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National Shooting Centre

The National Shooting Centre, often referred to simply as Bisley, is the UK's largest shooting sports complex, comprising several shooting ranges as well as the large Bisley Camp complex of accommodation, clubhouses and support services. The centre is located between the villages of Bisley (from which it takes it colloquial name) and Brookwood in Surrey. The site is wholly owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA).

National Shooting Centre
Century Range at the NSC
Map
LocationBrookwood, Surrey, England
Coordinates51°18′55″N 0°39′04″W / 51.3153°N 0.651°W / 51.3153; -0.651
Public transitNational Rail Brookwood
OwnerNational Rifle Association
TypeShooting range
Construction
Opened1890 (1890)
Renovated2002 Commonwealth Games
Website
www.nationalshootingcentre.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

History

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The NRA Imperial Meeting (the Association's national championship) was first held on Wimbledon Common in 1860.[1] In 1890, the village of Bisley became the location for the Imperial Meeting.[2][3] The headquarters of the British NRA was also moved from Wimbledon to Bisley Camp at that time.[4]

Bisley hosted most of the shooting events in the 1908 Olympic Games, and all the shooting for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.[5] During the 2012 Olympic Games the shooting was held at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich.[6]

As well as the rifle ranges, there are two clay target shooting complexes; The National Clay Shooting Centre, which caters for trap disciplines such as skeet and down-the-line, and Bisley Shooting Ground, which caters for sporting clays, or simulated game shooting.[7]

Bisley is famous within shooting circles and has been described as the "marksman's Mecca".[8][9] Some of the buildings within the grounds are from the Victorian era, having been transported there in the re-location from Wimbledon Common.[10] These were previously erected annually at Wimbledon, but were now sited permanently. The clock tower, Fulton's Gun Shop and the Exhibition Pavilion are particularly fine examples which survive to this day. Several buildings on the site are listed, including Fulton's, and the Macdonald Stewart Pavilion.[11] Better known as "Canada House", the Pavilion was constructed in 1897 by the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association as a home-away-from-home for the Canadian national team when they attended the Imperial Meeting.[12]

  • NRA headquarters 
    NRA headquarters
  • Bisley clock tower 
    Bisley clock tower
  • Fulton's Gun Shop 
    Fulton's Gun Shop
  • Macdonald–Stewart Pavilion (Canada House) 
    Macdonald–Stewart Pavilion (Canada House)
  • London and Middlesex Rifle Association 
    London and Middlesex Rifle Association
Photograph of a train carriage at a disused station 
The former Bisley Camp station, now Dark Horse Rifle Club. Accommodation is provided in the sleeper carriage

The camp originally had its own railway branch line which ran from nearby Brookwood station, and was known as the "Bisley Bullet".[13][14] Services operated for just two weeks a year to support the Imperial Meeting. During the First World War, the line was extended to Pirbright, Deepcut and Blackdown Camps by the War Office.[13] In 1918 is passed into the control of the London & South Western Railway. The Bisley branch was requisitioned again by the military during the Second World War. The extension was dismantled in 1950 and the last train to Bisley ran on 19 July 1952.[13]

In 1894 Colt, the US firearms manufacturer, introduced and sold the Bisley Model of its famous Single Action Army revolver specifically designed for target shooting. This revolver featured a longer grip, a wider hammer spur, a wider trigger and adjustable sights. It was offered in a variety of calibres including .32–20, .38–40, .45 Colt, .44-40.[15][16][17]

1990s–present

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Through the 1990s and 2000s, the condition of the camp declined due to financial difficulties at the NRA. The 2002 Commonwealth Games saw some capital investment to the sports facilities, including the construction of the National Clay Shooting Centre. However, other facilities including the accommodation and camping ablutions declined, with the NRA making significant redundancies in 2011 and 2012.[18]

In 2013, new management within the NRA saw a wholesale change in approach to estate management and a new focus on housekeeping the ablutions and catching up with overdue site maintenance.[19][20] Many derelict static caravans were evicted from pitches where they had been allowed to stand in arrears, and new stands of "serviced" cabins were constructed, providing mains electricity and plumbing - existing caravans had no utility hookups.[21] Controversially, clubhouse leases were also updated to include the value of the buildings, increasing the leasehold significantly. Since 1890, clubs had paid a ground rent and had built their own clubhouses on the site, but in 2013 the NRA took the view that the landlord (the NRA) – not the tenant – owned the building, with lease renewals reflecting this. Several clubs surrendered their clubhouses, unable to afford the new rates. The tenant of the Artists Rifles Clubhouse fought a high-profile battle in the media, having rejected the outcome of arbitration.[22] It was eventually established that the NRA did own the building, although improvements made by the tenant were to be accounted for in setting the rent.[22] This episode was misreported in national press as involving the "Regimental Clubhouse" of the Artists Rifles Regiment,[23] but the Artists Rifle Club had in fact vacated the building in 1967.[24] The tenant was not connected with the SAS, Artists Rifle Club or the Regimental Association.[25][26]

The NSC is also the location of Army Operational Shooting Competition, in which members of the British army compete for the King's Medal.[27]

Ranges

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The National Shooting Centre has a number of ranges to cater for differing firearms and shooting disciplines.[28]

Short Siberia

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Short Siberia is situated furthest away from the main Camp area on the far side of Century Range. It is a rifle range with twenty-seven 100-yard (91 m) targets and nine 200-yard (180 m) targets.

