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[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 12th January 2013 R L Gilmour Esq. Cup 500 yards [/b] Round two of the Gilmour Cup was held in oppressive conditions with a gusty west to northwest wind adding greatly to the degree of difficulty for all who ventured onto the mound. Only one stage possible was scored that by Steve Williams with a 50.05 but even he succumbed to the variability of the breeze with a second stage 46.04 which included four inner fours in his last five shots. His 96.09 was however sufficient to take out the days Cock of the Walk. No one else really challenged Williams with John Coghill the best of the rest, compiling a pair of 47.02’s, a massive improvement on his last few shoots. Graeme Bright using his new barrel for the first time in competition found he needs to refine his reloads after his first stage delivered a large group and a second stage, with a different batch of ammunition, gave similar results. Gordon Shepherd couldn’t get near the bulls eye in his first seven shots, scrambling to a 44.02 before redeeming himself with a second stage 47.03. The F-class group which again outnumbered the target rifle competitors was never in the hunt with the gusty breeze playing havoc and, whether they were twisting sights or aiming off, didn’t appear to make any discernible difference. Dennis Lavelle who favours moving the sights produced the surprise of the day beating not only the two Bathurst shooters but also Lyndhurst visitors Bruce Rowlands and Greg Emms. Lavelle who has tried optical class and now F-class, top scored with 56.3 and 57.3 may need to rethink his plans to return to target rifle. Grahame Willis had his best result for many weeks after modifications to both rifle and ammunition. Jeff Eppleston, Rowlands and Emms were amongst the first shooters on the mound and along with Shepherd copped perhaps the worst of the early wind gusts. Despite second stage improvements their early efforts brought about their demise. Lavelle is leading the Gilmour Cup by a staggering 5 handicap points and appears to have a stranglehold on the historic trophy
The Gilmour Cup will conclude next week at 600 yards.

Scores: D Lavelle 113.6 (7 ½) 100 G P Willis 112.3 (8 ¼) 100 J Coghill 94.04 (4) 98 S Williams 96.09 (1 ¾) 97 ¾ G Shepherd 91.05 (4 ¼) 95 ¼ G Bright 92.02 (2 ½) 94 ½ J Eppleston 108.2 (2 ¾) 92 ¼ B Rowlands LRC 108.3 G Emms LRC 105.7

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 5th January 2013 R L Gilmour Esq. Cup 300 yards [/b] Despite times of dead calm the oppressing heat played a significant part in Saturdays 300 yard round of the R L Gilmour Cup. The mirage danced about as the mild breeze wafted across the range interrupted only when clouds obscured the sun. Lying on the mound in a heavy shooting jacket and glove became very uncomfortable and shooters concentration waivered as their stages progressed. However Jeff Eppleston unencumbered with the jacket and glove, was able to extract maximum value from the short range and relative calm and reassert his claim to the F-class Club Championship which has been his since its inception Eppleston managed to hold his group inside the centre bull’s eye and scrape out a 60.2 possible before attacking the super V bulls eye for a 60.7 second stage and a runaway win in the Cock of the Walk. Lyndhurst visitors Greg Emms and Bruce Rowlands pushed hard with stages of 59.3 apiece but couldn’t compete with Epplestons’ great double possible. Geoff Willis missed a chance to continue his push for the Championship with a pair of moderate scores. Target rifle shooters didn’t have the luxury of the light clothing and it was not until the relative cool of the afternoon cloud cover that a possible was scored. It was left to Lithgow visitor Nick Cock to break the drought with a 50.08 second stage setting a top score of 98.11 but Graeme Bright scrambled together a 50.02 possible, ironically with a barrel and action borrowed from Cock to win the local COW with 97.04. The reappearance of the sun, and consequently the mirage, produced a couple of unusual scores. Steve Williams and Gordon Shepherd both hammered the centre bull’s eye ring but a couple of inner fours took the gloss off otherwise good shoots Laurie Sim and Ron Gibson were two others who could be satisfied with their efforts as they fought out the B–grade COW. Sim took the lead by two points with a first stage 48.03 but was severely challenged by Gibson who slotted a second stage 48.04. Sim dropped two points early in his final stage but despite another blemish on his second last shot managed to hold on for the COW.
The Gilmour Cup will continue next week at 500 yards.

Scores: J Eppleston (F) 120.9 (1 ½) 100 L Sim 95.07 (6 ¾) 100 D Lavelle (F) 110.3 (6 ¾) 99 ½ G Bright 97.04 (2) 99 G S Willis (F) 113.5 (4 ¾) 98 ¼ R Gibson 94.05 (4) 98 A Trevillion (F) 100.2 (17 ½) 98 S Williams 95.12 (2) 97 G Shepherd 93.11 (2 ¾) 95 ¾ J Coghill 85.05 (10 ½) 95 ½ N Cock (LSARC) 98.11 G Emms (LRC) (F) 116.7 B Rowlands (LRC) (F) 115.7

