ofNRA shooting and rangebehaviour. All changesof significance are listedin the foreword; the mostsignificant relate to suchsubjects as unload andinspection drills, rangesupervision, radio codemessages, dangerous ammunition, muzzle brakes andindiscriminate firing.You can also read all the changes by visiting www.nra.org.uk and clicking ‘Downloads’ then ‘NRA handbook’.Please read the changes, as they directly affect conducton the range.32 www.nra.org.uk

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eport | MiscellaneousShotgunWe round up the early season shotgun shoots from Shield’s Hardy match to the SAWThe Hardy practicalshotgun competitionShield Shooting Centre, Dorset, 9-10 MarchBy George GranycomeThe valley in which Shield ranges nestleshelters shooters from winds from alldirections except due north – and fromthe north it blew, a cutting draught withknives in it.This Hardy match had 10 stages, and allwere excellent. The slug stage in particularwas an interesting 20 rounds with 10 papertargets but a fearsome array of no-shoots.Provided the shooter did not permit theno-shoots to cloud his judgment, it wasactually easy and very exhilarating.Apart from the slug stage there werefour longer stages of about 18 rounds andfour shorter ‘speed shoot’ stages of abouteight rounds, which made for a nicelybalanced match.The key to a good shotgun stage is that itpresents a problem, or series of problems,to the shooter – perhaps there are two orthree different ways to shoot it. On one stagethere was the opportunity of some longshots, and if you were confident of your aimand the knock-down capability of your gun/choke/cartridge combination, you couldcut corners and go faster than shooters wholacked that confidence or knowledge.For the light-on-their-feet there was astage where the shooter had to move downrange,stepping from tyre to tyre withouttouching the ground, shooting targets fromatop them. It was not so bad shooting fromthis position, but reloading caught me out.There was a longer stage where at one pointyou had to squeeze into a tight space toshoot targets. The better shooters plannedtheir shooting to finish in the tight spacealthough that did not at first appear thebest way to shoot it. The speed shoots werebrilliant – eight targets in a row, shoot ’emfast!Another of the speed shoots entailedshooting down a steel pepper popper,which activated shutters that fell away toreveal static clays. There were nine targets inall, and standard division shooters begin withnine in the gun. Should you load an extraone to be sure? I planned to shoot it to theempty gun, missed one and had to reload –a mini-disaster, but nothing ventured, nothinggained. Especially for me, an ex-matelot,there was a stage shot through a porthole.You stood in front of it with your empty gunlaid on the deck, had to pick up your gun,load, open the porthole, and shoot a varietyof targets through it.The Hardy now counts as the first matchof the Four Islands season. F4i runs ashotgun ‘league’ aimed at encouragingclubs to put on competitions shot inaccordance with their own rules, safetyprocedures and range orders, with nooverbearing interference. At the end of theyear the results are calculated to producechampions of the various divisions, and theoverall position of every shooter. For moreinformation visit www.four4islands.org.National Rifle Association35

Andy Newman MemorialCompetitionMisholt Copse, 21 AprilBy George GranycomeRomsey Shooting Club holds competitiveshoots every month – most at their homerange at Misholt Copse. It is a wonderfulplace for practical shotgun because, withcareful selection of safety angles, severalstages can be safely shot simultaneouslywithout the need to build tyre or earth walls.The Andy Newman Memorial Competitionis shot in memory and tribute to Andy, whodied in January. He would have shot thematch with his usual skill and aplomb. LindaNewman presented an elegant trophy tothe overall winner Mike Darby, which will beplaced on permanent display in the OldSergeant’s Mess at Bisley.The first stage had the shooter seated on alarge cable reel, like a circular table, with theircartridge belt beside them and their emptygun several yards away in front of the targets.Shooters had to grab their ammo, loadtheir gun, and hit eight plates. It was easy tofumble the load, and there were a couple oftight no-shoots. Stage two saw mini-poppersand a static clay on a high post. Some hadto be shot at long range – the stage was notas easy as it looked. Next, three steel plateshanging on chains. You had to shoot themthree times, each run timed and scoredseparately. I wish I had been as quick on thefirst run as I was on the last.Stage four was a long course of 24 steeltargets – not for the unfit. There followed acourse of eight plates, a nothing-special blag,followed by ‘Zigzag’ – 14 steel plates andfive static clays. It was a long, physical stage.The clays could be shot up close, which,perversely, makes them easy to miss. Stageseven was an eight-plate speed shoot likestage five but with some subtle differences.Stage eight featured 21 steel plate targets,and was shot with buckshot. Buck has longerrange and more knock-down power, is moreexpensive, and the recoil is heavier. Stagenine was of 15 shots through two apertures.The competitor had to position himself andshoot through the apertures at awkwardangles, which suited the elfin but not me!There were a huge number of entries – 70for a one-day competition, and they werestill turning people away. It may be the firstindication of practical shotgun taking off inthis country after being in the doldrums formany years, and I would personally like tothank Romsey Shooting Club.SAW 2013 Target ShotgunreportBy James Harris, NRA Target Shotgun rep(targetshotgun@nra.org.uk)Snow! Well at least Short Siberia was aptlynamed, in terms of both distance to targetsand weather conditions. The Spring ActionWeekend is the first time each year for manyshooters that the solid slug is dug out fromthe gun box and lugged to the range. Thisyear’s SAW was another first, with the recentlyapproved first edition of the Target Shotgunrules used for the first time in competition.It is a pity the same could not be said ofthe target mechanisms that have taken abattering over the years and gave up the willto work in the afternoon. Praise to the NSCteam for turning out promptly to repair them,but the rain and cold weather had put thekybosh on the electrics, so we continued withonly half the target bank working.For those familiar with the GR&P eventsTP1 and MT, the matches will hold no fearas they are exactly the same except theholes are generally 0.725in rather than.38. The NRA Embassy Cup is different as itrequires the competitor to not only reloadduring the 20-second exposure time but tochange positions as well; prone, kneelingor sitting as specified; something that isbest performed while wearing waterproofslest sogginess prevail for the rest of the day.There were a few high but not quite highenough scores from the 50+ entries butno possibles this time. Who knows what thePhoenix will bring? Sunshine hopefully.Speaking of the Phoenix, we lookedforward to its eight shotgun events countingtowards a Grandmaster Medal – if there everwas a time to dig out the trusty pigeon gunfrom the back of the cupboard, this was it.36 www.nra.org.uk

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kit | PowdersPowderprioritiesReloaders, rejoice – Laurie Holland has thelow-down on a number of new powdersfrom America and EuropeThere is a shortage of US-sourcedhandloading components, owingto panic buying and hoarding. Thishas led to desperate enquiries about theavailability of stock, as well as suggestionsabout substitutions.Nevertheless, I’ll delve into a quartetof ‘American’ powders (the nationality inquotes as only one is made in the USA):Hodgdon’s CFE223 and IMR-8208 XBR;double base extruded Reloder 17 and AR-Comp from Alliant ATK. The Alliant productsare of European origin, Switzerland(Nitro-Chemie AG) and Sweden (Bofors)respectively. IMR-8208 XBR (or XBR, as it’scalled by most retailers) is a single baseextruded propellant made in Australia. Only‘spherical’ CFE223 is made in the USA, bythe St. Marks Powder Co.New technologyReloder 17 is a groundbreaking propellantas the chemicals that control its burningrate are not externally applied at a latestage in the manufacturing process,instead infused throughout the propellantmix using some special, secret process. Itwas originally developed for the venerableSwiss GP31 7.5x55mm ball cartridge, and isstill used by the Swiss military in its machineguns. It’s a dense double-base typewhose burning rate is close to Viht N550and the various 4350s. It provides superbperformance and high MVs in manymid-size to large cartridges, in particularthe new short magnums and mediumcapacity 6mm numbers, including 6mmDasher, 6-6.5x47mm Lapua and the6XC Tubb. It also works well in .308 Winheavy bullet (200-230 grain) match loads,especially if used in Lapua’s new Palma(small primer) brass. Unfortunately, thereare no free lunches in internal ballistics,and it has acquired a reputation as abarrel-burner.XBR is reportedly Hodgdon’s mosttemperature-tolerant powder, more sothan its justly renowned VarGet, and wasoriginally developed for military use. It’sslightly slower burning than H4895, andlikely started out as H4895 before beingmodified in some way. That makes it aflexible number – I particularly like it in .308Win for long range 155-grain match loads.The CFE part of Hodgdon CFE223 is anabbreviation of Copper Fouling Eraser,another military-inspired innovation, whichreduces the build up of metallic barrelfouling. It incorporates an ingredientthat seals the microscopic barrel poresand stops bullet jacket material beingdeposited. Hornady uses it in its .204Ruger factory ammo, thereby avoidingthe coppering problems that destroyedthe earlier generation high-velocity microcalibre .17 Remington’s reputation. CFE’sburning rate is close to H4895, H335, andBL-C(2). This makes it useful in a largenumber of small to mid-size cartridges,including .223 Rem, with mid-weight andheavier bullets, and .308 Win, which hasload data that promises very high MVs.AR-Comp starts out as Boforsmanufactured,double base extrudedReloder 15 before undergoing treatmentto make it temperature tolerant – whichit successfully does, also making itsburning rate slightly slower. I’d love to tryit in .223 Rem with 90-grain VLDs whereits Re15 base performs well, and it’ll havea huge range of other mid-size cartridgeapplications. Derek Edgar of importerEdgar Brothers says it’s unlikely we’ll seeNational Rifle Association39

