Inter-Livery Rifle Shoot at Bisley

On 13 June 2014 the first Inter-Livery rifle shoot was held at Bisley. It was promoted by Past Master Baker, Colin Sach, who is a member of the NRA, and organised by the RAF Target Shooting Club, which provided the hospitality and the coaches. The RAF club membership includes a number of international target shooters and Queen’s Prize winners and has a good reputation for organising such ‘corporate events’ to raise money for good causes, this time for the RAF Benevolent Fund. The Gunmakers won.

In sunny weather and a somewhat challenging wind, the 10 Livery teams of 3, plus a scratch team, competed at several disciplines:

• At 900 yards using the NRA defined 7.62mm Target Rifle with ‘iron sights’.
• A ‘McQueen’ – snap shooting at a randomly placed 4 second exposure target using a military style .223 rifle with a telescope sight at 300 yards.
• With .22RF carbines at 50 yards.
• Black Powder ML revolvers at 15 yards.
• Finally, miniature ‘falling plates’ with .22RF carbines at 15 yards.

Engraved glass tankards were awarded (avoiding duplicate winners, thus a second place could win a tankard) for each competition and a silver trophy for the champions. It was a relief to the writer that the Gunmakers’ won the overall team position, thus securing our name on the trophy in the first year. Our Chaplain David Cooper won the 900 yards competition and Liveryman Alan Cook won the  ‘falling plates’ shooting for the Company of Art Scholars. The individual overall champion was Charlie Houston of the Clothworkers, with our Archivist Derek Stimpson coming overall second. Liveryman Richard Black came second in the falling plates.

I hope that this event becomes an annual one among the City Liveries.

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