Tuesday saw the return of the Bell Target Shooting league in and around Shrewsbury.

Not all ten teams took their places on the firing points due to venue availabilities but there’ll be plenty of time to catch up later in the season.

Last year’s winter league winners, Breidden, didn’t shoot but this year’s summer league winners Telepost, who were at their home venue, faced off against the Harlescott A team who finished the 18-19 winter league at the foot of the table. It was a close match overall with the only “possible” scored on the night of 37.5 by Adam Binnersley from the Away team. Another great score of 37 from Harlescott A’s Dave Price wasn’t quite enough against the home side’s consistent shooting. Telepost’s father and son duo Roger and Aaron Knight each scored the team’s highest scores of 36 to help the total of 177 beat the Harlescott’s 173.5.

This week’s Bell Target resualts

The Unison Club played host to their match against the Red Lion and saw two possibles from the home team with Andy Lawrence and Mike Lewis scoring a 37 and 37.5 respectively. Rob and Andy Williams from the Bomere based Red Lion team each scored their sides best individual entries with a 35 and 35.5 to bring the away team’s total to a very respectable 171.5 but it was no match for the home squad’s huge 181.5. If the Unison continues shooting this way it’s a high possibility they’ll be at the top of the table after the next 19 matches.

Marchamley Social Club hosted Condover Social Club’s team and a close match was had between the two teams that finished a place apart in the table last year. Condover Captain Helen Alderson topped their side’s scores with a 34 to finish with a 163 total against the home team’s 169 that saw Marchamley take the two points for the match. Marchamley’s top shots were Sophie Evanson and Danni Forrester with 34.5 each and it’s consistency that helps bring home the match points.

This is the first week of matches in the Shrewsbury and District Air Rifle League’s Winter Bell Target League. It’s a league made up of ten teams, each with around ten shooters who compete in pubs and clubs around the town on a Tuesday evening. Teams from the Breidden, The Cock at Hanwood, Bomere’s Red Lion along with Unison, Marchamley, Condover, Harlescott and Telepost clubs make up a competitive and fun league.

Bell Target Shooting

Each team fields seven shooters who each shoot against a member of the opposition with .177 air rifles at a circular metal target with a central hole allowing the bell to ring upon a bullseye shot. The shooters must use open sights and not telescopic sights.

The two lowest scores from each team are discounted and the five higher scores are aggregated and compared to discover which team wins the two match points.

The highest score a shooter can achieve is 38.5 and this is achieved by landing seven shots cleanly through the hole to score a 5.5 each time. If a pellet hits the metal plate surrounding this hole it leaves a mark in the paint that can then be marked to discover how far away from the centre it is. If a shooter manages to get all seven shots in the 5 or 5.5 scoring zone it’s called a “possible” and the shooter would receive a round of applause from all at the venue. If the competitor can cope with the stress and pressure to get all shots through the hole cleanly they will have scored a “maximum” and this happened only once in the league last year.

Shooters in the Shrewsbury league are of all ages, genders and abilities with a great community spirit and we hold Cup competitions, Charity shoots, and interleague competitions where teams are fielded from neighbouring leagues such as the Montgomeryshire, Wenlock, Wrekin, Bridgnorth areas.

Report by: Bob Griffiths