Lovex loads data are available in printedform from Westlander, and online at www.explosia.cz.{ }Reloder 17 works well in 200-230grain match loads. Unfortunately, it hasacquired a reputation as a barrel-burnerit, however. Alliant ATK markets AR-Compprimarily to US Service Rifle shooters, henceits name, and probably won’t botherhaving it CE certified for European sales.Czech-MateFew British handloaders know aboutCzech powders, but they’ve long been onsale (originally as Accurate Arms, now asLovex). Made by Explosia in the country’sSemtin industrial region (presumably where‘Semtex’ explosives originate), there are14 rifle and pistol grades in single-baseextruded or double-base ball formulations.I’ve used the rifle powders in the pastand reported on their usually excellentperformance, so won’t go there again.But I do want to mention two recentintroductions: single-base extruded SO62and SO65, the former previously known,often still sold, as Accurate Arms-4064.This is a copy of the venerable AmericanIMR-4064, one of the most useful mediumcartridge powders ever produced. So far,I’ve had excellent results with it in 7.62x54Rwith 174-grain bullets and .308 Win with155-175 grainers. The Lovex ReloadingGuide 2012 lists SO65 with an identicalburning speed to VarGet, which gotpeople excited, especially with the latterin desperately short supply. However,Lovex powders have been around for awhile, but S065 is a recent introductionlooking at the loads data and trying it ina couple of cartridges suggests it’s slightlyslower burning, and a bit bulkier too. Thecombination of these features restrictsthe performance that can be extractedfrom capacity-limited cartridges, including.308 Win, especially when loading heavierbullets to standard COALs. Nevertheless, it’llbe a useful powder in many applications.Lovex powders are imported anddistributed by Westlander Limited (www.westlander.co.uk), and on sale at the NRArange office.Testing TR140 with Berger 77-grain BTsgave near-identical groups to N140Budget consciousFor those on tight budgets, a small suppliercalled Commonside Firearms importsand packages two Swiss-manufacturedpowders: TR140 and Elcho 17. TR standsfor ‘target rifle,’ and 140 refers to VihtavuoriN140 – the newcomer having beenapparently formulated to provide close, ifnot identical, characteristics to the Finnishproduct (both fine-grained, single-baseextruded types). I tested it against genuineN140 in .223 Rem (Berger 77-grain) and.308 Win (155-grain Sierra MK) using identicalcharge weight ranges, brass and primersfired in a single session in the same rifles.MVs and performance were so closeas to be indistinguishable in these twocombinations. There are no published loadsdata, the advice being to use N140’s andworking up carefully from its recommendedstarting loads. Elcho 17 is double-baseAlliant Re17 obtained direct from the originalmanufacturer, and the latter’s loads dataapply. Why use either? £55 per kg (£25/lb)RRP is an excellent persuader. A growingnumber of retailers stock them and therehas been coverage of TR140 loads andavailability on internet shooting forums.There are more new powders, includingHenry Krank’s nine-product Ramshot range,which I’ve found impressive even in limitedtesting. I hope to cover them separately. ■40 www.nra.org.uk

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PRODUCTS | New kitStay on targetAs the competition season approaches its peak, why not let yourself be tempted bythis selection of new products and accessories to refresh your shooting set-up?Gun BossHolding everything needed to give your firearm a propercleaning treatment, the Gun Boss is compact, weatherproof andcomprehensive. It’ll work on anything from .17 to .45 calibre firearmsand even 20- and 12-bore shotguns,with slotted connectors andbrushes constructed of strongaluminium that won’t damagethe finish on your gun. Addto this a flexible cleaning rod,T-handled cleaning kit, 30 thickcotton cleaning patches, brassbrushes and a 0.5oz bottle forstoring cleaning solvent, andyou have a gun care set-upthat doesn’t miss a thing.Price: £52Viking Arms 01423 780810www.vikingarms.comFalcon shootingglassesIt may not be as common onthe rifle range as it is on the clayground, but shooting eyewear isgaining in popularity as shooters realise itcan boost your performance as well as protectingyou. The Falcon shooting glasses boast a wide field of viewand a comfortable, light design that is suitable for prolongeduse, not to mention three easily interchangeable shield lenstints – HD, medium yellow and dark purple – which you canswitch to match shooting conditions and maximise visibility.Lenses are constructed from NexPC, a material that is five timesmore impact resistant than standard polycarbonate. It’s a newaddition to the range of distributor York Guns, so look out for it inshops soon.Price: £320York Guns 01904 487180 www.yorkguns.comHoward Leight Impact SportsWhereas many products provide safe hearing from noises above 85 decibels, these Impact Sports EarDefenders from Howard Leight opt to leave nothing to chance by imposing even tighter restrictions. Thisproduct reduces ambient sounds to a meditative 82 decibels, which effectively blocks outany hazardous noise and keeps you blissfully silent.Price: £100Edgar Brothers 01625 613177 www.edgarbrothers.comSupreme Pro-XActive hearing protection opens up a whole new world of soundreduction, far from the restrictive choice between ‘loud noise’and ‘no noise at all’. Take MSA Sordin’s SupremePro-X Earmuffs, which allow you to adjustthe volume of your surroundings. They letthrough ambient sound but block outpotentially harmful gunshot noise. On topof this, they are waterproof – ideal forthose typical British summers that we’ll bespending out at the firing point.Price: £185Alan Rhone 01978 660001 www.alanrhone.comRamshot powderFor reloaders of all walks, Ramshot manufactures awide range of powders that are double-based, sphericalshapedand smokeless. Available from the USA through HenryKrank, the five rifle and three handgun powders boast high levels ofconsistency and, as a result, accuracy. They’re newly manufactured,not military surplus, and available in different strands for all usesincluding long-range target shooting. Straightforward loading data isprovided in the Ramshot Reloading Guide on Ramshot’s and HenryKrank’s websites.Price: £32.50 for 454g bottleHenry Krank 01132 569163 www.henrykrank.comNational Rifle Association45

