The Imperial Meeting
The first Imperial Meeting was contested on Wimbledon Common, in south-west London, in 1860 when Queen Victoria fired the first shot and gave a prize of £250 to the best individual marksman. Originally the Meeting was only available to Volunteers (regular and reserve military personnel) using the issued service rifle of the day.
Today the National Rifle Association hold the Imperial Meeting as an open competition with the aim to promote and encourage marksmanship throughout the King’s (or Queen’s) dominions, and has grown to include many different disciplines. The largest entry is for Target Rifle, which dominates the final week of the Meeting and culminates with the final of the King’s Prize.
The King’s Prize remains the premier award for the Meeting’s top shot, with the £250 prize still given to the winner.
Host to the competition is The National Shooting Centre – Bisley, the world renowned ranges complex covering virtually all forms of shooting from air rifle to 1200 yards full-bore shooting. Set in 3000 acres of heathland; Bisley is as unique in character as it is in the variety of ranges it offers.
The atmosphere at Bisley is second to none, with friendships made and renewed on the firing points every year, but the event does not end with the shooting: the famous Bisley clubs take over and, between shoots and at the end of each day, competitors enjoy the Bisley hospitality at its best.
