Or rather the Kings Prize as it is known collectively is shot over three days with stage 1 being shot at 300, 500 and 600 yards. 

This year 742 competitors started out and only the first 300 will make it through to stage 2. 

This involves 2 sighters and 7 to count at each distance, with only 7 rounds to count this is a fairly quick way to whittle 742 people down to 300 for stage 2.

One thing I will add is that numbers are down this year, 20 years ago you would have expected 1200 people to have entered, I believe it's topped 1500 entries in the past.

Stage 2 is similar being shot at 300, 500 and 600 yards. The major difference here is that the 300 people shooting it now have 2 sighters and 10 to count and only the top 100 will go through to the final. All sighting shots are convertible, this means if the first are in the bull you can convert them to your score but you have to declare that immediately after shooting them. 

Having just come back from this years final (as a spectator) I can confirm it wasn't raining this year!

The final is shot at 900 & 1000 yards with the scores from the first two stages being added to your long range scores in the final.

This years winner was David Luckman who has won it twice before, he has also come second once. The fourth place went to a female also called Luckman...I believe it was his wife! 

Being chaired off the range which is the custom here.

An aerial view of "Stickledown" which is our 1200 yard range taken today, that's the 900 yard detail being shot. 

David Luckman about to be chaired off the range by his club mates. First stop will be the NRA front office where he will collect his prize, a cheque for £250 from the King which is the same amount as it was when Queen Victoria instituted it in 1860.

I think that's his wife on the right! 

After the prize giving at around 7.00pm David will be chaired around the many clubs on camp and offered a drink in everyone! 

He will also fire a cannon outside the Canadian Pavilion who will also present him with a cowboy hat.

Stage 2 being shot on Century range.

Edited to add some more pictures:

Mr & Mrs Luckman immediately after the final when the result was announced. 

David's score sheet, not the highest score at 1000 but remember his win also includes scores during stage 1 and 2. 

Edited to add some more pictures of the evenings entertainment.

Leaving the army clubhouse.

 

Drinks at the English VIII Club. 

Arriving at the City club.

More drinks at the Artists, (probably my favourite watering hole on camp)

The final celebration is at the Canadian Pavilion, more drinks the obligatory cowboy hat and the traditional pat on the bison's head.

I think the turnout at the US National Matches has also been gradually declining. They are going on right now, so I’ll have to check what the attendance is this year. 

Also forgot to say for the final it's 2 sighting shots followed by 15 to count at each distance. Chloe's 2 sighters were V bulls so she converted them to her score.

Looks like the 4 ring inner must be about 48 inches, which is just slightly larger than the diameter of the US NRA long range target black 8 ring aiming mark (44 inches) which I find a real struggle to see at 1000 yds. 

6-8 mph wind at 1000 yards and sighters in the Vbull? Oh how I wish…

Mayhem,

Exactly the same here!

I did notice a couple of Aussies and some Canadians also shooting for the Kings Prize. 

One exception, (remembered after I posted the above!) in historic competitions at 200 yards only, sighters are not convertible. 

I was involved when that decision was made and I cannot remember why the committee arrived at that conclusion. 

Mick, perhaps the sighter conversion rule came about after the TR class was introduced?

In the CMP matches I shoot there are three different sighter allowances. 

All Vintage Service Rifle “Games” Matches - 5 sighters on the first stage which is prone slow fire. At any point during the sighters you can declare you are going for score, but once you say this, you can’t go back and call it a sighter shot. Three stages (30 rounds) or four stages (50 rounds) all at 200 yards. 

High Power (Service Rifle or Match Rifle) 80 Shot and 3x600 60 shot matches - 2 sighters at each stage.  80 Shot Match is four stages fired at 200, 300 and 600 yds. 3x 600 is three stages at 600 yds.

EIC Service Rifle 50 Shot Match - No sighters.  4 stages at 200, 300 and 600 yds. 

Geoff, I hate it when you ask me things I don't know! 

After delving in to my collection of Bisley Bibles the first mention I can find of converting sighters is 1981, it could well be the year earlier but I don't possess a 1980 edition. 

The 1979 Bisley Bible has no mention of convertible sighters; if I'm honest these dates are much later than I expected. 

Yes agreed!

I suspect that after 80 years of .303 military style rifle shooting the past must have been difficult to shake off. 

The Australians seized the chance to save the SR"b" discipline by introducing the Lithgow single shot SLR; sadly not a great success against the local opposition like the Omark or Sportco. 

I believe production ran for about two years before the idea was abandoned. My memory says they built 113 of them??

 

Learned something new today.

Never know these existed.

Very cool.

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