Guernsey made its first Kolapore appearance at Wimbledon in 1882, competing against teams from Great Britain, Canada, and Jersey. In those early years, the island quickly established itself as a competitive shooting nation, narrowly losing the 1891 match (by this time being shot at Bisley) having led after 500 yards.

Indeed, it was a Guernseyman, JA Smith, who registered the first ever Kolapore “possible”, scoring 35 at 500 yards in that year’s match. (Incidentally, Mike Martel registered the first ever 149 ex 150 in the match, scoring 149.20v in 1973, at a time when the record score was Zambian shooter OJ Henry’s 150 in 1970, followed by a handful of 148s.)

Seven years later, in 1898, the Guernsey VIII yet again found itself leading the match after 500 yards. On this occasion, however, the team, captained by Lt Col Josiah Leale, held its nerve, beating Australia, Great Britain, Canada, India, and Jersey to win the Kolapore.

Guernsey came close again in 1937, finishing as runners-up to Australia by eight points—just one point per firer—and this time with the best 600 yards score of any team. Australia, which was making its first appearance in the match for nine years, recognised its win over the island and the unfortunate nature by which it triumphed in a year where Guernsey had beaten Great Britain, by gifting the club a specially made silver cup, together with eight small replicas for each member of the team.

Australia’s Commandant, Col Sir Charles Merrett, wrote a letter to Guernsey’s captain, Lt Col RW Randall, expressing his hope that “the emblem on the cup [depicting Australia] may serve to remind you of the goodwill-offering from the largest island in the Empire to one of the smallest”, and that “though the oceans may divide us, we surely are British still throughout the wide, wide world.” Since 1952, the cup has been awarded to the highest-scoring Guernseyman in the Grand Aggregate competition contested at the island’s annual summer prize meeting (see Australia).

Kolapore victory was tasted in the twentieth century by Keith Cunningham, who top scored for the victorious Great Britain team in 1959. Later that year, he won the Guernsey Grand Aggregate.

As of 2024, Guernsey has entered the Kolapore 129 times, winning it once, in 1898. The island did not enter the Kolapore in 1919, 1921, and 1946, and the match was not contested from 1915 through 1918 and 1940 through 1946, due to the outbreak of war, nor in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The island’s highest score in the match is 1184.120v ex 1200.240v, achieved in 2016 with an encouragingly young team on the smaller post-2015 International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Association (ICFRA) specification targets.

As of 2024, 208 individuals have represented Guernsey in the Kolapore. Mike Martel has the most individual appearances in the match for any nation (56, for Guernsey), while Don Bisset is tied with Jersey’s Cliff Mallett for the most consecutive appearances for any nation (37, for Guernsey), made between 1914 and 1963 (excluding years in which Guernsey did not enter).

Adam Jory holds the highest individual score for Guernsey, achieving a score of 150.25v ex 150.30v in 2012, while Nick Mace holds the highest score on ICFRA targets of 150.15v, made in 2016.