The National Shooting Centre 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 near the village of Bisley in Surrey from which it takes its colloquial name "Bisley ranges". The site is wholly owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NSC is the trading name of the facility.

History

The NRA Imperial Meeting (the Association's National Championship) was first held at

Wimbledon Common Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, southwest London. There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common, which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons totalling 4 ...

in 1860. In 1890, the village of Bisley became the location for the NRA Imperial Meeting (the Association's National Championship). The headquarters of the British NRA was also moved from Wimbledon to Bisley Camp at that time. Bisley hosted most of the shooting events in the 1908 Olympic Games, and all the shooting for the

2002 Commonwealth Games The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002 were held in Manchester, England, from 25 July to 4 August, 2002. The 2002 Games were to be hosted in the United Kingdom to coin ...

. During the 2012 Olympic Games

the shooting ''The Shooting'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Monte Hellman, with a screenplay by Carole Eastman (using the pseudonym Adrien Joyce). It stars Warren Oates, Millie Perkins, Will Hutchins, and Jack Nicholson, and was produced by ...

was held at the

Royal Artillery Barracks Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, is a barracks of the British Army which forms part of Woolwich Garrison. The Royal Regiment of Artillery had its headquarters here from 1776 until 2007, when it was moved to Larkhill Garrison. History In 17 ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...

. 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 DTL, and Bisley Shooting Ground, which caters for sporting clays, or simulated game shooting. Bisley is famous within shooting circles and has been described as the Marksman's Mecca. Some of the buildings within the grounds are from the Victorian era, having been transported there in the re-location from

. These had been erected annually, 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. 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. Headquarters of the National Rifle Association at Bisley, England.jpg, NRA Headquarters Bisley Clocktower, National Shooting Centre.jpg, Bisley clock tower Fulton's Gun Shop, National Shooting Centre.jpg, Fulton's Gun Shop Canada_House,_National_Shooting_Centre.jpg, Macdonald-Stewart Pavilion (Canada House) London and Middlesex Rifle Association, Bisley.jpg, London and Middlesex Rifle Association Railway Carriage at the National Shooting Centre

Railway Carriage at the National Shooting Centre

The camp once had its own railway branch line which ran from nearby Brookwood station, and was known as the 'Bisley Bullet'. In 1894

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, the US firearms manufacturer, introduced and sold the ''Bisley Model'' of its famous

Single Action Army The Colt Single Action Army (also known as the SAA, Model P, Peacemaker, or M1873) is a Trigger (firearms)#Single-action, single-action revolver handgun. It was designed in 1872 for the U.S. government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's P ...

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. It is also the location of

Army Operational Shooting Competition The Army Operational Shooting Competition (AOSC), is the British Army's premier shooting competition. Part of the Defence Operational Shooting Competition (DefOSC), it is based at the National Shooting Centre in Brookwood, Surrey. It also uses Min ...

, in which members of the British army compete for the Queen's Medal.

Ranges

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

Short Siberia

Short Siberia is situated furthest away from the main Camp area on the far side of Century Range. It is a rifle range with 27 x 100 yard targets and 9 x 200 yard targets.

Century Range

Century Range was the first range built at Bisley when the NRA moved here in 1890. It has 108 targets and firing points at distances between 100 and 600 yards. Century Range is also the home of the 300 m discipline and the new NRA electronic targets at Butt 19.

Stickledown Range

The longest range on the Bisley Complex, Stickledown is a Gallery Range with 50 targets to be shot at distances from 800 to 1200 yards. 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

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. "Target 51" on Stickledown consists of a 2.4 m x 1.7 m steel buffalo silhouette, painted white. It is available from 800 yds, 900 yds and 1,000 yds 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

This range is 71' 7" in distance and is available for fullbore rifle

prone Prone position () is a body position in which the person lies flat with the chest down and the back up. In anatomical terms of location, the dorsal side is up, and the ventral side is down. The supine position is the 180° contrast. Etymolog ...

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 In measurement technology and metrology, calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Such a standard could be another measurement device of know ...

of a rifle prior to use. This range has four prone-only bays.

Winans range

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 m. Bay B offers 6 static targets out to 25 m 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

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

Cheylesmore range

Cheylesmore range is a 25 m no danger area range for gallery rifles and

pistols A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, ...

Range restrictions

Rifle restrictions

A maximum muzzle velocity of , a maximum muzzle energy of 4500 J (3319 ft lb).

Gallery rifle and pistol restrictions

A maximum muzzle velocity of , a maximum muzzle energy of 2030J (1496 ft lb).

High muzzle energy firearms restrictions

A maximum muzzle velocity of , a maximum muzzle energy of 7000 J (5160 ft lb). For these there are additional zeroing procedures

In popular culture

* The "famous Century Range at Bisley" is used in target practice by James Bond in Ian Fleming's short story "The Living Daylights" (1962)

References

External links

Official Website

National Rifle Association
{{coord, 51.3153, N, 0.651, W, type:landmark_region:GB-SRY, display=title Shooting ranges in the United Kingdom Sports venues in Surrey National Rifle Association (United Kingdom)