Gallery Rifle Shooting or Gallery Rifle and Pistol shooting is a popular
shooting sport throughout the world. In countries such as the UK, Ireland, Germany, South Africa and Australia national and international competitions are regularly undertaken. The discipline commonly uses
rifles shot at short and medium distances chambered for traditional pistol calibers such as
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
,
.38
.38 caliber is a frequently used name for the caliber of firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
Th ...
and
.357 calibers,
.44 and
.45
This is a list of firearm cartridges which have bullets in the to caliber range.
*''Length'' refers to the cartridge case
Case or CASE may refer to:
Containers
* Case (goods), a package of related merchandise
* Cartridge case or casing, a ...
. It is popular in countries where traditional pistol shooting is difficult or not possible. In the UK Long Barreled Pistols (LBPs) and Long Barreled Revolvers (LBRs) are also part of the overall discipline.
Country specific national governing bodies (NGBs) are responsible for the discipline within that country. The
International Gallery Rifle Federation (IGRF) promotes the development of Gallery Rifle competitive shooting worldwide, supervises international matches and supports a common set of rules. Individual member countries who have an interest in International Gallery Rifle shooting are free to join the IGRF. It currently has five member countries.
Description
Most Gallery Rifle events are shot at distances between 10 meters and 50 meters although a few do go out to 300 meters. There is a large selection of Gallery Rifle events which only require range space out to 25 meters so the discipline is easily accessible and can be shot on indoor ranges. The most common shooting position is standing unsupported but some events do test the competitor’s skills from other positions such as kneeling, sitting or from the weak shoulder or hand. Some competitions are deliberate precision events whilst others require the competitor to shoot and reload quite quickly. The targets can be stationary or turning at set intervals. Some targets are moving and reactive (e.g. steel plates).
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Classification rules allow rifles to be fitted with either
iron sights,
scopes or
red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non- magnifying reflector (or reflex) sight for firearms, and other devices that require aiming, that gives the user a point of aim in the form of an illuminated red dot. A standard desig ...
s. Targets vary according to the event being shot. Targets range from traditional concentric circle 'bullseye' targets to various styles of disruptive pattern designs. Targets may be fixed facing the shooters or set on turning target mechanisms which are requires for rapid and snap shooting events.
Many events are also shot in classes or divisions which allow people to compete equally among their peers. The classification system is administered by the country specific NGBs.
Governance and Rules
The
National Rifle Association is the governing body for Gallery Rifle Shooting in the UK and produces a rulebook which is generally adopted as the standard throughout the world. Other NGBs will inherit and modify as appropriate for local use. For other IGRF member nations governance is managed as follows:
* Ireland – National Association of Sporting Rifle and Pistol Clubs
NASRPC
* Germany – Bund der Militär- und Polizeischützen e.V
BDMP
* South Africa – South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association
SA Hunters
* Australia – Sporting Shooters Association of Australia
SSAA
Equipment
![An LBR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/An_LBR.jpg)
There are four main categories:
* Gallery Rifle Small Bore (GRSB). Most competitors use a semi automatic (self loading) rifle chambered in
.22 .22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm).
Cartridges in this caliber include the very widely used .22 Long Rifle and .223 Remington / 5.56×45mm NATO.
.22 inch is also a popular ...
Long Rifle. In some events, however, it is possible to use pump action, lever action, bolt action or even single shot rifles.
* Gallery Rifle Centre Fire (GRCF). Most shooters use a lever action rifle in a traditional pistol caliber. Examples of the most popular calibers are
.38/.357,
.44 or
.45
This is a list of firearm cartridges which have bullets in the to caliber range.
*''Length'' refers to the cartridge case
Case or CASE may refer to:
Containers
* Case (goods), a package of related merchandise
* Cartridge case or casing, a ...
Other types of rifle, such as the
AR15 in
9mm ,with lever release cocking, are gaining popularity.
* Long Barrelled Revolver (LBR) With a minimum overall length of 60 cm and a minimum barrel length of 30 cm these pistol carbines are manufactured to comply with UK firearms regulations. The revolvers are available in a variety of calibers. Most popular are
.38/.357 and
.44 although some competitors do use the
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) or .45 Auto (11.43×23mm) is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After successful military trials, it ...
.
* Long Barrelled Pistols (LBP) The LBPs are generally semi automatic, although single shot designs are available and are sometimes used for precision events. Like the LBRs they are modified to comply with UK firearms regulations. Often based on a
1911
A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole.
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...
, with a 300 mm barrel and permanently attached wire stock, increasing the overall length to 620 mm. LBPs are chambered in
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
caliber only, and can be used for all events.
Events and competitions
![Line of shooters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Line_of_shooters.jpg)
A standard set of Gallery Rifle events exists which have courses of fire and conditions defined in th
GR&P Handbook This allows any club or organisation to run competitions to an international standard. They are essentially broken down into precision style matches and timed matches.
In the UK there are a dozen or more registered national matches held throughout the country. These are open events and scores are recorded into a national database
used to specify a shooter's classification.
There are currently four open meetings of similar style and duration held at the National Shooting Centre at Bisley every year. These include the Phoenix meeting held at the end of May and the Gallery Rifle National Championships held at the end of August. The Phoenix meeting is the premier meeting of the year. It attracts over 500 competitors and has a very wide range of events on offer not constrained to just Gallery Rifle shooting. The National Championships meeting is a little smaller and more focused on the Gallery Rifle disciplines. This meeting also hosts the GR Home Countries National Match where teams from England, Wales and Scotland compete head to head. The Spring and Autumn meetings start and round off the GR meetings at Bisley respectively.
List of Common Events
![PL7 Bullseye Target](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/PL7_Bullseye_Target.jpg)
Competitive meetings offer events for all or a subset of main GR&P gun types - GRCF, GRSB, LBP and LBR. A list of common events is shown. Some events are classified into divisions. The number of divisions varies by event type overall popularity of the event.
See also
*
List of shooting sports organizations
This is a list of national and international shooting sports organizations who promote sport shooting to civilian sport shooters, hunters, police, military and/or military reservists.
International governing bodies
* Amateur Trapshooting As ...
*
National Rifle Association (United Kingdom)
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is the governing body for full bore rifle and pistol shooting sports in the United Kingdom. Registered as a United Kingdom charity, its objectives are to "promote and encourage marksmanship throughout the ...
References
{{reflist
External links
The NRA of the UKGalleryRifle.comThe BDMPNational Association of Sporting Rifle and Pistol ClubsSA Hunters and Game Conservation AssociationSporting Shooters' Association of Australia
Rifle shooting sports