Smallbore Rifle Postal Leagues

The Notts. Rifle Association runs postal leagues for all its affiliated clubs that shoot smallbore rifle.

General Information

Leagues are divided into divisions based on team or individual averages to ensure that each division is truly competitive and all have a chance of winning their division. We currently have 3 divisions in the teams league and 6 in the pairs and veterans. The Ladies is currently in 1 division and the Juniors are scored on the Macrae Handicap system.

Averages are calculated from the preceding season from the best five scores achieved in rounds 2 to 7. This is referred to as the "Notts. average" and it enables averages to be determined in time for the entry dates for the following season. Where a competitor is new to league shooting, the Notts. average should be determined from five practice cards scored and certified by a club official.

The leagues run twice every year in two seasons. The Summer season runs from mid-May to mid-September and the Winter season from mid-November to mid-March. Each season consists of ten rounds with last dates for shooting each round about two weeks apart. Entries for the seasons are usual required by the end of March and September for the following season. NSRA postal rules apply and NSRA BM 1989 prone targets or benchrest targets will be used as appropriate for 25, 20 or 15yd ranges. The NSRA postal rules are available from the NSRA website and are generally updated each year at the beginning of April.

Scoring is done by independent scorers and results are distributed mainly by email or by post (if an SAE is provided).

Medals are awarded to the winners of each division and in the Club Teams of Four league to the top average in each division

Club Teams of Four

Clubs may enter as many teams as they can muster from their membership. Each team member must be selected on the basis of their Notts. average score (see General Information above) from the preceding season with the highest four averages being placed in the club's A team, the next four in the B team, and so on. The team's average will be used to place them into the divisions of the league, with comparable averages in each division. A bogie team may be added to make up divisions of five teams to six. The bogie team score will be the average of the averages in the division.

Each team will shoot against one of the other teams in rotation through the ten rounds. Two points will be awarded for a win and one point for a draw. No points go to the loser. Substitutes are allowed during the season in the event of a team member having to cease shooting; but the substitute may not have a higher average than the original team member, nor may the substitute have shot in the same round for another team. At the end of the season the overall winner will be the team with the most points. If there is a tie in points, then the team with the highest aggregate score over the ten rounds will be declared the winner of the division.

Engraved medals are awarded to the four members of the winning team and to the individual with the highest average in each division.

Club pairs

Clubs may enter as many pairs as they wish from their membership. Pairs may be formed by the club's arranging them in order of average or by the shooters choosing with whom they wish to shoot. Each shooter's Notts. average is combined to make the pairs average. Pairs will be placed into divisions of a maximum of six pairs of comparable averages. Bogie pairs may be added as for the Club Teams league to keep divisions as even as possible. Each pair shoots against the other pairs in rotation with two points being awarded for a win and one for a tie. Substitutes are allowed during the season in the event of a pair member having to cease shooting; but the substitute may not have a higher average than the original team member, nor may the substitute have shot in the same round for another team. The overall winner of each division will be the pair with the highest number of points. In the event of a tie in points, then the pair with the highest aggregate score over the ten rounds will be the winner of the division.

Engraved medals are awarded to the two shooters of the winning pair in each division.

Veterans Individual

This is an individual competition open to all shooters who are over fifty on 1st May for the summer season or on 1st November for the winter season. Competitors are arranged into divisions of a maximum of six shooters according to their Notts. averages. Bogie shooters may be added to divisions in order to maintain comparable averages in each division. Each competitor shoots against the others in their division in rotation and two points are awarded for a win and one point for a tie. No substitutes are allowed in this competition. The overall winner of each division will be the competitor with the highest number of points. In the event of a tie in points, then the competitor with the highest aggregate score over the ten rounds will be the winner of the division.

Engraved medals are awarded to the winner in each division.

Benchrest Individual

This is an individual competition open to all shooters. Competitors are arranged into divisions of a maximum of six shooters according to their Notts. averages. Bogie shooters may be added to divisions in order to maintain comparable averages in each division. Each competitor shoots against the others in their division in rotation and two points are awarded for a win and one point for a tie. No substitutes are allowed in this competition. The overall winner of each division will be the competitor with the highest number of points. In the event of a tie in points, then the competitor with the highest aggregate score over the ten rounds will be the winner of the division.

Engraved medals are awarded to the winner in each division.

Juniors Individual

This is an individual competition open to all shooters under the age of twenty-one on 1st May for the summer season or on 1st November for the winter season. Each competitor starts with their Notts. average (obtained from practice cards if necessary as described under General Information). If the number of entries permits, then competitors may be split into divisions based on average. In the winter season, the first five rounds are scored using the Macrae Handicap system against each competitor's own average. The competitor with the lowest Handicap score is awarded one point, the next lowest two points, and so on up to the top score. After five rounds, each competitor will be given a new average based on the gun scores on the first five cards. Rounds six to ten will be scored on the Handicap basis against the new averages, points being awarded as for the first five rounds. The competitor with the highest number of points after round ten will be the winner. In the event of a tie in points then the competitor with the highest aggregate Macrae Handicap score will be the winner. In the summer season there are only five rounds to complete before the end of the academic year.

Engraved medals are awarded to the winner in each division.

Portland Cup

This is the premier competition to decide annually the Champion Club in the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association. It is open to all affiliated clubs and is decided on a knock-out basis beginning with a random draw dependent on the number of entries received. Clubs may enter more than one team if they so wish. The winners receive the Portland Challenge Cup, which was presented to the Nottinghamshire Civilian and Miniature Rifle Association by His Grace the Duke of Portland KG (President) for the Champion Club of the Year. Club teams consist of five shooters who all count to the result. The course of fire in each round is over two consecutive ten shot targets at 15, 20 or 25 yards fired under NSRA Postal Competition rules. Each member of the winning team receives an engraved medal. The results of the competition are included in the winter season league results each year.