Century Range

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Photograph of a wide shooting range with shooters firing at bullseye targets 
Century Range from the 600 yard firing point with shooters firing at 500 yards

Century Range was the first range built at Bisley when the NRA moved to the site in 1890. It has 108 targets and firing points at distances between 100 and 600 yards (91 and 549 m). Century Range also has facilities for the 300 m discipline and has several butts of electronic targets.

Stickledown Range

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A 1200 yard shooting range with wind flags flying 
Stickledown Range from the 1200 yard firing point

The longest range on the Bisley Complex, Stickledown is a Gallery Range with 50 targets to be shot at distances from 800 to 1,200 yards (730 to 1,100 metres). Stickledown is also the home of the Bisley Buffalo. Following successful trials in the Spring of 2017, the NRA purchased 11 electronic targets for installation on Stickledown.

The Bisley Buffalo

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The NRA has installed a steel silhouette of a buffalo on its Stickledown range, allowing Bisley shooters the chance to use a reactive target at long range for the first time.[29] "Target 51" on Stickledown consists of a 2.4-by-1.7-metre (7.9 ft × 5.6 ft) steel buffalo silhouette, painted white. It is available from 800, 900 and 1,000 yards (730, 820 and 910 metres) and was installed after consultation with the Single Shot Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Club of Great Britain. Any rifle that fits within the existing Stickledown range restrictions may be used to engage the buffalo.

Zero range

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This range is 71 ft 7 in (21.82 m) long and is available for fullbore rifle prone shooting only. This range is only available to shooters who are also booked to use another range, as it is intended solely for the safe zeroing of a rifle prior to use. This range has three prone only bays, and one benched bay.

Winans range

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Situated next to the zero range, Winans is a no-danger-area (NDA) range divided into two independent bays. Bay A offers 10 turning targets out to 25 metres (82 feet). Bay B offers 6 static targets out to 25 metres (82 feet) and contains a high-velocity canopy and rubber granulate trap. Both bays are suitable for gallery rifle and pistol shooting as well as shotgun slug.

Melville range

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Melville range has a total of five bays. One bay contains seven targets with retrievable mechanisms out to 50 metres (55 yards). Four bays offer gallery rifle and pistol turning targets at 25 and 50 metres (27 and 55 yards). Gallery rifles and pistols only can be shot on this range. Prone .22 calibre rifles can be shot by special arrangement.

Cheylesmore range

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Cheylesmore range is a 25-metre (27 yd) no-danger-area range for gallery rifles and pistols.

Range restrictions

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Rifle restrictions
A maximum muzzle velocity of 1,000 metres per second (3,300 ft/s), a maximum muzzle energy of 4500 J (3319 ft lb).[30]
Gallery rifle and pistol restrictions
A maximum muzzle velocity of 655 metres per second (2,150 ft/s), a maximum muzzle energy of 2030J (1496 ft lb).[30]
High muzzle energy firearms restrictions
A maximum muzzle velocity of 1,000 metres per second (3,300 ft/s), a maximum muzzle energy of 7000 J (5160 ft lb).[30] For these there are additional zeroing procedures
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  • The "famous Century Range at Bisley" is used in target practice by James Bond in Ian Fleming's short story "The Living Daylights" (1962)[31]

