Bruce Tutty

Category: Local Legend
Sport: Pistol Shooting
Year Inducted: 2003

Bruce Tutty


"One of the great things aboutpistol shooting is that you can participate virtually until you drop!" Bruce Tutty, 2016

Born at The Rock, Brucetook up Pistol Shooting in 1965 when the Wagga Wagga City Pistol Club was formed.  Bruce played footy for a year, but got 'thumped pretty well' and decided that it wasn't the sport for him!

His interest in shooting came about in his teenage years, when he and his cousin Colin Tutty regularly went fox shooting with shot guns. Colin had an accident on a horse and lost the sight in one eye, and ended up joining the Sydney Pistol Club, as he discovered that this was a spor the could compete in with one eye. Colin turned up for fox shooting one day with a pistol to show Bruce.  Colin was a great shot, and it took Bruce a while to beat his cousin at the sport.

By 1969 Bruce had become a N.S.W. State Representative at the National Championships, and in 1974, he won his first NSW State Championship.

In 1980 Bruce becameAustralian Champion in the 50 Metre Black Powder event – in which pistols from the 1860s (cap and ball revolvers) were used.  Winning the Australian Championships in 1980 was his career highlight, and Bruce has been placed in the Australian Championships on six occasions since.  In 2016 Bruce is still the State Champion in the Black Powder event of 'modern single shot'(using old ammunition in a modern pistol).

Bruce has been a committee member of the Wagga Wagga City Pistol Club for 40 years.  He has also served for 18 years on the State executive for Pistol Shooting and in 2016 he is Vice President of the Wagga Wagga City Pistol Club.  He was Secretary for 27 years straight, then Club Captain for ten years until he became Vice President in around 2006. Since 1971 Bruce has been the Organising Secretary for 17 State Championships and 3 National Championships and has represented N.S.W. at 32 Australian National Championships, which is a record in Pistol Shooting.

Bruce doesn't follow any pre-match rituals, but he did build his own timber grip on a wood lathe, which is designed to strap to his wrist. A pistol shooter that he admired was Norm Harrison from Narrandera.  Norm was an Olympic and Commonwealth Games representative.  Bruce still fondly remembers the one time he beat Norm, but guesses that Norm wouldn't!

In May 2016 the Wagga Pistol Club hosted its annual open shoot with around 60 competitors.