AIM range matYou don’t want to be caught out in the wet weather we’re now used to seeingacross the Target Rifle season, so if you’re looking to replace that battered oldshooting mat, consider the Aim mat, a comprehensive and robust option. Themat is 100 per cent waterproof, stable enough that you can use a backreston it, rubberised on the underside, and easily stored. It also boasts a couple ofhandy, target shooting-oriented additions, such as a clear scorecard pocketand webbing loops to allow you to tie it down in the wind. It’s available in tan(pictured) and Lincoln green.Price: £89Aim Field Sports 01606 860678www.aimfieldsports.comSwarovski ATX and STXIf you’re thinking about speccing-up your spotter, you can’t go wrong withthe Swarovski ATX and STX modular scopes, which allow you to changethe objective lens as well as the eyepiece module. This results in sixinterchangeable specifications from one model. A top-end brand, they’remore than effective for all uses – mark your shots at 1,000 yards one day andtake it out to observe wildlife the next.Price: Eyepiece £1,570, objective modules from £640Swarovski 01737 856812 www.swarovskioptik.co.ukPorta-Aim and Steady-AimVanguard has two new rests that could see a variety of uses from benchrest shooting totesting new loads. The Porta-Aim is a flexible shooting support with 360-degree swivel function.The Steady-Aim is more specifically for zeroing and other dedicated range work, with aheavy-duty steel construction as well as precise micro-elevation adjustment and anti-sliprubber feet. They’re both heading into retailers now through Viking Arms.Price: Porta-Aim £79, Steady-Aim £119Viking Arms 01423 780810 www.vikingarms.co.ukKestrel weather meterThe popular Kestrel has had an overhaul to make it even more targeted to the shootingmarket: it now boasts the Applied Ballistics function, which can calculate accuratepoints of aim out to long ranges. It draws on the Litz library of ballistic coefficientsfor more than 225 bullets, and as with previous models it takes a whole host ofenvironmental conditions into account too. You can also transfer your shooting datadirectly to a computer via Bluetooth – perfect for serious range work.Price: £654RPR 01590 679755 www.r-p-r.co.uk46 www.nra.org.uk

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General Notices2015 Gb world championship TeamI am privileged to have been invited by the NRA to captain theGreat Britain Target Rifle Team to contest the next Long Range WorldChampionships, the Palma. The match will take place at Camp Perryin the United States in August 2015 and I expect the tour to take justunder three weeks.I am delighted to announce that Nigel Ball and Toby Raincockhave acceptedmy invitations toNRA Generalbe vice-captainand adjutantCouncil Elections respectively. I intendto take the strongestChairmanteam possibleDr Robin Pizer has been re-electedand I now inviteunopposedapplications to jointhe training squadCommittee Membersfrom which the restThe following have been elected to theMembership Committee unopposed:J MillerWDC WilcoxBoard of TrusteesThe following have been appointed to theBoard of Trustees unopposed:G AlexanderB MorganBisley General MeetingThe 2013 Bisley General Meeting will beheld on Wednesday 17 July at 9pm in theUmbrella Tent.Team CaptainciesNominations are invited for Captains of thefollowing teams:– Great Britain Kolapore Match 2014– NRA Team to the Channel Islands 2015Nominations in writing, signed by threeproposers all of whom must be full annual orlife members of the NRA, must be receivedby the Secretary General not later than 5pmon 31 AugustNominations to be sent to:Georgina.Thatcher@nra.org.uk2014 GB RifleTeam to CanadaI am honoured to have been asked by NRACouncil to captain the Great Britain RifleTeam to Canada in 2014. I am delightedthat Jane Messer and Martin Whicherhave agreed to be my vice-captain andadjutant, respectively.The tour will take place in August of nextyear and should last two to three weeks. Aswell as the Commonwealth and CanadaMatches, there will be an America Matchheld at Connaught. We will also attend aset of warm-up shoots, with a provincialmeeting or Camp Perry being possibilities.Details will be e-mailed in due course.Applications will be welcome equallyfrom prospective caps of all ages andfrom more seasoned GB team members.Applications are also encouraged fromthose who aspire to a position on thePalma squad, whose captain will look atperformances on this tour.to the USAof the team will be selected. I intend to hold a number of training/trialsweekends this autumn and in 2014 before selecting the team.I should like to encourage those who might not consider themselvesready for the full Palma team but who are eligible for and consideringapplying for the Under 25 team to contact me also. I intend to invitethe Captain of the Under 25 team (soon to be appointed) to train theirteam alongside the main Palma squad, and hope to run some jointtraining weekends this autumn.If you wish to apply or have any questions, please contact meby email to janepalma2015@gmail.com or by letter c/o the NorthLondon Rifle Club, Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey, GU24ONY, by 20 June 2013 at the latest and earlier if possible.Jane Messer, Captain, GB Palma Team 2015Please submit your application, includingevidence of your team shooting (or windcoaching) ability as well as individualachievements, in writing c/o NLRC orby e-mail to mjjcharlton@gmail.com,no later than Final Saturday of the 2013Imperial Meeting. If you are not yet knownto me, please take the opportunity tointroduce yourself to me by that date.The team should be selected by thisautumn, and team members shouldexpect to attend training weekendsnext spring, to help out with corporatedays and ideally to help raise funds todefray the costs of the tour. I intend totake a team to Canada that will performstrongly, develop its members’ skills, enjoyitself and represent the NRA and GreatBritain well.Matthew CharltonCaptain, GB Rifle Team 201448 www.nra.org.uk

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ObituariesWalter Magnay1 November 1919 –26 March 2013Walter Magnay was the last of the great rifle shooters whoemerged in the years just before the war. He was one of thedistinctive characters among the Bisley-based “tigers” whotopped the prize lists from the 1950s to the 1980s, and hewas one of the finest shots ever to represent England andGreat Britain. He was a respected ambassador for the sport,fostering goodwill and humour among the opposition. Hetoured Australia, Canada (five times), the Channel Islands, NewZealand, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland as a member ofBritish and other UK teams.He won the Lt Governor’s Prize at Montreal, Quebec,in 1950, followed by the New Zealand Queen’s Prize andBallinger Belt in 1974, and the Queen’s Prize at Bisley in 1976.In a shooting career spanning from 1947 to 1995 he won51 caps for England, and 17 for Great Britain during theannual Bisley Imperial Meeting, together with a host of otherindividual honours.Younger shooters would often see Magnay, Robin Fulton, Larryand Jean Orpen-Smellie and their illustrious shooting friendsgathered at the back of the firing point in the setting July sunat the annual Bisley international matches, after shooting hadfinished for the day.They were gathered for the evening ceremony of swappinghard or good luck stories on their day’s fortunes, washed downby the inevitable pink gins. It was a sight that brought a degreeof reassurance to hurried competitors, and the knowledge thatthere was time for relaxation among sportsmen and women in ahectic world.Magnay’s victory in the Queen’s Prize in 1976 came after athree-way tie shoot with Libby Felton of Australia, and his friendTed Molyneux. Molyneux recalled Magnay’s advice on tieshoots: get your shots off quickly so as to disconcert the othercompetitors.50 www.nra.org.uk

