Metford Trophy & 1,000 yard Championship

Metford Trophy

The Metford Trophy was first contested in 1992. This is, where possible, an aggregate competition fired at 1000, 1100 & 1200 yards. This year, bookings at Bisley for 1100 & 1200 yards were not available. Rather than forgo the competition, it was changed to the aggregate of 15 shots at each distance, 900 & 1000 yards.

Sadly, the weather on Saturday 29 August was atrocious… It was raining when the first detail of the day started, and barely stopped. While the intensity of the rain varied, even when light, it created poor visibility. Oh, and it was windy!

Despite the conditions, three shooters handed in score cards, and they deserve to be congratulated for achieving good results in such poor conditions. Two more shooters started the match but retired due to the adverse weather. Several others elected not to shoot!

1,000 yard Championship

The Branch 1,000 yard Championship was held on Sunday 30 August in dry weather, but with testing wind conditions. Shooters are allocated one detail in the morning and one in the afternoon to complete the 30 shot course of fire.

Link: Metford Trophy & 1,000 yard Championship Results

BC Baker and Asquith Cup Matches

The Barry Custance-Baker Cup (900 yards) match was held at Bisley on the morning of Friday 12 June. Blustery conditions made for some testing shooting with .45 cal percussion muzzle loading target rifles. After the LRR Branch competition, members enjoyed a 500 yard practice session in the afternoon. Branch members competed in the MLAGB 600 yard Rifle Championship on Saturday (13 June). There are separate events for percussion target rifle and Enfield rifle.

Sunday 14 June was the Asquith Cup match for any .577 military percussion rifle. The usual course of fire is 15 shots at 600 yards and 15 shots at 800 yards. This year, however, we were unable to secure an 800 yard booking, so the LRR Committee decided to shoot it entirely at 600 yards.

The day stayed warm, dry and sunny, but scores were lower than expected due to the very variable wind. There were few moments during the day when the range flags were pointing in the same direction and on many occasions they were flying in opposite directions.

After the morning session, Taco van der Vlist comfortably led the field on 32 points with Paul Wolpe following on 23 points. In the afternoon session John Whittaker improved to score 41.2 points followed by Taco on 31.1, giving the overall lead to John by just one V-bull.

We were able to merge the afternoon session into one detail by roping in Helen Whittaker as a scorer. Our thanks go to Helen for agreeing to score, her first experience in the job, and no, she did not score John’s card.

Link: BC Baker Cup & Asquith Cup Results

Volunteer Trophy

The Volunteer Trophy (600 yards) is fired with the .45 cal. muzzle loading military target rifle, fitted with barrel mounted open sights. While the large bore .577 military rifle can also be used, it is generally outclassed by the small-bore rifle. Both originals and reproductions will be seen on the range, of the latter, the Parker-Hale Volunteer and Whitworth rifles are popular choices. 

This style of rifle appeared in the early 1860s, later developing with the addition of tang mounted aperture sights. The half stocked match rifle eventually superseded it. This match is a rare opportunity to compete with the military target rifle in its original form.

Shooters enjoyed generally good weather with just a gentle / moderate wind. Rob Groot made the most of the conditions and had a convincing win. 

Besides the Branch competition, members enjoyed a 600 yard practice and competed in the MLAGB 300 and 1,000 yard Rifle Championships on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Link: Volunteer Trophy Results

Rigby Cup & Whitworth Cup

The closing matches for the year are both 15 shot courses of fire at 600 yards. The bright Saturday morning start was cold with a fresh and changeable wind – not only in strength, but also direction (with some quite significant direction changes from time to time!). The second detail saw a rainy squall come through, also reducing visibility briefly. For the most part though conditions remained bright with the wind being the biggest challenge.

Congratulations to the two match winners, David Minshall (Rigby Cup) and Henrie van Koot (Whitworth Cup). The silver medal in each match went to John Whittaker. Rob Groot took bronze in the Rigby Cup, having tied with John, but being beaten on v-bull count. Taco van der Vlist took bronze in the Whitworth Cup, beating Rob on count back. 

Saturday also saw the Long Range Rifles Annual Dinner and Prize Giving. A most enjoyable evening hosted by the London & Middlesex Rifle Association.

Link: Rigby Cup & Whitworth Cup Results

Metford Trophy (2025)

The Metford Trophy was first competed for in 1992. This is, where possible, an aggregate competition fired at 1000, 1100 & 1200 yards. This year bookings at Bisley for 1100 & 1200 yards were not available to suit the Branch calendar. Rather than forgo the competition it was changed to the aggregate of 15 shots at each distance, 900 & 1000 yards.

