70 Years of the Rifle Club
Established in 1956, the Rifle Club celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026, marking seven decades of sporting excellence and a proud tradition of developing some of the finest target shooters in university sport.
Notable Achievements
Across 70 years of success, the club's legacy is reflected in the achievements of its members:
- Winning the British and Scottish University Championships on numerous occasions
- Seven alumni being inducted into the University's Sports Hall of Fame
- Former club members have gone on to become Olympians, world champions and Commonwealth medallists.
- Collectively, generations of Edinburgh shooters have set more than 100 British records
Today, the club continues to thrive from its home at the Pleasance Range, with a membership of around 120 members. Renowned for introducing newcomers to target shooting and developing talented novice athletes, the club remains one of the largest and most active shooting clubs in the UK.
Alongside its competitive success, members have recently undertaken work to preserve and document the club's rich history, safeguarding records and stories that span more than seven decades.
"Having started shooting with the club 4 years ago, it has drawn me into the sport in a way nowhere else could. Edinburgh University Rifle Club produces some of the best novice shooters in the country, with a memebrship which continues to strengthen, and fullbore and air rifle/pistol disciplines which continues to rebuild post-Covid. What makes the club special is its ability to bring new people into our sport like no other can; our ties to the University and Sports Union have maintained us as one of the largest target shooting clubs in the country".
-Neil Sinclair (Club Member 2024-present)
"The Rifle Club was incredibly special to me as I made lifelong friendships there (and met my husband). However, it also holds an incredibly special place as the start of my high-performance career in target rifle shooting. During my time as a student, I was surrounded by exceptionally good shooters who pushed us all to be the best we could be. And this lef me onto a shooting career after university that took me around the world, with a few successes on that journey".
-Susan Jackson (Club Member 1991-95)
Photograph of the Rifle Club's team in 1964-65