Bedfordshire Smallbore Shooting Association

There was no frost for the sixth, and final, round  of 2024/25 Frostbite League; but it was cold (3°), damp, dull and there was a chilly breezy making it feel like the coldest of this seasons matches.

The wind was variable in both direction and strength, most of the time the wind tapes seemed confused as to what they should be indicating.

Results for the day’s competition 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:

Full results, including the league standings, may be found here.

The next BSSA Open meeting is the English Match (60 shots at 50m) competition for prone and benchrest rifle to be held on the 16th March 2025. Details of this competition, including entry forms,  are available here.

A frosty  start to the morning for Round 5 of 2024/25 Frostbite League. However, despite the thermometer reading 2°C the light wind and winter sun made for quite pleasant conditions on the firing point.

Results for the day’s competition were:

Full results, including the current league standings, may be found here.

The sixth, and final, round (100yd) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 16th February. There may be 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 English Match (60 shots at 50m) competition for prone and benchrest rifle to be held on the 16th March 2025. Details of this competition, including entry forms,  are available here.

A busy weekend at the Bedford Rifle Club range as the BSSA held their indoor meeting offering an eighty shot course of fire at 25 yards for prone, benchrest and lightweight sport rifle (standing) and a sixty or one hundred and twenty shot course of fire for 10 metre air rifle and pistol. 

Prize winners in the 80 shot prone competition were:

K Sheead won the Bench Rest competition with a score of 800 with 34 Xs.

The Ladies prize was won by Mrs W Foith and the Junior by Miss A Meagher, who beat Miss A Xu by a single point (759 to 758).

The Blind Pairs competition was won by K Sheead and E Haigh with a combined score of 1576.

The Lightweight Sport Rile contest was won by C Stone with a score of 683.

In the Airgun competition medal winners were:

 60 Shot Air Pistol  – Class A: J George         551
                                   – Class B: M Putt             507
120 Shot Air Pistol – Class A: D Spencer    1088
                                   – Class B: M Putt             994

            60 Shot Air Rifle  – Class A: Miss I Cordery    558
                                            – Class B: Miss S Signorelli 560
          120 Shot Air Rifle  – Class A: Miss I Cordery    1113
                                             – Class B: Miss S Signorelli 1120

The full results may be found here.

A wintry  start to the morning for Round 4 of 2024/25 Frostbite League saw a light snow covering on the Bedford range.

However, the ‘mild’ temperature, 4°C and rising, coupled with a very light wind made for passable conditions on the firing point; though some had come prepared for worse.

The light winds helped the scoring, with three ‘tons’ being recorded; though the poor light and an odd skein of mist that passed through during the second detail did cause problems spotting the shot holes for some.

Results for the day’s competition were:

Full results may be found here.

Round 5 (50m) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 2nd February. There may be 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, offering competitions for prone rifle, benchrest rifle, light-weight sport rifle and airgun (pistol & rifle) to be held on the 18/19th January 2025. Details of this competition, including entry forms,  are available here.

Entries are now open for the 25 yd Indoor Meeting to be held at the Bedford (Clapham) range on the 18/19th January 2025. The meeting offers competitions for the following disciplines: Prone Rifle; Benchrest Rifle; Light-weight Sport Rifle all at 25 yds and Airgun, Rifle and Pistol, at 10m.

The Prone Rifle Match will be shot on a squadded basis with 80 shots to count in two 40 shot details.  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. See below for link to further details and the entry form.

The Bench Rest competition will be shot on a squadded basis with 80 shots to count in two 40 shot details. There will be a 50 minute break between details. The competition will be shot in a single class. 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 Light-weight Sport Rifle competition is an 80-shot course of fire from a standing, un-supported, position. Any sights except laser pointers may be used. Targets will be the NSRA PL14/06 20 yd pistol target centres, 5 shots per target, but these will be set at 25 yds. Competitors may chose to either follow the prone/benchrest format of 2 sets of 2 x 20 minute details or may elect to shoot in a single set of 2 x 20 minute details. Competitors are reminded that NSRA rules do not permit magazines to be loaded before the ‘Commence’ command and that a maximum of 10 rounds may be loaded in any magazine.

The Airgun competition is in three categories: Air Pistol, Air Rifle (precision) and Air Rifle (Sporter). All Airgun disciplines will be shot in a single detail with 15 minutes allowed for preparation and sighting followed by a 90 minute match period.

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, Benchrest & LWSR Entry Form

Airgun Entry Form

A mild, dry and, for the most part, sunny morning for Round 3 of 2024/25 Frostbite League.

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. No doubt helped by the pleasant morning, new record scores were set: +102 and the lowest -94 (previous records +55/ -92).

Results for the day’s 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:

Full results may be found here.

Round 4 (100yds) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 5th January. The forecast suggests that this could be another mild, sunny day with a bit of wind to contend with.
There may be 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, offering competitions for prone rifle, benchrest rifle, light-weight sport rifle and airgun (pistol & rifle) to be held on the 18/19th January 2025. Details of this competition, including entry forms,  are available here.

December 1st, the first day of winter: – mild, continuous light rain, dull and a light but variable breeze, just the conditions needed for success at 100 yds. Despite the conditions both Wendy Foith (A Class) and Maria Popham (B Class) successfully risked going ‘All-in’ on one card.

Results were:

Full results may be found here.

Round 3 (50m) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 15th December; this round will include a Christmas novelty shoot. The forecast suggests that this should be a chilly day (5°C) with sunshine and a light breeze, but forecasts can change.
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 18/19th January 2025, 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.

A chilly but dry start for the 2024/25 Frostbite League, unfortunately the weak sun could not compensate for the chill from the light breeze. The conditions did not put off the ladies, who took five of the six prizes on offer.

Results were:

Full results may be found here.

Round 2 (100 yards) of the Frostbite League will take place on the 1st December. The forecast suggests that this should be a similar day, cool with sunshine and light winds.
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 18/19th January 2025, 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.

It is with great sadness that the BSSA announce the Passing of Don Rathbone at the age of 87. Don was a former Treasurer of the Association and also the Chairman of the Ex-Waterlow Rifle Club until 2015; he was also an active supporter of the airgun section of the Dunstable And District District Disabled Sports organisation.

Don suffered from MS for many years and in later life dementia; Dons wife and carer, Stella, sadly passed away following a road accident last December .

The BSSA Frostbite will commence on Sunday 17th November, at the Bedford Rifle Range. Entries closed on the 1st November, with a fairly full list. If there are cancellations it may be possible to enter on the day, please check with the organiser Steve Beadle, (Email: OpenShoots@BedsSSA.org.uk , Tel: 07720 677456) before travelling.

The range will be open from 9am, competitors should arrive early as you are expected to help prepare the range including setting out your own target frame. The first detail will commence at 10.15 or earlier if all are present and ready.

Dates for subsequent rounds are:

1st December
15th December
5th January
2nd February
16th February

Full details and entry form may be found here.