Category: Club News

Rugeley RC joins the Fediverse

by RichHin Club News

We’re delighted to announce our newest social channel – the Fediverse! Using the ActivityPub plugin for WordPress, this site is now also an ActivityPub instance. All news posts from this site will be accessible, and users can follow our feed from their accounts on any federated server. Find us at “rugeleyrifleclub@www.rugeleyrifleclub.org.uk”.

ActivityPub is the foundation underlying a new type of social media, where users can run their own servers or join other public servers, which can all communicate with one another – think of it like email. You can send an email from an Outlook account to a Yahoo account. You are not limited to sending email only between Outlook addresses.

No single company controls the “fediverse” – the community of “federated” ActivityPub servers. Anyone can create or join a server – large or small – and follow their friends and interests on that server and other servers. There are a variety of different types of instance. Pixelfed is oriented towards image sharing, much like instagram. You may have heard of Mastodon in the news – which is more like Twitter. If you’re interested, the easiest route is to visit joinmastodon.org, pick a server (it really doesn’t matter which) and have an explore. mastodonapp.uk is a UK-oriented server, which may be a good place to start, but you can access accounts on any server from any other server and you can move your account later on if you want to.

Youth Camp Finals

by RichHin Club News

Saturday saw the delayed Shooting Final from the August Youth Shooting Camp run in collaboration with Vysions Youth Volunteer Service. Participants worked their way through air rifle, air pistol and smallbore rifle for an aggregate contest.

Congratulations to Jessica and Hollie, who won a year’s free membership to Rugeley Rifle Club! A huge thanks to all the volunteers who helped run the Youth Camp and Final.

Prizegiving at the 2023 Youth Camp Shooting Final
Prizegiving at the 2023 Youth Camp Shooting Final
Prizegiving at the 2023 Youth Camp Shooting Final
Prizegiving at the 2023 Youth Camp Shooting Final
25yard range set up for smallbore cartridge rifle shooting

Victory for Zoltan in club Through the Ranges competition

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Zoltan Papp won Rugeley’s 2023 Through the Ranges competition on Sunday.

Shot Prone over 25yards, 50metres and 100yards, the competition tests shooter’s abilities indoor and out.

A trophy is awarded to a target shooter
Zoltan wins the Kershaw Trophy in the 2023 Through the Ranges competition
A trophy is awarded to a target shooter
Dave wins the Buttery Trophy in the 2023 Through the Ranges competition
A group of target shooters on an outdoor range. The firing point is covered by a tin roof.
A group of target shooters on an indoor range.

National Selection and Championship Finals for Hemingway

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley member Rich Hemingway had a sterling weekend at Bisley, shooting for Wales and qualifying for the Final of the British Prone Championship (the “Earl Roberts Championship”) at the close of the NSRA’s 2023 National Meeting.

On Friday, Rich warmed up by comfortably making it through the First Stage of the Earl Roberts, placing 9th of the 50 who qualified. That afternoon he went on to shoot in the Home Countries International, competing for Wales against England and Scotland. Wales narrowly placed third, close behind Scotland. Rich had the second highest score in the Welsh team, just a point behind Sian Corish – who was awarded the “Tartan Dragon” trophy for highest Welsh scorer.

Rich Hemingway with the 2023 Welsh Home Countries Team
photo credit: Eleanor Shorey theshorey.co.uk

On Saturday morning, competitors took to the range for another early start to contest the Second Stage of the Roberts, from which 40 qualified to the final. Placing 27th, Richard entered his first Roberts Final, making him the first Rugeley or Staffordshire shooter to compete in the final for some years.

Shooting a Double Dewar course – 40 shots each at 50metres and 100yards – the wind picked up significantly, as is appropriate for championship finals! In gusty conditions, many competitors struggled to keep their scores above 190, with a smattering of big flyers (including 4s and 6s!) seen along the range, especially on the 100yard portion. Keeping their cool amongst all of them though was 2022 champion Lina Jones, who retained her title with a score of 772. Rich finished his debut Final with 756, placing him 20th.

