Dear Representatives of the Neustadt Towns,

The 48th Neustadt Meeting will take place from June 18–20, 2027, in the Dutch town of Nieuwstadt (part of the municipality of Echt-Susteren).

As part of the Neustadt Meeting, we are very pleased to welcome not only the official delegations but also the shooting clubs from the various Neustadt towns.

After the parade, we would like to offer you the opportunity to participate in a joint shooting festival featuring a shooting competition in the Dutch tradition. Since shooting traditions in the Netherlands differ from those in Germany in some respects, we would like to provide you with the most important information in advance.

Participation
Each shooting club may participate with a team of six shooters. In the Netherlands, shooting is traditionally done in so-called “6-tallen” (teams of six).

Competition Format

• Each team consists of 6 shooters.
• The shooters take turns shooting at the shooting tree.
• The goal is to shoot down as many of the balls attached to the shooting tree as possible.
• The shot-down balls are scored according to the applicable competition rules.
• The competition is supervised by experienced Dutch shooting masters and safety officers.

Weapons Used
In the Netherlands, this competition is shot with a heavy marksman’s rifle (Buks). This differs significantly from the marksman’s rifles commonly used in Germany.

One important difference is that in the Netherlands, shooters use bullets rather than diabolos. Both the ammunition and the firearms used are specifically tailored to the Dutch shooting tradition.

Bringing Your Own Weapons
For legal and organizational reasons, it is not possible to bring or use your own weapons.

There are several reasons for this:

• Dutch gun laws and permits differ from German regulations.
• Special permits are required for the import and use of firearms in the Netherlands.
• The competitions are conducted using firearms approved and inspected by the organizer.
• The Dutch rifles used have a different technical design than the firearms commonly used in Germany.

All firearms required for the competition and the corresponding ammunition are provided by the hosting shooting club.

Safety
Before the competition begins, all participants will receive a brief briefing on:

• the safe handling of firearms,
• the competition rules,
• the shooting procedure,
• the safety regulations at the shooting range.

The instructions of the range masters and range supervisors must be followed at all times.

Exchange and Tradition
Not only shooting clubs but also representatives of the Neustädte may participate in the competition. We look forward to a sporting and convivial exchange among all participants from the various Neustädte.
We hope this special shooting competition will provide you with an interesting insight into the Dutch shooting tradition.

Registration for the 2027 Neustadt Gathering
In the coming weeks, you will receive a link from us to a digital questionnaire. This questionnaire serves as your binding registration for the 2027 Neustadt Gathering.
We would appreciate it if you could enter the required information as soon as possible so that we can plan and prepare for the event effectively.

Best regards,

The Organizing Team for the 2027 Neustadt Gathering