Fundraising and reloading update

Last year, we shared with you the growing financial pressures facing our fullbore shooters and our ambition to reduce ammunition costs by developing an in-house reloading capability. Thanks to the remarkable generosity of our alumni community, we are delighted to report that this project has been an overwhelming success and will ensure a much healthier financial situation moving forward within the club.

Your support, whether through recurring donations, one-off contributions, or adding a little extra to your CURA Dinner RSVP, enabled us to fully equip the reloading facility we had only hoped for twelve months ago. We were not only able to acquire the core equipment outlined last year, but also several additional items that have significantly expanded our capabilities.

Today, CURA operates a complete, dual-site reloading setup across Cambridge and Bisley, including:

· Four reloading presses

· A full suite of dies for all stages of precision loading operations

· Trimming and priming units

· Equipment to convert crimped-primer GGG brass for standard primers

· Three high-precision autotricklers with scales

· Washing and drying case prep stations

· Additional tooling that has dramatically improved our output and consistency

This infrastructure has transformed our ammunition programme. We can now produce large quantities of highly competitive Match Rifle ammunition using once-fired GGG brass from the Imperial Meeting, bringing the cost per round down to £1.10, among the lowest we have seen in recent years and well below current TR factory prices. This reduction has already made fullbore shooting more accessible to our student members, supported recruitment into MR, and helped ensure that financial barriers do not prevent talented shooters from progressing. Not to mention, we can now control the loading process and tailor it as we see fit to further increase accuracy over time.

Most importantly, your contributions have created a sustainable, long-term capability. These facilities will continue to support generations of CURA members, preserving both the excellence and the inclusivity of fullbore shooting at Cambridge.

This year, we aim to make even greater use of our new equipment. Our loading weekends are now scheduled, during which we plan to process over 3,000 rounds of match-quality ammunition for the club. Alongside producing our standard CURA rounds, several members who have recently purchased their own Match Rifles will also be undertaking full load development. With access to precision scales, Autotricklers, and our full suite of presses and tooling, they will be able to refine their ammunition through rigorous testing — ensuring that every shooter on the team enters the MR season with the most accurate and competitive loads possible.

On behalf of all our current students, and the many who will follow in the years ahead, thank you. Your generosity has made a tangible and lasting difference, not only in the quality of the equipment we now have, but in the opportunities it creates for young shooters finding their place in the sport. You have helped remove financial barriers, supported the development of new talent, and strengthened a community that thrives on shared experience and tradition. The impact of your support extends far beyond the hardware itself; it has enabled the club to grow with confidence, build sustainability for the future, and ensure that the next generation of CURA members can enjoy the same spirit, camaraderie, and excellence that you once experienced.