News

Bathurst Rifle Club Inc. 10th March 2018, W Cutler Cup, 300yards

             Another warm mild Saturday with the conditions for target shooting seemingly excellent but it was not as they first appeared. A light easterly breeze filtering through the stand of trees on the left of the range and the bright sun set the range up for another day of mirages.

             Colin Howell who is becoming a short range specialist started with a bang laying on a 60.2 possible. Jeff Eppleston looked to be on song to also go clear until a gust of wind put a magpie three on his score card. No one else threatened the possible as the left breeze turned into a forward fishtail keeping scores well in check.

             Gordon Shepherd with a string of low scores finally climbed out of the hole dropping just two points for a 48.03 whilst Graeme Bright blaming himself rather the conditions shot a 47.01. Steve Williams with a 46.02 put a lot of pressure on himself to match last week’s Cock of the Walk win. Ron Gibson hardly got out of the inner four ring in his 43.01 and John Coghill with a re-chambered, shortened 0.223 had to come up twelve points in elevation for just 40.01.

             F class shooters Phil Mahon and Steve Pelin shot 52.1 and 49.0 respectively whilst Grahame Willis tried out the reworked club .308 with disastrous results and its back to the bench for further work.

             The second stage produced no surprises with scores still just average. Williams set the standard with a 48.03 throwing down the challenge to Bright and Shepherd. Bright could do no better than his first stage 47.01 which left him three centre bull’s eyes shy of Williams but Shepherd’s wobbles returned with a vengeance and he crashed with a 40.01. Gibson improved slightly with a 44.02 and Coghill showed some promise with his reworked rifle scoring 45.02 with a much tighter group. Williams won A grade and Gibson B grade COW.

              Howell could not keep up the heroics as his group widened but he smashed the middle with six super centres for 56.6. Epplestons' second dig mirrored his first and that was enough to win the F class COW on count back from Howell, both competitors on 116.8. Mahon slipped a little with 49.1 and Pelin with 51.2 bettered his first stage. Willis tested the club .223 with much better results declaring it right to go.

              Next week the 17th March is the W Cutler and the 500 yard Championship range. 

Scores:   

C Howell FSB 116.8 (8 ½) 100
J Eppleston FSA 116.8 (4) 100
R Gibson TRB 87.03 (12) 99
S Williams TRA 94.05 (4) 98
G Bright TRA 94.02 (3 ½) 97 ½
J Coghill TRB 85.03 (12) 97
G Shepherd TRA 88.04 (8 ½) 96 ½
P Mahon FSB 101.2 (12) 94 ½
S Pelin FSB 100.2 (12) 93 ½
G P Willis FSA 94.1 (5 ¼) 82 ¾

 by John Coghill