obituariesIn a fitful breeze Molyneux did just that, but failed to find thebullseye with his first two shots. He looked across at Magnay tosee him with a sizeable grin.“I could have throttled him,” said Molyneux, who joined doubleQueen’s Prize winners Keith Pilcher, George Twine and GeorgeArnold to carry the winner’s chair from the firing point.To the younger generation in the 1960s and 1970s, the eliteof the fullbore rifle shooting world, holding court on the verandasof the Bisley Clubs in the early evening, could seem a forbiddingcrowd. Not so Magnay, a man of round-faced charm with aperpetual smile that easily turned into a guffaw of laughter. Hehad an unfailing ability to pay attention to the queries of youth.He delighted in sharing his experiences with those wanting tolearn the ways of the sport and to improve their skills.One young shot of the time recalled Magnay’s disapprovalof long hair. Flowing locks and extravagant sideburns hadcost the youth a place on Magnay’s 1969 British WorldChampionship team to Canada. Having won the Governor-General’s Prize the previous year at Ottawa, the young shooterdeterminedly travelled again, as a privateer, appearing inOttawa at the British team’s base with something approachinga haircut, to ask permission to use their facilities. “Yes,” wasMagnay’s answer, and “While you are here would you liketo join the team: we are one short as one of our numbersuccumbed to flight-phobia and did not get on the plane.” Theyouth turned in some of the tour’s top scores.Walter Humphrey Magnay was born in 1919. His father ownedGuildford Sheet Metal Works. Educated at the Royal GrammarSchool, Guildford, where he learnt to shoot, he left school in1935 to join the family firm. In 1938, as the storm clouds brewedover Europe, he enlisted with 318 Royal Engineers (Territorial Army)Anti-Aircraft Company at Guildford.He was mobilised for two weeks’ training at Abinger Hatchvillage hall and, after postings to searchlight and anti-aircraftand transport units within Britain, he obtained a commissionin December 1942. The following January he married Joyce,and in February sailed for the Mediterranean. However, his shipended up in Durban via a stopover in Freetown. From thereorders led him by train and motor transport to Kenya.Directed to carry out an inspection of motor transport vehiclesof East Africa Command, he, a staff sergeant and 10 other rankscirculated through Abyssinia, Sudan, Tanganyika, Nyasaland andNorthern Rhodesia, ensuring all types of lorries and trucks werebeing kept in good order.While there he organised his workshop African troops to takepart in the Eastern Command rifle meeting. They won the “FallingPlates” and his African regimental sergeant-major won theindividual African championship, while he won the Europeanchampionship, all to the chagrin of the King’s African Rifles.After a spell in Nairobi, during which he brought cheer to thetroops by organising visits by Queen Alexandra nursing staffand vehicle-testing safaris to bag animals for the pot, he wasposted to 11 East African Division, SE Asia Command. Jungletraining in Colombo prefaced support action near Imphal.He recalled the bloody sights of recent battle areas and theconstruction of the longest Bailey bridge over the ChindwinRiver at Kalewa, for the British 2nd Division to cross in pursuit ofretreating Japanese. He was promoted to major in 1945 just asthe planned amphibious landing to recapture Rangoon wascalled off after the Japanese surrender.He returned home in 1946 after delays to write engineeringreports on the Burma campaign, allowing him a roundaboutjourney via Khartoum and the Valley of the Kings, Cairo,Alexandria, Toulon via Malta and, finally, train to Dieppe. Herejoined the family business, where wartime contracts for militaryand civil equipment were at an end. He set about finding newwork in the private sector, concentrating on sheet metal workfabrication, car body repairs and vehicle repainting. The firmquickly established a reputation with components for Duplecoaches and bodywork for D-Type Jaguars. Motor traders cameto know that repairs and repainting would be done to the higheststandards, contributing to the firm’s move to Peasmarsh nearGodalming to allow expansion for installation of the latest in hotspraybooth facilities.Magnay retired from the family business in 1986 and movedto the Isle of Man. There he was able to indulge his love ofsailing, having been tutored in dinghy sailing in the postwaryears by his old shooting friend Tom Debenham. He had manyadventurous trips out into the Irish Sea in what he describedas his “gentleman’s” Fairey Huntsman 28 cruiser, returning wetthrough but with his smile intact.Never one to remain idle, he represented the Isle of Man atsmallbore and fullbore shooting from 1986 to 1992. He wonits fullbore championship in 1989 and captained it to victoryin the Junior Mackinnon long-range match at Bisley in 1992.He returned to the mainland in 2006 to live in Locks Heath,Hampshire, near the River Hamble.Magnay is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joyce, and theirtwo sons.Reproduced here by kind permission of Times NewspapersNational Rifle Association51

Martin Workman3 August 1936 –24 February 2013A great supporter of Gloucestershire shooting passed awaysuddenly in February. Martin Workman from Dursley was one ofthose people you could always count on as being there to dothings for a club, to help out with a team in a match or to provideindividual advice and encouragement. He was the kind of personwho simply kept things going.I admired his efforts especially as he had suffered healthproblems in more recent years. A particular event stuck with me –and indeed, although he never knew it, caused me to use Martinas an example when trying to describe the essence of fullboretarget rifle shooting to visitors to Bisley who would comment on thedifficulties of dealing with wind and weather.Martin may have been surprised that I remembered somethingthat happened back in 1976, but in that year he won both theCorporation and Monday Aggregate. No mean achievement butremarkable for the manner in which it was done.At that time he shared a rifle with his brother Chris and, owing toa small early morning misunderstanding on where the sights hadbeen set, Martin went off to shoot at 1,000 yards with a 900-yardIvan Seach-Allen1938 – 2013Pistol shot, pilot, property developer: Ivan’s interests and talentstouched many peoples’ lives, in various fields, but his modesty andprivate nature meant few of his friends knew the whole picture.Only fragments are known of his early life, although some yearswere spent in Central Africa, where his early shooting skills werelearnt. Later, and as a strict vegetarian, he would always declineinvitations to shoot game, explaining: “I only shoot at things that areshooting back at me.” Very recently, he divulged that, “a very badplace to be shot at is on a metal railway bridge, because there isabsolutely no cover.”He was a member of Marylebone Rifle and Pistol Club from the1960s, and later joined the NRA, British Pistol Club and the SurreyRifle Association, which he served as a successful chairman. Hejoined the Wandsworth Fullbore Rifle Club, initially to tour Australia onits 1988 Bicentennial Team, and later on its visit to Caylus, south-westFrance, where his skill with all firearms was deployed to spectaculareffect.In 1997, he was persuaded to send his pistols to Belgium ratherthan hand them in to the police for destruction. Later, he movedthem to Switzerland, joining the British Alpine Rifles. It was here thathis pistol shooting talent blossomed again, and where his gift forpatiently teaching and enthusing others was generously shared. Thisgift for teaching displayed itself in another area: helicopter flying.He was one of the few UK instructors authorised to certify pilots foroperating twin-engined machines in the US.setting. Perhaps unsurprisingly he missed with both his sighters buthe realised the error, carried on, scored 50, scored highly in theextra tie shots used at the time and came out on top.I thus use a phrase that characterised him in that competitionand that might be a motto for many a fullbore target shooter:‘Never give up’.He didn’t then, and he didn't in later years when afflicted withGuillain-Barre syndrome, which left him seriously ill and with somedifficulties in mobility. He would not miss a trip to Bisley and theImperial meeting, however, even if he was not shooting. In anytype of weather he would be keen to make his way across therange to support Dursley Club or Gloucestershire County teamsand to enjoy the company of those he knew at Bisley.He will be sadly missed. He was a real help to us all andone of those people who make it a pleasure to be part ofthe target shooting sport. He took pleasure from a longawaitedGloucestershire success in the county Short RangeChampionship Junior event in 2012 – a first ever victory – andwas pleased to see how the young shooters he helped gotestablished in the sport.His well-attended funeral service at Dursley on 15 March caughtthe sense of how he helped people in spite of difficulties. He willindeed be missed by many in the sport as well as his family.John DeaneAnother hobby of Ivan’s was handicap air racing, winning mostof the cups made famous by aces of the 1930s, including, in2002, the world-famous Schneider Trophy, the replica of whichhe is pictured with. Typically, his modesty scuppered an attemptby his friends to get the magnificent trophy to Bisley for displayduring the Imperial.Finally, he was a skilled and successful property developer. Asa member of an early syndicate trying to launch the Hogleas Hallbuilding at Bisley, he took part in the fraught negotiations to acquirethe site, maintaining his impeccable manners throughout. He wasinstrumental in the decision to convert the existing building, ratherthan demolish and rebuild.His friends across the shooting disciplines will miss him. We extendour sympathies to his beloved wife, Shilloo. I.R.M.B.52 www.nra.org.uk

