News

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 15th March 2014 W Cutler Cup 600yards[/b]

 Local competition for the W Cutler Cup concluded at the 600 yard mound on a day of few highlights. A heavy down pour mid afternoon sent shooters scurrying but the mild conditions either side of the rain afforded shooters the opportunity to improve on previous Championship scores attained under much more difficult conditions.

The first stage started in sunlight but progressively darkened as the rear fishtail wind turned into a light north westerly breeze which should not have held any fears for shooters. Scores were not indicative of the mild conditions with points dropped by all, on a regular basis.

Steve Williams with a 48.02 was best, Gordon Shepherd and Ron Gibson with 47’s, followed, whilst John Coghill shot 46.02 and Graeme Bright a disappointing 44.01. Grahame Willis led the F Class contingent with a 57.3, from Greg Emms with 57.0.  Bruce Rowlands was next best with 56.2, whilst Geoff Willis 56.2, and Jeff Eppleston 54.1, tailed the field.

The second stage produced better scores with Bright and Eppleston attaining possibles in their respective grades. Brights’ 50.03 was in marked contrast to his first stage as was Epplestons’ 60.6 their last stage heroics not enough to get them to the line.

The Cocks of the Walk however went to the more consistent shooters with Williams taking A grade with 97.09, Gibson B grade with 95.02, and Grahame Willis F class with 115.6.

Both Willis and Gibson have been most consistent in recent weeks and their tallies in the Cocks of the Walk competition sees both leading their grades by a good margin.

 Greg Doyle tried F Class for the first time and performed very well with scores of 51.1 and 50.02.

  The W Cutler Cup went to the form shooter of the month, Gibson, who finished with the maximum 300/300 handicap score two points ahead of Coghill on 298.

The K Redding 700 yard Trophy is scheduled for next Saturday

Scores: R Gibson TRB 95.02 (5 ½) 100 S Williams TRA 97.09 (2) 99 J Coghill TRB92.05 (6 ¾) 98 ¾ J Eppleston FSA 114.7 (3 ½) 98 G Shepherd TRA 94.03 (3 ¾) 97 ¾ G Bright TRA 94.04 (3 ½) 97 ½ G P Willis FSA 115.6 (2) 97 ½ G S Willis FSA 111.6 (2) 94 ½ G Emms Lyndhurst FSA 112.2 B Rowlands Lyndhurst FSA 111.5 G Doyle FSB 101.3

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 8th March 2014 W Cutler Cup 500yards[/b]

 Saturdays shoot was a complete contrast to last week when the rain bucketed down. This week saw a fine sunny day, if not a little muggy, with a whisper of left breeze and a mirage which never really threatened to cause problems.

The day belonged to Gordon Shepherd who has struck a rare patch of form. Always in the top bracket and a regular attendee at Queens Prize meetings Shepherd decided to curtail his Queens appearances some years ago and just shoot for fun.

The two-time Club Champion, 1983 and 1991, has turned the clock back with some vintage performances in recent weeks. Saturdays result was his seventh Cock of the Walk win of the season and a continuation of this form will see him challenging for the 2014 Championship.

A first stage topping 49.02, followed by a 50.02 possible, sealed the win before other competitors had a chance to shoot their second stages. Graeme Bright had the days’ best stage, a 50.06, but a poor first stage 47.02 put him behind the eight ball whilst Steve Williams’ first stage 48.03 left him with an impossible task despite his 50.04 second stage.

Ron Gibson is another who has struck form, taking out his eighth B-grade COW this year.  Consistency is the trademark of his form revival; his pair of 48.03’s tipping out the 47.03’s scored by John Coghill.

Darren Crimston is back after a bad arm injury and is sporting his own Musgrave actioned rifle. He is awaiting the arrival of a new shooting coat and faces the task of familiarizing himself with the new gear.

Jeff Eppleston back from the Australian F-class teams Competition in Tasmania seemed to be suffering the effect of the sea air as he fumbled his way through a couple of uncharacteristic stages. Grahame Willis gave no mercy as he topped a first stage 58.3 with a strong possible 60.3 to take the F-class COW. Jake Miles had trouble with the .223 shells ejecting from the chamber and had to change over to the club .308 rifle with better results.

