News

             With the final State Queens Prize meeting for the year just completed in Canberra the travelling locals returned for some club competition and to continue the quest for the Club Championship. With the accuracy of rifles and ammunition improving all the time the emphasis is moving to longer ranges such that the 300 yard range is rarely seen at Open competitions. Thus 300 yards has been removed from the BRC championship and replaced with the 500 yard range.

             Three hundred yards however still has a place in the calendar but for how much longer is anybody's business as the targets take a fearful hammering and are lucky to last a day. Saturday however was not one of those days as the conditions kept the scores down and limited centre bull's eyes to a premium. Light cloud cover and a gentle south west breeze made the temperature bearable.

 

             The first stage caught everybody on the hop as inner fours were almost as numerable as bull's eyes. In target rifle 47 was the top score set by Nick Cock with three centres and Gordon Shepherd just one whilst Graeme Bright on 46 couldn't buy a centre.  John Coghill managed 45.03 and Ron Gibson, recently returned from overseas, shot 42.01.

 

             F-class shooters were dealt the same punishment as the target rifle group and dropped shots were common. Jeff Eppleston started with a 58.3, Geoff Willis 57.3 and Dennis Lavelle using a rifle he has not used for two years shot 54.1. Colin Howell managed just 51.2.

             The second stage was little better than the first, Cock being the only significant improver with 49.04 to take out the Cock of the Walk. Gibson shook out the rust and shot a 45.02 but the others faded or stayed stationary and the F-class contingent, bar Howell, all slipped into mediocrity. Eppleston took out the F-class COW by three points.

             Terry Howell visiting from the central coast had a warm up shoot prior to Sunday's Lithgow Open Prize meeting shooting a competitive 110.4, and two black powder exponents, Shane Barnsley and Kelvin Moss, trotted out .303 rifles to gain some experience of the range in the hope that black powder competitions will be approved in the near future.

             Next week is the 500 yard Championship range and the 2nd round of the D & J Cups.

J Coghill TRB 89.05 (12) 100

R Gibson TRB 87.03 (12) 99

G Shepherd TRA 94.04 (4 ¼) 98 ¼

C Howell FSB 105.4 (11 ½) 97

N Cock TRA 96.07 (1) 97

J Eppleston FSA 113.3 (3) 96 ¾

G S Willis FSA 110.4 (3 ¾) 94 ¾

G Bright TRA 90.01 (1) 91

D Lavelle FSB 94.4

T Howell FSA 110.4

K Moss (0.303) 52.01

S Barnsley (0.303) 46.0