300m

This discipline is the only NRA discipline governed by the International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) Rules. It is fired at only one distance (300m, or about 329 yards), from either the Prone position only, or Prone, Standing and Kneeling (PSK).

Firing is from a covered firing point, and a metric target with smaller scoring rings than Target Rifle (TR) is used. The metric target which has not changed almost since it was devised, is demanding in that it has a bull of just over a 1 moa, so the top TR shooters find this a superb practice to keep their V bull count high.

In competitions it is typical for a shooter to fire 60 shots prone or 3x 40 PSK (40 shots from each position).

Rifle typically fall into one of three categories:

• Free Rifles: Maximum weight of 8kg, no trigger weight limitation other than being safe
• Standard Rifle: Maximum weight of 5.5kg, minimum trigger weight of 1.5kg
• NRA Target Rifle: As per paragraph 150 of the NRA Handbook: Maximum weight 6.5kg, minimum trigger weight of 1.5kg

The rules allow any calibre of rifle up to 8mm, so any target rifle shooter can still use their 308 / 7.62 Rifles .

With long competition times, new and existing small calibres are now being used to help reduce fatigue and recoil levels. Currently a range of 6mm ammo is popular mainly in 6mm BR, and 6mm XC etc., alongside 6.5 x 55, 7.5 x 55. , 6mm x 47, and the most popular rifles being Swiss, by either Blieker or Grunig.

Development by Scandinavian manufactures have provided the shooter with a round as accurate and often better than most .30 ammo.

Shooters may homeload for both practice and competition, and many do to keep costs down, also giving a better match of ammo / rifle combination.

International competitions are held, including a European circuit and European and World championships for both men and women in Prone and PKS events.

Although there has been UK shooters noted to have shot 300m in overseas competitions back into the late eighteen hundreds, not much went on in the UK other than the 300m event in the 1948 Olympics at Bisley.
Following the 1970 World Championships (where we were loaned firearms) and offered a chance to compete, a small group of shooters started to get the discipline up and running again. A firing point was constructed at 300m on Long Siberia, and a competition was held during the main NRA meeting.

In 1981 it was only possible to shoot 300 yds on Bisley’s main Century Range, but in order to host the Nordic Games a covered firing point was constructed on the left of the range to facilitate the competition. Following a legacy donation from a shooter, electronic targets were purchased and installed to remove the need for target markers.

Bisley now boasts the only 300m electronic ISSF range in the country, where a shooter in practice or competition can shoot in the dry, at their own speed, and get a printed results.

The 300m range at Bisley is the home to a friendly Club – The GB 300m Club – that caters for all levels of shooter

If you have your own TR rifle and equipment you can get going straight away, or for those coming from different shooting backgrounds, a club rifle is available to get you started.

Visit the club’s website to see what it’s all about (https://www.gb300m.com/) and how to join, or pop along to visit us at the shed on our shooting weekends (Date to be confirmed)

The Club also run regular open competitions for the British Free Rifle Club, and home and away matches with club teams from France

The 300m Championships is held annually, typically during the Summer, for more information CLICK HERE