JOU NATIONAL RIFLE RN ASSOCIATION AL Autumn 2012 – Volume XCI No. 3 £4.25 New chief exec: Revealed inside 11-PAGE IMPERIAL REPORT n Grand Aggregate n St George’s n National, Mackinnon, Kolapore n Match Rifle, Schools WARBURTON winsINTER-COUNTIES n FQueen’s CLASS GEAR n OLYMPIC REPORT n RESULTS SERVICE 2 www.nra.org.uk 002.indd 2 7/9/12 16:06:45 National Rifle Association 3 003.indd 3 7/9/12 16:05:28 NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION Autumn 2012 – Volume XCI – Number 3 Cover: John Warburton Cover photography by Matt Limb 18 Managing editor: Colin Fallon Sub-editor: Natalie Parker Graphic design: Matt Smith 6 CHIEF EXECUTIVE Ad design: Anna Makwana Derrick Mabbott updates NRA Advertising sales: Samantha Morgan Members on the changes taking 45 PA to the directors: Hannah Benson place at the Association Operations director: James Folkard Assistant publisher: Ruth Burgess Publisher : Wes Stanton 8 NEWS Contributors: Ashley Dagger, Tony de Andrew Mercer is the NRA’s new Chief Launay, Tim Finley, Neil Fancis, Roseanne Executive, results from the Olympic Furniss, James Harris, Laurie Holland, Olaf Games, and more from around the Jones, Mrs D Latimer, Ross Stenner, Peter target shooting world Turner, Tony Walker Bisley photography by Matt Limb 12 LETTERS NRA Chairman: Robin Pizer Positive feedback from an industry Chief executive: Derrick Mabbott bigwig, and thanks to the NRA Council T: 01483 797777 and Imperial Meeting organisers F: 01483 797285 W: www.nra.org.uk 14 GUN REVIEW The NRA Journal is published on behalf F Class is the gearhead’s dream: of the National Rifl e Association by Blaze scopes, bipods and all the long-range Publishing Limited. accuracy you can imagine. Tim Finley Address: Lawrence House, Morrell tests a custom F Class rifl e Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ. T: 01926 339808 18 HM QUEEN’S PRIZE F: 01926 470400 Queen’s went right to the wire this year, E: [email protected] but John Warburton – who has previously come second – went one better to clinch © Blaze Publishing Limited, 2012 it. We’ve got the full report All rights reserved. The editorial matter, pictures and text may not be reproduced without permission. Views expressed are 21 GRAND AGGREGATE not necessarily those Ten events, 705 points, one winner. of the National Rifl e James Corbett came all the way from Association. Australia to clinch the Grand Aggregate 4 www.nra.org.uk 04-05 Contents_Rev3DM.indd 4 10/9/12 13:02:03 CONTENTS | Overview 45 A TOUCH OF GLASS 52 We’ve lined up fi ve rifl escopes to tempt F Class shooters, from the budget to the big time 46 HAVE A REST Five bipod options for benchrest and F Class shooters looking a break from the norm 49 OBITUARIES Remembering the lives of Alan Whittle, Norman Whittingham, John Baines and David Latimer 52 RESULTS SERVICE The fi nal results from target shooting events around the country over the last three months 24 ST GEORGE’S 36 AROUND THE NATION It’s Luckie’s lucky day – David Luckman Reports from events outside the Imperial 55 GENERAL NOTICES went home with the St George’s Vase. Meeting, including the Shield Summer Offi cial notices on Charles Murton, Tony de Launay reports Challenge, Inter-Counties Championships, safe shooter certifi cation cards, GB British Commonwealth Rifl e Club and international teams, and more 27 TEAM MATCHES Military Adaptive Championship Full reports from three of the ‘big 60 CALENDAR OF EVENTS fi ve’ team events: the National, the 41 OLYMPIC GAMES The Marksman’s Calendar listings Mackinnon and the Kolapore We won a gold, but there are still for the rest of 2012, plus provisional obvious areas of development that events for 2013 31 AND THE REST... can be identifi ed. The National Other matches that took place at the Rifl e Association Journal reports on 66 NRA TRADE MEMBERS Imperial Meeting 2012, including the Team GB’s performance at the 2012 Full listings and contact details for the Schools and Match Rifl e events Olympic Games NRA’s trade members 31 National Rifl e Association 5 04-05 Contents_Rev3DM.indd 5 10/9/12 13:02:15 <<design>> DPS – copy and one or two pics. A similar style to the last Journal’s intro on p3, but over two pages. Could run the copy over the top half of the spread and a large pic over the bottom half – if this won’t work, I can source other pics. Thanks. <<end design>> <<slug>> Welcome | Chief Executive <<head>> Welcome <<subhead>> THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF CHANGE <<copy>> he last few weeks have seen a lot of activity within the NRA and some important milestones passed. Internally, we have welcomed our new head of membership and training, Richard Blackmore. Richard