Whilst the dry weather was welcomed, conditions were testing! Hot and humid throughout the weekend, the brightening morning of Sunday 24 August saw an increasingly entertaining mirage, albeit with fairly consistent wind. While light cloud cover in the afternoon, reduced the mirage somewhat, the wind became more changeable. All very challenging!

After the 900 yard detail there was a clear lead held by four. The same shooters maintained consistency at 1000 yards, resulting in a win for Alan Beck by just one v-bull, ahead of John Whittaker. Rob Groot and David Minshall jostled for third place, with Rob taking the bronze medal by 2 points.

Members also enjoyed a practice day at 300 & 600 yards on Friday and competed in the MLAGB National 900 & 1000 yard Championships on Saturday.

Link: Metford Trophy Results

Volunteer Trophy and 1,000 yard Championships

Once again, we were welcomed to Bisley with a fine weekend (9-11 May) of sunshine and dry weather. While it did get somewhat warm in the afternoons, it was the playful wind conditions, particularly on Saturday for the 1,000 yard Championship, that created the most difficulty!

The Volunteer Trophy (600 yards) is fired with open sighted muzzle loading rifles, and will usually see a mix of .451 military target rifles and .577 Enfield rifles, both original and reproductions. Whilst countback had to be used to separate Gary Evans and John Whittaker for 2nd and 3rd place respectively, there was a clear winner! Rob Groot fired an outstanding score of 60 x 75 for 1st place, and in so doing setting a new Branch record score for this event. Well done, Rob!

The 1,000 yard Championship had an international feel to it, with shooters from the UK, Jersey, France and the Netherlands competing. Alan Beck’s consistent shooting won out on the day, taking first place just ahead of John Whittaker. Third place was close run, with David Minshall just taking the placing by 1 point.

Besides the Branch competitions, members enjoyed a 600 yard practice on Friday afternoon, and competed in the MLAGB 500 yard Rifle Championships on Sunday.

Link: Volunteer Trophy and 1,000 yard Championships Results

1000 yard Championships 2024

It was good to see 15 competitors for the Branch 1000 yard Championships at Bisley on 8 June. Once again members travelled from throughout the UK plus the Netherlands. The match is a 30 shot course of fire over two details (morning and afternoon).

For the long range rifle shooter who has developed an accurate load and honed their technical shooting skills, understanding and reacting to changing atmospheric conditions is the key to good results. The conditions for the match were however a challenge! Light varied throughout the day, from bright sunshine to somewhat overcast. The mirage present during the bright spells also vanished during the dull periods. The biggest variable however was the wind – the morning being tricky and the afternoon’s fishtailing headwind difficult! 

The top three, John Whittaker, Ben Greftenhuis and Mike Hall, fired well (and consistently) in both morning and afternoon and are to be congratulated. This can be a frustrating and challenging sport, but just a few well-placed shots in difficult conditions can be joy. For those outside the ‘prize list’, we now just need to extend those strings of well-placed shots to challenge for a medal placing!

Link: 1000 yard Championship 2024

Volunteer Trophy & BC Baker Cup, 2024

Friday 3 May – Sunday 5 May saw three days of training and competition shooting at Bisley. Ranges booked were 500, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. After a disappointing start, with shooting on Friday morning rained-off, shooting proceeded as planned for the rest of the weekend. Some good sunny spells made for pleasant conditions; the playful wind offered good opportunity for training!

The Volunteer Trophy (600 yards) is fired with open sighted muzzle loading rifles, and will usually see a mix of .451 military target rifles and .577 Enfield rifles. Alan Beck won the match, ahead of Ben Greftenuis and John Whittaker in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Ben’s fine shooting was with a borrowed original Whitworth military target rifle.

The Sunday afternoon match for the B.C. Baker Cup (900 yards) was fired in dull conditions. The initial testing wind gave way to calmer winds but some light rain spells. Alan Beck set the pace in the first detail, but was pushed into third place by Chris Goed and John Whittaker. Just 2 points separated the top three places.

Link: Volunteer Trophy & BC Baker Cup Results

Asquith Cup 2024

The ‘Asquith Cup’ is the first match of the season and was fired at Bisley on Friday 5 April 2024. Rules for this percussion military muzzle loading rifle competition are for 15 shots at each distance, 600 & 800 yards. Even in calm conditions this is a testing match! This year however there were extremely strong winds forecast (gusts over 40mph), and partial closures were already in place on Stickledown range. Rather than risk cancellation, at least in part, the whole match (30 shots) was fired at 600 yards on Century range. 

