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[b]The R L Gilmour Esq. Cup 300 yards -Bathurst Rifle Club 7th January 2012[/b] An opportunity missed is a chance forgone and all competitors left the Bathurst Rifle Range on Saturday knowing they had missed a golden opportunity to lock in a big 300-yard Championship score.

With a mild northwest breeze, and a similarly lazy mirage, scoring appeared just a matter of concentrating on the miniscule changes in the conditions. However despite a generally high average, including some excellent scores, no one took full advantage of the easy conditions.

In the first stage Steve Williams and surprisingly John Coghill were the best with 49.05 a piece, with just the one inner four blemish on their scorecards. Gordon Shepherd dropped a couple and a string of 47’s was the best the rest could offer.

The Willis brothers were neck and neck in F-class, Grahame taking a one-point lead over Geoff with 56.4 to 55.2. Dennis Lavelle in optical class started in a hole, winding the sight the wrong way before scoring a good comeback 46.02.

As the afternoon wore on the breeze started to increase a little in strength and direction and became a little unpredictable. The second stage had some ups and downs, none bigger than Coghill, who, after being in the running for the first time in months, had what could only be described as a meltdown.

After a quiet start an outer two from nowhere preceded a string of inner fours straddling the bulls eye leaving a shattered Coghill with just 39.0 and a lot of soul searching in the coming week. Apart from Williams who had a very uncharacteristic stage, losing points high and low in a 47.03, almost all the remaining competitors bettered or matched their first stage scores.

Graeme Bright was the best of those with a 49.05 but his dropped shot handed the Cock of the Walk to Williams by a two-centre bulls eye margin. Shepherd and Gibson could only match their first stage scores but Gibsons’ pair of 47.02’s got him over the line in B grade ahead of Parkinson, who had bettered Gibsons’ first stage by one centre bulls eye. A target malfunction upset Parkinson’s rhythm late in his second stage and he dropped his last four shots after waiting on target repairs, an optional sighter not helping in the end.

Lavelle did not make the same mistake a second time and marked his card with 48.03 but Lawrence Sim could not take a trick as his inexperience with reading the conditions showed in his pair of 43’s

Grahame Willis took out the F-class section with a 58.2 easily eclipsing Geoff Willis who could only muster 55.3.

The R L Gilmour Esq. Cup continues next week at 500 yards

SCORES: R Gibson 94.04 (9 ½) 100 G P Willis (F) 114.6 (5) 99 ¼ G Shepherd 96.04 (2 ¾) 98 ¾ A Parkinson 93.05 (5 ½) 98 ½ G Bright 96.06 (2 ¼) 98 ¼ D Lavelle (Opt) 94.05 (4 ¼) 98 ¼ J Coghill 88.05 (9) 97 L Sim 86.03 (10 ¾) 96 ¾ S Williams 96.08 (3/4) 96 ¾ G S Willis (F) 110.5 (5) 95 ¼

[b]The T W Willman Trophy 900 yards -Bathurst Rifle Club 31st December 2011[/b] A return to the treacherous conditions of three weeks ago with the mirage and easterly breeze fighting for supremacy, but over the much longer 900 yard range, painted a dismal picture on all bar one of the scorecards. That one belonged to Steve Williams who made a mockery of the efforts thrown up by all the other competitors.

Williams seemed not to notice the variations as he peeled off a double possible with an almost 50% centre bulls eye count. His 100.09 was six shots better than his nearest competitor Graeme Bright who at one stage appeared to be taking it up to Williams. A 49.05 first stage kept him in the hunt and with 7 shots on and without a blemish, a close finish appeared imminent. However disaster struck with a magpie 3, magpie 3, inner four finish, leaving Bright six shots adrift and at a loss to understand what had just happened.

There were no other scorecards worth reading with magpies, outers, misses and wrong targets (Ron Gibson this time not John Coghill) all stamping their mark as often, and on as many scorecards as normally seen in a month of Sundays.

To be fair F-class Champion Jeff Eppleston made a good fist of the conditions and whilst not entirely happy with his shoot, had just the one wayward inner four in a first stage 55.0 and backed up with a 56.2 second stage.

There were no redemptions despite some improved second stage scores. Coghill had the best second stage outside of the winner but even his 48.02 score was marred by a high inner four and a pimple at 9 o’clock. Gordon Shepherd with 47.01 and Lawrence Sim with 46.03 also made marginal gains and Grahame Willis fought back with a 56.1 in F-class.

The handicap scores highlight the gap between Williams and the rest, with the majority unable to crack 96 against Williams 100%. Williams’ second double possible in the first round of the Club Championship has him in the box seat to take out another title. Like wise, Eppleston has maintained his lead in the F-class section with his solid performance.

