Gallery rifle

After the legislation resulting in the loss of handgun shooting at the Club, members returned to shooting the pistol competitions, but with small-bore rifles. Gallery rifle, mostly shot using small-bore Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rifles, provides for the shooter, the opportunity to shoot those 'action' and 'practical' competitions that had been lost to them. Members also shoot Marlin and Remington rifles. Competitions such as Police Pistol 1, Service B, Bianchi and the 1500 now appear as courses of fire in Gallery rifle.

Shooting through a barricade, with the R.O. in close attendance

The courses of fire available are suitable for both young and old. The 1500 competition includes stages which can involve the shooter change from kneeling, to sitting, to standing, shooting from both left and right shoulders. This can result in much discussion between Club members when they 'go forward and score' their targets.

Scoring the 1500 detail

Although many Club members shoot using the basic unmodified Ruger 10/22 rifle, several members shoot with customised rifles which come with many variations of stock, sights, barrels, triggers etc.

Two Ruger 10/22 gallery rifles, showing some of the different
sight, stock, barrel and trigger options available.

The upper Ruger 10/22 has a standard barrel and wooden stock, and is fitted with a multi-power telescopic sight with an illuminated variable shape reticule. The lower Ruger 10/22 has an all-weather plastic stock, a shortened barrel with drilled compensation, and a red-dot sight. There is also a laser dot fitted to the front of the barrel.

As well as small-bore gallery rifle at St. Nicholas, some members also travel down to Bisley to shoot full-bore gallery rifle on the Winans range.

A Ruger 10/22T in .22lr and a Ruger 96/44 underlever in .44mag

With a four shot magazine and a box of 50 rounds of .44mag (purchased from the NRA and used on the day), and with 100 rounds for the 10/22T, several hours of shooting can be enjoyed. Both rifles shown above were fitted with telescopic sights (4x32 on the 10/22T and 8x40 on the 96/44).

Concentration and a Ruger 96/44

Although the Ruger 96/44 was hired from the NRA, it took only 8 shots to get the telescopic sight sighted in. One coaching session later and the shooter above was shooting strings of 85-90 ex 100 in his first attempt at the discipline.