obituariesNorman BartonDecember 1926 –February 2013Norman Barton was born in 1926 on the Isle of Wight to a familythat can be traced back to the 1500s.During the Second World War he served as a home guardmessenger boy and well remembered the bombing of Cowesin May 1942. He started a five-year apprenticeship in the shipdrawing office at J.S. White’s Shipyard at Cowes in 1943. Fromthe 1950s Norman shot with the Newport and District Rifle Club,at the indoor range at Newport and at the outdoor range atNewtown Creek. He participated in summer visits by the club toBisley. In 1964 the shipyard closed and Norman and his familymoved to Brookwood, so he could commute to London to hisnew job as the Greater London Council's navalarchitect. The proximity to Bisley was obviouslyalso a strong influence on his move.In addition to work connected with theWoolwich ferries and the fleet of sludge vessels,he found time to shoot at the basement rangeat County Hall. Norman was a member of theFarnham Rifle Club since the 1960s and wasclub secretary from April 1981 until 2012, agrand total of 31 years. Members recall him as ahelpful person and welcoming to new members.He was also regarded as a good wind judgeparticularly at long range – experience gainedover many years shooting.One of his most satisfying achievements wasto reach the final of the Queen’s Prize in 1978.To do so he used one of the first South AfricanMusgrave rifles to have been imported into thecountry. He joined the Crown Agents in the 1970s, rising to bein charge of the marine department, which entailed overseastrips to places as diverse as Brunei and Tanzania. Normanretired from this role in 1984 and became the NRA armoureruntil 1987. He then looked after the NRA trophies exhibition for acouple of years.In 1988 he participated in the RAF Target Rifle Club goodwillteam to the bicentennial tour to Australia, combining this witha four-month tour with his beloved wife Audrey. Norman alwaysenjoyed visiting Bisley and continued to shoot with Farnham RCuntil early 2012, and he watched his final Queen’s Prize final inJuly last year.Unfortunately, increasing frailness and illness meant he movedto a local nursing home in October 2012 where he subsequentlydied on 20 February this year, having bravely battled prostatecancer. He will be missed by many shooters at Bisley.Anthony Ellis1942 – 2012Tony Ellis and I joined Leek Rifle & Pistol Club in 1972. The clubwas founded as a Home Guard Training Centre in the early1940s and all the shooting was in a cement blockhouse inAlma Street in Leek.Tony joined as a police officer member and wasinstrumental in helping to plan and build what is now The LeekShooting Centre at Blackshaw Moor on the Buxton Road, threemiles outside the town of Leek. It has a clubhouse, indoor25-metre range, and outdoor 25-, 50- and 100-yard ranges.This enables us to shoot everything from air pistol, air rifle up tofullbore rifle.Tony was not only a Police Master Pistol Shot but an excellentsmall-bore and fullbore enthusiast. He trained the StaffordshirePolice Armed Response Group and the Riot Squad andwas Police Sniper trained. After he retired with the rank ofInspector he was invited back to take part in the Police AthleticAssociation Full Bore Bisley Competition in 2003, winning it witha score of 149.23 out of a possible 150.He was a leading influence in inter-club co-operation,and our outdoor range at Thorpe Village in the Peak Districtis shared with several clubs from Derbyshire and Notts. Toshare meetings, competitions and real friendships with theMansfield and Derwent Clubs has led to great relationships.Several years ago the Derwent and Leek fullbore sections wereamalgamated under Leek’s banner.At various periods, Tony was team captain, competitionsecretary, chairman and president of the club. He had moreinfluence for the good of every member than anyone else Iknow of. He was respected as the best type of police officer,companion, friend and sportsman with a sense of humour thatwas never far away. He is sorely missed.Vic SmithNational Rifle Association53

wRalph Kingston4 May 1926 – 21 March 2013Ralph Kingston leaves Catherine, his wife of 62 years, threesons and six grandchildren. He was always proud andsupportive of the family, though we suspect there was justthe slightest of regrets that none of his sons had followed himinto shooting.His early years were spent in North Yorkshire and Surrey. Hejoined the Royal Navy during World War II and was on HMSArgonaut at the D-Day landings, and later as part of the BritishPacific Fleet. He stayed in the navy after the war and I believeit was during this time his interest in shooting began – the firstevidence I have come across is in the form of team photosfrom the mid-1950s.After leaving the navy in 1966, he worked for the JohnLewis Partnership in and around London. The family movedto Berkshire to enable that daily commute. However,being within easy distance of Bisley was also a factor inthe choice of location. Later he moved successfully intofinancial planning. Again shooting was a factor, as beingself-employed allowed him the time to undertake a numberof trips with GB teams around the world, as well as attendingmeetings around the country.I, as one of those three sons who did not follow him intoshooting, am not in the best position to describe his shootingachievements. Now, as I sit in his study and look aroundme, I see some of the evidence of his shooting career andsuccesses. There are cups, medals, tankards, badges, spoons,team and individual photographs. Great Britain Rifle Team tourphotos contain a number from trips to Canada between 1978and 1988. He was captain for the last of these. There were alsotrips to the West Indies, Australia, Channel Islands and more.There are team photographs for the England team at theMackinnon Match for a number of years as well as group andindividual photos – formal and informal.My personal memories of his shooting include the winning ofa national trophy in a close finish with Lord Swansea but thenbeing unable to raise himself from a prone position as his backhad “gone” – again! I remember his pride when he did makeit into the last 100 of the Queen’s Prize. I recall one particulartrophy – a Berkshire stag – being a fairly frequent resident atthe house for a number of years.He was always a private man. It was said that he didnot speak just to fill a silence but only when he felt he hadsomething he wanted to say. He was always competitive in hisshooting. He chose to retire from participating when he felt hewas not able to continue to the standard he had set himself,.but he always retained his interest in the sport.If there are friends who would like to share their thoughtsand memories of my father, the family would be delighted toreceive them.John KingstonMichael Charles PuttockMichael Charles Puttock was a life member of the NRA and shotfor many years at Bisley, at one time being captain of the Londonand Middlesex and acting as a wind coach for Middlesex.He won numerous medals and was in the Queen’s Hundredseveral times, his best result being twelfth. He was also in the BritishTeam to the Channel Islands in 1974 and to Canada in 1978.Although ill health prevented his visits to Bisley for some time,his shooting gave him great pleasure for many years and I hopesome people will remember him still.Michael died on 13 March after a long battle with lung cancerat the age of 83. He leaves me, two sons, a daughter and twogranddaughters.Deirdre PuttockYou can submit obituaries, event reports,news and notices to the editorial team on:craign@blazepublishing.co.uk54 www.nra.org.uk

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ResultsPhoenix Meeting 24-27 May (selected resULTs –for full resULTs please visit www.nra.org.uk)INDIVIDUALPlace name ToTAL25m Precision GRSB1 Philip van Tonder 2802 Brian Girling 2783 Jacques Kriek 27525m Precision GRCF1 Neil Jones 2992 Brian Girling 2983 Heinrich Strauss 29625m Precision GRCF Open1 Les Pearson 29725m Precision GRCF Classic1 Martin Benton 2982 Ian Grant 2963 Neil Jones 29550m Precision GRSB1 Brian Girling 2882 Francis Berry 2873 Neil Jones 28750m Precision GRCF1 Gerrie de Beer 2832 Neil Jones 2813 Michael Nestor 27950m Precision GRCF Open1 Pet Pearson 27650m Precision GRCF Classic1 Les Pearson 2712 Nicholas Bailey 264Timed & Precision 1 GRSB X1 Gwyn Roberts 300 (18X)2 David Hackett 300 (16X)3 John Robinson 300 (14X)Timed & Precision 1 GRCF X1 Gwyn Roberts 300 (27X)2 Taff Wilcox 300 (26X)3 Jon Avetoomyan 300 (25X)Timed & Precision 1 GRCF Open1 Terry Fry 3002 Alan Sutton 2993 Reg Buckland 297Timed & Precision 1 GRCF Classic1 Alan Podevin 300 (17X)2 Phil Cowling 300 (16X)3 Matthew Peppitt 299Multi-Target GRSB X1 Robert Tonner 117 (18X)2 Jonathan Cormie 117 (13X)3 Glenn Gordon 116Multi-Target GRCF X1 Gwyn Roberts 120 21X2 Greg Rastall 119 (18X)3 David Hackett 119 (16X)Multi-Target GRCF Open1 Steve Denton 107Multi-Target GRCF Classic1 Alan Podevin 1171500 GRSB X1 John Robinson 14912 Andrew Jarman 14873 Gwyn Roberts 14861500 GRCF X1 Gwyn Roberts 14982 John Robinson 1493 (113X)3 Taff Wilcox 1493 (111X)1500 GRCF Open1 Linda Sutcliffe 14751500 GRCF Classic1 Andy Summers 1477Advancing Target GRSB X1 Jonathan Cormie 2922 Philip van Tonder 2883 Gerrie de Beer 287Advancing Target GRCF X1 Gerrie de Beer 180 (27X)2 Greg Rastall 180 (27X)3 Taff Wilcox 179Advancing Target GRCF Open1 Chris West 1792 Steve Denton 177 (24X)3 Terry Fry 177 (21X)Advancing Target GRCF Classic1 David Holt 1782 Ian Grant 177 (27X)3 Alan Podevin 177 (25X)McQueen1 Derek Healy 552 Brian Reacher 54 (5V)3= Mike Barton 54 (4V)3= John Dukes 54 (4V)3= Peter Lomas 54 (4V)3= Christopher McGill 54 (4V)3= Adam Chapman 54 (4V)McQueen Issued Rifle1 Deon de Villiers 552= Philip van Tonder 54 (5V)2= Riaan Kunneke 54 (5V)AggreGATesPlace name ToTALJohn Rolfe Trophy1 Keith Cox 1183Sue Mansbridge Rose Bowl1 John Robinson 2985Bianchi AggreGATe1 Keith Cox 3818Phoenix GR Champion1 Gwyn Roberts 6777Pete Kington Trophy1 Peter Collins 338Gallery Rifle Classic AggreGATe Trophy(presented in memory of Alan Whittle)1 Alan Podevin 594Alan Whittle Newcomers Trophy1 Riaan Kunneke 35Grandest Master1 Terry Fry 592 Colin McMichael 503= Morné van Dalen 443= Glenn Gordon 44INTERNATIONAL MATCHESGRSB World Championship andPhoenix InteRNATIonal Cup1 Great Britain 59132 Republic of Ireland 58773 South Africa 58644 Germany 5785GRCF World Championship andPhoenix InteRNATIonal Trophy1 Republic of Ireland 59382 Great Britain 59383 South Africa 59374 Germany 5906Gallery Rifle World ChampionshipAggreGATe1 Great Britain 118512 Republic of Ireland 118153 South Africa 118014 Germany 1169158 www.nra.org.uk