Visitors Jeff Howard and Clare Wade picked a very difficult day to try target rifle shooting but clearly enjoyed the experience.

Eppleston took out the K Harvey Trophy contested over all ranges in the past six weeks, and Williams won this-weeks T W Willman Trophy.

The R L Gilmour Esq. Cup and the second round of the Club Championship commence next week at 300 yards

SCORES: S Williams 100.09 (1/2) 100 L Sim 89.04 (9 ¾) 98 ¾ J Eppleston (F) 11.2 (8 ¼) 97 G S Willis 106.3 (F) 95 ¾ G P Willis (F) 107.3 (7 ¼) 95 ¼ G Bright 94.08 (1) 95 D Lavelle (Opt) 88.02 (6) 94 G Shepherd 88.02 (5 ¼) 93 ¼ R Gibson 82.03 (11) 93 J Coghill 87.03 (5) 92 A Smith (F) 99.3 (11 ½) 92 J Howard 35.01 C Mills (F) 46.1 C Wade (F) 40.0

[b]The N Rutherford Memorial Trophy 800 yards -Bathurst Rifle Club 24th December 2011[/b] Being Christmas Eve numbers were down but the competition went ahead regardless, and the results showed a distinct lack of concentration and competitiveness.

On a mild day with a left breeze and accompanying mirage the changes were slow and much easier to read than last weeks trying conditions. That did not translate into a rush of high scores although some good performances were obtained

The big winner on the day was Dennis Lavelle who has converted his rifle to the optical class discipline with the addition of a telescope to his target rifle. Shooting early in the day Lavelle completed his first possible and although unable to continue at that level in his second stage the resulting 96.06 was reason to be pleased with all aspects of rifle, ammunition, and his ability to handle the crossover from target rifle.

Graeme Bright set about redeeming himself from last weeks' debacle and used a number of different loads and configurations in his ammunition to good affect. A first stage possible, 50.01, followed by a 49.05, and then an extra stage of 50.05 gave a good indication of what is needed to return to his previous top form.

John Coghill after a steady 48.02 first stage again exposed himself to ridicule with another shot on the wrong target, an occurrence that is becoming far to regular. A wild magpie three finished the stage that started so promisingly.

Ron Gibson ruined a good first stage with a second last shot magpie three but tightened his group considerably to record a 48.01 second stage for a days total of 94.01. Gibsons’ improving form has paid dividends with wins in last weeks’ W Northcott Memorial trophy, and the N Rutherford Memorial Trophy this Saturday.

In F-class, Grahame Willis and Jeff Eppleston were not in the hunt after stages of 50.1 as Geoff Willis recorded a 55.2 to take a commanding lead into the second half of the day.

Inexplicably Geoff Willis decided to change to the optical class discipline, but by using heavy projectiles he became ineligible for any of the days honours. Grahame Willis grabbed the chance with the days high 58.4, which proved too much for Eppleston who could only manage 53.2, well below his best form.

Next week is the T W Willman Trophy and the first of the 900-yard Championship ranges.

SCORES: R Gibson 94.01 (6 ¼) 100 J Coghill 90.05 (10) 100 G Bright 99.06 (1/4) 99 ¼ D Lavelle (Opt) 96.06 (2 ¾) 98 ¾ G P Willis (F) 108.5 (6 ¾) 95 ¾ J Eppleston 103.3 (6) 90 ¾ G S Willis (F) 55.2- (Opt) 48.04

[b]The W Northcott Memorial Trophy 700 yards -Bathurst Rifle Club 17th December 2011[/b] Arriving at the rifle range on Saturday shooters could be forgiven for believing the conditions ripe for high scoring and the chance to lock in a big 700-yard championship score.

Those beliefs could not have been more misplaced as one by one the chances of attaining even a moderate score disappeared in the quicksand of inner fours, magpie threes and even the occasional outer two.

The culprit was a light breeze that fishtailed up the range and a mirage that varied from light to heavy. In addition, the two combined to alternately oppose one another, then join together, in varying degrees of strength and direction. It became a nightmare as the unreadable force created havoc on all scorecards.

The best opening stages were by Gordon Shepherd with 47.03 and Jeff Eppleston with an F-class score of 57.2 but there were some absolute shockers to follow. Even Steve Williams succumbed to the opposing forces with four inners scattered throughout his stage. Dennis Lavelle, persevering with the optical discipline, was a little more in control, shooting 46.02, but John Coghill, Lawrence Sim, Graeme Bright and Ron Gibson had few ideas as the inner fours and magpie threes overwhelmed them.

