Bedfordshire Smallbore Shooting Association

The winter sun was shining as the competitors assembled for Round 2 of the 2025/26 Frostbite League. The temperature was around the 4°C mark and a light frost remained on the bits of the range that were not in the sun, luckily the wind was generally light so the cold was bearable.

Results were:

Full results may be found here.

Round 3 (50m) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 14th December. The current forecast suggests that this will be a damp but mild (ish) day with a gentle breeze. Round 3 is the Christmas shoot, so competitors are asked to bring a wrapped prize, to a rough value of £5, for the ‘bran tub’. There are a couple of spare spaces on the firing point, so if you would like to participate please contact Steve Beadle, 07720 677456.

The next BSSA Open meeting is the Indoor Meeting,  to be held on the 17/18th January 2026, offering competitions for prone rifle, benchrest rifle and light weight sport rifle (standing) plus the usual airgun (precision pistol & rifle, plus sporter rifle). The entry forms for this competition will be available shortly.

A chilly start for the 2025/26 Frostbite League, with an overcast sky and a dampness in the air. Luckily the wind was generally light and the sun did a one point put in a fleeting appearance.

Results were:

Full results may be found here.

Round 2 (100 yards) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 30th November. The forecast suggests that this will be a wet day with a gentle breeze.
There are a couple of spare spaces on the firing point, so if you would like to participate please contact Steve Beadle, 07720 677456.

The next BSSA Open meeting is the Indoor Meeting,  to be held on the 17/18th January 2026, offering competitions for prone rifle, benchrest rifle and light weight sport rifle (standing), the usual airgun (pistol & rifle) competitions are yet to be confirmed. The entry form for this competition will be available shortly.

An interesting and unique course of fire to commemorate the late Queen:

The main competition is 96 shots (1 for each year of the Queens life) over eight cards at 50 metres, prone or bench rest.

The optional competition is 70 shots (1 for each year of the Queens reign) over five cards at 100 yards, prone only.

Sighting shots only on the first detail at each range.

Following comments at the first Memorial Meeting, the detail length was increased from 20 to 25 minutes; however, with the (generally) favourable conditions the majority of details were completed well within the original time.

The Queens Age Match (96 shots at 50m, scores ex 960) top three places in each class were:

The Bench Rest medal winner was A Campbell who recorded a score of 948 with 13 Xs.
The Ladies prize was won by Mrs W Foith; regrettably no juniors competed.
The Blind Pairs competion was won by M Dixon and Mrs W Foith, with a combined total of 1892 (ex 1920)

The Queens Reign Match (70 shots at 100 yds, scores ex 700) the top two in each clas were:

All prizes for the Queens Reign Match were in bottles of wine.

Full results for both competitions may be found here.

The next BSSA Open Meeting will be the Indoor meeting, at the Bedford Range, on the 17th/18th January 2025. This meeting offers 25 yd prone, benchrest, LSR  and 10m airgun disciplines.

Also upcoming is the 2025/26 Frostbite League, six shoulder to shoulder matches, shot on Sunday mornings over the winter months at the Bedford Range. The matches alternate between 50m and 100 yds. Further details and entry form may be found here. Entries close on the 10th November and the first match is on the 16th November.

To mark the third anniversary of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II the BSSA are holding a memorial open meeting.

In honour of the late Queen, two competitions are offered:

The main competition is 96 shots (1 for each year of the Queens life) over eight cards at 50 metres, prone or bench rest.

The optional competition is 70 shots (1 for each year of the Queens reign) over five cards at 100 yards, prone only.

The main competition will consist of three 25 minute details; the optional competition will consist of two 25 minute details. In each case, sighting shot are only allowed on the first detail (Note: following feedback from the inaugural meeting, the duration of each detail have been increased from 20 to 25 minutes).

Venue: BEDFORD RIFLE CLUB RANGES, CLAPHAM ROAD, BEDFORD MK41 6EN .

To be shot in four classes:
CLASS X – National Classification, current and previous three years.
Classes A, B & C according to average.
Bench rest – Single Class

For further details, please refer to the Entry Form.

The Long Range (50m & 100 yards) element of the Bedfordshire County Championships was held at the Bedford range on Sunday the 22nd June; combined with the BSSA Grand Slam open shoot. The day was warm and sunny but with a stiff breeze that was variable in both strength and direction.

Since the closure of the Thorn Range in 2016, the Short range element of the Championship has been shot on a ‘postal’ basis at the club’s home  ranges in the month preceding the Long Range match.