Only a small number of Branch members competed this year, and it is hoped that there will be wider participation next year. Some took opportunity to use the range time for training in breezy conditions with their muzzle loading match rifles.

Alan Beck’s consistency won out in the day, and he took first place with a three point lead. John Whittaker was second, just one point ahead of Mike Hall, while Mike’s score of 33 in the afternoon was the highest score of the two details that each competitor fired.

Link: Asquith Cup Results

Rigby and Whitworth Cup matches - Metford Trophy final results

Sharp rain showers punctuated the days shooting, changing to a longer spell of torrential rain towards the end of the day. Despite conditions almost everyone got to shoot. The winners of the Rigby Cup and Whitworth Cup, John Whittaker and Henrie van Koot respectively, each shot outstanding scores and achieved their win by a comfortable margin. 

On Friday 27 October the MLAGB held their 900 and 1000 yard Championships, postponed in August. This enabled the Branch to complete the Metford Trophy match, the 1000 yard scores being shot concurrently with the MLAGB Championship.

Link: Rigby Cup, Whitworth Cup, Metford Trophy results

For Branch competition results and record scores see the 'Competitions' page

Metford Trophy 2023 (interim results)

Storm Antoni hit the UK on Saturday 5 August, with strong winds and heavy rain throughout the day. This resulted in the MLAGB 900 and 1000 yard matches being postponed. The 1000 yard stage of the Metford Trophy is fired concurrently with the MLAGB match. LRR have therefore made their Friday 27 October practice day available to the MLAGB, and the 900 and 1000 yard matches will be re-scheduled for then.

Rain abated on Sunday 6 August, and the day was generally bright and clear. The fresh headwind continued in a playful manner though, making for some testing conditions. Two shooters showed some mastery of the wind and tussled for top placing at both 1100 and 1200 yards. John Whittaker in the end just managing to finish ahead of Mike Hall at each distance. The interim results for the Metford Trophy follow, and will be concluded on 27 October with the 1000 yard stage.

Entries this year were down a little, in part due to clash of this match with the MLAIC European Championships, in which some members from the UK, France and Netherlands were competing.

Link: Metford Trophy (interim results)

1000 yard Championships 2023

The Branch 1000 yard Championships is fired over two details (morning and afternoon) with a 30 shot course of fire. It’s a testing enough discipline for muzzle loading rifle, but with temperatures soaring above 30 degC it became a gruelling experience. Most found the morning conditions a little easier, and Mike Hall got off to an especially good start. The afternoon temperatures were higher and the wind a little more playful, but Mike continued to shoot well. John Whittaker was however on fine form, in the end beating Mike by just one point overall. The two were well ahead of the other shooters, leaving Paul Wolpe and David Minshall to resolve third place, the bronze medal going to Paul, one point ahead of David.

There was a reduced entry to this event compared to previous years, in part due our French members having another major event on the same weekend. It was however good to see friends from the Netherlands, Jersey and throughout the UK.

Link: 1000 yard Championship Results

Volunteer Trophy and B.C. Baker Cup 2023

Brief showers punctuated the Volunteer Trophy match at 600 yards on the afternoon of Friday 5 May, but all who entered were able to complete their detail. The competition is fired with open sighted muzzle loading rifles, and will usually see a mix of .451 military target rifles and .577 Enfield rifles. While the Parker-Hale 'Volunteer' is a popular choice, it is also nice to see some original military match rifles of the early 1860s on the range.

Sunday morning (7 May) was the Branch match for the B.C. Baker Cup and  was fired in dull but dry conditions. This event is for muzzle loading match rifles. It was good to see the very close-run match for the top scores of the day.

Friday morning members enjoyed a 500 yard practice, and Sunday afternoon 1000 yard practice (in the only sun of the weekend!). Saturday was the MLAGB National 500 yard Championships, in which members also competed.

Link: Volunteer Trophy and B.C. Baker Cup Results

Asquith Cup 2023

The first match of the season was the ‘Asquith Cup,’ held at Bisley on Friday 31 March 2023. A testing enough match in good conditions, being fired with the military muzzle loading rifle at 600 & 800 yards, but the showery weather and brisk wind made it quite challenging! Sadly conditions deteriorated during the 800 yard shooting, with scope stands being blown over and heavy rain. Not all entrants were able to complete their detail.

Only a small number of Branch members competed in this match for military muzzle loading rifles. Some took opportunity to use the range time for training with muzzle loading match rifles.

