Bisley is, quite simply, the centre of world target rifle shooting as well as the home of the National Rifle Association of Great Britain.
Set on 3,000 acres of heathland in Surrey, its renowned range complex covers virtually all forms of shooting from air rifle, clays, smallbore, fullbore and more.
It hosts competitions and other activities throughout the year and its biggest event is the Imperial Meeting over 10 days in July for target rifles. The camp at this time buzzes with over 1,000 men and women competitors plus their families, officials and support staff from literally all over the world. In addition to the many nationalities, the age of competitors varies enormously with teenagers and young adults shooting alongside other competitors, some of which are of a similar age and others several times their age!
The first Imperial Meeting was contested on Wimbledon Common in 1860 when Queen Victoria fired the first shot and gave a prize of £250 to the best individual marksman. Her target can still be viewed in the museum at Bisley. Today, the Monarch still awards the winner of the King’s Prize the same amount of £250!
After shooting has finished for the day, the many clubhouses on the camp take over, offering Bisley hospitality at its best and the opportunity for people to gather and explain away those shots that somehow missed the bull.
