The STS 50m Rifle Championship 2026 was held over the weekend of 20–21 June at the Denwood Target Shooting Centre in Aberdeen. The weekend combined the STS 50m Pistol Championship and the STS 3P Grand Prix to create a fantastic and exceptionally busy weekend of shooting sport.
With freshly cut grass, beautiful blue skies and warm summer breezes, competitors could not have asked for a finer setting than the superb 50m range at Denwood. The outstanding venue and conditions were matched by the quality of the shooting, with strong entry numbers in both the Three Positions (3P) and Prone disciplines producing some truly impressive performances across the weekend.
Saturday – Three Positions Championship
Saturday was dedicated to the 50m Three Positions event, bringing together many of the familiar faces from the Scottish 3P circuit.
In the women's competition, Kirsty Scott demonstrated excellent form throughout the day. Her outstanding qualification score of 574-22x put her firmly in contention, and she carried that momentum into the final to secure the gold medal with an excellent score of 346.8.
Kirsty was pushed all the way by Kirsty Noble, who delivered a superb performance of her own to claim the silver medal with 344.3, ensuring an exciting battle for the title right to the end. The bronze medal went to Lily Driscoll, who performed admirably against an exceptionally strong field of competitors.
The men's final proved equally competitive. Neil Sinclair continued his excellent recent form, producing a composed and consistent performance to take the gold medal with 340.9. Ian Sellar secured the silver medal with 330.2, while Martin Sinclair rounded out the podium, taking bronze with 312.6.
Congratulations to all of the 3P athletes who combined Grand Prix and Championship competition into what was a long and demanding day of shooting.
Sunday – 50m Prone Championship
Sunday saw the focus shift to the ever-popular 50m Prone Championship, attracting a large and highly competitive field.
In the women's competition, Kirsty Noble reversed the previous day's result to take the gold medal with an impressive score of 611.3. Close behind was Kirsty Scott, who added a silver medal to her weekend haul with 610.3, while Sheena Sharp claimed the bronze medal with 606.2.
The men's competition was fiercely contested, with just a single point separating second through sixth positions, highlighting the exceptional standard of shooting throughout the field.
Neil Stirton showed excellent composure and consistency across the day to secure the gold medal with a winning score of 615.1. Martin Sinclair claimed the silver medal with 613.6, narrowly edging out local competitor Callum Rose, who took the bronze medal with 613.5.
Thanks and Recognition
A special thank you must go to Bruce McIntosh, who organised and managed the competition over both days. Running three major events across an entire weekend is no small undertaking, and Bruce delivered a flawless competition from start to finish—a performance worthy of a gold medal in its own right.
Finally, thank you to all the competitors, officials, volunteers and supporters who contributed to such a successful championship. The combination of outstanding weather, excellent facilities and first-class shooting made this one of the highlights of the Scottish target shooting calendar, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Denwood in the future.
Mark Flett