News
Weekly Review 06/11/2010
Posted on Nov 07, 2010
After an inner four sighter, Williams pounded the centre bulls-eye throughout his two stages to record a double possible 100.10. In recording the double (his third in the last four shoots) Williams reduced his progressive handicap to zero the second time in the last 6 months he has achieved that feat.
Graeme Bright couldn’t quite match Williams but with the addition of a new front sight his scores are growing as his groups shrink. With a pair of 48’s with 6 centres Bright easily accounted for the rest of the competition. John Coghill made a minor fist of it coming home with a good 48.05 to add to his 46.01 and finished the day in third place.
Adam Parkinson continued his late 2010 form and won B grade with two consistent stages of 46.03 and 47.03 in the process shooting above his handicap and starting the year with a perfect 100%.
Dennis Lavelle with 91.04 and Gordon Shepherd 90.06 didn’t fair as well with Shepherd shooting two magpies in his second stage 46.03 and Lavelle jagging one on his forth last shot. Angus Edwards waiting on a new set of shooting glasses battled blurred vision but showed definite improvement on the day as Jason Bemrose emerged from under the tutorage of Bright to go it alone. Bemrose started well in both stages but dropped away as the conditions beat his inexperience. It was a good effort first up.
F class looks like being a very tight affair this year and Club Champion Jeff Eppleston will know he has been in a contest if he is able to keep his as the only name on the F class Club Champion Cup. Eppleston, 115.5, was just able to hold out Grahame Willis, 112.4, with Geoff Willis, 107.4, coming in third after a disastrous first stage 51.2 (wind the sight the right way Geoff!)
Charlie New, a student at St. Stanislaus’ College acquitted himself very well on debut and was not far behind his much older and more experienced opponents. With a pair of 51’s with 4 super V’s, New showed great composure.
The Diggers & G James cups continue on 20th November after a weeks break for the Drive Bathurst motor event.
Scores:
S Williams 100.10 (0) 100
A Parkinson 93.06 (8) 100
GP Willis 112.4 (9) 100
J Eppleston 115.5 (4 ½) 99 ½
D Lavelle 91.04 (8 ¼) 99 ¼
G Bright 96.06 (2 ¾) 98 ¾
J Coghill 94.06 (4) 98
GS Willis 107.4 (9) 97 ½
G Shepherd 90.06 (7 ¼) 97 ¼
J Bemrose 86.03 (8 ¼) 94 ¼
A Edwards 87.04 (5 ¼) 92 ¼
C New 102.4
...Read More-->
Weekly Review 30/10/2010
Posted on Oct 31, 2010
For those who didn’t travel the lack of practice shone out like a beacon even to the point of leaving the bolt at home or forgetting to fit the front sight. The scores were indicative of a group of novices.
This being the last shoot in the 2010 calendar nine trophies were up for grabs many of them long term competitions stretching over the full year. Whilst being critical of the scores it is fair to state that the breeze was from an uncommon direction and changed very quickly and sometimes quite radically.
Steve Williams and Graeme Bright who did the Queens tour faired best but even they were brought undone on the odd occasion. Williams took out the Cock of the Walk (COW) honours with a 97.08 and Bright who stumbled in the first stage scrambled a 94.08.
Gordon Shepherd (the bolt culprit) got out of sync with the wind during both his stages and strung together banks of inners to finish with 93.06. Adam Parkinson started poorly and finished well to take the B grade COW but John Coghill (the sight culprit), Dennis Lavelle and Ron Gibson never really came to grips with the conditions.
The F class scores were nothing to write home about either despite Jeff Eppleston and Geoff Willis finishing one/two in the F class section at Eugowra earlier in the month; more practice on the home range a definite requirement. The Sydney Queens champs Geoff Willis and brother Grahame fought out the day Geoff winning by two shots 109.4 to 107.3
Two long lost members returned, Angus Edwards not shooting regularly since 2003 and Andrew Trevillion a sparse contributor to the numbers since returning permanently to Bathurst, shook out the cobwebs and “got rid of†some old ammunition. They both made giant strides as the day progressed, Edwards in full bore and Trevillion in F class.
