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

2023 Entry Forms

The Long Range Rifles (LRR) Branch of the MLAGB coordinate their events with the MLAGB series of mid and long range National Rifle Championship matches, at Bisley. The MLAGB events are open to members of the association, and MLAGB members are also eligible to join LRR.

Entry forms for the matches, March to August, have been circulated to Branch members. They can also be downloaded from this web site. To avoid disappointment please pay particular attention to the return by dates. 

The season kicks off with the LRR Branch Asquith Cup Match - a challenging aggregate of 15 shots at each distance, 600 & 800 yards, with the Enfield rifle. The same weekend is the MLAGB 200 and 300 yard National Rifle Championship matches for Enfield rifle and target rifle.

200 and 300 yards are great distances for an introduction to long range shooting. For those already shooting Enfield and/or target rifle at 100m, then you likely already have all the equipment to shoot at these extended distances. We use experienced markers and have people on the firing point who can assist new comers. Any queries on long range shooting contact the Branch (link at top of the page).

Calendar of Events 2023

A full calendar of Branch events has been planned for 2023, and as usual it is fitted around the MLAGB series of mid and long range National Rifle Championship matches. Practice dates have also been booked such that in most cases there will be 3 days of shooting available (Friday-Sunday). The calendar can be viewed on line and a pdf version can also be downloaded. Good shooting in 2023!

The MLAIC have recently published the official invitation to the 13th MLAIC Long Range World Championships from 27th August – 2nd September 2023, Várpalota-Veszprém, Hungary. 

LRR Branch member Alan Beck has been appointed the Great Britain team captain, and team places are open to all whom have a proven track record in mid and long range shooting. 

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