Bell Target

[edbear2]

My local league was BSA at the beginning;
"BSA rifles being specified came about because Lord Dudley and Lord Ednam were major shareholders in the Birmingham Small Arms Company - or BSA as it was better known - and usually all 10 members of one team shot with one BSA rifle with fixed sights..It was only in the 1920s that air rifles of a rival manufacturer, Webley, were allowed".

http://www.belltarget.com/lord-ednam.php

Some of our venues;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/312284...57631530525209

Post war the league guns went to Airsporter Clubs and Webley MK3's.......this continued up to the advent of the German stuff when slowly people switched due to the Rekord trigger and more weight, I won't say the accuracy was any better, they were just easier to get good results from so average shots improved their scores.

I have an Airsporter club and a 1911 BSA, both of which I have scored possibles with, but that is really hard work and rare compared to my TX which I built for the league with a longer sight base to suit my eyes;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/312284...57646258601290

We use normal full power springers only, many wear scopes for HFT or Hunting outside the bell season, so this makes it more accessable cost wise as no need to spend on expensive match PCP's or the weird olympic style shooting apparel as seen in some leagues. Older shooters or people who struggle can have a loader if required.

Open sights only, no apertures, no shooting aids of any type not even sight hoods...most use HW's or TX's (with iron sights added)....Power max is 11.6 checked at beginning of season then lable put on action, target is set at 5 or 6 pounds to ring, so even a big splitter is marginal. score 5 for a ding, 5 shots and two sighters allowed.

Guns can have CS and the like stocks / many are Venom or the like tuned and fettled triggers, but most are out of the box with a service / lube.

See the odd break barrel, there are two RB BSA's and a couple of HW80's and a Webley and a HW98 I can recall, but generally it's underlevers.


Mostly rural real ale and good food pubs around the West and North of the Worcester area....


ATB, ED.

[perlin]

Thanks for the info Dave and Ed, very interesting stuff. I wonder what some of the old timers would make of the canvas/leather suits used now and the optical aids available. I do like the idea of a personal loader though....and the real ale
John

[Jimlad]

Hers a little gem I picked up a couple of years back, Pellet machine that used to be on the wall in the pubs, a penny would buy you enough pellets for the match.
Still works but unable to find the tins to complete. Any out there?

https://i.imgur.com/yGuT1mp.png

[Unframed Dave]

Hers a little gem I picked up a couple of years back, Pellet machine that used to be on the wall in the pubs, a penny would buy you enough pellets for the match.
Still works but unable to find the tins to complete. Any out there?

https://i.imgur.com/yGuT1mp.png

Apparently, they were paper trays. I imagine similar to how we used to buy rolls of caps. I have the same dispenser or very similar.

Dave

[ptdunk]

I posted this over on collectables, may be of interest:

Closeups from a 1906 postcard showing a bell target comp.
This used to belong to edbear2 and found it's way onto the 'bay and is now framed on one of my shelves.
It's been shared before but only quite a low res image, it's absolutely tiny, just over 3''x 5'' so I did a high res scan and thought it might be of interest.

They make quite a stylish little group, looks like the Post office team up against another club.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]



Detailed enough to print out at A4, pics will be on Danny's website.

Cheers,
Matt

[perlin]

So many people in front of the firing point , would have my club range officer throw a wobbler
Think it should be made compulsory to wear either a straw boater or a bowler hat in modern bell target shooting..
John

[Dan944]

amaizing photos and atier! love it

[abellringer]

As I understand it earlier Bell tgt days would have been Milita's and Gems, not much more around in fairness. Loads of UK businesses imprted Milita's many with their own names added at some point. L J certainly imported them and as I understand it cut them up; added his gas tap mod [devised with his gas fitter neighbour's help] and cocking mech thus developing the rifle that pretty much revolutionised Bell Tgt. As far as I'm aware Frank's book is still available but I think in digital form. I'm lucky I knew Frank very well and have a dedicated signed copy. For sure the links to Bell sites as shown will provide a mountain of info.
It does appear that it was a sport set in local areas; Bridgend and Bridgnorth being amongst the oldest, and surprisingly there were a lot more ladies involved in the early days, again I think Bridgend can show it.
I shoot on the Wolvwerhampton A R L formed as a Bell Lge in 1972, aged 75 I've shot in every year from 1973, now proud to be Chairman.
To anyone wanting an amazing sport, try it !
To existing shooters keep it up you're part of of a legendary sport and long may we all continue.

[Desmond.22]

Heres my home made effort.

Works well with either the 77 or the 30

https://youtu.be/hrKEqM799jI

https://youtu.be/PwWWadxylNY

[zooma]

Heres my home made effort.

Works well with either the 77 or the 30

https://youtu.be/hrKEqM799jI

https://youtu.be/PwWWadxylNY

Nice effort - Your home made bell target works well.

Those small rear diopter sights that you have fitted on your HW rifles work well on the HW springers - I used one on my HW30S for a while, but changed to a s/h Anschutz when my neck started to give me some gip and a friend gave me his old sight - same result - but being a little higher I found it slightly more comfortable.

Bob.

[abellringer]

I have to admit for my earlier post; I'd only read part of the thread. Now I've had chance to re read. WOW those old photos are amazing. Really good to see our history. I'm always amazed at the amount of Bell tgt that shows up from Guernsey, especially that far back.
Nice one guys

[ptdunk]

Me doing some ‘vintage Bell Target reenactment’

https://youtu.be/R46WKV03iJU

Matt

[perlin]

excellent videos.... can`t be that many britannias out there now.
John