Postal league competitions at county and national level are the most common form of shooting activity in this and most other clubs. Leagues are organised into divisions, grouping teams and individuals who have similar ability. So no matter your level in the sport, there are competitions that you can enter with a reasonable hope of winning.

We encourage all our members to take part in team and individual leagues, and we support many of the Hampshire and Dorset postal league competitions. Some members also enter national competitions organised by the NSRA, and shoulder-to-shoulder meetings organised by the Dorset and Hampshire County Associations.

Postal leagues allow clubs and individuals from all over a county, region or the entire country to compete against each other. League shooting is done on the competitor’s home range, and comprises one or more ‘cards’ per round. Most 25 yard cards consist of 10 aiming marks (targets) printed on a heavy paper background.

Depending on the competition rules, cards that have been correctly signed and witnessed may either be scored by a qualified person at the club, or sent off to a central scorer. Either way, scores and league tables are collated by the league organisers and published as soon as possible. There are two league seasons – Summer and Winter – and so the opportunity to take part is more or less year-round.

Most leagues are shot over 10 rounds, with one card (10 shots) per round.

For prone rifle, we shoot at these ’10 spot’ cards – one shot at each of the 10 individual targets. The maximum score per shot is 10 points, and to earn this the shot must be entirely within the inner circle (first close-up picture). Other rings indicate 9 (second close up picture), 8, 7 points etc. The highest possible score is 100, commonly referred to as ‘a poss’.

Bench rest cards are slightly different in design, as – in theory (!) – it is easier to hit the middle, and so the 10 ring is reduced in size.

These cards are not to scale, and from left to right show a 25 yard bench rest, a 50 meter card (5 shots per target) and a 100 yard card (10 shots per target).