Category: Club News

Trophies galore at County Championship

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley cleaned up at the Staffordshire County Championships on Sunday with members winning nine trophies.

Richard Hemingway retained his title as County Champion, ultimately earning five separate trophies – the Association Cup (Overall Confined Championship), the 50Metre Challenge Trophy, the Miniature Rifle Cup (A-Class Champion), the Michelin Cup (best 100yard scores in A-Class) and the Greatrex Cup (top NSRA County Medal holder).

Deb Truman became Staffordshire Ladies Champion. Graham Delaney won D-Class, with Lee Featherstone runner up. Paul Watkiss narrowly missed out on a medal, placing fourth in C-Class.

Youth Shooting Camp

by RichHin Club News

Rugeley Rifle Club is delighted to announce it’s Youth Shooting Camp 2023.

Running from August 19-22, and on August 26th this is a tented camp at Target Sprint Burntwood.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights will be spent under canvas. Airgun shooting will take place at Burntwood with .22lr shooting at Rugeley Rifle Club. There will also be team activities and camp fires.

On August 26th, the campers will be invited back to Rugeley Rifle Club with parents and guardians to see the progress made and have an end-of-camp shooting competition including air rifle, air pistol and .22 rimfire rifle. The young person showing the most promise will earnt he Young Gun Trophy and a years club membership, with free ammunition sponsored by Eley!

Apply to Lee Featherstone (RRC Secretary) at rugeleyrc (at) outlook (dot) com.

The cost of the camp is £50.

More than 80 take aim at Club Open Day

by RichHin Club News

More than 80 visitors from the local community tried their hand at Rugeley Rifle Club’s Open Day on Saturday. Despite drizzly weather, young and old received a tour of the club’s facilities and tried their hand at air rifle and air pistol, before enjoying the barbecue on the outdoor range.

Local councillor Olivia Lyons formally opened the new range wall on the 100yard range. The club successfully crowdfunded to replace the old wall, which had been in place 51 years.

Club Chairman Martyn Buttery & local Councillor Olivia Lyons stand in front of a tape as they formally open the new range wall.
Club Chairman Martyn Buttery & local COuncillor Olivia Lyons open the new range wall.
A young boy and an adult man fire target air pistols.
Visitors try their aim with air pistol
Two young people are sat at benches shooting air rifles from rests.
Juniors take instruction on benchrest air rifle
Visitors sit at benches shooting air rifles from rests. They are shooting at 10metres on the club's 25yard indoor range.
Visitors shoot benchrest air rifle at 10metres on the club’s 25yard indoor range

Medal for Paul at Swadlincote Air Open

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley shooter Paul Watkiss claimed a Bronze medal at the Swadlincote Open Airgun Meeting on Sunday. Shooting Air Pistol in A-Class, Paul scored 548, tying for Silver but losing on inner-tens to Lucy Evans of the West Midlands Regional Squad (and just selected by GB for the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl later this year).

Mick Chaganis placed 10th in B-Class for Air Pistol, and 3rd in Air Rifle B-Class. Congratulations to both.

Rugeley members oversee Schools Championship

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Members of Rugeley Rifle Club were on hand to assist with British Shooting’s 2023 Schools Championship. Held over two days at Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock, 159 air pistol shooters and 107 air rifle shooters competed across Junior, Intermediate and Senior classes after qualifying through regional shoots around the UK. Congratulations to all the participants and medallists on a fantastic two days of competition.

The event was sponsored by Steyr Sport and Hill Pumps. A number of world class and Paralympic athletes on hand to award medals and inspire the next generation of target shooters. More photos at British Shooting’s Facebook Page.

Young competitors shoot match air rifles in a sports hall.
A group of medallists stand with officials and paralympic shooters.
A group of young people fire match air pistols in a sports hall. At the bench in front of them, computer monitors show the scores returned from the electronic targets.

The Wall

by RichHin Club News

Rugeley Rifle Club has launched our latest crowdfunding campaign to replace the outdoor range wall. Rugeley Rifle Club moved to Wharf Road more than 50 years ago, and the wall has bounded the 100yard outdoor range over that time. But all things come to an end, and the wall is now in need of replacement.

Sport England will match-fund this project, but we need to raise £11,000 of our own, from at least 75 supporters. This money will be spent on replacing the wall, as well as making good the range floor and the roadside pathway. If we reach our stretch goal of £15,000 we can upgrade the side pathway to the 10metre and 50metre ranges, improving wheelchair accessibility.

There are a range of rewards for donors including guitar lessons; afternoon teas; t-shirts and sweatshirts, along with discounted have-a-go and introductory sessions hosted by the club and multi-year membership offers. Make your pledge today to secure outdoor shooting at Rugeley!

International caps at Bisley

by RichHin Club News

Rugeley enjoyed international success, with three members representing Home Nation teams at the Bisley 100 Meeting.

On Friday, Club Chairman Martyn Buttery captained England – an historic double after he also captained the team at Scotland 100 in 2019.

Rich Hemingway and Ryan Williams were both selected to represent Wales. They were joined by friend-of-the-club Liam Webster who earned his first Welsh cap. Liam shot at Rugeley for many years before moving to west Wales some years ago.

England ultimately won the match, scoring 3799/4000.

England3799
Scotland3755
Wales3715
Jersey3622

Rugeley members make mark at Bisley 100

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley members made their mark at the Centenary edition of the NSRA’s Bisley Rifle Meeting, which returned after a two year hiatus. A strong contingent, the club sent 10 shooters down, competing over the weekend and full week.

Rich Hemingway places third in
the Weekend Aggregate
photo: Martyn Buttery

Richard Hemingway finally broke his run of middling Bisley performances to earn promotion to X-Class, joining Martyn Buttery and Ryan Williams in the top tier. Finishing third in the Weekend Aggregate and equal-fourth in the Grand Aggregate, either result was sufficient for promotion. Rich also won the incidental Prince William of Wales match and placed third in the Centenary Competition.

Vic Tyne placed third in Class for Competition 10 – the 100Yard portion of the Weekend Aggregate.

The meeting was opened by Michael More-Molyneux (Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey), on behalf of the Queen, who is patron of the NSRA. Lord Lieutenants represent the monarch in their county. The week included a number of 1922-inspired competitions, including deliberate and rapid-fire matches using targets from the period.

Michael More-Molyneux at the Bisley 100 Opening Shot Ceremony

Michael More-Molyneux DL, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey at the Bisley 100 Opening Shot Ceremony with NSRA President Geoff Doe (left) and Chief Range Officer Jon Leech (centre).

credit: Hemmers, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rugeley shooter takes Silver at Welsh Championship

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rich Hemingway – Rugeley member and Staffordshire County Captain – was runner up in the Welsh Confined 50Metre Championship on Sunday.

Shooting at Tondu Shooting Club near Bridgend, Richard qualified for the Confined after placing 5th in the Welsh Open Championship on Saturday. Improving on his score from Saturday, he was pipped to the win by Alun Evans. Dave Phelps placed third. Conditions were bright, with the tricky light but gusting winds that Tondu is known for.

Friend of the club, Liam Webster placed fifth in the Confined. Liam shot with distinction at Rugeley for many years before moving away from the West Midlands.