Shooters back Alton Funshoot as club aims to build 50m range
A big Thank You to everyone who signed up for the Autumn 2025 Eccentric & Animal Fun Shoot run by Alton Rifle Club. This ambitious Hampshire club is now much closer to achieving its goal of building a 50-metre outdoor range. As Jeremy Cowan reports, a few years ago the competition involved just a few clubs in the south of England. This year Alton has almost doubled the number of shooters taking part, across the UK.
Alton Rifle Club hatched a plan a few years ago to build a 50-metre range. To pay for it the goal was to double the size of the club’s annual Funshoot. Easier to say than to do.
Today, with your support, we are much closer to our dream. In 2023 we were delighted to have 100 prone and benchrest shooters in the Funshoot. Last year we expanded it to include light sporting rifles which added 100 more competition entrants. In 2025, with the help of On Target magazine, the NSRA, RifleLeagues, and social media publicity we promoted the event to clubs across the UK and have almost doubled the number of entries to 376.
‘Bold step this year’
As the competition’s lead organiser, Tim Stokes says, “Alton’s annual Funshoot is a long-established competition which has traditionally involved local clubs and each year a few more join in as word gets around. In recent years it has grown in popularity in terms of numbers as we introduced ‘bench’ and Light Sporting Rifle competitions. This year we took the bold step of opening up the competition to clubs nationally, not knowing really what to expect.”
“The response has been incredible as we have tripled the number of clubs and nearly doubled the number of shooters taking part. We have also changed how we manage the competition this year by using www.rifleleagues.co.uk which has proved an excellent platform to administer the competition. So far, so good and we are excited to see the results rolling in,” says Stokes.
First and foremost then, this is a Thank You from all of us at Alton Rifle Club to the hundreds of shooters who signed up for the 2025 Autumn Eccentric & Animal Fun Shoot. It is also a calendar marker for any UK clubs that missed it this year but want to take part in 2026. You will be welcomed.
‘In 2025 shooters have entered in seven classes across three disciplines.’
The competition has been running since 1982 when Alton Rifle Club started an annual postal competition to provide a bit of fun in the quiet autumn months, and frankly to keep the lights on. Entries were welcomed from a handful of .22 long rifle target shooting clubs in England.
Following the pandemic it was a sad fact that many clubs were forced to close their doors. Some landlords withdrew their backing for a sport that was on the back foot in some people’s eyes. Other clubs faced hefty rent increases, which could not be met by falling numbers of shooters joining the sport.
Alton was luckier than most. The club was generously gifted the land on which the range stands by the family of one of its founders. So, almost 10 years ago the club began to focus on training new, young shooters, with the result that its dwindling membership stabilised and then grew again. These days we have around 45 regular members, aged from 12 to over 80 and we are regularly welcoming new members.
Summer results
Results have improved too. This summer’s Hampshire Open saw several Alton RC shooters entering an outdoor competition for the first time in both prone and benchrest disciplines. Maritz Naude was the Class B winner at 100 yards and also won the B Aggregate.
The Bisley summer meeting brought new competitive success for Alton. Unphased by a short-term injury, Rob Forster began shooting Benchrest and was named the Benchrest Week Aggregate Champion.
The Annual Funshoot
For those who have not come across the competition before it consists of two target patterns, eccentric and animal, with two of each target to be shot (see targets illustrated). What makes the 4-card competition stand out is its use of these two original target designs, the Eccentrics and the Animals. Ten shots are made on each, and they can be a challenge for even the best shooters. According to Stokes, “Last year for the first time, the organisers invited Benchrest and Light Sporting Rifle shooters to join Prone competitors competing for separate individual prizes. The response was really encouraging and so we’ve rolled it out nationwide.”
The organisers are awaiting scoring verification of the final entries and we will soon announce the winners of the Alton Animal & Eccentric Funshoot at www.altonrifleclub.com and on our Facebook page. Details of scores, including breakdowns by club, class and discipline, will be available from 14th November 2025 online at www.riflesleagues.co.uk. The site has been working since 2006 with league organisers and club captains, and Alton RC are grateful for their enthusiastic support and guidance in hosting the Funshoot competition’s online scoring.
As David Hartley, Alton Rifle Club chairman says, “The Funshoot now has a new purpose as we are working hard to design, develop and deliver a brand new 50-metre, 6-lane outdoor range to augment our 25-yard, 5-lane indoor facility.”
Scoring the Funshoot
All cards are scored by inward gauging. Scoring is managed locally at individual clubs, with scores inputted by each club on www.rifleleagues.co.uk. The competition organisers then contact the clubs to request the highest scoring cards in each Class are mailed to Alton for verification. Cutting the outermost ring on the Eccentric target scores 5 points. A bull counts as 10, and to help separate the Possibles the scorers will count the number of centre dots taken out completely.
On the Animal target a bull counts as 10, and again the scorers will count the centre dots taken out completely to separate the Possibles. Cutting the outermost ring scores 6 and anywhere else on the animal’s body scores 5. A shot missing the target area entirely on either target does not score.
* Cards must be shot by 31st October.
* Scores must be entered on Rifle Leagues by 31st October.
* Top 5 cards in each class will be requested at Alton for audit by 10th November.
* Winners will be announced online on 14th November, 2025.
Each Class Winner will receive a personalised Medal to keep.
The Winner’s name in each class will also be added to the Alton Trophies.
These Shields list all the Winners since 1982 and will be shown on www.altonrifleclub.com.
Winners will be announced here on www.altonrifleclub.com and by kind permission of On Target magazine.
It is fair to say the Funshoot organisers have been overwhelmed by the growing support for the competition this year. No promises can be made until they have had time to assess the response, but they are aware of growing interest from other rifle classes.
So, the word is out, if you want a bit of fun in your shooting before the 2026/’27 Winter season gets serious give the annual Alton Funshoot a try.
To contact the organisers email:
funshoot@altonrifleclub.com
The author is Jeremy Cowan, a member of Alton Rifle Club in Hampshire.
“A funshoot with a serious purpose.”