Trophies galore at County Championship

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley cleaned up at the Staffordshire County Championships on Sunday with members winning nine trophies.

Richard Hemingway retained his title as County Champion, ultimately earning five separate trophies – the Association Cup (Overall Confined Championship), the 50Metre Challenge Trophy, the Miniature Rifle Cup (A-Class Champion), the Michelin Cup (best 100yard scores in A-Class) and the Greatrex Cup (top NSRA County Medal holder).

Deb Truman became Staffordshire Ladies Champion. Graham Delaney won D-Class, with Lee Featherstone runner up. Paul Watkiss narrowly missed out on a medal, placing fourth in C-Class.

Youth Shooting Camp

by RichHin Club News

Rugeley Rifle Club is delighted to announce it’s Youth Shooting Camp 2023.

Running from August 19-22, and on August 26th this is a tented camp at Target Sprint Burntwood.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights will be spent under canvas. Airgun shooting will take place at Burntwood with .22lr shooting at Rugeley Rifle Club. There will also be team activities and camp fires.

On August 26th, the campers will be invited back to Rugeley Rifle Club with parents and guardians to see the progress made and have an end-of-camp shooting competition including air rifle, air pistol and .22 rimfire rifle. The young person showing the most promise will earnt he Young Gun Trophy and a years club membership, with free ammunition sponsored by Eley!

Apply to Lee Featherstone (RRC Secretary) at rugeleyrc (at) outlook (dot) com.

The cost of the camp is £50.

More than 80 take aim at Club Open Day

by RichHin Club News

More than 80 visitors from the local community tried their hand at Rugeley Rifle Club’s Open Day on Saturday. Despite drizzly weather, young and old received a tour of the club’s facilities and tried their hand at air rifle and air pistol, before enjoying the barbecue on the outdoor range.

Local councillor Olivia Lyons formally opened the new range wall on the 100yard range. The club successfully crowdfunded to replace the old wall, which had been in place 51 years.

Club Chairman Martyn Buttery & local Councillor Olivia Lyons stand in front of a tape as they formally open the new range wall.
Club Chairman Martyn Buttery & local COuncillor Olivia Lyons open the new range wall.
A young boy and an adult man fire target air pistols.
Visitors try their aim with air pistol
Two young people are sat at benches shooting air rifles from rests.
Juniors take instruction on benchrest air rifle
Visitors sit at benches shooting air rifles from rests. They are shooting at 10metres on the club's 25yard indoor range.
Visitors shoot benchrest air rifle at 10metres on the club’s 25yard indoor range

Medal for Paul at Swadlincote Air Open

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley shooter Paul Watkiss claimed a Bronze medal at the Swadlincote Open Airgun Meeting on Sunday. Shooting Air Pistol in A-Class, Paul scored 548, tying for Silver but losing on inner-tens to Lucy Evans of the West Midlands Regional Squad (and just selected by GB for the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl later this year).

Mick Chaganis placed 10th in B-Class for Air Pistol, and 3rd in Air Rifle B-Class. Congratulations to both.

Rugeley members oversee Schools Championship

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Members of Rugeley Rifle Club were on hand to assist with British Shooting’s 2023 Schools Championship. Held over two days at Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock, 159 air pistol shooters and 107 air rifle shooters competed across Junior, Intermediate and Senior classes after qualifying through regional shoots around the UK. Congratulations to all the participants and medallists on a fantastic two days of competition.

The event was sponsored by Steyr Sport and Hill Pumps. A number of world class and Paralympic athletes on hand to award medals and inspire the next generation of target shooters. More photos at British Shooting’s Facebook Page.

Young competitors shoot match air rifles in a sports hall.
A group of medallists stand with officials and paralympic shooters.
A group of young people fire match air pistols in a sports hall. At the bench in front of them, computer monitors show the scores returned from the electronic targets.