Bedfordshire Smallbore Shooting Association

There was a good turnout for the first BSSA outdoor open of the year, bolstered by a concurrent match between the South West and Eastern region squads, with 41 competitors for the English Match.
The organisers had arranged some pleasant weather – mild, dry, occasional sun and with little wind. The wind was fair to all, generally calm but with each squad having 2-3 minute spells of gusts. The fair conditions allowed for 11 ‘possibles’ to be recorded.

English Match prize winners were:

There was a single entrant in the Benchrest competition A Campbell who recorded a score of 587.

The Ladies prize was won by K Butler, with a score of 582; and the sole Junior, Miss T Austin, recorded a score of 517. The pairs competition resulted in a draw between the partnerships of S Harris/ M Lewis and D Swain/J Duguid.

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 Prix, 60 shots at 50m with optional 40 shots at 100yds, to be held on the Sunday 14th May.

English Match
60 SHOTS @ 50 metres, plus optional 40 SHOTS also @ 50 metres.
Ladies, Junior and Pairs competitions also available concurrent with the 60 shot prone match.

A 60 shot at 50m Benchrest competition is also available.

Date:  Sunday 19th March 2023

Venue: Bedford Range, Clapham Road, Bedford.

Closing date for entries: 13th March. Late entries may be accepted if space permits.

For further details of the BSSA English Match and Benchrest competition, please refer to the information sheet and entry form.

Entries are now open for the BSSA 25yd and 50m/50yds pairs, and 100yd individual leagues.

Entries for all leagues close on the 6th March, with the first round of the 50m and 100yd leagues to be shot by the 17th April. The first two rounds of the 25yd league are to be shot by the 24th April. Further details and entry form may be found here for the 25 yds, here for the 50m/50yd and here for the 100yd.

For the 6th and final round of the BSSA Frostbite League the weather returned to being unseasonably mild, dry but overcast. The wind flags were redundant, hanging lifeless for the first two details and only occasionally managing a listless flutter during the third. The favourable condition allowed for six ‘possibles’ from the prone contingent; though these were all achieved during the first two details, so maybe there was a bit more wind than the flags appeared to be indicating during the third.

Winners of the day’s competitions were:

League Result
The overall league position in each class is determined by the aggregate handicap score from the competitors best five rounds. The Class winners, who received a BSSA Gold Medal and will hold the trophy for a year, were:

A summary of the league results may be found here.

Prize winners at the 2023 BSSA Indoor Meeting were:

K Sheead won the Bench Rest competition with a score of 790 including 25 Xs and received a prize of £8.
The top Lady was Mrs W Foith, winning £3; top Junior was Miss L Mackernan, also winning £3; the Open Pairs competition was won by Ms J Newing and C Garham with a combined score of 1541 who each received £3.

All prizes were in cash and the full results may be found here.

Now that was what you call a frostbite, -4°C as the first shots were fired and it wasn’t much warmer by the last shot. Luckily, there was no wind and off the firing point and in the sun it was almost pleasant. The frost did have an upside, the ground was hard; without the frost it would have been muddy, thanks to the resident badgers digging up the range floor.

Winners of the day’s competitions were:

The sixth and final round (100yds) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 12th February.
Too early for a weather forecast, but hopefully a bit warmer than it was for Round 5.
There is a slim chance that it may be possible to enter on the day, but please check with the organiser Steve Beadle, (Email: stevebeadle1960@hotmail.co.uk, Tel: 07720 677456) before travelling.

Next weekend, 28th/29th January, is the BSSA Indoor 25yd and Airgun Open Meeting, spaces still available, see here for details.

As we set up range for round 4 it was relatively mild, 7°C, sunny and still. By the time the first detail started a chaotic wind had arrived and the flags were flying in all directions (a scene not help by the excessive number of wind flags which have been deployed to deter the Badgers from rooting up the range floor – they are about as effective in that role as they are in indicating the wind to the shooter); it remained sunny. By the second detail started the sun had disappeared, leaving a grey sky. Luckily, throughout the shoot the wind was so chaotic that it appeared to be having little effect on the fall of shot.

