The 154th Bisley Imperial Meeting 2023
This year's Imperial Meeting was held over the traditional months, beginning in mid-June with Service Rifle competitions, followed by the Match Rifle meeting from 7th to 12th of July, overlapping the Schools Imperial, and after that the Target Rifle Imperial on 14th, culminating this year in the King's Prize on the 22nd.
Though the weather was generally kind to the shooters, there were two unpleasant periods. On the first Friday of the TR many shooters got very wet. The following days were dryer but then the wind became challenging with rapid changes and on the day of the Daily Telegraph (500x) and Conan Doyle (900x) shooting had to be abandoned as it was deemed too unsafe for the markers operating the targets. The day of the King's final was the second wet and windy day.
Match Rifle Results
There were six Nottinghamshire entrants to the Match Rifle competitions. There are seven individual competitions and eight aggregates making up the meeting plus a number of national team matches. The total numbers entering each competition varied between 97 and 114. Not everyone entered all the aggregates: 64 entered most of the minor ones and 90 the Hopton, which covers all seven individual competitions.
The leading Notts. scorer was Mr SJ Whitby who came 19th in the Hopton Aggregate, collecting a 2nd place in the Halford on the way. He was followed by Mr WRD Mott in 44th place.
The victorious England Elcho match team included Mr RW Whitby as Adjutant and Mr SJ Whitby as one of the two Coaches.
The Hopton Supper Club includes several Notts. shooters and over the years their team in the FW Jones match has led the way. After 6 years of winning, they came 3rd in 2021. There was no match in 2022, so it is nice to see them back in first place this year with Mrs FK Day included in the team.
Nottinghamshire MR shooters' individual scores including team matches.
Target Rifle Results
Daily photographic reports are on the National Rifle Association Facebook page. Scroll down a long way to find the July entries.
Ten Nottinghamshire shooters competed in the King's Prize and eleven in the Grand Aggregate and the St George's shoots. Highlights are listed here with links to our detailed reports below. The total entry for the King's Prize was 781 (714/2022 & 613/2021), and for the St. George's Vase 742 (686 & 629). The Grand Aggregate attracted 679 (654 & 588) entries.
In the Grand Aggregate, the top Notts. shooter was Mr RSF Shouler at 16th place on 633.73v and second was Mr JA Bullock on 619.61v in 137th place.
This year top places were achieved by Mr JT Kennedy, who won the Times Trophy with an unbeatable 50.10v, and Mr RSF Shouler, who won the Clementi Smith Aggregate (Donegal plus Alexandra).
Leading places (top 20) were achieved by the following:–
| Mr JA Bullock: | Corporation 20th 47.5v Clementi Smith Agg 9th 98.11v Howcroft Newspaper Agg 17th 99.10v Sunday Agg 5th 145.15v Weekend Agg 3rd 194.21v |
| Mrs LE Haley: | Raven 6th 45.7v |
| Mr JT Kennedy: | The Times 1st 50.10v |
| Mr RW Ramage: | Admiral Hutton 19th 50.7v |
| Mr MH Shaw: | Alexandra 13th 50.5v |
| Mr RSF Shouler: | Alexandra 2nd 50.8v Donegal 2nd 50.8v Wimbledon 11th 50.7v King's 11th 293.33v St George's 7th 149.17v Clementi Smith Agg 1st 100.16v Grand Agg 16th 633.73v Marjorie Kerr Agg 2nd 257.36v Weekend Agg 5th 193.21v |
There were eleven Notts. entries for the St. George's Vase and five qualified for stage II: Mr RSF Shouler, Mr JT Kennedy, Mr JRJ Kennedy, Mr JA Bullock, and Mr RW Ramage. Only Mr RSF Shouler survived the cut for Stage III and ended in 7th place with 149.17v. The winner of the Vase was Mr A Ringer with a score of 150.17v.
Of the ten entries for H.M. the King's Prize, three made it to stage II: Mr RSF Shouler, Mr JA Bullock and Mr SD Shouler. The stage I cut-off was at 99.10v. In stage II, only Mr RSF Shouler with 147.19v survived the cut and went on to make 11th place on 293.33v. The winner was Mr CJ Watson on 297.34v, having finished with the only 75 (with 8v) at 1000 yards in wet and difficult conditions.
Nottinghamshire TR shooters' individual scores.
Nottinghamshire TR shooters' scores in aggregates.
The Nottinghamshire County Fullbore Team entered the County Championship Long Range and Short Range Senior competitions, coming 10th and 15th respectively and 9th in the combined Victor Ludorum aggregate. Surrey were once again the winners of all three competitions.
Mr SD & RSF Shouler entered the Families competition and came 5th with Mr & Mrs Haley in 10th place. The Haleys also entered the Fulton Pairs (Class X) and came 13th.
Mr RSF Shouler was selected for the victorious Great Britain team in the Kolapore match against teams from Australia, Jersey, Guernsey, Canada, Kenya and BDMP Germany. He was also selected for the England team for the National Challenge Trophy, involving England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. This was won by England with the other teams in the order listed.
Team scores for County Championship, Kolapore and National matches.
The full listings on the National Rifle Association website.