.22LR Prone Rifle

.22LR prone rifle is the most popular target shooting discipline in the UK by participation. Shooters lie in the prone position and fire rimfire cartridges at paper targets from 25 yards to 50 metres. The stable position, forgiving technique, and rich national competition structure make it the natural destination for most shooters who progress beyond air rifle.

Firearms Certificate required. .22LR rifles require a Section 1 Firearms Certificate. You will need to join a Home Office approved club as a probationary member (typically three to six months minimum attendance) before you can apply. See the getting started guide for the full process.

Match formats

English Match is the classic format, shot at 25 yards on Imperial targets. The traditional course is 20 sighters plus 60 shots to count, scored on the Imperial system. Maximum score: 600 points.

Scottish Match is shot at 50 metres on Decimal (ISSF) targets with 10.9-point maximum per shot. Popular modern format: 20 sighters plus 60 to count. Maximum score: 654.0 points.

Dewar Course is an international team competition format — 20 shots per shooter, four shooters per team, shot at 50 yards or metres. Used for prestigious inter-club and international matches including the Dewar Cup.

Long Range is shot at 100 yards outdoors. Tests rifle accuracy and wind-reading skills. Often shot in pairs (two shooters per target) with 20 sighters and 40 to count.

Scoring explained

Imperial targets (25 yards): Bull = 10, Inner = 9, Magpie = 8, Outer = 7, Miss = 0. Perfect score for 60 shots: 600. An excellent club score is 590 or above.

Decimal targets (50 metres): Centre scores 10.9 down to 10.0 (divided into tenths), then 9.9 to 9.0, continuing to 1.0. Miss = 0.0. Perfect score for 60 shots: 654.0. An excellent club score is 630 or above.

The change from Imperial to Decimal scoring is one of the bigger adjustments for shooters moving between formats. Both systems reward exactly the same skill — placing the bullet in the centre.

Equipment

Don’t rush to buy equipment. Pinhoe TSC has .22LR rifles available for probationary members while they build skills and work through the Firearms Certificate process. Buy when you know what you want.

When ready: a .22LR target rifle with aperture sights costs £800–£3,500+. The leading manufacturers are Anschütz (the gold standard), Walther, Vickers (British-made, highly regarded), RPA (UK-made), and Swing (Czech, good value). Essential accessories include a shooting mat (£30–£150), leather sling (£30–£80), shooting jacket (£100–£400), shooting glove (£15–£50), and a spotting scope to see shot holes at distance (£150–£800).

Match-grade .22LR ammunition costs £8–£20 per box of 50. Testing ammunition lots to find what your rifle shoots best is worthwhile once you reach county level.

UK competition

1. Club level — weekly club nights, internal competitions, club championships; build scores in a friendly environment
2. Postal leagues — NSRA Winter and Summer Leagues; shoot at your home club, submit targets for national ranking
3. County and regional — county championships, inter-county matches, regional opens; represent Devon in team competitions
4. National — NSRA British Championships at Bisley in June/July; the pinnacle of UK smallbore shooting, attracting hundreds of competitors
5. International — GB teams for the Dewar Cup, Mackintosh, Pershing; ISSF World Championships (50m prone); Commonwealth Games (50m prone)

At Pinhoe TSC

.22LR prone rifle is one of the most popular disciplines at Pinhoe TSC. We have a dedicated 25-yard prone range (Pinnbrook Left) for English Match and shorter courses. The club runs regular internal competitions in both English Match and Scottish Match formats, enters the NSRA Winter League, and competes in Devon County matches.

NSRA-qualified coaches are available for position work and technique development.

Related disciplines also offered at Pinhoe: Prone Air Rifle (no certificate needed), .22LR Benchrest, Three-Position Rifle.