Competition | ResultsBisley Clubs' Easter31 March-2 AprilPlace name ToTALMatch 1 (300yds)1 J Pugsley 75.122 N Atkins 75.113 D de Vere 75.11F Class1 J Chambers 75.11Match 2 (900yds)1 A Gill 75.112 de Vere 75.93 B Horwood 75.9F Class1 W Scholze 73.7Match 3 (Queen's I): Count back1 D Crispin 105.152 R Kitson 105.153 C Evans 105.15F Class1 I Boxall 148.16Match 4 (Queen's II)1 R Benest 150.192 W Langley 149.213 Pugsley 149.21F Class1 Boxall 196.22Short Range AggreGATe1 Pugsley 329.472 Evans 327.453 de Vere 327.45F Class1 Boxall 417.42Match 5 (900yds)1 Gill 75.122 S East 75.113 Evans 75.11F Class1 B Dowsett 75.5Match 6 (1000yds)1 P Chapman-Sheath 74.72 East 73.53 Crispin 72.6F Class1 D Lloyd 71.5Long Range Agg1 East 222.222 Crispin 221.283 de Vere 221.25F Class1 Dowsett 216.15Easter Grand AggreGATe1 Crispin 548.702 de Vere 548.703 Pugsley 546.74F Class1 Boxall 632.6013-14 AprilCounty Match1 Sussex (M Woolger 148.21) 865.892 Berkshire (A Witcher 148.16) 863.793 Hertfordshire 862.80Sussex Astor HeAT1 Hurstpierpoint (P Barber 102.8) 589.392 Horsham (M Woolger 100.12) 588.483 Hailsham (J Payne 101.10) 574.28English Open Whit Cmpships25-27 MayPlace name ToTALThe Association (Queen’s I)1 P Kent 105.192 J Warburton 105.163 D Rose 105.15The Second Stage (Queen’s II)1 T Raincock 149.222 A McLean 149.213 Kent 149.21The Cortis (600yds)1 R Booth 75.122 Underwood 75.123 E Jeens 75.11Sunday AggreGATe1 Raincock 224.322 Jeens 224.303 Kent 223.34Short Range Agg1 Kent 328.532 Jeens 327.463 Underwood 327.45The Long (900yds)1 P Sykes 74.122 C Hockley 74.93 H Golaszewski 74.7The Final (1000yds)1 I Shaw 72.62 J Pugsley 71.103 A Gent 71.4Monday Agg1 Hockley 145.122 Shaw 144.163 N Cole-Hawkins 143.17Grand Agg1 Shaw 467.562 Pugsley 466.503 Kent 465.66South Saxon Cup24 March (Sussex CRA)Place name ToTAL(300 & 600yds)1 A Fitch 146.132 M Woolger 145.163 R Roberts 144.18Class B1 J Brooking 139.10MINI PALMA MATCH 2013North London RCCaptainS Cheslyn-CurtisCoaches C Dickenson, G LarcombeshootertoTALD Coleman 206.15N Cole-Hawkins 206.09C Weeden 204.15J Sweet 198.14P Chapman-Sheath 196.11R Baker 194.09C Leighton 193.08J Messer 193.07TOTAL 1590.88ATSC (TR)CaptainR RileyCoaches C Sykes, R Riley, M CarberryshootertoTALR Kitson 207.17J Nice 206.13A Gill 200.12R Riley 200.09A Mitchell 197.09M Carberry 192.11S Hill 189.07A Godliman 189.05TOTAL 1580.83Welsh XXCaptainP GrayCoachesP Gray, L BristershootertoTALG Morgan 207.13T Nokes 206.06E Jeens 206.05W Lewis 200.11D Davies 197.09P Waldron 195.08C Hockley 185.09D Williams 183.07TOTAL 1580.83Bedfordians/ Suffolk AshootertoTALN Hart 206.11B Ebbetts 204.11W Amberg 204.07P Sykes 201.09M Kirkillo-Stacewicz 196.11P Dawes 192.09N Hudleston 182.07National Rifle Association59

MINI PALMA MATCH 2013Bedfordians/ Suffolk AshootertoTALG Hart 180.05TOTAL 1565.70Bedfordians/ Suffolk BCaptainA BarnesCoachesR Hatcher, H Day, B Moore, AThompsonshootertoTALR Hatcher 202.15H Day 201.09A Barnes 199.09A Thomson 198.10M Ebbetts 193.11B Moore 190.09S Dawes 187.09M Schwartz 180.07TOTAL 1550.79HertfordshireCaptainR WinneyCoaches M Townsend, P Holden, R WinneyshootertoTALA Daw 203.14N Verduyn 198.08K Sheead 197.14J Thompson 197.10J Ouston 192.15D Raeburn 191.07M Barr 188.07P Northam 181.07TOTAL 1547.82IBIS OPEN 2013long rangePosition Shooter LR total1 V Robertshaw 90.032 L Chisholm 89.063 D Smith 89.054 P Griggs 86.065 S Maris 88.066 K Wilson 86.057 R Burden 86.038 R Shaw 83.039 F Harriss 82.0110 D Leitch 81.05F Class 1 J Chambers 80.01F Class 2 L Bond 63.00F Class 3 T Bond 45.00IBIS OPEN 2013AGGREGATEPosition Shooter SR LR AggreGATe1 L Chisholm 149.18 89.06 238.242 S Maris 146.11 88.06 234.173 P Griggs 145.20 86.06 231.264 V Robertshaw 141.13 90.03 231.165 D Smith 142.11 89.05 231.166 K Wilson 144.13 86.05 230.187 R Shaw 144.14 83.03 227.178 R Burden 141.10 86.03 227.139 P Chapman-Sheath 145.17 78.02 223.1910 F Harriss 140.07 82.01 222.08F Class 1 J Chambers 143.12 80.01 223.13F Class 2 L Bond 122.07 63.00 185.07F Class 3 T Bond 131.07 45.00 176.07F Class 4 D Clarke 115.06 NA 115.06IBIS OPEN 2013short rangePosition Shooter SR total1 L Chisholm 149.182 S Shouler 146.173 J Robert 146.174 S Maris 146.115 P Griggs 145.206 P Chapman-Sheath 145.177 A Gent 145.168 R Shaw 144.149 K Wilson 144.1310 C Sherratt 144.09F Class 1 J Chambers 143.12F Class 2 T Bond 131.07F Class 3 L Bond 122.07F Class 4 D Clarke 115.0660 www.nra.org.uk

