, ▁Sir ) ▁Robert ▁Ingl is , ▁who ▁respond ed ▁to ▁Lord ▁Roberts ' ▁call ▁to ▁establish ▁small - ar ms ▁shooting ▁clubs ▁across ▁the ▁land . ▁Lord ▁Roberts , ▁as ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁expedition ary ▁force ▁sent ▁out ▁to ▁put ▁down ▁the ▁Bo er ▁re bell ion , ▁had ▁discovered ▁that ▁the ▁shooting ▁skills ▁of ▁his ▁soldiers ▁left ▁much ▁to ▁be ▁desired . ▁After ▁hand ing ▁over ▁to ▁K itch ener , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Britain ▁determined ▁to ▁do ▁something ▁about ▁it . ▁He ▁wanted ▁British ▁soldiers ▁to ▁be ▁as ▁pract iced ▁with ▁the ▁rif le ▁as ▁their ▁famous ▁for eb ears ▁had ▁been ▁with ▁the ▁long bow . ▁ ▁Ingl is ▁wrote ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁" H ouse ", ▁that ▁is , ▁the ▁Stock ▁Exchange , ▁of ▁which ▁body ▁his ▁firm ▁was ▁a ▁member , ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁November ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 ▁December , ▁capital ▁had ▁been ▁raised , ▁and ▁arrang ements ▁put ▁in ▁place ▁to ▁permit ▁practice ▁by ▁" at ▁least ▁all ▁those ▁M embers ▁who ▁have ▁had ▁no ▁previous ▁knowledge ▁of ▁rif le ▁shooting ", ▁every ▁Monday ▁and ▁Friday , ▁at ▁a ▁range ▁in ▁the ▁Hay market , ▁SW 1 . ▁A ▁similarly - named ▁club ▁had ▁been ▁formed ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁before ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁annual ▁prize ▁meeting ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁Bis ley ▁on ▁ 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁M emb ership ▁already