‘Miniature’ rifles have a small bore, typically .177 or .22 inches (4.5 or 5.6 mm), firing cartridges or pellets. A popular make was BSA (Birmingham Small Arms).

Indoor competitions were held at the Buccleuch Hall and the Eskdale Temperance Hotel, as well as at a range next to Erkinholme house. There was also an outdoor range to the north of the town.

Miniature rifle shooting was popularised by Field Marshal Lord Frederick Roberts after the Second Boer War, to improve the general standard of shooting in the UK. Britain had suffered several defeats during the war, due in part to the Afrikaners’ better marksmanship.