The Isle of Man Easter Shooting Festival is now in it’s 57th year. Featuring rifle, airgun and cartridge pistol events, it’s status as a GB selection match draws many shooters of national repute hunting for qualification scores, alongside the local shooters and those competing in classes.
Although the timing of the festival varies between mid-March and mid-April, the cold years have rarely gone so far as to offer snow. It was with regret then that the organising committee cancelled the Cartridge Pistol events when the 25 metre and 50 metre Pistol Ranges at Slieau Lhost (on the A18 Mountain Road across the valley from Snaefell) were buried under several thousand cubic metres of the white stuff – the first time an entire block of events has been cancelled in the history of the competition.
But then what can one expect when your range is at 1300ft ASL? Fortunately, the (by comparison) tropical rifle range is 1000ft lower, and as such was bitterly cold, but not buried. Safe too were the Air Rifle and Air Pistol shooters in a snug indoor temporary range hosted at Onchan Community Centre.
So it was with bags full of thermals that Rich and Simon boarded the Ben-My-Chree at Heysham bound for Douglas on Thursday 28th March. With a sheaf of paperwork in hand, they were whisked through security and made it onto the island with rifles and ammunition intact. For Rich the trip was almost routine, this being his 5th visit to the island. Simon was embarking on his very first Open Competition.
Friday morning brought the chance for an open training session, with people not only familiarising themselves with the range but working out what clothing combinations worked best for keeping warm on the firing point!
With training done, and the shooters prepared (or as prepared as we were going to get), the afternoons were left free for exploring the island. The event is run so training and competitions tend to be in the morning, leaving the afternoon for sightseeing. The famous mountain road was closed, but we went as far as the snow barriers, getting to the legendary Creg Ny Baa pub, and tooling down the back road, which afforded a fabulous view south back towards Douglas.
Saturday afternoon was spent exploring the West-Coast town of Peel, with Sunday covering the South of the island, as far as the Calf of Man and Langness.
But enough of the sightseeing, how was the competition?
Saturday dawned (as every day did) sunny with a biting cold wind. Sheltered in the valley floor, the early shooters were treated to gentle but inconsistent winds, with Rich slotting in a 584, placing him 12th overall and a credible 7th in A-Class – his first competition since being promoted from B-Class last year. Having drawn the second detail, Si faced stiffer winds, placing 64th overall, and 16th in class, putting in a solid shoot for his first Open Competition and substantially bolstering his outdoor shooting experience. Although not earning any medals for their Day 1 efforts, Rich did place second in the light-hearted Blind Pairs competition (where competitors are randomly drawn with another shooter and their individual scores combined), having been fortuitously matched with Manx shooting legend and Commonwealth Medallist Harry Creevy. The Easter egg prizes went down very well!
Day 2 dawned with the wind coming around ever so slightly, blowing into the firing point and giving the shooters a harder time than on Saturday. After a 99 first string, Rich struggled with the cold, shooting a poor middle section that ended on 574, sliding down the rankings to 41st overall and 21st in class. Simon actually managed to improve his score – unfortunately it wasn’t enough to stop him slipping to 65th overall, although he held at 16th in class.
The Easter shoot is billed as competition and holiday rolled into one, and it certainly delivers. With the picturesque island to explore, the chance of doing some pistol shooting, and an ISSF-rules competition that the organisers have succeeded in keeping fun whilst also providing a serious shoot for those seeking qualification scores, we’d heartily recommend it, and hope to have a few more club members join us next year (April 17th-21st. One would hope no chance of snow!). More photos are available here.
