TO CELEBRATE the 20th anniversary of the Island Practical Shooting Club (IPSC), a series of inter-club marksman competitions were held around the Island.
The IPSC challenged Island-based clubs recently, with Cowes Rifle and Pistol Club hosting the first event in their indoor range — a .22 practical rifle match, which was tied between IPSC and Shanklin, with Cowes in third place.
A UKPSA level one practical shotgun match was then held at the IPSC range in Downend, Arreton. The winners were IPSC, with Shanklin second and Cowes again third.
The final match was hosted by Shanklin Rifle and Pistol Club at their outdoor range, using under-lever carbines based on the old police pistol rules.
IPSC also won the match, with Cowes as the runners up, which meant IPSC were the overall winners after all the staged matches were completed, scoring scoring 769 out of 900.
Over the three weekends, Cowes scored 622 and Shanklin, 473. The Arnold Heal Gun Shop gave weapon cleaning prizes to the winners.
The IPSC was formed by Malcolm Jackson, of Shanklin, with support from the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the United Kingdom Practical Shooting Assoc-iation (UKPSA), despite there being a handgun ban in 1997.
‘Jacko’, as he was best known, sought ex-pistol shooters to start a new club — firing shotguns and rifles instead of handguns.
Now, 20 years on, the club continues to thrive and has enjoyed many successes along the way in local and nation competitions.
The club is currently involved in the IW .22 Standing Rifle League, the UKPSA Shotgun League and UKPSA 100, together with participation in the All-Island Ely Full-Bore Rifle Cup.
The club also boasts a member who shoots for the national pistol team.