Shooting

Overview

Shooting is one of the smaller sports at Bishops but remains popular amongst both those with some experience therein and "novices" attempting the sport for the first time.
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Shooting numbers are limited due to the reality of one teacher-supervisor/coach, one eight-man shooting range and ten rifles. Shooting is a summer sport but provision exists outside of Bishops for it to be pursued as a year-round sport for students.

Although very few local schools include shooting as a sport, it is only at Bishops where students have the opportunity to practise on their own grounds. Air rifle shooting is a recognised Olympic sport, so there is every prospect of a determined and talented participant achieving higher provincial and national honours.

Inter-provincial and national competitions are held several times a year, providing opportunities for our students to pit themselves against the best of their peers.

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Vision

Bishops is one of the leading schools in South Africa as far as sport is concerned and our reputation for sporting excellence is world-wide. In keeping with the ethos of our school, we believe that sport plays a vital role in the development of young men. In particular, we believe that participation in a team sport enhances the educational experience. To this end, it is a school rule that all boys must play an official school sport during both summer and winter terms.

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History

Shooting was originally part of Bishops sport and cadet programmes for over a century. However, since the decision by the Minister of Education in April 2003 to terminate .22 rifle shooting in South African schools and withdraw all SANDF rifles from the same, a few Cape Peninsula high schools - including Bishops, SACS, Wynberg Boys High and Voortrekker - moved across to air rifle sports shooting.

This variation of sports shooting was sanctioned within the Minister's April 2003 announcement. Since 2004, air rifle shooting has prospered at Bishops; the 2013 Captain of Shooting, Matthew Brooks, received SA Schools colours for the sport, a fitting culmination to his many years of dedication.

Since 2011, at the end of each term, the "Shottist of the Term" trophy is awarded to the shooting squad member with the highest average. Each year on Founder's Day the College squad faces up in a shooting contest against an OD squad for the "Chippy Robinson Floating Trophy", donated in 2002 by OD Phil Calothi.

Facilities & Coaching

Besides our outdoor shooting range and air rifles, we also have an armoury for rifle storage, sighting scopes, shooting mats, target holders and some tools for maintenance. The rifle used is the AVANTI CZ 200 T, of which we possess ten; this is the rifle standardised for the sport. Individual students who wish to purchase their own rifles must acquire this model only.

The shooting distance between participant and target is considerably reduced from that of .22 schools shooting, namely 10 metres compared with 22.5 metres, while the target circles for air rifle shooting are smaller than those of .22 targets.


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