The National Shooting Centre is the UK's largest

shooting sport Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such ...

s 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 Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

from which it takes its colloquial name "Bisley ranges". The site is wholly owned by the

National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

(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 460 ...

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 The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

, 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 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

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,

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 throu ...

. 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 The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA; french: Association de Tir Dominion du Canada) is a Canadian shooting sports organization. It was founded in 1868 and incorporated by an Act of Parliament 63-64 Victoria Chapter 99, assented to Ju ...

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

Colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

, the US

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). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s 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. 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 Mini ...

, 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 A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...

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 known a ...

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 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, an ...

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, an ...

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)