The Jersey Rifle Association (“JRA”) was formed on 20 July 1861 under the Presidency of Colonel Le Couteur. The object of the Jersey National Rifle Association, as it was called, was “to promote emulation in the use of the rifle”.

In 1887 the Inter-Insular between Jersey and Guernsey was fired in Jersey and resulted in a win for Guernsey by 699 points to 671. The States of Jersey gave the JRA an annual grant of £100. In 1894 the Annual Prize Meeting was modeled on Bisley rules.

Shooting was suspended for the period of the First World War and resumed in 1923, mainly at Les Landes. During that year the JRA renewed its affiliation with the National Rifle Association (“NRA”) and in 1935 the first NRA team visited the Island.

All Annual Prize Meetings during the period from 1923 to 1939 were held on the excellent range at Les Landes until war once again intervened and activities were abandoned until 1946. Les Landes having been left in disarray by the occupying forces, shooting resumed at Crabbé with rifles and ammunition obtained from the NRA. In 1946 a team of 16 members shot in the Imperial Meeting at Bisley, the NRA recommences visits and Inter-Insular matches resumed the following year.

In 1966 Jersey competed in the first fullbore shooting event to be held in the Commonwealth Games and have had representation in each subsequent Games. In 1975 Jersey played host to the Commonwealth Shooting Federation (European Division) Championships.

With the cooperation of the States of Jersey Public Works Committee and the help of many friends the Les Landes 900 and 1,000 yard ranges were renovated and brought into use. Since the reinstatement of Les Landes, Jersey long range shooting has gone from strength to strength, which no doubt contributed to Jersey’s first ever gold medal win in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990.

Jersey has won the long range Junior Mackinnon twice and then Jersey and Guernsey joined forces to form a Channel Island team to compete in the senior Mackinnon, in which scores and positions have steadily improved. In recent years, with the JRA having so many members attending the Imperial Meeting at Bisley, they now compete as an individual island in a team of twelve.

Although the roots of the JRA are firmly based in the Royal Jersey Militia, the military aspect has declined and the character has changed greatly since the last war and there has been the demise of the .303 calibre which was changed in 1970 to the new calibre, .308 (7.62mm).

The standard of shooting has never been higher than in recent years. At Bisley, in team shooting, the JRA has won the Overseas Trophy on no less than four occasions, the Dominion and the coveted Challenge Vases presented in 1871 by the Rajah of Kolapore for the short range international team match. Jersey has won this trophy on two occasions, in 1984 and 1995 and Jersey riflemen are regularly in the Queen’s Hundred final, top fifty in the Grand Aggregate, St George’s final and win many individual major trophies (See Honours Boards section).

In 1981, the JRA Council and its members decided to replace the old tin shed which was used as a clubhouse with a new one. Mr Percy Whitaker and Mr Ken Webb took on the construction of the new clubhouse with the builder Mr Dave Lister (a club member). Through their efforts and a great deal of help from club members and friends, the clubhouse was finished in April 1982 opened by His Excellency, The Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.

The clubhouse was named The Whitaker Arms, which provides excellent facilities for its members, visiting teams and competitors from all over the world, who seem to grow in number every year for our Annual Prize Meeting in August and over the Spring Bank holiday in May.

In 1988/89, the range at Crabbé was declared unsafe by range safety officers from England. The reason : the angle of the firing points was in an upward direction. All army units, the CCF (Combined Cadet Force) from Victoria College and the police could not use the range. The JRA was unaffected as they are not governed by the British Army.

The States of Jersey Defence Committee (now Home Affairs) instructed The States of Jersey Public Works to rebuild Crabbé at a cost of £250,000. After constructing the 600 yard firing point which collapsed twice into the valley and on to the road, it was then decided to move the whole range 30 metres towards the sea. The 600 yard firing point is now on the north side of the road. The JRA installed new counter-lever target frames at a cost of £10,000.

Crabbé is now one of the finest, up to date 600 yard ranges anywhere. It is gratifying to know that the Island authorities actively take pride in and support one of Jersey’s oldest and most successful associations and therefore help to promote and maintain part of its heritage – the art of marksmanship.