References

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  1. ^ "The National Rifle Association — Proposed Removal — Wimbledon Common — Observations". House of Lords. 8 August 1887. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Bisley" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 5. BISLEY, a village of Surrey, England, 3 1/2 m. N.W. of Woking. The ranges of the National Rifle Association were transferred from Wimbledon here in 1890.
  3. ^ Col. Langford Lloyd (3 July 1937). "Where the Best Marksmen of the Empire Meet: Bisley's Coronation Fortnight & The Story of the King's Prize". The Daily Telegraph. p. 12. In 1890, Wimbledon having become too cramped and dangerous, the NRA was moved to Bisley...
  4. ^ "Wimbledon Common & Putney Heath". London Biodiversity Partnership. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  5. ^ 1908 Summer Olympics official report. The British Olympic Council, p. 254.
  6. ^ "Shooters up in arms at choice of Woolwich for London Olympics". The Guardian. 19 March 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  7. ^ "First and Foremost". Fieldsports Journal. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  8. ^ David James (15 July 1949). "Ashburton Day". The Spectator. p. 10. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  9. ^ "The Marksman's Mecca". British Pathé. British Pathé. 19 July 1923. Archived from the original (Video) on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  10. ^ Finlo Rohrer (24 July 2006). "Britain's holiday camp with guns". BBC News Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Fulton's Gun Shop". Historic England. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  12. ^ "The Macdonald Stewart Pavilion". Historic England. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Iain Wakefield (16 June 2017). "The Bisley Bullet Bites The Dust" (PDF). Woking History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Bullet train to Bisley". Woking News & Mail. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 16 March 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  15. ^ Wiley Clapp (10 July 2012). "The Colt Bisley". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association of America. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  16. ^ Alan Garbers (2019). "The Bisley Revolver". Guns Magazine. FMG Publications. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  17. ^ Model Guns
  18. ^ Robin Pizer. Marchington, James (ed.). "Chairman's Introduction" (PDF). NRA Journal. XCI No. 1 (Spring 2012). Blaze Publishing: 3. Retrieved 13 February 2023. The restructuring I spoke of in the last Journal has continued and further staff have sadly had to be made redundant as a result of our financial position. I would like to thank them very much for the service they have given. Further redundancies among the staff are not expected. One of our next tasks is to advertise for and appoint a new group chief executive.
  19. ^ Andrew Mercer. Fallon, Colin (ed.). "Getting off on the front foot" (PDF). NRA Journal. XCII No. 1 (Spring 2013). Blaze Publishing: 6. Retrieved 13 February 2023. We will be concentrating on the basics for much of 2013 – regular mowing of the grass, proper cleaning of the ablutions, improving signage, and investing in IT systems that will allow our staff to improve the services we offer to members and visitors alike. We have created a new housekeeping department to deliver a proper cleaning service, now located in the Fultons block, and have started the recruitment of a crack team of Mr and Mrs Mops. Realistic plans for grass cutting and road repairs and upgrades are also being finalised.
  20. ^ Andrew Mercer. Fallon, Colin (ed.). "Welcome: Fighting for shooting's future" (PDF). NRA Journal. XCIII No. 2 (Summer 2014). Blaze Publishing: 7. Retrieved 13 February 2023. We have recently upgraded the fibre cabling delivering broadband to the site, and I am informed we have increased our bandwidth from 2MB to 98MB. We are now testing a new WiFi network for the camp and intend to offer free access in exchange for an email address. Our accommodation team has been working hard to improve the quality of our rooms. Vast quantities of matt magnolia have been applied, 114 new mattresses with covers and pillows have been bought, and we have even started painting the exterior of the first batch of huts. The plans for the serviced caravan pitches have been approved, and we are preparing tender documents for works to begin in June.
  21. ^ Andrew Mercer. Fallon, Colin (ed.). "New year developments" (PDF). NRA Journal. XCIII No. 4 (Winter 2014). Blaze Publishing: 4. Retrieved 13 February 2023. and I am informed we have increased our bandwidth from 2MB to 98MB. We are now testing a new WiFi network for the camp and intend to offer free access in exchange for an email address. Our accommodation team has been working hard to improve the quality of our rooms. Vast quantities of matt magnolia have been applied, 114 new mattresses with covers and pillows have been bought, and we have even started painting the exterior of the first batch of huts. The plans for the serviced caravan pitches have been approved, and we are preparing tender documents for works to begin in June.
  22. ^ a b "Artist Rifles Clubhouse – Press Reports". National Rifle Association. 19 December 2018. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  23. ^ Dominic Nicholls (17 December 2018). "SAS veterans win four year battle to save their clubhouse after charity commission steps in to cancel rent increases". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2023. The future of the Regimental shooting clubhouse for one of Britain's elite military units has been secured after a four-year legal battle.
  24. ^ "Club History". Artists Rifles Clubhouse. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  25. ^ "Artist Rifles Clubhouse". National Rifle Association. 16 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  26. ^ "Contact". Artists Rifle Club. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023. The Artists' Rifle Club retains no connection with the Artists Rifles Clubhouse, which houses the Mars and Minerva Club.
  27. ^ Roger So Far: The First 100 Years of the Royal Corps of Signals. The History Press. 2020. p. 255. ISBN 978-0750995412.
  28. ^ "Target Shooting". National Shooting Centre. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Buffalo Target 51". National Shooting Centre. September 2018. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022.
  30. ^ a b c "Range Regulations". NRA. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  31. ^ "50 years of Octopussy and The Living Daylights". Ian Fleming. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
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