Stakeholder Rifle Club
Full-bore rifle shooting has its roots in the military organisations that flourished in the mid nineteenth century. The National Rifle Association was formed in 1860 and there are records of Guernsey teams, mainly drawn from the Militia, competing at the Imperial Meetings on Wimbledon Common and, more latterly, at Bisley, since that date.
Today the sport is organised in the Island by the Guernsey Rifle Club which uses the 600 yard five lane range at Fort Le Marchant on the north-eastern part of L'Ancresse Common. The only rifles used are 7.62 mm single shot weapons designed today specifically for target rifle shooting. The rifle are capable of shooting accurately at distances of up to 1,200 yards and on the shorter ranges in Guernsey allow the marksman to put his shots in a very tight group. At 300 yards the "bullseye" is about the size of an orange and the accomplished shooter will probably group his shots within an area the size of an apple.
The Club stages open prize meetings in the spring and summer which attract shooters from the U.K, Jersey and France. At the end of May the Club play host to the N.R.A. team touring the Channel Islands and the Team Match against the visiting marksmen, some of whom represent the Home Countries in International events, is the highlight of the shooting calender.
From early March to the end of October the Club meet at 1.30 p.m. on Saturday afternoons to shoot various courses of fire. As with all shooting disciplines safety is paramount and the Club provide a safe environment for both beginners and experts. Marksmen have formed part of the Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association team for many years and have enjoyed considerable success in the various competitions staged at the Imperial Meeting held at Bisley during July.
Arrangements can be made for a "taster" session under instruction and using Club equipment. Age, or sex, is not a barrier and the Club has ladies and not a few O.A.P.s in its membership. Shooting is a sport for all and observers are often surprised to note that even poor eyesight is not a barrier. Modern technology ensures that even those with deteriorating sight can still shoot competitively.
The Guernsey Rifle Club would always welcome new members and adjacent to the range has a comfortable clubroom containing memorabilia that dates back to the 1870s. Honour boards chart the considerable success of members in international competition over more than a century.
Anybody interested in taking up the sport of shooting, or merely seeking further information, should contact the President, Peter Sirett, on 264786.
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