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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc. 2014 Annual Open Prize Meeting - Sponsored by Bathurst RSL Club 

          A mid-summer like day with the temperature rising into the low thirties enticed 51 shooters from thirteen rifle clubs across the State to attend the Bathurst Rifle Club Annual Open Competition on Sunday 26th October, and there was an even spread of numbers across all six grades and classes. 

          The morning mirage gave way to a gusty westerly breeze, which constantly and rapidly changed direction in a 90 degree arc from southwest to northwest. Although the conditions were quite pleasant for spectators shooters found them difficult, with all bar one of the six possibles shot in the calmer period of the 500 yard range, and all of those achieved by F class shooters. The sixth possible was scored by Les Fraser (Lithgow SARC) who stamped his authority with a final stage 50.07 after going into the last range with a comfortable lead. Fraser won two stages and was second in the other taking out the A grade Target Rifle Aggregate by three shots in a dominant display. 

          The F-class A grade aggregate went to Darren Bradley (Griffith RC) whose consistency won out in the end. Bradley did not win a stage but he did not have the lows of most of his competitors. In the F Open, local Geoff Willis (Bathurst RC) continued his winning form with a one shot win to add to his F-class wins in Tasmania and other Open Prize meetings around the State during the year. 

          The B and C grade Target Rifle events saw Ian Barrett, who won one range and was third in the other two, have a comfortable win in B grade, and Stephen Sutor (Lithgow SARC) win two ranges on his way to a dominant four shot win in C grade. 

          In F-class B grade Warwick Sides (Ungarie) went one better at each of his ranges starting with a third placing at 500 yards, second at the first 600 yard range, and finishing on top at the last 600 yard range, culminating in the Aggregate trophy. The evenness of the competitions was shown by the fact that there were fifteen individual winners of the eighteen stages contested, just Fraser, Kelly and Sutor with two wins apiece. 

          Local competition will recommence this Saturday at the 300 yard mound with the first of the 2014-15 season trophies being the Diggers and G James Cups. 

          Thank you to our major sponsor Bathurst RSL Club for their generous support. [link={e_IMAGE}newspost_images/2014_opm_2.jpg][img]{e_IMAGE}newspost_images/thumb_2014_opm_2.jpg[/img][/link] [b]

The Winners: 

Match 1.  The Panorama Target Rifle 500yards.
Target Rifle 
A Grade   (10) Reg Bennett - Cowra RC 49.06
B Grade. (6) Graham Kelly - Coonabarabran RC 49.01
C Grade. (7) Stephen Sutor - Lithgow Small Arms RC 49.04
F Class
FA. (10) Bill Chandler - Cobar RC 60.5
FB. (8) Joseph JasonHurstville VDC59.4
F Open. (10) Brett Bond - Orange RC60.8

Match 2. The Evans 600 yards
Target Rifle
A Grade. (10) Les Fraser - Lithgow Small Arms RC48.06
B Grade. (6) Ian Barrett - Orange RC 49.02
C Grade. (7) David Smith - Sydney Grammar RC 46.0
F Class
FA. (10) Ken Eppleston - West Wallsend RC 59.4
FB. (8) Cath McCauley - Fashions Mount RC 54.1
F Open. (10) Jeff Eppleston - Bathurst RC 59.5
Match 3. The Macquarie 600 yards
Target Rifle
A Grade. (10) Les Fraser - Lithgow Small Arms RC 50.07
B Grade. (6) Graham Kelly - Coonabarabran RC 48.05
C Grade. (7) Stephen Sutor - Lithgow Small Arms RC 48.02
F Class
FA. (10) Gregory Emms - Lyndhurst RC 59.4
FB. (8) Warwick Sides - Ungarie RC 56.2
F Open. (10) Keith Hills - Lyndhurst RC 59.4
Match 4. The Bathurst Aggregate
Target Rifle
A Grade: (10) Les Fraser - Lyndhurst RC 147.18
B Grade: (6) Ian Barrett - Orange RC 143.05
C Grade: (7) Stephen Sutor - Lithgow Small Arms RC 140.06
F Class
FA (10) Darren Bradley - Griffith RC 169.12
FB (8) Warwick Sides - Ungarie RC166.6
F Open:
(10) Geoff Willis - Bathurst RC 176.12

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