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Marksman’s CalendarThe events still to come in the second half of the shooting yearJUNE 20135 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk7-9 SCOTTISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS (BLAIRATHOLL, SCOTLAND)Allan Mabon, mabooonscotland@ntlworld.com15-16 INTER-COUNTIES MEETINGChris Farr, 01483 797777 x 146, chris.farr@nra.org.uk16 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk21 JUNE – 5 JULY SERVICE WEAPONS EVENTSAND AGGREGATESShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk22 HAMPSHIRE RA OPEN PRIZE MEETINGCharles Brooks, Charles.Brooks@penningtons.co.uk22-23 RANGE CONDUCTING OFFICERCOURSEMaureen Peach, 01483 797777, maureen.peach@nra.org.uk22-23 SCOTTISH LONG RANGE OPENCHAMPIONSHIPS (BLAIR ATHOLL)Tim Kidner, 01224 321468, tlk762@aol.com26-30 NRA IMPERIAL MEETING – CIVILIANSERVICE RIFLE MEETINGShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk29-30 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH RIFLE CLUBOPEN PRIZE MEETINGBritish Commonwealth RC, edjeens@gmail.com30 NRA IMPERIAL MEETING - THE NRAMETHUEN CUP MATCHPeter Cottrell, peter.cottrell@nra.org.ukJULY 20133 NRA MILITARY ADAPTIVE SHOOTINGCHAMPIONSHIPSOlaf Jones, olaf.jones@tesco.net5-11 NRA IMPERIAL MEETING – MATCH RIFLEEVENTSPeter Cottrell, 01483 798808, peter.cottrell@nra.org.uk6-7 IMPERIAL HISTORIC ARMS EVENTSShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk8-11 IMPERIAL SCHOOLS MEETINGPeter Turner, schools@nra.org.uk10-14 IMPERIAL PISTOL AND GALLERY RIFLEEVENTSNeil Francis, gallery@nra.org.uk11 IMPERIAL SCHOOLS’ VETERANS’ MATCHHeather Webb, 01483 797777 x 155,memsec@nra.org.ukWith the Imperial just weeks away,prime Target Rifle season is upon us11-20 IMPERIAL TARGET RIFLE EVENTSShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk12-20 IMPERIAL F-CLASS EVENTSShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk20 HM THE QUEEN’S PRIZE – FINALShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk22-24 COMMONWEALTH SHOOTINGFEDERATION CHAMPIONSHIPSJohn Bloomfi eld, 01623 491199,jpsbloomfi eld@btconnect.com27 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.ukAUGUST 20133-4 INVERNESS-SHIRE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS,CAWDORMark Joyce, mark.joyce2@tesco.net17-18 TULLIBARDINE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS,BLAIR ATHOLLJames Bell, jwhbell@btinternet.com18 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club , nrasc@nra.org.uk24-25 GALLERY RIFLE NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIPSChris Farr, chris.farr@nra.org.uk30 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club , nrasc@nra.org.uk31 AUGUST – 1 SEPTEMBER CLUB INSTRUCTORCOURSECaroline O’Connor, caroline.oconnor@nra.org.ukSEPTEMBER 20137-8 NRC OF SCOTLAND MATCH RIFLE OPENCHAMPIONSHIPS, BLAIR ATHOLLTim Kidner, tlk762@aol.com12 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk14 EAST OF SCOTLAND OPENCHAMPIONSHIPS, BLAIR ATHOLLBob Aitken, baitkenshooting@btinternet.com14-15 RANGE CONDUCTING OFFICERCOURSEMaureen Peach 01483 797777 ext 149maureen.peach@nra.org.uk28-29 THE ENGLISH VIII AND IRISH VIII CLUBAUTUMN MEETINGBill Taylor, bill@englisheight.co.uk62 www.nra.org.uk

CALENDAR | 2013OCTOBER 20135 CIVILIAN SERVICE RIFLEMark Bradley, mark@bradleyarms.com12 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk12-13 RANGE CONDUCTING OFFICERCOURSEMaureen Peach, 01483 797777, maureen.peach@nra.org.uk12-13 WIND COACHING COURSECaroline O’Connor, caroline.oconnor@nra.org.uk19-20 TRAFALGAR MEETINGShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk26-27 GALLERY RIFLE – AUTUMN ACTIONWEEKENDShooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk26-27 THE AGES MATCHPeter Cottrell, 01483 798808, peter.cottrell@nra.org.ukNOVEMBER 20133 CIVILIAN SERVICE RIFLE (WINTER LEAGUE)Shooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk9-10 AUTUMN TARGET SHOTGUN FESTIVALPeter Cottrell, 01483 798808, peter.cottrell@nra.org.uk9-10 RANGE CONDUCTING OFFICER COURSEMaureen Peach, 01483 797777, maureen.peach@nra.org.uk10 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk21 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk23 MLAGB RCO COURSEMaureen Peach, 01483 797777, maureen.peach@nra.org.uk30 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.ukDECEMBER 20137 NRA SHOOTING CLUB DAYNRA Shooting Club, nrasc@nra.org.uk7 CIVILIAN SERVICE RIFLE (WINTER LEAGUE)Shooting Division, shootsec@nra.org.uk14-15 CLUB INSTRUCTOR COURSECaroline O’Connor, caroline.oconnor@nra.org.ukOTHER DATE OF INTEREST26 AUGUST – SUMMER BANK HOLIDAY –OFFICES CLOSED ALL DAY, RANGES CLOSEDPMAds Index3 A 1 Hearing61 John Rothery11 Artists Rifl e Club House56 KoolBox Ltd20 Brattonshound Engineering20 Ladds Guns15 By Sword & Musket30 Low Mill Ranges20 C&G Firearms Ltd67 Macwet47 Centra UK37, 44 March Scopes UK (PBS Int freight Ltd)42, 43 CLA Game Fair44 Norman Clark Gunsmiths30 Diverse Trading Co Ltd38 NSRA68 Edgar Brothers55 Optilabs34 Fox Firearms41 Prestige Engineering19 Gavin Gardiner Ltd67 Radio Jackie Ltd23 GE Fulton & Son47 Richard Paul Russell61 Gifford Grant2 RUAG15 GT Shooting57 Southern Gun Co15 Hannams Reloading Ltd56 Stead Hall Firearms (Guns Direct)64 Henry Krank & Co Ltd61 Stylex30 Highwood Classic Arms37 Suffolk Rfl e Company33, 61 HPS Ltd56 21st Century Antiques67 INDELFA vof34 TWP designs27 Intershoot27 UK Custom Shop27, 67 J H Steward (Bisley) Limited49 York Guns LtdNational Rifl e Association63