The Australian F-class Teams Championship saw the NSW team fall back after leading at the short ranges on day one. The Championship was eventually won by Victoria with 1099 from North Queensland, 1098 with NSW third on 1094.

The W Cutler Cup concludes next week at 600 yards.   

Scores: G P Willis FSA 118.6 (3 ¼) 100 G Shepherd TRA 99.04 (1 ½) 100 R Gibson TRB 96.06 (5) 100 J Coghill TRB 94.06(5 ¼) 99 ¼ S Williams TRA 98.07 (1) 99 G Bright TRA 97.08 (2) 99 J Eppleston FSA 114.5 (4 ½) 98 ¾ J Miles FSB 90.0 (19 ½) 91 ¼ D Crimston TRB 89.03

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 1st March 2014 W Cutler Cup 300yards[/b]

   A full day’s rain did little to dampen the enthusiasm of a small band of intrepid shooters who decided to go ahead with the first stage of the W Cutler Cup. The fact that the Club’s F-class shooters were all away at the Australian F-class Teams Championship in Tasmania softened the local competition but the small attendance of target rifle shooters was able to complete the days shoot under the shelter of a hastily erected gazebo.

Constant rain, at times quite steady, caused havoc as the eagle eye lens in the front sight of most rifles became water logged or heavily misted up. A cascade of water off the gazebo roof further diminished shooters vision. The weather, rain aside, was very quiet with just the hint of left breeze. 

Gordon Shepherd was the standout shooter in the first stage with a 48.04 but was strongly challenged by Steve Williams with 48.03. Shepherd at one stage required assistance in toweling off his front sight after losing vision but the dry only lasted for 3 shots and the water returned to exact revenge in the form of a last shot inner four.

John Coghill 45.03, Ron Gibson 45.02 and Graeme Bright 44.01 all suffered to some extent from the water hazards and the mist, which accompanied the rain, adding to the visibility problems.

The second stage proved more productive with the rain lightening off and the mist clearing. Bright changed the configuration of his sling and although lamenting the uncomfortable position, shot well, despite losing his last shot to an inner four for a 49.03. Shepherd repeated his first stage 48.03 down to the last shot inner four which is fast becoming a trademark occurrence. 

Williams left the Cock of the Walk to Shepherd, dropping three points for a 47.05 as the other shooters were shut out of the COW challenge. Coghill in a complete turnaround of his recent performances shot the best stage of the day a 49.05 to win the B grade whilst Gibson was unable to continue his recent winning streak shooting a moderate 47.03

The Australian F-class Team Championships commence in Tasmania on Monday, with Bathurst shooters Jeff Eppleston and Geoff Willis accompanied by Perthville shooter Brett Bond representing team NSW. The W Cutler continues next week at 500 yards           

Scores:
R Gibson TRB 92.05 (9 ¼) 100 G Shepherd TRA 96.08 (4 ½) 100 J Coghill TRB 94.08 (6) 100 S Williams TRA 95.08 (1 ¾) 96 ¾ G Bright TRA 93.04 (2) 95

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 22nd February 2014 J Wilde Memorial Trophy & K Redding 800/900 yard Trophy[/b]

The fluky breezes and strong mirage produced some quirky scores as shooters battled to understand the nature of the conditions. A predominantly left breeze combined with a mirage which swapped sides constantly produced a plethora of inner fours, magpie threes and the occasional outer two, but also produced a couple of high super V and centre bulls eye counts.

          Graeme Bright was one who never got on top of the conditions but produced a better than 50 percent centre count. Geoff Willis dropped three points but shot 6 super V’s in his first stage, before steadying with a 59.4 second stage, his only blemish a bull’s eye on his last shot. In the end it was consistency and quality shooting which won the day for Steve Williams with a final stage 50.03 possible and Geoff Willis’s final stage snaffled the F class Cock of the Walk.

