OLD TONBRIDGIAN RIFLE CLUB
Century Range at Bisley
Our membership is from past pupils at the School and we promote the sport of Rifle Shooting with Full-bore and Small-bore rifles. Practise days and matches against the School team are held at Bisley in Surrey and at the School.
A club rifle and all necessary equipment are provided for members on shooting days.
Contact the Secretary Will Kemp for more information. Any OT is welcome to come along on one of our shoots. We do however need some notice, so please do let Will know you plan to attend.
Will Kemp, 1 Kingsoe Leys, Middleton, Milton Keynes MK10 9BG.
Tel: 01908 670581 or Email
The President: Chris Boucher
Vice Presidents: Brian Barfoot & Richard Hoole
Chairman: Jules Corin
Vice Chairman: Toby Noar
Secretary: Will Kemp
Treasurer: Ian Mitchell
Committee: Ben Meredith, Toby Noar & David Stevens
For past years' articles and details of the Club Tie...CLICK HERE.
It is with great regret that I report the death of Brian Barfoot on the 24th February, a much loved member of the Club, amazingly generous, a man who has enriched our lives at the School from 1970 onwards. He has been a stalwart of the Club, and he shall be missed by us all. Our sympathies to his wife Daphne and his Family. His funeral was at the Tunbridge Wells Crematorium at 11:30 on Thursday 10th March.
The late Brian Barfoot
SHOOTING FIXTURES FOR 2011
| Saturday 26 March | Tonbridge School | 0.22 Match v Sch pm Fletcher Cup |
| Sunday 17 April | Bisley | 7.62 Practice 1.30pm start at 300 |
| Saturday 21 May | Bisley | 7.62 Match 600x and 500x |
| Thursday 14 July | Bisley | 7.62 Schools Veterans Match 500x 4.30pm |
| Saturday 17 September | Bisley | Clays / Gallery Rifle pm |
| Dinner 7.30pm | ||
| Sunday 18 September | Bisley | 7.62 practise 900x & 1000x am |
| Saturday 10 December | Tonbridge School | AGM 12.00 |
| 0.22 fun shoot v School pm |
Annual OTRC Dinner Sep 2010
The date of the dinner once again coincided with the open day at Bisley. For a small fee any member of the public can turn up and try their hand at pretty much anything from archery to firing a canon (albeit a small one). Several OTRC members did just that, and the weather was perfect for it. At the end of the afternoon Ian Mitchell and Will Kemp produced identical tins of chocolate biscuits at the Army Target Shooting Clubhouse (fast becoming a tradition) and gradually as more OTs arrived the drinks morphed from tea to gin.
It was sad news that Brian Barfoot could not join us this year due to illness, the first year he has been absent, and we all wish him a speedy recovery. Toby Noar was in France and Tom Llanwarne was unavoidably detained at the last minute, so it was rather impressive that we still managed to field eleven for dinner. Most impressive to see Jules Corin join us despite being so busy at the moment, and Ben Meredith even managed to arrive early enough to change for dinner, although not early enough to be included in the group photo below taken by Ian 'David Bailey' Mitchell.
The long range shoot the following morning was more challenging than usual due to a 'fishtailing' wind that was more or less head on but frequently changed between right and left. It was customary to shoot a competition against the School at this event, but these days the School find it impossible to field a team. We are all hopeful that the School's current policy of preventing boys shooting for more than one term is relaxed again. Any Rifleman will tell you, there is a big difference between shooting .22 rifles on the miniature 25 yard range behind the fives courts, and Full Bore rifles at 1000 yards at Bisley.
L to R: David Stevens, Matthew Dickens, Jules Corin, Chris Boucher, Olly Siddall, Victor Dauppe, Tom Hendricks, Paul Lanigan, Will Kemp
Schools Veterans Match - Thursday 15th July 2010
This year we entered a single team of five, and the results were as follows:
Ben Meredith 48.3Paul Lanigan 47.5
Simon Hunter 45.1
Will Kemp 43.1
Toby Noar 41.0
TOTAL 224.10
35th from 45 teams. (Last year 238.18v)
Practise Shoot - Sunday 6th June 2010
Will Kemp and Toby Noar were unable to attend the shoot as they were at Bisley attending a Range Safety Officer course. There were only two other OTs who were able to sign up to the practise and join David Stevens, so to save costs the targets were cancelled and the three 'musketeers' joined the Ibis Club and shared a quick lunch in their clubhouse as well as their target at 300m and then 600m. Toby and Will dropped in for a brief hello during lunch, but were unable to get away from the course for a shoot. Ben Meredith and Victor Dauppe joined David Stevens on the firing point and both enjoyed the opportunity for a coaching session at a leasurely pace. For those who don't shoot regularly, time spent adjusting the rifle and sling prior to getting down on the firing point can make a real difference.
During the same day, Will Kemp and Toby Noar attended a training course at Bisley to qualify them as Range Conducting Officers. At each shoot we organise we need to have our own RCO present and till now only David Stevens and Brian Barfoot were qualified. Congratulations as both passed.
Our next visit to Bisley is for the Veterans Match on 15th. July at 5pm. We have entered a team of five members and those selected will be contacted shortly.
Fletcher Cup 09-10
0.22 Postal Match
| OT A Team | OT B Team |
| C Boucher 98 | R Sankey 96 |
| P Lanigan 97 | W Kemp 95 |
| T Noar 95 | O Siddall 91 |
| M Dickens 95 | R Mitchell 86 |
| B Meredith 95 | G Silver 85 |
| Total 480 | Total 453 |
| Position 6th/11 | Position 10th/11 |
| Last Year 473 10th/14 | Last Year 451 13th/14 |
Thanks to all the shooters. David
Bisley Saturday 24th April
300x & 600x during the afternoon. Century range.
We shot on five targets with the School and members of the Kent County Association. Teams were drawn from the shooters present to form mixed teams, coached by Andrew Penfold, Peter Griggs and David Stevens, plus other experienced Kent members.
OT's met at the Ibis clubhouse at 12.00 for a snack lunch, and on the range at 13.15 The match between the OTRC and the School was decided by a virtual team from each, using individual scores at both distances. Our team was Ian Mitchell, Jules Corin, Ben Meredith, Richard Rangeley and Alex Fabre. Sadly the OTs were beaten 401 to 342, however the day was an interesting one with a different format, and perhaps one which we will try again next year. Highest OT score went to Ben Meredith with a consistant 39.1 at 300 and a 38.1 at 600 giving him a total of 77.2 Ben therefore manages to wrestle the Chairman's Cup away from the clutches of Ian Mitchell who has won it for the past three years. Remembering how close it was between them last year, I fear an outbreak of competitive spirit within the ever genial ranks of the OTRC!
.22 Shoot at Ton Sch - 27 Feb 2010
I am delighted to report that the OTs fielded eleven firers, all of whom shot well, and the top eight scores made 780. This total beat the top eight scores from the School by only 5, but a win is a win, and these days the OTs will take every win they can get. For the School both Tom Matthewson and Alex Mitchell scored 99 each. The top two scores for the OTs were both possibles (100) achieved by Ben Meredith and Paul Lanigan. Always more interesting to have a closely fought contest, and it went right down to the wire, if that's the right phrase. After the shoot we all enjoyed a very welcome tea in the Lowrey Room for which we thank the School.
This page is edited by Will Kemp Email