In 1487, the first entry about a shooting club in the town was recorded in the books. Unfortunately, it is not clear how long the rifle association has actually existed. But it is a fact that around 1500 there were already three associations, namely the guilds of the Georgs, Jodokus and Nikolausschützen. The latter were more concerned with festivities, while the others were responsible for guarding and maintaining order. In 1587, for example, the marksmen also helped the Kirchhellen farmers, whose fields and livestock had been plundered by fiends. In return, the marksmen received a whole sheep every seven years.

1804 was probably one of the darkest years for the Dorsten shooting society, for Duke von Arenberg ordered the dissolution of the shooting society and banned the ceremonial bird shooting. It was not until 22 years later that the shooting society was reorganised under Mayor Luck and a shooting festival was held again under the motto "peace, harmony, order".

Hard years came again during the Nazi dictatorship for the marksmen. In order to escape dissolution, the marksmen had to devote themselves more than ever to shooting sports. Shooting festivals were banned and it was not until 1949 that the first festival took place again. In 1976, the Shooters' Working Group was formed, in which members from all 13 clubs worked on projects and in this context determined the first town Shooting King (Shooting Emperor) in 1976.

	1487	In the account of the Vestische Rentmeisters zu Dorsten from 1488, the following is noted as expenditure for the town marksmen: "Item do se oren papegoyen schotten gegeven 4 mark".
Dorsten marksmen's coat of arms, early 16th century.	um 1500	In addition to the Stadtschützen, Dorsten also has the guilds of the Georgs, Jodokus and Nikolausschützen. While the latter mainly appear at festivities, the town marksmen also perform guard and order duties.
In England, Mary Stuart is executed.	1587	Dorsten marksmen come to the aid of Kirchhellen farmers and drive out the marauding hordes of the renegade Archbishop of Cologne Gebhard Il. In return for their neighbourly help, the Kirchhelleners promise to give the Dorsten marksmen a sheep every seven years for their bird shooting.
	1609	Matthias von Westerholt, Lord of Lembeck, issues a "Schützenordnung" (Rules of the Marksmen) to regulate the course of the marksmen's festivals in the "Herrlichkeit Lembeck" after the war events of the past.
	1804
Ohm entdeckt das nach ihm benannte Gesetz (U=IxR). Thron der Altstadt­schützen, 1879	1826
Fahnen­­offiziere	ab 1933
	1949
Die Bundes­republik tritt dem Europarat bei.	1951
Schützen­könig	1976
	2001