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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 4th July 2015 C R Kelly Cup, 900yards

            Nine hundred yards is a difficult proposition at the best of times and Bathurst tends to be one of the more tricky ranges. Saturday was no less difficult with a light to moderate south westerly breeze swinging full on into shooters faces and then returning to a full westerly aspect. A mirage added to shooters dilemma.

           The first stage produced a couple of good scores with Dennis Lavelle again showing up all of his higher graded competitors with a 49.03, missing his possible on a last shot inner four. Graeme Bright stumbled with a late inner but matched Lavelle’s score. Gordon Shepherd (the centre bulls eye king) shot a 48.04 while John Coghill included a magpie three in his 47.01 and Nick Cock took one too many sighters and came in with a trailing score of 46.04.

           In F-class Grahame Willis, after scrubbing his barrel mercilessly, hoped for a better performance but was not altogether happy with his 58.2. Ben Wright again performed above expectations with a 55.2 in just his third shoot at the 900 yard range.

           The second stage produced some disasters (Lavelle 40.0 and Coghill 41.1) and some really good shoots with Cock the standout with a 50.05 possible. Shepherd replied with a 49.04 surpassing Cock’s tally and leaving Bright needing a 48.08 to take the win. Bright, despite a valiant effort, could manage just 47.06 with Shepherd again taking out the A grade Cock of the walk and Lavelle the B-grade, a now familiar result.

           Willis was even more disillusioned with a second stage 56.2 whilst Wright was heartened by his 54.3 which gave him his best 900 yard score to date. 

           Sydney visitor Luke Harris was a welcome addition to the days shoot bringing the F/TR classification to the range for the first time since Lavelle dabbled in the discipline some years ago. The discipline involves a target rifle with fixed bipod and a fitted telescope. Harris used a Remington 700 Tack 51 .308 rifle with a Kahles 624 I scope. With limited experience and being the first time on the Bathurst range, Harris did remarkably well scoring 106.2 which included an excellent 56.1 second stage. Harris is a member of the Hornsby RSL Rifle Club.

           John Coghill won the C R Kelly Cup primarily by reason of a generous handicapping system. The F A Wilde Trophy begins next week at 300 yards. 

Scores:

J Coghill TRB 88.02 (12) 100

G P Willis FSA 114.5 (5 ½) 99 ½

G Shepherd TRA 97.08 (1 ¼) 98 ¼

G Bright TRA 96.07 (2) 98

N Cock TRA 96.09 (1/4) 96 ¼

B Wright FSB 109.5 (6 ½) 96 ¼

D Lavelle TRB 89.03 (6 ¾) 95 ¾

L Harris FTR 106.2

by John Coghill