English Bell Target- Vintage

[45flint]

Curious in a vintage bell target match are you allowed to have aperture sights?

[Unframed Dave]

When we shoot pre 1939, no. Anything else, then anything that does not magnify is allowed.

Others may well be different.

Dave

[DAVALI]

We have two sections here at Lea Valley, section one, pre 1939 Open sights no aperture piston powered, section two, Post 1939 less than 7ft/pd apertures allowed this includes FWB 300 and Original 75/65 etc. Piston powered.
Before Lockdown we were holding “postal” competition with Broadland bell target club, hopefully will resume when the Covid-19 recedes a bit or a vaccine that works is developed.
Dave.

[ptdunk]

Me & the missus shoot at the above Bell Target comp at Lea Valley.

I’m glad we don’t allow aperture sights for the pre-war section as it would give an advantage and not many pre-war air rifles have them....and it might put off those that don’t.

As it stands you can pick up a competitive gun for less than two hundred quid and LVAGC has a pretty healthy vintage scene.

Some clubs allow them though...

Cheers,
Matt

[WebleyWombler]

Under normal national bell target rules peep ( aperture, diopter) sights are allowed and pre war they were preferred by many competitors.

Nowadays If prescription spectacles are worn, a single correction lens may be fitted in the diopter provided the spectacles are discarded by the shooter at the time of shooting. The lens chosen is normally about 1/2 a diopter shorter than the users normal spectacle lens.

Most peep/diopter/aperture sights come into the generic 'Iron sights' definition as do 'v' and 'u' notch sights (but these can also be in their own 'open' sights category).

Any sight that magnifies or contains more than one lens of a non specific correction type is deemed to be an 'optical' sight.

Many clubs have their own rules rather than use the national ones and with the advent of recoiless and PCP/Co2 , rules are varied to suit the members.

[Josie & John]

Aperture sights were allowed 'back in the day' and I am pleased that my club at BFTO allows them to be used today as sadly, the older I get, the harder I find it to use open sights, although I can still just about see them for non competitive less formal use.

Some clubs between the wars could not understand why some competitors were still using open sights!

John

[dvd]

I have some guns with foresights that have a single lens in them, the German word for this lens is adleraug which loosely translated is eagle eye.
I wear reading glasses which I remove when shooting these guns.
I find that I can see the target much sharper but not larger with this setup.
Are they within the peepsight rules for bell target?

[WebleyWombler]

I have some guns with foresights that have a single lens in them, the German word for this lens is adleraug which loosely translated is eagle eye.
I wear reading glasses which I remove when shooting these guns.
I find that I can see the target much sharper but not larger with this setup.
Are they within the peepsight rules for bell target?

A single correction lens is allowed under many sets of rules including the NARPA ones. There is no restriction mentioned on which sight it may be fitted to but please bear in mind that not every club works to the NARPA National rules. It would be better if they did in the interests of standardisation and inter club competitions but we are a nation of individuals and like to be different in some small way.

[abellringer]

Interesting discussion, obviously if you want to compete you accept the rules; but I have a rare JEAN MARCK mod 2 factory special with the first swiss air aperture sight fitted to an air rifle, so I'm told; date is set at 1910/13. How would that fit into retro comps; oh and as it's all still original FPS is around 2.

[Josie & John]

Interesting discussion, obviously if you want to compete you accept the rules; but I have a rare JEAN MARCK mod 2 factory special with the first swiss air aperture sight fitted to an air rifle, so I'm told; date is set at 1910/13. How would that fit into retro comps; oh and as it's all still original FPS is around 2.

Hi Ray,

The JM No 2 is my favourite Gem style airgun. I have an aperture sighted variant that is capable of placing pellet upon pellet at 6 yards. Both my No 2s also have Swiss style rearsights of the type usually seen on Giffards.

John