All at Scottish Target Shooting are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96, as many of our members and partners will be too. Her Majesty was always a huge supporter of sport and the role it plays in society, keenly demonstrated by her unwavering support for the Commonwealth Games and her connection and patronage with shooting organisations such as the NRA and NSRA. Read on for the UK Government’s published guidance…
Update to Shooting COVID Guidance
As a result of the Scottish Government lifting all covid rules and restrictions, Scottish Target Shooting COVID-19 Guidance has been withdrawn. Despite restrictions being lifted, covid (and other viruses) remains present in our communities so clubs are still encouraged to consult with members on putting in place/maintaining appropriate and proportional hygiene arrangements to ensure all members can continue their involvement in the sport. STS would like to express its thanks to our individual members and member clubs for their patience, support, and efforts to uphold public safety and a return to safe shooting.
Summary of Scottish Performances at the NRA 2022 Imperial Meeting
Scottish Firearms Bodies Launch Campaign to Raise Awareness About Mental Health Support
On 28 July 2022, a leaflet providing information on mental health support for firearms license holders has been released by members of the Scottish Firearms Licensing Practitioners Group. The group is composed of organisations who represent those with shooting interests in Scotland, the Scottish Government and Police Scotland. The leaflet aims to highlight the support that is available to certificate holders (as well as their family, friends and fellow club members) and outlines to people with concerns how they can seek help. Read on to find out more…
Shooting Australia Calls for Shooting Community to Get Behind 'Shoot for the Games 2026' Campaign
On 20 July Shooting Australia launched a social media campaign entitled ‘Shoot for the Games 2026’ as the next step in Shooting’s bid to be included in the Victoria (VIC) 2026 Commonwealth Games. STS calls upon its members to get behind this campaign and share the key messages where possible, using the hashtags #ShootForTheGames2026 and #commonwealthgames2026 and tagging @CommGamesAus to show the support the movement is getting.
Scots Fight for Medals at the 2022 British Commonwealth Rifle Club Championships
Due to the fact the British Commonwealth Rifle Club (BCRC) Championships, held at Bisley on the 2-3 July, was only two weeks before the National Championships and shot with the same ammunition, it meant most of the UK top shots attend the meeting, including Canadian and Australian athletes that had reached Bisley early specifically to shoot in this meeting. Read on to see how the Scottish athletes got on in such a tough field…
Report from Full Bore 2022 Scottish Open
The annual Full Bore Scottish Meeting is held on the Jubilee Range on the Duke of Atholl’s estate in Blair Atholl. It is one of the most scenic ranges in the world, but is famed for its very confusing winds, which often bemuse the firers, particularly at the longer ranges of 900 and 1000 yards. Nonetheless, it always attracts some very strong shooters from England and Northern Ireland, so the meeting was once again fully subscribed. Read on to see how competitors fared at this year’s Scottish Open…
West of Scotland Compete in the Full Bore Inter Counties Weekend at Bisley
West of Scotland were the only region from Scotland to be represented in the NRA Inter County competition this year, taking place over the 11-12 June 2022 at Bisley. It is several years since the West could muster a team of 8 firers, as they usually could only shoot in the junior event for teams of 4 firers. However, this year they had a full team of 8 firers and two target coaches and, on paper, a team capable of a good result. Read on to see how the team got on…
Colin McEachran MBE
It is with great regret that STS can confirm the sad passing of Colin McEachran on 21 May 2022. Colin was a true servant and promoter of shooting, leaving a positive and friendly impression with all of those who had the pleasure of working with and shooting alongside Colin. His infectious love for the sport was impossible to ignore and not catch when you spent time with Colin. The sympathies of everyone at STS goes to Colin’s family, friends and all those who knew him.
Colin was the inaugural winner of the Bob Aitken Service to Shooting Award in 2017 so we felt it was fitting to re-share this summary of his considerable involvement and contribution to not just shooting, but Scottish sport over more than 50 years…follow this link to read the summary.
CSF(ED) Wales 2022 - Expressions of Interest
For those not yet aware, Wales have announced that they will host a Commonwealth Shooting Federation (European Division) (otherwise known as CSFED) competition in September 2022. The shooting programme is extensive and STS is seeking expressions of interest from athletes with a desire to be considered for selection in the events listed not currently supported by the performance programme. For clarity, read on…
STS Staff Availability over the Festive Season
2021 has been a difficult and relentless year for everyone so we hope members respect the fact that the STS staff will be taking a well deserved break over the festive season. After 17 December all STS staff will be on leave for the festive season. Read on to find out where to direct enquiries during this time…
Police Scotland Advises Clubs with Renewals Due in 2022 to Submit Applications Early
HSE Launches Call for Evidence to Assess Risks of Lead in Ammunition
The Health and Safety Executive are gathering information and evidence to support the development of a UK REACH restriction dossier (report) on risks to the environment and human health of the use of lead in ammunition (projectiles) in all areas of the Great Britain (Military and non-civilian use of ammunition is excluded). STS wanted to bring this to the attention of the shooting community. The call for evidence closes on 22 October 2021. A link to find out more and submit a response to the call for evidence online can be found in the article on the STS website.
Deadline Approaches for Antique Firearms Law Change
Gun Trader's User Database Hacked - Could This Impact On You? [Update]
We have been made aware that the user database of the popular organisation for peer to peer selling of guns, Gun Trader, has been hacked and therefore information on users has been illegally acquired. It has been reported that Gun Trader has 111,000 users on its database and the information obtained by hackers includes names, addresses, telephone numbers and some GPS location data. 5,500 are reported to have come from Scotland and undoubtedly some will be STS members so we wanted to advise of the implications of this and what safety action should be taken.
2021 Full Bore Scottish Open Report
The annual Scottish Full-Bore Rifle Championships were held at Blair Atholl on the Jubilee Range from 18th to 20th June. It was a welcome return for this popular meeting, as it had to be cancelled last year, and enthusiasm to attend was higher than ever with entries reaching the range capacity very quickly. There were many familiar faces from England attending as well as teams from the regular army and the GB Under-19’s, with the result that the Scots were outnumbered numerically by the English by a ratio of 3 to 1.
2022 Commonwealth Shooting Championships in India Cancelled
Following a review of the 2022 Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships scheduled to take place in India, the difficult decision has been made to cancel the event. This comes after careful consideration of several factors, including the continued uncertainty created by the ongoing global pandemic.
2021 Pentagonal & Finlux Results Published
STS Publishes Selection Policy for India 2022 Commonwealth Championships
STS has today published its Selection Policy for the 2022 Commonwealth Shooting Championships. The Commonwealth Championships is due to take place in India in January 2022, although there are still many details for the event still to be confirmed, however STS wanted to give all shooters guidance on what will be required. The selection window will be running from 1st April to 30th September 2021 to achieve the necessary requirements, however a notification of interest for selection must be declared by non Performance Programme athletes by 31st July 2021. Read the article on the STS website to find out more.