What is the Dewar Match?

There is quite often a level of confusion amongst club shooters about where the NSRA sit on International Shooting. British Shooting represents shooting to the British Olympic Association and the ISSF, and handle all GB entries to ISSF Matches, World Championships, European Championships and of course the Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games selections are handled by the Home Nation Federations - English TSF, WTSF, STS, NITSA, IOMTSF, etc.

So where does that leave the NSRA? The NSRA primarily concerns itself with domestic affairs - Club Affiliations & Insurance, National Matches and Meetings within the UK and of course the Postal Leagues that many of us will have participated in.

However, the National Smallbore Rifle Association also participates in a number of International Postal matches each year, pitting GB’s shooters against other nations without the expense of actually going there.

It also has two major Shoulder-to-Shoulder Internationals - the Roberts (where the USA sends a team to Bisley), and the Pershing (where the NSRA sends a team to the USA Nationals). These each occur once every 8 years - offset, so that a team will travel once every 4 years.

In a “normal” year, being selected for the Dewar Postal Team is the most prestigious competitive honour the NSRA can bestow on a shooter, topped only by being selected to the Pershing or Roberts Team.

So why don’t we hear about it?

Beats me. If you dig out a Winter or Spring edition of The Rifleman, you will typically find a two or three page spread reporting on that year’s Dewar, Randle, Drew, Wakefield and Mayleigh matches. You can find scans of the 2008-13 reports in the Shooting Archive. However, since The Rifleman became “On Target”, the Editor(s) have decided that the NSRA’s most prestigious matches are not worth reporting(!). Or at most, the results are mentioned briefly, but with no wider report or attempt to solicit new talent.¹

As a result, some of these matches are becoming the preserve of those who already know about them. I myself have been peripherally aware of the Dewar for years, but it never occurred to me to actually try and qualify for the Dewar Trials until 2018. That was for “good” shooters! I didn’t qualify at Bisley (I didn’t shoot the Aggregate in 2017), so tried the 2018 Postal entry. Those cards went well enough to be invited to the Trials and I had a good day - making the Team!

Of course, you do need that invitation - you can’t just show up on the day. But I would encourage everybody to be aware of how these matches are selected for and make sure you are in a position to be selected instead of letting it pass you by. You might just surprise yourself!

So how do I do that?

There are four International Postal Matches for Rifle. Two are Dewar Courses, the other two are ISSF 60-shot Matches at 50metres. Most hinge on performance at the NSRA’s National Meeting each August, although there are alternative routes to the Dewar and Wakefield.

Dewar Match

Mixed Team of 20; Dewar Course; Appleton Rifle Club in June

Qualify by:

• Having a Top-40 score in the Grand Aggregate (Comp 7) at the previous year’s National Meeting.
• Having a Top-3² score in the Grand Aggregate (Comp 6) at the previous year’s Scottish Meeting.
• Enter the Postal Trial and shoot a Double Dewar on your home range.

Failing to qualify at the Scottish/National Meeting does not prevent you from “having another go” via the Postal Trials.

Once you’re there:

• Make the Top-10 in your squad. Pass Go, shoot for GB, collect your medal and tie.

Randle Match

Team of 10 Ladies; Dewar Course; Thursday morning of NSRA National Meeting

Qualify by:

• Being in the Top-10 Women in the Grand Aggregate (Comp 7) at the National Meeting.

Drew Match

Mixed Team of 10 Juniors; ISSF 60-Shot Match; NSRA National Meeting

Qualify by:

• Not really sure. Being a decent junior shooter and being at the National Meeting!

Wakefield Match

Mixed Team of 10; ISSF 60-Shot Match; Home Range during a one-week period in September

Qualify by:

• Having a Top-5 score in the 50M Championship (Comp 49) at the NSRA National Meeting.
• Having a Top-5 aggregate over Rd 1-5 of the NSRA 50yd/50m Summer League (Comp 103).

In Summary

1. Shoot the National Meeting Grand Agg. in X- or A-Class to qualify for the Dewar & Randle.
2. Failing that, enter the Dewar Postal Trials
3. Shoot Competition 49 at the National Meeting to qualify for the Wakefield
4. Failing that, enter the Summer 50M Postal (Comp 103)