Detailed results of the 2025 County Championships may be found here.
The winners table is:-

A warm, pleasant day for the competitors, with the temperature hovering in the mid-20s; much more pleasant than the 30°C that had been forecast a few days before. However, the cooler temperature was the consequence of a stiff breeze, which provided a challenge for the competitors. The overall scores were slightly lower than recorded  last year and there were no ‘possibles’ scored.

The Scottish Match (60 shots at 100 yards) prize winners were:

The Bench Rest competition winner was K Sheead who recorded a score of 579 with 7 Xs.
The Ladies prize was won by Ms S Norman and the Junior by Ms L Mackernan.
Highest score in the Blind Pairs went to Ms S Norman and A Pamment with a total of 1163; a consolation prize was also given to the lowest pairing,  M Shaw and B Parker, with 967.

Optional 40 Shot at 50m Competition prize winners were:

All prizes for the 40 shot course were in bottles of wine.

Full results for both competitions may be found here.

The next BSSA Open Meeting is the BSSA Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Shoot on Sunday 7th September. Please note that this shoot has a unique format: 96 shots at 50m (8 cards, 12 shots on each) with optional 70 shots at 100yds (5 cards, 14 shots on each). Sighters only on the first detail at each range.

The Bedfordshire County Championship is open to any prone smallbore prone shooter who is a resident of Bedfordshire. For 2025 the championship consists of two elements: the short range (25 yard) championship and the long range championship (50m + 100yds).

Short Range Championship

Shot on a ‘postal basis’ on your home range the competition comprises 4 x 10 shots on NSRA 2510BM tartgets. Cards are supplied by the BSSA on request and must be returned by the 14th June for scoring. The competitors are divided into three classes according to average.

Entry costs £5 and may be made through BSSA affiliated clubs or direct to the BSSA Match Secretary (MatchSecretary@BedsSSA.org.uk).

Long Range Championship

The Long Range Championship is a ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ match, which for 2025 has been combined with the BSSA Grand Slam open meeting on the 22nd June at the Bedford Range.

As with the short range championship, the competition is in three classes. Classess A & B shoot a ‘Double Dewar’  – 40 shots at 50m plus 40 shots at 100 yards; C class sh0ot a single Dewar course – 20 shots at each distance.

Entries to the Bedfordshire Long Range Championship should be made on the BSSA Grand Slam entry form.

Full details of the Championship may be found here.

60 shots at 100 yds and optional 40 shots at 50 metres

Venue: BEDFORD RIFLE CLUB RANGES, CLAPHAM ROAD, BEDFORD MK41 6EN .

To be shot in four classes:
CLASS X – National Classification, current and previous three years.
Classes A, B & C according to entry.

Plus Benchrest (60 shot, 100yds only)

For further details of the BSSA Grand Slam, please refer to the Entry Form and Information Sheet.

There was good turnout for the second BSSA outdoor open of the year.

It was was a pleasant spring day, with warm sunshine the though the temperature was moderated by a cooling breeze, holding around 24°C, and it stayed dry all day.

The Bedford Range had a new look, with the trees that lined the left-hand side now completely removed and replaced with a low earth bank. A level access to the firing point has also been added, improving access for the less-mobile.

The cooling breeze, which was (as usual) variable in both strength and direction , proved a challenge for most competitors.  Three X-class competitors achieved multiple ‘possibles’: Wendy Foith (3); David Butcher (2) and Richard Fowkes (2). Wendy and David tied for top shot, with Wendy winning on countback’

English Match prize winners were:

There was a single prize in the Benchrest competition, won by A Campbell, who recorded a score of 590 with 7x.

The Ladies prize was won by Mrs W Foith, with a score of 594; the Junior prize was not contested and the blind pairs competition  was won by the pairing of M Dixon and W Foith, with a aggregate score of 1180.

Optional 40 Shot Competition prize winners were:

Full results for both competitions may be found here.

The next BSSA Open Meeting is the BSSA Grand Slam, 60 shots at 100 yards (Scottish Match) with optional 40 shots at 50 metres, to be held on the Sunday 22nd June.

This event will also include the Bedfordshire Long Range County Championship.

Venue: BEDFORD RIFLE CLUB RANGES, CLAPHAM ROAD, BEDFORD MK41 6EN .

60 SHOTS @ 50 metres (prone or benchrest), plus optional, 40 SHOTS @ 100 yards (prone only).

Prone to be shot in f0ur classes:

CLASS X – National Classification, current and previous five years.
CLASSES A – C determined by entry.

Benchrest (50m only) shot in a single class.

Concurrent competitions for Ladies, Juniors and Blind Pairs.

Additional information may the found here and the entry form may be found here..

PRIZES:
60 shots at 50m: Cash.
40 shots at 100yds: Wine.

(All prizes accordingly to entry)