News

            Bathurst Rifle Range has obtained certification for conducting black powder target rifle competitions and Saturday saw the appearance of long rifles more commonly seen in the 1860's through to the 1900's. Shayne Barnsley and Kelvin Moss are vying for places in an Australian team to contest the World Long Range Muzzle Loading Championships in October this year.

            Barnsley who hasn't shot over the distance before, and Moss whose last shoot of any length was over 800 metres in 2013, took a bit of time to sight in and come to grips with the conditions. With few ranges available for long range target shooting the Bathurst Rifle Club welcomed the opportunity to share the range.

 

             Shooting alongside the black powder pair added new dimension to the days shooting with clouds of white smoke drifting across the mound, and the weather added another trick to the bag of difficulties shooters have encountered this year. A mirage of frightening proportions combined with little breeze and oppressive heat conditions, could not have been more testing. The mirage swopped sides at random and was at loggerheads with all the flags.

             2016 F Class Champion Grahame Willis was able to maintain control in both stages and his impressive 114.5 gave him the only 100% handicap score for an easy F-class Cock of the Walk win. Geoff Willis had a pair of ordinary stages whilst Jeff Eppleston lost it with a double inner finish to his second stage.

 

             The target rifle group was intimidated by Nick Cock's 5 centre bulls eyes start before he became the first victim of the menacing mirage, dropping four points in his last four shots. His second dig was even worse as he collected two more magpie threes in a 45.03 stage. Graeme Bright seemed to have a COW win in hand after a 48.05 first stage but he fell for the three card trick, a disastrous triple magpie second stage, handing the COW to Cock by three centres.

 

             Dennis Lavelle emerged from the dark recesses of the F class discipline and on his return to target rifle took out the B grade COW despite some really rusty shooting. Grahame Willis won the T W Willman Trophy by ½ point from his brother Geoff.

 

             Next week the Gilmour Cup commences over three ranges starting at 300 yards.

 

G P Willis FSA 114.5 (8) 100

G S Willis FSA 109.2 (10 ½) 99 ½

J Eppleston FSA 109.4 (7) 96 ¾

G Shepherd TRA 86.04 (10 ¼) 96 ¼

N Cock TRA 91.09 (4) 95

G Bright TRA 91.06 (2 ½) 93 ½

D Lavelle TRB 77.02 (12) 89

B Wright FSB 92.1 (12) 86 ¾

C Howell FSB 86.1 (12) 81 ¾

J Coghill 64.01 (12) 76

J Stevens FSB 75.2

K Moss 27.0/100

S Barnsley 17.0/100