The Quigley Shooting Asssociation

THE ANNUAL TEAM BUFFALO CHALLENGE.

 

     The Quigley Shooting Association, the Single Shot Black Powder Centrefire Rifle Club of Great Britain and The Yorkshire Buffalo Hunters compete in two team competitions each year. One is the Team Steel Challenge, in which the teams of six firers engage steel silhouettes at 400 yds and 600 yds, which is fired at Diggle near Oldham in Lancashire, the other, a Team Buffalo Challenge, fired at Bisley ranges in Surrey.

         

          Friday the 21st April, Dave Malpas, his wife Lynn, Keith Buckley and myself made the journey to Bisley in Surrey, arriving in good time to allow for a leisurely tour of the camp and check out the Lord Robert’s Centre, explore the NRA’s museum and spend a little cash in the shops. After tea we met up with some members of the other teams for a drink and chat in the L&M bar.

 

          Saturday morning comes and the teams make their way to the new hard standing area of Century Range for the first stage of the competition, which consists of 20 shots to count at 300yds on a very realistic and anatomically correct image of a buffalo facing head on at a ¾ angle. Unfortunately this year we weren’t all able to field full teams. This year however, the weather remained dry but cool and at the end of the morning’s shooting the SSBPCRCGB were ahead on 448 points, the YBH on 415 as and the QSA on 288 as we adjourned for lunch.

 

          After lunch and another visit with with the traders, it was down to the 600yd firing point on Century range, the course of fire is the same but on the standard buffalo target, which still manages to look a lot smaller from here. The wind at Diggle can be very trying so we were expecting nothing more than a simple crosswind to contend with. Some hope! The wind was just as unpredictable here on the flat as up in the Pennines But at least the sun made an appearance to take off the chill.

         

Michael Hazelgrove managed the best score of the day for the SSBPCRCGB with 164 points, with Richard Healey of the YBH snapping at his heels with 160 points. The final scores were 848 for the SSBPCRCGB, 757 for the YBH and 472 for the QSA. As the QSA only fielded 5 shooters, the lowest score on each of the other teams was deducted to give a factored result.

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Factored Scores  SSBPCRCGB          729

Factored Scores  YBH                      661             

Factored Scores  QSA                     472

 

Phil Morgan presented John Brocklehurst with the unique trophy, aptly titled ‘The Buffalo Challenge’. All firers were presented a commemorative medal. Thanks are due to all the team members who made the day so enjoyable.

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