VARIOUS TYPES OF TARGET RIFLE

This is a selection of some of the different Target Rifles you may see on the ranges at Bisley:

Above is a Mauser Target Rifle with a raised comb (cheek-rest) which helps align the eye with the raised aperture sights. It also has a corrosion-resistant steel barrel, a pistol grip stock, a hand-stop and two sling swivels, although for target shooting usually only the front one at the hand-stop is used to attach a single point sling.

This one is an Enfield P14 Target Rifle which also has a pistol-grip stock. Another type of stock, which can be seen in the next picture is the ‘thumbhole' stock.

This is the ‘AW', one of Accuracy International's range of precision rifles which has a thumbhole stock manufactured from moulded nylon bolted onto an aluminium chassis. It is fitted with a bipod, seen here folded rearwards.

The picture below shows one of Malcolm Cooper's range of ‘Coopermatch' rifles, the Palmamatch Target Rifle manufactured in conjunction between Cooper Precision Manufacturing and Accuracy International. You will notice that this one has a laminated wooden stock, which is renowned for maintaining its shape under all weather conditions.

This is Malcolm Cooper with one of his Cooper Precision Manufacturing/Accuracy International ‘Coopermatch' Target Rifles. During his twenty year career Malcolm has won six World Championships, eleven World Records and twelve European Championships. He achieved four Gold medals and three World Records with one of the prototypes of this rifle. To browse the Accuracy International website click www.ketmer.com/ai/sport/index.htm to read more.

To show what combinations of Target Rifle components it is possible to assemble, the example below is a Malcolm Cooper “Palmamaster”. This rifle has the Coopermatch action fitted with a stainless steel ‘Border' fluted barrel, set in an Accuracy International stock with an RPA Trigger:

The Lee Enfield:

The SMLE (Short Magazine Lee Enfield). This means that the magazine itself is a normal length, but the rifle was shorter than the 1906 Lee Metford, its predecessor. There are still a large number of .303 Lee Enfield rifles in use, and a great many more which were converted to 7.62x51 NATO when the supply of .303 ammunition was rumoured to be drying up many years ago. These days, however, there is plenty of ammunition on the market and there are thriving Clubs using these former service rifles, but the accuracy they provide does not match that of the modern Target Rifle. They are still good out to 600 yards, however, and many people use them at long range at Bisley, out to 1000 yards.

See LERA, the Lee Enfield Rifle Association for a look at some of these robust army rifles: www.leeenfieldrifleassociation.org.uk