Link: Asquith Cup Results

2022 Match Reports and Results

Asquith Cup
Rifle: Any .577 military percussion rifle. Distance: 600 and 800 yards. Aggregate of 15 shots at each distance	1 April 2022
Volunteer Trophy
Rifle: Percussion military match and military rifles. Distance: 600 yards. 15 shots	6 May 2022
Rigby Cup
Rifle: Any muzzle loading rifle. Distance: 600 yards. 15 shots	29 October 2022
Whitworth Cup
Rifle: Any Whitworth hexagonally bored muzzle loading rifle. Distance: 600 yards. 15 shots	29 October 2022
Barry Custance-Baker Cup (900 yard Championship)
Rifle: Any muzzle loading rifle. Distance 900 yards. 15 shots	7 May 2022
1000 yard Championship
Rifle: Any muzzle loading rifle. Distance: 1,000 yards. 30 shots	11 June 2022
Metford Trophy
Rifle: Any muzzle loading rifle Distance: 1,000, 1,100 and 1,200 yards. Aggregate of 15 shots at each distance	6/7 August 2022
The Hepsworth Medal
Rifle: Any muzzle loading rifle Distance: 1,200 yards. 15 shots (Fired concurrently with the Metford Trophy)	7 August 2022

Rigby Cup and Whitworth Cup 2022

Very mild conditions for the time of year – and dry! Early morning mist did create a hazy sight picture, not helped by the calm initial conditions and lingering smoke. As the day brightened and range flags dried from overnight rain, they became more responsive to the playful wind that picked up through the day. The Rigby Cup was extremely close scoring at the top, with Henrie van Koot taking first place. The Whitworth Cup (for hexagonally bored rifles) had a more decisive win by John Whittaker.

Link: Rigby Cup and Whitworth Cup Results

Metford Trophy 2022

Well, the photographs of the weekend at Bisley look beautiful. Clear blue skies and a delight to be out..... when the shooting was finished. On the other hand, the hot weather, changeable strength head wind (that merrily switched between 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock at the most inopportune moment) and an entertaining mirage, made for difficult shooting conditions! 

John Whittaker took the lead in the 1000 yard stage of the match, closely followed by Taco van der Vlist and Rob Groot. John’s lead was overtaken by Alan Beck with a magnificent 57.2 at 1100 yards (that won Alan the Karl Bailey Trophy). At 1200 yards conditions had reached their most changeable! John was top scorer at this distance (winning the Hepsworth Medal) resulting in an astonishingly close finish. His final aggregate score of 121.5 was just three v-bulls ahead of Alan. Taco maintained a consistent shoot and took third place.

Link: Metford Trophy Results

1000 yard Championships 2022

The Branch 1000 yard Championships is fired over two details (morning and afternoon) with a 30 shot course of fire. The bright sunshine on Bisley’s Stickledown Range on Saturday 11 June was from time to time broken by cloud, giving quite a varied sight picture. Additional variety was provided by the playful wind – gusting, dropping off, changing direction. On a positive side it remained dry! Long range muzzle loading is all about learning, and the day gave plenty of opportunity for that. Master of the class was John Whittaker with a convincing win, followed by Alan Beck and David Minshall.

It was good to see our friends from France, the Netherlands, Jersey and throughout the UK.

Link: 1000 yard Championship Results

Volunteer Trophy and B.C. Baker Cup 2022

Friday 6 May was the Branch competition for the Volunteer Trophy. The match comprises 15 shoots fired at 600 yards with a muzzle loading military target rifle. A military two point sling is the only permitted support. The match is a rare opportunity to compete using these rifles in their original form with open sights - many have later fitted aperture rear sights, but under the match conditions such sights not permitted. Original and reproduction rifles were used.

Stickledown Range at Bisley was the venue for the Branch 900 yard Championship for the B.C. Baker Cup on Saturday 7 May. The match comprised 15 shots with target rifles. Original rifles seen were Gibbs-Metford and Rigby muzzle loading match rifles. Reproductions were a mix of custom built rifles and the popular Pedersoli Gibbs. A slightly dull day, with bright spells and a shower as the first and second details were swapping around. The wind was variable enough to keep shooters entertained!

Link: Volunteer Trophy and B.C. Baker Cup 2022 Results

Asquith Cup 2022

A strong and bitingly cold wind greeted shooters at Bisley on 1 April for the Asquith Cup. The match comprises 15 shots at each distance, 600 & 800 yards, with and .577 military percussion muzzle loading rifle. All shooting is prone with a two-point military sling the only permitted support.

Link: Asquith Cup Results