News

Bathurst Rifle Club Inc. 1st July 2017, C R Kelly Cup & K Redding 8/900 yard Trophy, 800yards

             Saturday saw the return of several members who contested the National Rifle Association of Australia Championships in Brisbane last week. Nick Cock was the most successful finishing the Queens Prize with a run of four possibles to sneak in with a 30th badge.  Ben Wright also won a badge in the F Std B grade division but Graeme Bright who started so well with 7 possibles in the first two days of shooting to be just one point down and in 10th place dropped another 5 points on the final day to fall out of the badges. 

             Steve Williams had a run of 5 possibles to be well in contention for a badge before a last range meltdown put him out of badge country. Jeff Eppleston and Geoff Willis were hoping to put in a good showing and gain a little confidence before departing for Canada in August were never in the race for a badge let alone a win in the FTR division. 

             On the home range the conditions were benign and 800 yards, one of the easier ranges, held few fears, but surprisingly there was only one possible, that to Cock with a 50.04. Together with a first stage 48.03 Cock gathered enough points to snatch a Cock of the Walk win from Bright by a single centre bull’s eye with Gordon Shepherd letting a COW win slide with a double inner four second stage.

             B grade was just as close with Dennis Lavelle coming from behind with a second stage 49.02 to snatch a win from John Coghill who could manage just 47.03 despite having a one point lead after the first stage.

             As a result of the their Brisbane showing Eppleston and Willis were joined by another FTR shooter, Brett Bond from Lithgow and all practiced their coached shooting in preparation for their August date at the World long range F-class Championship in Canada in August. As the only eligible F class shooter Colin Howell just had to front up to take the Cock of the Walk. Luke Harris visiting from Hornsby Rifle Club was given some helpful advice from veteran Roger Northcott and improved 10 points in his second stage.

             The C R Kelly Cup and the K Redding 8/900 trophy will conclude next week and the first 900 yard range of the 2017-18 Club Championship will take place                 

Scores:   

G Shepherd TRA 97.07 (4 ¼) 100

J Coghill TRB 93.06 (10) 100

G Bright TRA 98.06 (1) 99

N Cock TRA 98.07 (3/4) 98 ¾

D Lavelle TRB 94.04 (4 ¼) 98 ¼

C Howell FSB 106.3 (8 ½) 95 ½

B Bond (LSARC) FSA 119.13

G S Willis FSA 117.9

J Eppleston FSA 117.5

L Harris (Hornsby) FSB 106.4 

by John Coghill