With the season completed, the three long term trophies went to Bright, picking up the Gurdon Motors Shield for best off rifle over the year, Geoff Willis, taking the Alan Pratley Cup for best three handicap shoots at each range, and Shepherd, fittingly, the Treasurers trophy. The W & J Brown Consolation Trophy went to first year member Grahame Willis.
The new season starts next week at 300 yards being the first of 5 ranges of the Diggers and G James Cups
Scores:
G S Willis 109.4 (14 ½) 100
G Shepherd 93.06 (8 ¼) 100
J Eppleston 105.1 (12 ¼) 98
G P Willis 107.3 (10 ¼) 97 ¾
S Williams 97.08 (1/2) 97 ½
A Parkinson 88.04 (9) 97
G Bright 94.08 (2 ¾) 96 ¾
R Gibson 86.03 (10 ½) 96 ½
D Lavelle 86.04 (8 ½) 94 ½
J Coghill 87.04 (7) 94
A Trevillion 88.1 (12 ½) 83 ¾
A Edwards 80.01 (3 ½) 83 ½
...Read More-->
Event Review 23/09/2010
Posted on Sep 24, 2010
The pair, who regularly jostle for the honours at club meets, brought home an impressive collection of Badges, Trophies and Medallions after sterling performances in the F-class Standard, B-grade division.
The weather was inclement to start the event and gradually fined up, but the wind, which rarely abated, was from a very difficult quarter, slipping over the right shoulder of shooters with sudden drop-offs and quick angle changes.
Grahame started the stronger of the two picking up gold medallions at 300 metres, 600 metres and the day 2 aggregate, with bronze medals for the Day 1 aggregate and 700 metres culminating with a 3rd badge in the J G McIntosh two day lead up event.
Geoff took silver at 700 metres, bronze at 300 metres, 500 metres and 600 metres adding up to a 4th placed badge in the McIntosh.
The Queens saw a slight turnaround of fortunes as Geoff Willis collected his first possible at any range, anywhere, a 60.3 at 300 metres. The possible seemed to inspire him as he picked up a silver medal for the day 1 aggregate and a bronze at 800 metres to hold the lead at the and of day 2. A steady day 3 where he finished 5th was all that was needed to grab the top badge and a place in Bathurst Rifle Club history as the Clubs first F-class Queens winner.
Grahame was off the pace for the first 4 ranges of the Queens but hit back with a silver medal at 700 metres and a gold at the final 800-metre range. Despite regaining his early touch just two ranges in a week of shooting saw him one place off a Queens badge.
Geoff won a 3rd badge, and Grahame a 4th badge, in the Grand Aggregate of McIntosh and Queens as the brothers picked up 14 medallions, 5 badges and a trophy from a week of “hard yakkaâ€.
Three other BRC members attended, shooting in target rifle A-grade, and F-class Standard, A grade. Steve Williams added to his tally of Queens badges with a 25th badge but Graeme Bright, although steadily regaining positions on the leader board, was effectively out of contention after day one left him in 75th place. Bright finished 45th just 4 points off a badge.
Jeff Eppleston the Bathurst Rifle Club F-class champion did not have a good week although he did win a gold medal at the day two, 800-metre range. Eppleston finished in 11th position but considering his trials and tribulations concerning scopes and barrels leading up to the Queens, he shouldn’t be too disappointed.
The Bathurst Rifle Club remains in recess until the 23/24 October running of the Bathurst RSL/Kenny Spring Solicitors Annual Open Prize Meeting.
...Read More-->
Weekly Review 28/08/2010
Posted on Aug 29, 2010
Of the locals, Graeme Bright and Gordon Shepherd both attacked the centre bulls eye from the start but slipped up with two inner fours in each of their stages. The days Cock of the Walk became a titanic struggle between the two as the lead changed after each shot. With a fourth inner, three shots from the end, Shepherds’ chances seemed doomed but a two centre finish, gave him the win on count back, both shooters finishing on 96.11. Brights’ loss was even more galling as he shot 9 super V’s to Shepherds’ one, the Super V however only counting in F class scoring.