Bright’s shoot was particularly strange as he dropped 10 points in just five shots but succeeded  in hitting the centre bulls eye eleven times from 20 shots. His misses included an outer two, three magpie threes, and an inner four. Williams who top scored could not on the other hand do better than a 33% centre count.

Ron Gibson has been turning B grade into a Gibson benefit of late and Saturday was no exception, his consistency again to the fore. A pair of 46.03’s was marred slightly by a magpie in each stage but he quickly overcame those obstacles to easily take the B grade COW for a 50% win rate so far this year.

Grahame Willis was consistent, but couldn’t hold a tight enough group to challenge, but he did enough to put the sword to Lyndhurst visitors Bruce Rowlands and Greg Emms who had their own personal tussle, Rowlands pipping Emms by two super V’s.

Both the Wilde Memorial Trophy and the K Redding 8/900 Trophy concluded at the weekend with Gibson taking the Wilde Memorial and Williams the Redding. Bright was second in both trophies.

The W Cutler Cup will commence at 300 yards next Saturday 1st March.

Scores: G Shepherd TRA 93.02 (6 ½) 99 1/2 G Bright TRA 90.11 (9 ¼) 99 ¼ S Williams TRA 97.06 (1 ¾) 98 3/4 G S Willis FSA 116.10 (2 ½) 98 ¾ R Gibson TRB 92.06 (6 ¾) 98 ¾ G P Willis FSA 112.4 (5 ½) 98 J Coghill TRB 81.03 (16 ¾) 97 ¾

Visitors:
B Rowlands, Lyndhurst FSA 107.5 G Emms, Lyndhurst FSA 107.3

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 15th February 2014 J Wilde Memorial Trophy & K Redding 800/900 yard Trophy[/b]

 After months of difficult shooting conditions a two week break and a cool change brought sanity to the range for the 800 yards of the Wilde and Redding trophies. It was however left to visitors from Lithgow and Lyndhurst to show the locals how it is done.

Nick Cock produced a masterful display of full-bore shooting to record the first 50.10 possible in many years, and combined that with a first stage 50.07.  Cock puts the feat down to using the newer Berger projectiles. Steve Williams was not far behind also shooting a double possible but falling seven centres shy of Cocks score. In F class Bruce Rowlands was more consistent and held a tighter group than local champion Jeff Eppleston, to win the off rifle by one point.

The weather was kind as the rain held off and the breeze was nothing if not gentle. Scores were good across the board with Gordon Shepherd setting the pace with a stage topping 50.08, all shooters taking advantage of the mild conditions. Dennis Lavelle and Ron Gibson both compiled good 48’s with Graeme Bright and John Coghill a point further back with 47’s, most shooters getting bags of centre bullseyes. Grahame Willis was off the pace with a moderate 56.2.

The second stage again produced high scoring the only surprise being a 45.03 from Shepherd which included a last shot outer two. Shepherds demise was brought about by a loss of concentration as he listened to a conversation between scorers on the mound as he was about to take his shot. He is considering bigger earmuffs.

Gibson was the B grade winner as all shooters again reveled in the benign conditions. Gibsons' pair of 48’s with 9 centre bullseyes was just enough despite Bright and Coghill both scoring 49’s. Eppleston won F class despite Willis shooting a day topping 59.7 second stage.

        Eppleston and Geoff Willis will attend the F Class National Teams Championship, as part of the NSW team, to be held at Campbell Town, Tasmania, in March. Also, on the International front, Williams has been appointed a coach of the Australian National Veterans Team to travel to Camp Perry, USA, in 2015.

Scores:
S Williams TRA 100.12 (1/2) 100 J Eppleston FSA 117.4 (3) 100 J Coghill TRB 96.06 (4) 100 G P Willis FSA 115.9 (4) 99 ¼ G Bright TRA 96.07 (2 ¾) 98 ¾ R Gibson TRB 96.09 (2 ¾) 98 ¾ D Lavelle TRB 95.08 (3) 98 G Shepherd TRA 95.11 (2 ½) 97 ½

Visitors: N Cock, Lithgow TRA 100.17 B Rowlands, Lyndhurst FSA 118.9 G Emms, Lyndhurst FSA 114.6