Elgin Miniature Rifle Club name shooting range in honour of ‘overwhelmed’ 83-year-old legend and 39-time club champion Jim Manson
A rifle club has named their shooting range in honour of their 83-year-old reigning club champion - who has won the title an incredible 39 times.
Former Scottish title winner Jim Manson is Elgin Miniature Rifle Club’s only club champion this century, having started his sport in 1953 at the age of 12.
Still club captain, the octogenarian puts his incredible 70+ year association with prone rifle shooting down to keeping fit and being lucky enough to maintain good eyesight.
“I’m very lucky in that respect and it’s maybe because I’ve been doing it for so long that the muscles of the eye are tuned in to having a clear spot in the middle so I can get a clear picture - that is something to be thankful for,” he said.
With EMRC celebrating 50 years at its current Pinefield base - it was formed in 1906 - they decided to honour their greatest champion by creating the ‘Jim Manson Range’.
“I’m just completely overwhelmed by it,” he said. “It just never occurred to me that this might ever be on the cards.
“No-one spoke to me about it and it came as a complete surprise, but a very nice one.”
Originally from the Highland village of Cawdor, Jim represented his local club on the national scene and also starred for the now defunct Bon Accord Rifle Club while he attended college in Aberdeen.
His first major shooting honour arrived in 1958 when he won both the Scottish indoor and outdoor junior titles.
Jim was to receive countless accolades both on the national and international shooting scene.
“For many years we had what is called the Scottish team-of-six championships, and when I was with Bon Accord we won it four times.
“When I finished at college I went back home and the Cawdor club at that time was really strong with four members who had shot at international level, and we won the team-of-six which is quite an achievement for a village like Cawdor.
“We moved through to Elgin in 1978 and just as luck would have it, the Elgin club had strong members at that time who had also shot at international level and again we were successful in winning the team-of-six.
“So I ended up winning it six times in total with three clubs.”
Jim’s greatest achievement in his sport came in 1981 when he won the Scottish indoor title.
He represented Scotland on numerous occasions, including international tournaments in Germany and the Channel Islands.
Along the way, he has almost monopolised the Elgin club championships, with his son and fellow club member Athole having to remind him how many times his name had appeared on the trophy.
He has lost count on how many consecutive club championships he has won but was reminded that he is the only person to lift the silverware in the 21st century.
Currently between the summer and winter seasons, Jim competes in the Moray and Nairn, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire leagues against competitors of all ages from Wick to Stonehaven.
“We use smallbore target rifles, and we shoot over 25 yards which is the same for most indoor ranges.
“We occasionally shoot outdoors, there hasn’t been an outdoor range in Elgin for nearly 30 years but occasionally we go to the likes of Aberdeen where we shoot at 50 metres and 100 yards. That is a different discipline but you are still lying down, prone shooting. You just have to fire many more rounds in the competitions for outdoors.
“I’m usually down twice a week. I go on a Sunday evening and I am usually on duty on a Monday. We open three nights a week and we have a group from the RAF who come in every second Tuesday and use it.”
He said numbers at Elgin Miniature Rifle Club are thriving but new members are always welcome.
“I think we have about 35 but it is changing all the time. It’s not so much about how many members but more about how many are active members. In the summer leagues we had 22 people taking part whereas going back maybe ten years ago we might only have had four in the summer league.
“So there is a different climate at the present time and a lot of people showing interest.
“We will have a guest night in about a fortnight’s time and we are expecting another six people to come to that, who are expressing an interest in the club.
“We get all ages taking part and both male and female. I have competed against lots of women who are competing at the same level as the men and that’s one thing about the sport, there is no differentiation between the two.”
Jim admits he doesn’t encounter many opponents his own age these days.
“Most clubs do have somebody around my age but when I say I am lucky to be able to see properly, that is a very important factor and an awful lot of the chaps who would normally be competing at a good level can’t because they can’t see properly anymore. That is a difficult one.
“You need to have a steady hand as well. I’m lucky to have all that and I’m still here competing.”