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 29th December 2012 T W Willman Cup 900 yards [/b] Last week highlighted the luck of the draw but there was no luck to be found anywhere this week when shooters lined up for the first of four 900 yard championship rounds on Saturday. The wind blew and blew and in the short periods of relative calm the mirage erupted in a boiling caldron. With visitors from the Lyndhurst rifle club, including Queens Prize winner Jim Jeffrey, scores were expected to be above average, but the opposite occurred. There were more magpie threes, outer two’s and several “anywhere else on the target” shots (one point) than have been seen on the range for many months. An occasional miss and a bulls eye on the wrong target (John Coghill) rounded out a difficult day for all There was really only one stage which passed muster, a 49.03 by Graeme Bright who somehow managed to thread his way through the treacherous conditions. The F-class group who outnumbered the target rifle contingent by two to one didn’t fare any better despite their telescopes and rests. The best F-class stage of the day was a 55.1 by Jeff Eppleston, but a second stage filled with inner fours and magpie threes brought about his downfall at the hands of Lyndhurst’s Greg Emms. Emms and Eppleston were the only shooters to break 100 out of 120. The target rifle group of four was led by Bright who managed to at least stay inside the inner ring despite straddling the bulls eye on several occasions. Bright won the Cock of the Walk by the large margin of five points. Gordon Shepherd did a passable job of feigning competition but was beaten into submission by the wind. As with F-class Bright and Shepherd were the only shooters to get into the 90’s. The T W Willman Cup went to Bright a quarter of a point ahead of Shepherd and the six week long K Harvey Trophy was also won by Bright, a full four points ahead of Coghill Next week we return to the 300 yard mound to commence the second round of the Club Championship which also happens to be the first range of the R L Gilmour Esq. Cup, a 102 year old Cup of great historical value to the Bathurst Rifle Club.

Scores:

G Bright 95.05 (2 ¾) 97 ¾ G Shepherd 90.03 (7 ½) 97 ½ G S Willis (F) 99.1 (12 ½) 93 G P Willis (F) 94.0 (17 ¼) 92 ¾ J Coghill 82.04 (8 ½) 90 ½ J Eppleston (F) 101.3 (7 ¼) 90 ¼ D Lavelle (F) 93.3 (10 ¼) 86 E Willis (F) 77.2 (17 ¾) 79 A Trevillian (F) 73.1 J Miles (F) 72.0:

Lyndhurst RC: G Emms (F) 102.2 B Rowland (F) 82.1 J Jeffrey 82.04

[b]Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 22nd December 2012 N Rutherford Memorial Trophy 800 yards [/b] The luck of the draw is a phrase often used in sporting events whereby one or more of the competitors gets an advantage over the others when the conditions seem to favour that person or persons. Such was the occurrence on Saturday when periods of raging mirage and fickle winds turned to absolute calm. John Coghill was the recipient of two stages of near perfect conditions, the first when the wind and mirage gradually softened, and second when cloud cover killed off the mirage and the wind died. Watching the first shooters struggle through the early stages Coghill was pleasantly surprised when all he needed to do was gradually back off the right wind to remain in the bulls eye resulting in a 49.01 score.
Ron Gibson was the best of the rest with 47.01, but the others struggled against the difficult conditions. Gordon Shepherd and Graeme Bright both copped severe changes which produced a magpie each, amongst an inner or three.
The F-class contingent were not immune to the conditions and scores of 51.0, 52.1 and 55.2 were testament to the difficulty they encountered judging changes to the wind direction and mirage strength. Jeff Eppleston was the best with Geoff Willis and Dennis Lavelle lagging behind.
The second stage began under similar conditions but a brief period of overcast skies ahead of threatening thunderstorms, produced near perfect shooting conditions, and Coghill was again the major recipient taking full advantage with a repeat 49.02 to eliminate any challenge to his Cock of the Walk winning performance. This time however Willis also slotted into the calm period and shot a 60.4 possible to set Eppleston , who held a three point lead after the first stage a gettable challenge. The luck of the draw ran out for the remaining competitors as one by one the elements combined to eliminate all challenges. A gallant Eppleston failed by one point to overhaul Willis who collected his third COW in a row. Lavelle dropped three points in his last three shots but still managed a positive 56.1.
The target rifle shooters all made giant leaps with Brights’ 49.03, and Shepherds’ 48.06, including six centre bulls eyes in a row, the best efforts. Gibson was on line for a possible, but for some nasty changes which produced a magpie three and inner four finish. Jake Miles continued his F-class education on a rest with a stage through peep sights and the second with the Willis scoped rifle. The improvement was immediate and positive.
Coghill won the N Rutherford Memorial Trophy with 100 handicap points on count back from Gibson who also made the maximum points. Next week the 900 yard T W Willman trophy will see us into the new year.

Scores:

J Coghill 98.03 (3) 100 R Gibson 94.03 (6 ¾) 100 J Eppleston (F) 111.6 (7 ½) 98 ¾ G S Willis (F) 112.5 (5 ¼) 97 ¾ D Lavelle(F) 107.1 (9 ¾) 97 ¼ G Shepherd94.09 (2 ¾) 96 ¾ G Bright 94.06 (1) 95 J miles (F) 85.1