For those who don't know me, I am a keen target rifle shooter. Bisley in Surrey is my Mecca and I have been going there since I was about 15 years old. I started shooting air rifles when I was about 8 (thanks Dad, awesome present) and picked up small bore (.22 calibre) when I was in the cadets at school. As I was a boarder I was able to practice 3 nights a week after school. I was by no means a natural shooter and had to work hard on the skills and discipline. I was rewarded with a place on the Athelings (GB Cadet Rifle Team) to Canada in 1993.

Since then I have managed to get a few England and GB caps and had some individual competition successes but nothing too major.

Her Majesty the Queen's Prize is the ultimate in the individual shooting calendar. It is shot over 8 ranges on 3 different days. Everybody shoots Stage 1 which is 2 sighting shots and 7 shots to count at 300/500 and 600 yards. There is then a 'cut' where the 900 or so people who shot stage 1 is whittled down to 300 who shoot stage 2 which is the same ranges but 2 sighters and 10 shots to count. The difference here is that the score you get (out of 150 and up to 30 V Bulls - the central smaller bull inside the bullseye) is taken through to the final stage. Again there is a cut where the 300 is reduced to 100. It doesn't take much to fall from grace and not get through to the final. Stage 3 is shot over 900 and 1000 yards with 2 sighters and 15 shots to count at each range. My own record is pretty atrocious in Queen's with only 3 finals to my name. But the most recent was a belter...

Going through with a 150 and 24 V Bulls to the final stage I was well placed and had been shooting relatively well for most of the week. The final stage is shot on a Saturday afternoon in July and is the centrepiece of the shooting calendar with visitors and crowds watching the shooting from just behind the firing point.

900 yards looked like it would be benign with about 30 minutes to the first round down the range but then someone turned the wind machine on and it started out flukey with the wind switching fast enough to catch the unwary and push you out of the bull. I have always enjoyed shooting fast and it paid dividends. Using the other targets as and indicator as to the changing wind and shooting quickly after your target buddy (you are squadded in pairs rather than the usual 3) can help if you are well set up. You have already assessed the wind and are ready to shoot when the target comes up with your buddy's shot on it and a final quick look can give you an idea of whether it has stiffened or slackened significantly.

Each firer has a target marker (my father in the check shirt standing marking mine) so every time the target comes up with the marker on it, they put a sticker with the shot number on it. These help the stats guys keep a track on the leaders

Me in the aim on my 12th shot to count out of 15. You can see the markers on my target diagram and the record of my individual shot scores as I go through the shoot. As it was I dropped my 3rd to count to come off with a 74 and 8 Vs which I was pretty happy with considering the conditions. It wasn't going to get easier another 100 yards back...

A tidy 900 yard shoot with just one shot out of the bull

Me walking off the 900 yard point. I am now 1 point down and as you can see from the scoreboard below, still in contention with the main pack.

1000 yards was a touch more difficult. I was fortunate to be shooting with another fast shooter - the rationale being the quicker you shoot the less chance the wind has to change. Frantic winding of sights and looking at wind flags, other peopls's shots etc still didn't save me from my 5th shot on target which got blown for a 3 (known as a magpie). Apparently, all down the range almost everyone got caught.

Shot number 5 - oooooooouch

I walked off with a pretty decent 72 with 6 V's but having been blown for a Magpie I assumed I was out of the race. Not so. I was greeted by this sight...

Yep. I was leading Queen's.

Unfortunately, as other people finished the final scores were added and I finished on the same gun score as 3 other people (296.38 ex 300.60) with the eventual winner walking off 1 point and 3 V Bulls higher.

Due to the vagaries of the marking system, despite the same score as three others I ended up 4th overall. Still, it was a pretty good result for someone who had only shot 3 weekends that year. I do have to apologise to a few people though. Both my mother and father lost more heartbeats than I care to mention watching the whole thing and I can only apologise to them for my 5th to count at 1000yds.

Still there's always next year...