May always feels like the first proper month of summer and with it comes the full swing of the outdoor shooting season. The Exeter & District Summer League is already underway, and there’s a packed calendar of competitions to keep everyone busy.
For those shooting Prone and Benchrest rifle, the month kicks off with Yealmpton’s Double Dewar and English Match Open, held at Budleigh Farm on Sunday, 11th May. It promises to be an intense day of competition and a great start to the summer circuit.
Meanwhile, the Okehampton Club is hosting their 10m Open for Air Rifle, Pistol, and non-rimfire LSR at both 10m and 20yd distances. If you can’t make it over the weekend, don’t worry — there’s also a midweek shoot on Thursday, 15th May, as well as the following weekend (17th–18th May), so plenty of opportunities to take part.
The Bideford Double Dewar for both Prone and Benchrest shooters takes place on 18th May at the lovely Melbury Range, just outside Bideford. Always a well-run shoot in a beautiful setting.
To round off the month, don’t forget you can book your tickets online for the DCSRA County Dinner and Prize Giving on 30th May at Exminster Golf Club. It takes a fair bit of effort to organise, so if you’re a member of a Devon club, do come along. It’s a chance to share stories of perfect cards and personal bests — or just laugh about the cards you’d rather have used to light the bonfire.
And while this is the May edition of the shooting calendar, it’s worth mentioning that Yealmpton’s English Match Open returns on 1st June — a perfect warm-up for the DCSRA Devon & Open Championships on 7th–8th June.
Best of luck to all those competing, and if you’re not shooting competitively, enjoy your practice sessions.
