U.S. Shooters Triumph At 1908 Olympic Games

by
posted on May 10, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
1908-olympic-games.jpg

Shooting had become a part of the Olympic Games in Athens in May 1906, but neither Great Britain nor the United States had sent teams. The next Olympic Games were held in London in 1908, and the British Olympic Association invited the United States to compete in a series of international rifle and pistol matches. The rifle and pistol matches were held at the storied Bisley Range, while shotgun events were conducted at the Uxendon Shooting School Club.

Using star-gauged Model 1903 rifles and 180-grain bullets, the American team outshot rival teams from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Sweden, Norway, Greece and Denmark at every distance except 600 yards, were they trailed the British by a single point.

That year, the United States won its first gold medal in an Olympic shooting match, with a final score of 2351 to 2497 for the second-place British. Canada won the bronze medal.

The Americans also dominated the Olympic pistol matches, with team members Charles Axtell, Irving Calkins, John Dietz and James Gorman winning gold in the team pistol event.

Perhaps most impressive of all was the silver medal-winning performance of U.S. shooter Kellogg Casey in the 1,000-yard free rifle event. His score of 93 was five points behind British shooter Joshua Millner, who won the gold. Additionally, Casey was a member of the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the team military rifle event.

Lead image of pistol and revolver shooters on the firing line at the 1908 Summer Olympics courtesy of Wikiwand.


See more: Return and Renaissance: U.S. International Rifle Shooting 1948-1966

Latest

1980 Nationals 3
1980 Nationals 3

Champions & Change: 1980 National Matches

New records, historic wins and lasting legacies marked the 1980 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships—a landmark year for American marksmanship

Back-to-Back: Just Days After NRA Triumph, Shue Wins CMP Pistol Title

Jon Shue wins the 2025 CMP National Pistol Championship just three days after capturing his third NRA title in a row

Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference Gears Up for 2025-26 Season

Mount Aloysius returns as reigning champ as Mount Aloysisus, MIT, Norwich, Army, Coast Guard and more ignite the 2025-26 Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference season

New: Silent Steel USA Streamer Suppressor Family

Silent Steel USA launches three baffle less suppressors using Flow IQ gas rotation tech—lower backpressure, easier maintenance and a Finnish engineering pedigree

2025 NRA World Shooting Championship Preview

12 stages, 3 days and a $250K prize purse. The 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship returns to Camp Atterbury Oct. 1-4 to crown the best all-around shooter

Fox Wins 2025 CMP National Rifle Title

James Fox claims the 2025 CMP National Rifle title after a razor-thin battle, beating Army marksmen by just one point in the 2400 Aggregate

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.