John Coghill got a break on the field, scoring the only possible in the first stage, by just managing to hold a very large group inside the bulls eye ring. However a sling malfunction, which he failed to notice, led to a blow out in his group size and a poor 45.03, second stage - yet another missed opportunity.
Dennis Lavelle (who has been swapping between F class and full bore) and Tim Halloran, are both experiencing form fluctuations and their efforts were disappointing.
In F class Graham Willis continues to show the way although he was not happy with what was best described as a less than average shoot. Relatively large groups and a last shot inner four produced a moderate 107.2 but lack of real competition saw him take the F Class COW by a big margin.
Jan Sibera, a convert to F class, and Brodie Samuel battling with an unsuitable rifle, made a noise and smelled the gunpowder, but were not in the race for the day’s honours.
One who has fallen from grace is F Class Champion Jeff Eppleston whose demise seems to coincide with a change of equipment. The new telescope (replacing the one that fell apart at the Lithgow Champion of Champions shoot), and attachment rail, will need to undergo a total overall after two weeks of poor scores.
The B Gurdon Cup and A Pratley Shield conclude next week ahead of a seven-week layoff for motor racing.
SCORES:
G Shepherd 96.11 (5 ¼) 100
J Coghill 95.04 (4 ¼) 99 ¼
G Bright 96.11 (2 ¾) 98 ¾
D Lavelle 91.01 (6 ¾) 97 ¾
G P Willis 107.2 (8 ¾) 96 ½
J Eppleston 100.1 (6 ¼) 88 ½
T Halloran 68.01 (14) 82
B Samuel 66 (20) 71 ½
J Sibera 89/120
D Brown 99.08
...Read More-->
Weekly Review 21/08/2010
Posted on Aug 22, 2010
Steve Williams fresh from an unsuccessful, albeit unlucky, trip to the QRA Queens Prize Meeting in Brisbane didn’t have any trouble with the local conditions. After being almost washed and blown off the mounds at the Belmont range Williams took the “Bathurst breezes†in his stride as he attacked the centre bulls eye for a double possible 100.11. This was Williams’ thirteenth COW in just twenty shoots at the Bathurst range this year.
Barring a couple of good stages the rest of the field was not so comfortable. Adam Parkinson secured the B grade COW trophy with his 14th win in the last 17 shoots. A steady 48.02 followed by 46.01 was sufficient to cement the win.
Jason Bemrose, in only his fourth full bore shoot, was hot on the tail of Parkinson and almost pulled off an upset win. After a 46.02 first stage Bemrose finished with a string of bulls and centres to fall one shot short of his first ever triumph.
Graeme Bright had a disappointing day with a pair of 47’s and John Coghill despite a late, morale boosting 49.03, blew his chances early with a 44.02 first stage.
Out of town visitor Simon Wallace led the F class aspirants out with a 58/60 but was challenged by Graham Willis who matched his score. Despite dropping 4 points in his second stage Wallace held on to win the COW from Willis who stumbled with a couple of inner fours in his 53.1.
Jeff Eppleston has been out of sorts in his travels, with disappointing results at recent bench rest competitions, and despite a change of rifles, his effort today was well below his F class Champion status.
Dennis Lavelle and Jan Sibera donned the scopes and took up the rests with encouraging results. After tentative first stages both shooters tightened up considerably and cracked the 50, with a super V or two. The F class discipline has been gaining popularity throughout the full-bore movement with attendances at Open Prize meetings growing rapidly.
The split range, Gurdon Cup and Pratley Shield, continues next week over 6/700 yards.
SCORES:
S Williams 100.11 (1/4) 100
J Bemrose 46.06 (8 ½) 100
S Wallace 114 (7 ¼) 100
G P Willis 111.6 (7 ½) 98 ¾
A Parkinson 94.03 (4 ¼) 98 ½
J Coghill 93.05 (4 ½) 97 ½
G Bright 94.06 (3) 97
J Eppleston 108.3 (5 ¼) 94 ½
D Lavelle 101.3
J Sibera 96.1
...Read More-->