F-class pair Geoff Willis and Aaron Smith found the going just as tough as the target rifle group, and their 53.3 and 51.2 left them with a huge task just to get back in the competition.

The second stage was little better than the first and the early experiences provided little help in the run home. The target started to look like it was hit by a shotgun blast and the centre bulls eye had few visitors. The exception was Williams who after a four inner start, two of which were sighters, latched on to the vagaries of the conditions and slotted seven centre bulls eyes and a solitary bulls eye, finishing with the days best stage of 48.07, and the Cock of the Walk.

Coghill, Sim, Gibson and Smith all took some consolation with minor improvement and Lavelle managed to maintain his level of competency. Willis showed marked improvement but was unable to catch Eppleston who kept the buffer he established in the first stage.

Brights’ final score was his worst in almost two years and Shepherd lost his grip on the conditions, losing points in both elevation and windage.

There were no winners on the day and the scores will undoubtedly be cut when the final tallying takes place at the end of the Championship season.

Lavelle took out the B grade COW and Eppleston, the F-class section.

Next week is the N Rutherford Memorial Trophy over 800 yards

SCORES: R Gibson 87.01 (13 ¾) 100 D Lavelle (Opt) 92.05 (8 ¼) 100 J Coghill 90.03 (10) 100 J Eppleston (F) 113.3 (6 ½) 99 ½ G S Willis (F) 110.4 (8 ¾) 99 L Sim 90.03 (7 ½) 97 ½ G Shepherd 92.04 (5 ½) 97 ½ S Williams 94.09 (1 ¾) 95 ¾ A Smith (F) 11 ¼) 95 ¼ G Bright 88.02 (3 ½) 91 ½

[b]Diggers and George James Cups 600 yards -Bathurst Rifle Club 10th December 2011[/b] The strong winds of recent times have given way to softer and more subtle breezes, which when coupled with the mirage seem to have a greater influence on the bullet trajectory than first appears.

Not a problem for Steve Williams who is in rare form and who already seems to be heading for yet another Club Championship victory with just two of fourteen rounds completed. Williams nonchalantly fired off a big double possible with fourteen centre bulls eyes, no less than nine of those in the super V ring just 3.5 centimetres in diameter.

Williams also took out the rare double of Diggers Cup (off rifle) by a large margin and the G James Cup (handicap) albeit on count back from Jeff Eppleston. Eppleston the current F-class champion is in a much tougher fight to retain his 2011 crown as the Willis brothers snap at his heels.

Eppleston compiled a very competent 58.3 and 59.3 but was pipped at the post by Geoff Willis whose second stage 58.4 added to his 59.3 first stage saw him over the line by a solitary super V.

The tussle for secondary honours was between Graeme Bright and Gordon Shepherd with Bright being the steadier of the two. Just a single mistake in each stage saw Bright settle for a pair of 49.04’s whilst a pair of inner fours in the first stage put Shepherd under pressure and needing a possible to match Brights' score. It was not to be however as a late, wide, 9 o’clock inner four dashed his hopes.

Lawrence Sim started slowly as did Ron Gibson and John Coghill with inner fours and the occasional magpie three adorning their scorecards. Scoring brightened up after the break as Sim posted a 47.03 to take the B grade COW by a point from Gibson who tried valiantly to bridge the one point first stage deficit. His 47.02 second stage was defined by a double inner four midway through the stage. Coghill did not at any stage appear likely to feature in the days’ results.

Dennis Lavelle continued his foray into Optical class this time using his 7.62mm target rifle fitted with telescope. Barely hitting the target with his first two sighters, resulted in an outer two for his first scoring shot, but he regrouped somewhat to string together a run of inner fours with a bulls eye and centre bulls eye to complete a 40.01. Lavelle‘s second stage again started poorly but the end result was entirely different with a much tighter group resulting in a 48.04 and encouragement to continue the optical experiment.

Grahame Willis retired, after a poor first stage indicated a rifle or ammunition problem, this after another poor stage at last weeks Lithgow Open Prize Meeting. These stages followed an easy COW win at last weeks’ 500-yard competition.

Next week is the W Northcott Memorial Trophy over 700 yards

SCORES: S Williams 100.14 (0) 100 G S Willis (F) 117.7 (5 ½) 100 J Eppleston (F) 117.6 (3 ¾) 100 G Bright 98.08 (1 ¼) 99 ¼ G Shepherd 97.06 (2) 98 J Coghill 90.04 (8 ½) 98 ½ L Sim 91.03 (6 ½) 97 ½ D Lavelle (Opt) 88.05 (9 ¼) 97 ¼ R Gibson 90.03 (7 ¼) 97 ¼ G P Willis (F) 51.1- Retired