Gallery Rifle News
The latest on the Gallery Rifle scene from the National discipline chairman.
First up, we are currently shooting two Gallery Rifle Centrefire categories; Classic and Standard lever action rifles. SSAA has now approved an Open category where any rifle can be used, depending on laws and range approvals but must have a removable box magazine, not tube mags as in Classic and Standard categories. So for us that means no semi-autos and must still be pistol calibre for the Hill Top range.
From this, the Nationals, to be held in Tasmania in March, will shoot all three categories over three days – one category per day. Each category will shoot the four core matches, WA1500 (150 rounds), Multi Target (24 rounds), Timed and Precision 1 (30 rounds) and 50m precision (30 rounds plus unlimited sighters). That’s 234 shots per rifle, so if you shoot all four matches in all three categories that’s 702 rounds minimum over the three days.
The international Gallery organisation has approved lever release .22LR rifles to be used instead of semi- autos for the various Gallery Smallbore events. This came about after South Africa, who have banned semi-autos applied for an exemption which Australia naturally supported. Also at the 2026 Nationals, those with .22 rifles will be able to have a shot on the practice day leading up to the main shoot. Gallery Rifle Smallbore will not be contested at this event as only three days have been allocated, but after that, all four rifle matches will be contested over four days. If you have a .22 lever action you can use that for Small bore but you’ll only be able to shoot the matches that don’t require a fast reload. We will cater for that at our regular shoots at Hill Top. Smallbore also requires half-size targets which SSAA National are getting printed as we speak. In the mean time we can play on the Centrefire targets. The other thing SSAA has decided is to use the timings for the Centrefire rifle matches in Small bore which allows centrefire and small bore shooters to shoot side by side on the turning targets.
Things can change but the above is current as at 7th November. The SSAA rule book is a little late in keeping current so Google the National Rifle Association of GB for the latest Gallery rule book.
Link to the NRA Gallery handbook: https://nra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/GRP-Handbook-2025.pdf
Suitable rifles are the Patriot Ordnance Factory Tombstone 9mm Luger lever action rifle for Open Centrefire and a CZ515 for Gallery Smallbore.
There are others around such as the Savage .22 lever release. Danger Noodle – the bloke that makes the speed loaders – is making an extended lever for the CZ.
Rod Pascoe.