Teach me to TR.

[Tower75]

Thanks for the info, it's all making sense. Pics would be great, Gaz. Many thanks.

Kind regards

[Dougan]

Having now seen the piccies (thank you) I've got to be honest and say that that isn't a TR rifle; if you want to shoot 'modern' TR from 300 to 1000 yards you'll need something more appropriate.

It is however very interesting, a bit different and could shoot well in historic (though not exactly sure what class it would be) meetings...I reckon a 2 point Parker Hale sling would suit it.

The add said it had a Lithgow barrel...is it 5 grove?...also, from the description of the barrel, cast boolits might be worth considering...?

[Gaz]

As per the picture. Very easy - you adjust the length of the sling with the other end, which goes around the appropriate swivel on the rifle.

[hitchphil]

Hi Tower?

I think you are only going to learn so much about TR shooting from a forum so I wont try to give you TR advice that conflicts with anothers etc etc

I dont know of any TR competitions where 303 Lees etc with target sights are used? There are plenty of 'as issued events, yes you can shoot the imperial with a 303 but you will be way behind & possibly the only person on the FP with one?.......

Best thing you can do is look up a club in your area that focuses on Target Rifle - try the NRA club finder or the local County Assoc & they can point you in the direction of them. Go along see what they do, how they do it & get real instruction on TR shooting. That will be worth hundreds of good advice posts.

You can learn all there is to know about TR with a strap +your gun & some form of jacket & if a progressive club they will have some jackets to try. (FleaBay turns them up too) Your fine rifle wont be competitive vs modern TRs but will be fun & you can learn all the techniques & most importantly good reliable zeros & understanding to predict the wind not make sight change because of its effects on the last shot.

If you enjoy TR & are motivated to compete then am sure you can add to your collection with a fine TR capable rifle, clubs & network have leads to people selling them at better than dealers prices & you can progress from there.

You would learn more in a season of competition in a county class club than in a recreational one & if it floats your boat then lap it up & you can be in the county team inside a year. If not then you will have a fine rifle with great zeros so you can rock up to any range or distance, assess the conditions dial in the setting & be in the black 1st shot. ......

Enjoy see you in a bar at the imperial one day? for the greatest shooting festival in the country.

[Robert303]

I have a Long Lee with the same target sight regulated by Tipping and Son. Like you I have only shot 'Classic' Military rifles after the pistol ban. I did shoot for a while at school but stopped before we got to the serious stuff. Many people put Parker Hale target sights onto their SMLEs and No 4s without really knowing what they are doing.
So I'd head over to http://www.rifleman.org.uk/PH_Service_sights.htm to read up about them.
After that it's about asking and learning. In my club we'd like a couple of our TR guys to demonstate the use of the Vernier Scales, Shooting Jackets, Slings and technique and the use of score books to help ALL shooters improve their scores and to better understand what they are doing and in some cases why they are doing it.

[Laurie]

A very interesting rifle. I'd not heard before about the Aussie / Kiwi cut-down LLE based SR (b) target models. As others have said, although the principles used and basics are as per modern TR, it's not a 'Target Rifle' being from the previous generation of 'Service Rifle' models, in this case the SR(b) sub-class that allowed non-military regulation match sights.

I had a very nice ex SR(b) LLE a very long time ago, one of the first centrefires I owned. It was a BSA long model with beautiful figured wood, a barrel stamped 'special nickel steel' and a folding rearsight similar to that on 'your' example, a standard LLE type rearsight also fitted in the usual place but a protected foresight that assembly didn't match those of any other LLE I'd seen or in any pics in military firearms books. It was years later after I'd long since traded it in against another 'military rifle' that I bought a modern facsimile of a BSA catalogue from sometime around WW1 (not dated) and that I then discovered what it was.

As many Bisley traditionalists didn't like the SMLE and wouldn't have one in the house, it was a non military copy of the 'Territorial rifle', a post SMLE intro conversion of refurbished older LLEs to charger loading and with revised sights issued to TA infantry battalions. BSA made facsimiles of these rifles from new for SR shooters until at least WW1, whether they resumed post 1918, I don't know but I bet someone on this forum does. This had a very nice folding match Vernier rearsight, had also had the optional BSA nickel steel barrel fitted (10s.6d or 52.5p in today's money if I remember correctly) and the 7s 6d optional 'heart of walnut' timber in the copy of the catalogue. It would have been a wealthy person's possession when new with an all-up cost around £5.

I shot it in club TR comps with handloads for a year or two before buying one of the same club's onetime Fulton converted 7.62 No.4 Enfield TR rifles for all of £40 which immediately increased my scores substantially although it was no great shakes competitively (early 80s) against Musgraves and early Swings Although the old BSA SR looked beautiful, it had massive throat erosion having been shot out with a good few thousand Cordite loaded Mk VIIs as issued to SR competitors throughout the competition 303's era. Still a very nice and interesting rifle though - as is the one you're buying.

At a later date I shot a Swedish M1896 in very good condition that had also been built as a SR tool and which had the Soderin match rearsight with considerable success in HBSA Northern branch comps. If the HBSA still runs a vintage target rifle class, that's where you ought to shoot the Aussie Lee assuming the barrel is in good condition.

[Tower75]

Hi, all.

Thanks for the info. Thanks for the pics, Gaz. Makes sense.

No, it's not a Target Rifle, but it is a rather interesting target rifle. This is not intended for a Bisley competition. I know it's not TR legal.

Off to look at jackets at the weekend. Should be interesting.

[Tower75]

Well, I went looking for a shooting jacket this morning and all the local shops near me think that a shooting jacket is an armless, tweed vest you wear to keep shotgun cartridges in. I'm pretty sure none of them knew what a 'rifle' was either, one had a vague idea that a rifle was like a shotgun but useless for hitting clays, an invention of the French and not to be entertained.

So... How am I to try a TR jacket if I can't find one.

[hitchphil]

Fleabay - look up 'target shooting jacket' & see what is about. (poss brands 10X, Rhino Buttstop - old types, then better are Tucker, fultons, monard, schultz, thune, ghemann, anschutz etc)

NSRA shop- LRC Bisley - the Lost Revenue Center
Ye olde Fultons shoppe Bizzles
Edinkillie sports Jockland.
TenpointNine taloring.
Intershoot Northern Ireland.
EMRR - Nr Newark (the only town in England that is a perfect anagram of .........)

Or ask on here in 'wanted' if anybody has one in your size?

But if you find a club that knows TR & what it is doing, then they will have some.

[Tower75]

Thanks, all.

Thanks to Dave 101 for spotting a very cheap one of eBay. It'll get me set up and going before I pop £££ on a decent one.