comes to us from the Fitness Industry TAssociation with a strong background in working with membership organisations and a real desire to get involved in a sports governing body. His sound commercial skills will help us extend our capabilities as far as commercial training is concerned, which will help us keep the costs of training for members as low as possible. Welcome We have now published our accounts for 2011. They show a significant improvement on 2010, yet still with a loss of £110,000. This THE POSITIVE demonstrates both the rationale behind the changes we have made and the progress we have achieved, but clearly we are not ‘out of the woods’. Bear in mind that these results reflect the impact of changes that were only beginning to take effect in 2011. Our continuing focus on commercial and cost disciplines is bearing further fruit, and we will continue to implement these as part of the new, more professional culture we aspire to. At the AGM there was much dissatisfaction raised with the changes made, especially reductions in staff levels. There was a good he last few weeks have seen we have made and the progress we deal of concern over the impact this would have on the Imperial Meeting given reduced staff levels and the loss of institutional a lot of activity within the NRA have achieved, but clearly we are memory. In actual fact, the Imperial meeting went off very well. T and some important milestones not ‘out of the woods’. Bear in mind The Army championships, the traditional curtain-raiser to the Imperial, were attended by the Duke of York, while our own passed. Internally, we have welcomed that these results reflect the impact of contribution, the inaugural Adaptive Championships, was a great success. The culmination was one of our friends from Headley Court, our new head of membership and changes that were only beginning to a young Gurkha soldier, marching up to receive his trophy in front of a packed Umbrella tent. He did so in front of a strong contingent training, Richard Blackmore. Richard take effect in 2011. Our continuing focus of men from his battalion, most of whom had not seen him since his injury in Afghanistan. It would have been a hard heart indeed not comes to us from the Fitness Industry on commercial and cost disciplines is to have been moved by this scene. Association with a strong background in bearing further fruit, and we will continue Despite the often dreadful weather, especially in the earlier matches, the Imperial Meeting was a testament to the hard work of working with membership organisations to implement these as part of the new, all the staff in making it work. This goes for not just the full-time staff but those who join us on a temporary basis for the duration of the and a real desire to get involved in more professional culture we aspire to. event. In the latter stages, we saw some magnificent scores. Dr John Warburton pipped a strong field to become the 2012 Queen’s a sports governing body. His sound At the AGM there was much Prize winner. It is traditional for the winner to sign the back page of a book by Lord Cottesloe, The Rifleman. Dr Warburton was the first commercial skills will help us extend dissatisfaction raised with the changes person to sign a new page, which should see us through to 2053. our capabilities as far as commercial made, especially reductions in staff As the financial position improves, we can begin to turn our attention to improving our service levels to our members. We look training is concerned, which will help us levels. There was a good deal of to refurbish/rebuild one – ideally two – ablution blocks before the end of the year. This was another issue highlighted at the Annual keep the costs of training for members concern over the impact this would have and Bisley General Meetings and clearly needs increased focus. Equally, once the ground is dry enough, we plan to address the as low as possible. on the Imperial Meeting given reduced increasingly poor pothole situation around camp. Further, we plan to revise our range office procedures to be more responsive to We have now published our accounts staff levels and the loss of institutional customers. for 2011. They show a significant memory. In actual fact, the Imperial An area we must be mindful of is the Safe Shooter Scheme, which we run in conjunction with the MoD. There was an occasion improvement on 2010, yet still with a meeting went off very well. recently, which the MoD’s Defence Land Range Safety Committee (DLRSC) has highlighted to us, where it discovered that the loss of £110,000. This demonstrates The Army championships, the basic procedures under the Scheme were not adhered to.