Winners of the day’s competitions were:

Round 5 (50m) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 22nd January.
The forecast suggests that this should be another mild day, with a moderate breeze.
There is a slim chance that it may be possible to enter on the day, but please check with the organiser Steve Beadle, (Email: stevebeadle1960@hotmail.co.uk, Tel: 07720 677456) before travelling.

Entries are now open for the 25 yd Indoor Prone Rifle Match and the 10m Airgun Match, to be held at the Bedford (Clapham) range on the 28/29th January 2023.

The Prone Rifle Match consist of two details, each of 40 shots on NSRA 2510BM 1989 series targets – Aggregate ex 800. There will be a 50 minute break between details. Competitors are classified in four classes: BSSA ‘X’ class is made up of shooters in & previously in X Class within the past 3 years, Nationally Classified ‘X’ Class competitors will be placed in Class ‘X’; all other competitors will be placed in three equal classes as far as possible, according to submitted average. All competitors other than ‘X’ Class are required to submit an average based on the best 5 of the last 6 indoor scores.Further details and the entry form may be downloaded here.

The Bench Rest competition will be shot in one class on a squadded basis with 80 shots to count in two 40 shot details. It is an any sights competition to be shot at 25 yds. Own rests are to be brought by the shooters competing. Two firing points per detail will be allocated for bench rest competitor, please annotate your entry form with ‘Bench rest’ or contact Steve Beadle directly (contact details on entry form) if you wish to enter this discipline.

The Airgun competition is in three categories: Air Pistol, Air Rifle (precision) and Air Rifle (Sporter).

Air Pistol & Rifle (precision)

Comp 1 – 60 shot course of fire at Air4/89-18 or A3/89-18 10m targets.

Comp 2 – Second 60 shot course, scores aggregated with Comp 1.

Air rifle (Sporter) – 40 shots at 10m.

Entry forms for these competitions may be downloaded from:

Prone and Bench Rest Entry Form

Airgun Entry Form

Round 3 of the Frostbite League was shot in cold but, luckily, still conditions.

As usual, Round 3 incorporates the Christmas shoot, five shots in two minutes, with the aim being to miss the elves (-25 points) who are busy decorating the Christmas tree and, if you’re feeling lucky, hit the star (+25 points).  For the benchrest competitors the challenge was greater, as they had to shoot at a reversed target. As usual the scores were entertaining, the winning score being 55,  the lowest  was -92 points, a new record.

The results for the ‘serious’ competition were:

Round 3 also sees the Half-Way prizes in each class, these are based on the best two 0f the three rounds shot thus far. Winners were:

Round 4 (100yds) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 8th January.
Too early for a reliable forecast, but hopefully the current “Troll of Trondheim” will have passed on.
There is a slim chance that it may be possible to enter on the day, but please check with the organiser Steve Beadle, (Email: stevebeadle1960@hotmail.co.uk, Tel: 07720 677456) before travelling.

Round 2 of the Frostbite League was shot in relatively mild, sunny and still conditions. Light conditions proved tricky, with many complaining of difficulty discerning the shot holes, which could appear and disappear as the light changed.

The regular organiser had been granted medical leave but the substitutes appeared to be coping well – until it came to the results. After a couple of mis-cues prizes were awarded, but a post-event review revealed an error in the positions for Competition 1; therefore, two first places in this competition have been awarded.

Round 3 (50m) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 4th December and this will also include the Christmas fun shoot. Competitors wishing to take part in the fun shoot should bring a wrapped prize, to a value of about £5 is recommended.
The forecast suggests that this should be another mild day, with a gentle breeze.
There is a slim chance that it may be possible to enter on the day, but please check with the organiser Steve Beadle, (Email: stevebeadle1960@hotmail.co.uk, Tel: 07720 677456) before travelling.