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Weekly Review 29/11/2009
Posted in Weekly Roundup on Nov 30, 2009
Bathurst Rifle Club 29th November Diggers & G James Cups
Four weeks into the new season and the predicted rout has materialized with scores plummeting and handicaps blowing out to extreme proportions. The new ICFRA targets can take some of the blame, being significantly smaller, but the weather has been abysmal, strong winds, extreme heat, and raised dust being just some of the hurdles shooters have had to overcome.
Early in the month Jan Sibera surprised everyone with a decisive win in the season opening 300-yard shoot. On a day with a brisk, variable left breeze the new targets certainly contributed to the bulk of the dropped shots with magpies and outers very common. Sibera, belying the conditions, held sway over the higher graded shooters with a pair of 49's.
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Weekly Review 31/10/09
Posted in Weekly Roundup on Nov 03, 2009
Bathurst Rifle Club 24th October Gurdon/Pratley Trophies
The 2009 season ended with a whimper rather than a bang, as the hot humid weather, a tricky little breeze and the new, much smaller, international (ICFRA) targets pointed to great challenges in the coming months.
The new targets, which are about to be introduced Australia wide, offer a much greater challenge with all sections dramatically reduced in size. With twenty-seven magpies threes or worse, Saturdays’ results indicate the approaching 2010 season will bring new demands in all shooting grades.
The light easterly breeze appeared quite moderate, but all shooters missed subtle changes in direction, and the directional flags appeared just as confused.
Graeme Bright finished off a fine year of club competition taking out the days’ honours with a 97.07 but he failed to score the first possible on the new target with a last shot inner four. Bright took out four of the five off rifle trophies in 2009 only going down to Steve Williams in the Club Championship.
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Weekly Review 24/10/2009
Posted in Weekly Roundup on Oct 27, 2009
Bathurst Rifle Club 24th October Gurdon/Pratley Trophies
The penultimate trophy competition of the 2009-year was finally concluded after an eight-week interlude for motor racing, and weather conditions on the two days were quite the opposite. The 300-yard shoot in August was cold, wet, windy and miserable but this Saturdays' weather was fine and warm and shot over the 900-yard range in a very difficult breeze.
Wind shifts were rapid and required large windage corrections to stay on the target. It was not uncommon to experience 6-8 point changes, or 1.2 to 1.8 metre deviation in the bullets trajectory.
No one had any mastery over the conditions but Graeme Bright gave a good exhibition of shooting in the trying conditions and Gordon Shepherd matched Bright as each put together 48.03 in the blustery conditions. Dennis Lavelle 46.02 fell into a hole mid shoot with magpie-inner four, and Steve Williams, 46.04,
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2009 Annual Open Prize Meeting 06/09/2009
Posted in Weekly Roundup on Sep 11, 2009
The Bathurst RSL/ Kenny Spring Solicitors 2009 Annual Open Prize Meeting
The close proximity to the NSWRA Queens caused some trepidation as to the numbers who would actually turn out for the local Prize meeting. However despite city shooter drought, the Western, Central Western and Blue mountains clubs were well represented with the cream of those clubs putting on an outstanding exhibition of rifle shooting. The 35-shooter total was very gratifying.
Lithgow's John Baxter won the event after being at the top of the list all day. A hiccup at the last 600-yard range saw Baxter; believing he had blown his chance, pack his rifle away in preparation for the NSW Queens. In the top two all day he was one of only two going into the final range with an unblemished score card. Mark Bunt from Katoomba was the other but a 46.03 at 600 yards dropped him off the board. Stages of 50.08 at both 300 and 500 yards set Baxter up for the win and despite his dropped shot at 600 yards and the fact that Rob Sweegers and Brett Bond both from the Lyndhust club were two of only 3 last range possibles his early scores carried the day.
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Weekly Review 29/08/2009
Posted in Weekly Roundup on Aug 31, 2009
Bathurst Rifle Club 29th August The B Gurdon Cup & A Pratley Shield 300 yards
Saturdays shoot was blown away by the wild winds and intermittent rain to such an extent that the second stage over 500 yards had to be abandoned when a target leg shattered before it was fully raised.
A second 300-yard stage was substituted but many of the competitors decided against completing the shoot opting for just the one stage. The wind coming from over the right shoulder was quite ferocious, and buffeting on the mound made it almost impossible to hold steady. The rain further added to shooters misery.
Gordon Shepherd seemed to be shooting at another range as he put together a miraculous 97.10 to win the Cock of the Walk. No one else came within a bulls roar and John Coghill (88.03) was the only other competitor to break 80. Adam Parkinson did exceptionally well in only his third full bore shoot to score 78.01 winning the B grade COW ahead of Keith Redding on 78.05.
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