Queen's Medal for Champion Shots

The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots (in some Commonwealth realms) and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot (in Canada; Médaille de la reine pour tireur d'élite) is a military decoration awarded to the champions of various shooting competitions throughout the Commonwealth realms. This is the only shooting medal that can be worn with uniform.

Design
Designed by Bruce W. Beatty, the Canadian medal takes the form of a 36 mm disc with a raised edge. On the obverse is a crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II circumscribed by the Latin words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA • CANADA (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen • Canada), symbolizing her roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces. The reverse features, rising from a throne, a left-facing, female figure in flame bearing, in her left hand, a horn and, in her right, a laurel wreath. Adjacent is a standing, right-facing, male warrior with left foot resting on the throne dais, supporting on his bent knee a target with three arrows through its centre and holding, in his right hand, a bow and arrow filled quiver. Prior to 2002, the medal was joined to a straight suspender by a single-toe claw. After that date, the medal is suspended from a straight slotted bar with a fleur de lis decoration.

This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 32mm wide ribbon coloured with a central vertical stripe in dark crimson, bordered on both sides with 9mm black stripes with a 3mm beige stripe in the middele of each. The date the award was received is marked on a bar worn on the ribbon; since 2002, the bars have been sown centred onto the ribbon, whereas, before 2002, they were riveted to the medal's suspension. The medal can be won multiple times, each subsequent award indicated by an additional bar.

Eligibility and allocation
In the United Kingdom, three Queen's Medal for Champion Shots are awarded: one to a member of either the Royal Marines or the Royal Navy, one to a person in the British Army, and another to an individual in the Royal Air Force. The Operational Shooting Competition is the British Army's competition that decides the Army recipient of the medal. It is held each year as part of the Joint Service Central Skill-at-Arms Meeting. The medal is also available to a winning member of the Jamaican Defence Force and to one in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and another in the New Zealand Army.

Two Queen's Medals for Champion Shot are awarded annually in Canada, one to a member of the regular Canadian Forces regular force and one to a member of either the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the Canadian Forces Reserve Force. Each must obtain the highest combined scores in stages one and two of the Queen's Medal Competition.

Precedence in each realm
Some orders of precedence are as follows:

History
Queen Victoria authorised the creation of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots on 30 April 1869, intended to be granted to the member of either the British Army or the Royal Navy who demonstrated the best marksmanship. It was formed in silver after attempts at maufacturing it with bronze failed. Sixteen were first cast; however, only 14 were awarded before issuance of the medal ceased in 1883 and was not resurrected until 1923.

By the orders issued by King George V, persons in the militaries of the United Kingdom (those forces stationed in England), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (including Rhodesia), and India could compete for the King's Medal for Champion Shots at the annual central meeting, under battle conditions. The list of countries that awarded the medal grew to 12 by the mid-20th century. This number decreased over the ensuing 30 years, however, as countries such as Rhodesia, Ceylon, Pakistan, and India—which were by then republics—stopped issuing the award. Further, some Commonwealth realms replaced the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots with a new and similar medal, such as Australia's Champion Shots Medal, created in 1988.