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TRADE MEMBERSTrade Members’ listingA2RM (Risk Management)Independent risk and security consultancyoffering a unified approach. Incorporatingstrategic intelligence, project design,management and technological innovationto deliver operational security across land,air, cyber and maritime domains. Deliveredby experienced military, defence andcommercial specialists.Tel: 07827 012369Email: martin@mmwc.orgWebsite: www.a2rm.co.ukAim Field Sports LimitedAim Field Sports offer hunting & shootingaccessories for all types of shooting, countryand field sports, from our own brand of tacticaldrag bags to Sightron riflescopes.Designed in the USA and made in Japan,Sightron optics offer the highest edge-to-edgefine contrast in the industry and come with alifetime warranty as standard.Tel: 01606 860678Email: sales@aimfieldsports.comWebsite: www.aimfieldsports.comBangs, Bucks andBullseyesBangs, Bucks and Bullseyes’ simple purposeis to help you, the stalker, take the bestshot possible in the circumstances whenout in the field, whether quite new to rifleshooting, or shooting for some time withoutformal instruction. You will also have hadan informative, fun day out and meet newshooting colleagues. Bangs, Bucks andBullseyes will help you improve your first shotaccuracy, long-range accuracy and multipositionshooting.Tel: 07711 773878E-mail: keith@bangsbucksbullseyes.co.ukWebsite: www.bangsbucksbullseyes.co.ukBAPTY (2000) LtdBAPTY (2000) Ltd provides weapons andassociated props for film, television andtheatre productions.Tel: 0208 574 7700Email: hire@bapty.demon.co.ukWebsite: www.bapty.co.ukBench Grade Brands LtdDistributors of leading firearms, training andammunition including the world’s shortest andmost compact sniper weapon systems fromDesert Tactical Arms.Tel: 01604 686800Email: service@benchgradebrands.comBluestone Travel AgencyOur travel agency specialises in exclusivevacation packages. We work only with the besthotels and companies in the most importantcities of Spain. Also we have designed aspecial package for marksmen (six days, fivenights) in a four-star hotel, which includes ashooting course with semi-auto handguns,calibres from .22 up to .45 ACP.Tel: +34 952 43 63 27Email: info@bluestonetravelagency.comWebsite: www.bluestonetravelagency.comEdgar BrothersLargest UK importer, distributor and wholesalerof firearms, shotguns, ammunition, propellants,components, optics, mounts, knives, torches,clothing and other shooting accessories fromover 90 suppliers and with over 65 years’experience in the shooting industry. Trade onlysupplied at Macclesfield, but please contactus at the following address for catalogues,other enquiries, advice and the address ofyour nearest stockist.Heather Close, Lyme Green Business Park,Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 0LRTel: 01625 613177Fax: 01625 615276E-mail: admin@edgarbrothers.comWebsite: www.edgarbrothers.comGMK LtdGMK is a privately owned company, tradingsince 1971, it is the leading UK shooting sportsdistributor for many shotgun and rifle brandsincluding Beretta, Sako and Tikka. Our productrange also includes the following brands:Leupold, Redfield, Steiner, Federal & CCIAmmunition, Boker Knifes and RCBS reloading.Tel: 01489 587500Email: sales@gmk.co.ukWebsite: www.gmk.co.ukHPS Target Rifles LtdHPS is Britain’s premier target rifle suppliescompany. Commercial manufacturer andsupplier of a vast range of top quality TargetMaster ammunition, from new to once-firedto reloading free issue cases, HPS offersa bespoke ammunition service for targetshooting and hunting. From custom-builtrifles to range equipment and accessories,HPS provides the target shooter a variety ofproducts and services and should be your firststop for all your shooting needs.PO Box 308, Gloucester South, GloucesterGL2 2YFTel: 01452 729888Fax: 01452 729894E-mail: info@hps-tr.comWebsite: www.hps-tr.comJ.H.Steward (Bisley)OpticiansOpticians specialising in vision aspects for allshooting disciplines. We supplyZeiss-Sports for clay, game and F Class. Wealso supply CHAMPION shooting glassesfor target rifle and pistol. Rear sight lensessupplied. Advice given on prescription, tints,eye dominance problems and eye safety.Tel: 01275 838532Fax: 01275 835075Email: info@stewardsportsglasses.co.ukWebsite: www.stewardsportsglasses.co.ukJoe West Rifle StocksWe manufacture custom, affordableaftermarket riflestocks in Norfolk for everyconceivable shooting discipline, usinglaminate and walnut. All our designs are fullycustomisable. We can duplicate any existingstock shape, including broken stocks. A stockfrom us will greatly improve the fit aesthetics,accuracy and reliability of your rifle.Tel: 07770 710331Email: joe@joewestriflestocks.co.ukWebsite: www.joewestriflestocks.comMarine Tactical SuppliesMarine Tactical Supplies is a Dorset basedregistered firearms dealer primarily supplyingmaritime security companies and providingNational Rifle Association65

asic firearms competency training asrequired by many shipping companies on anannual basis.Tel: 01202 570413Email: marinetactical@me.comWebsite: www.marinetacticalsupplies.comMidway UKThe UK’s biggest store for reloading andshooting supplies. Midway UK supplies morethan 80,000 products from 750 differentmanufacturers to form the UK’s largest onlinesource for all your shooting needs. Ourobjective is to ensure that all shooters haveaccess to the best possible selection ofproducts at competitive prices.Tel: 0845 2266055Email: sales@midwayuk.comWebsite: www.midwayuk.comPGS GroupPGS Group is the trading name for a groupof UK-registered global maritime securitycompanies providing highly specialisedsecurity services to industry, governments andprivate clients. These services range from theprovision of armed protection for commercialshipping to maritime security consultancyservices, including maritime counter-terrorismand counter-piracy training.Prioryfield House, 20 Canon Street, Taunton,Somerset TA1 1SWTel: 01823 256601Mobile: 07825 836001Email: pete.omalley@pgsgroup.co.ukWebsite: www.pgsgroup.co.ukPROTSCManufacturers of practical and tactical bagsfor all shooting disciplines.Tel: 07787 420768Email: steve@practicaltacticalbags.co.ukWebsite: www.practicaltacticalbags.co.ukRUAG Ammotec UK LtdWith parent company RUAG havingmanufacturing plants in Switzerland, Germany,Sweden and Hungary, RUAG Ammotec UKimports and distributes RWS, GECO and Normaammunition. Other brands handled includeNightforce scopes, Titan and Diana rifles,Perazzi and Bettinsoli shotguns.Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 5BQTel: 01579 362319Fax: 01579 364033E-mail: enquiries@ruag.co.ukWebsite: www.ruag.co.ukSalama Fikira MaritimeSalama Fikira is an authoritative riskmanagement consultancy based inNairobi, East Africa. Established in 2005 toaddress the security challenges posed bylarge-scale Somali piracy, the group hassince expanded to provide diverse securityservices, comprehensive project planning,robust logistics and in-depth informationsupport.Tel: +254 20 269 2846Email: jake.phillips@salamafikira.comWebsite: www.salamafikira.comShooting ServicesInternational standard target rifles andmatch rifles. Rebarrelling and bedding.Ready-proofed barrels kept in stock includingBorder and Krieger. Actively researching –and shooting – all calibres from 5.56mmupwards. Manufacturers of the famous AGRCOBRA precision rearsight. Official stockist forRPA rifles and accessories. Shooting-basedcorporate entertainment.144 Clarence Road, Fleet, Hants, GU51 3RSTel: 44 (0) 1252 816188/811144Fax: 44 (0) 1252 625980Email: shootingservices@gifford-grant.comShooting SHED LtdPrecision reloading and shooting accessoriesdesigned and built in the UK.Tel: 01234 295229Email: shed@shootingshed.co.ukWebsite: www.shootingshed.co.ukST GunsSection 5 dealers specialising in humanedispatch pistols and all types of handguns forall purposes, including collection.PO Box 55274, Wood Green, London N22 9FUTel: 07831 090 744Fax: 0208 881 6377Email: savvastoufexis@yahoo.co.ukThe Target Sports Centre25m, 50m and 100m indoor ranges. Air,black powder, small-bore and fullbore. Café,shop and accommodation open six daysa week to members and non-members.Adding Field Target and archery this year.20-acre facility, 1.5 miles from the Jurassiccoastline.Tel: 01297 560049Email: info@thetunnel.co.ukWebsite: www.thetunnel.co.ukTrimstone Manor CountryHouse Hotel3* Country House Hotel in glorious NorthDevon countryside. Two excellent clayshooting grounds nearby. Gun safes inseveral rooms. Safe parking. Free WiFi, pool,gym, sauna, games room, gardens andgrounds. Self-catering cottages too. Close toWoolacombe, Croyde, Saunton, Ilfracombebeaches, Exmoor. Golfing, fishing andwalking. Very accessible.Tel: 01271 862841Email: info@trimstone.co.ukWebsite: www.trimstone.co.ukUK Custom Shop LtdRetail and online shop for all shootingaccessories. Manufacturer of Wildcat range ofsound moderators.Tel: 01905 797060Email: james@wildcatrifles.co.ukWebsite: www.wildcatrifles.co.ukWilliam EvansWilliam Evans at Bisley Camp is the firstreference point for shooting sportsmenand women. We provide everything fromfirearms to ammunition, hearing protectionto shooting socks. Our gun room rackscontain traditional game shotguns and rifles,clay-shooting guns and tactical sportingfirearms for our target shooting customers.(Firearms/shotgun certificate required for saleof ammunition)Tel: 01483 486500Email: richard@williamevans.comWebsite: www.williamevans.comXample Technologies LtdAir-Ammo.co.uk (trading name of XampleTechnologies Ltd) is the European distributor ofClear Ballistics gel and the UK’s widest range ofairgun ammunition.Licensed to sell FBI grade ballistics material.Tel: 01303 297033Email: jake.pearson@air-ammo.co.ukWebsite: www.air-ammo.co.uk66 www.nra.org.uk

Please call Tonion 01926 339 808to advertiseNational Rifle Association67

68 www.nra.org.uk