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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 16th January 2016 R. L. Gilmour Esq. Cup, 500yards

            Saturday threw up a rare set of shooting conditions with a brisk east-south easterly breeze whistling through the trees on the left of the range creating all sorts of eddies and variations in strength. The mirage played a big part in the readability of the conditions.

           The first stage did not produce one standout score but Steve Williams set a reasonable challenge with a 48.05. Nick Cock, back from serious back surgery, started with three inner fours but then finished with six centre bull’s eyes for a 47.06. 

           Gordon Shepherd’s first sighter was a bull’s eye on the wrong target (again) but he recovered his composure for a 46.04 as Graeme Bright matched that score but with a magpie three thrown in to boot. John Coghill and Dennis Lavelle fumbled their way to 44.03 and 43.01 respectively, Lavelle flirting with the magpie line as Coghill shot five inner fours in a row.

           The F-class contingent was even less impressive with the Willis brothers going head to head, Grahame shooting 55.3 and Geoff 55.2. Jeff Eppleston shot a couple of F-class magpies (inner fours) in his 54.3, in conditions he has previously declared he finds noxious. Steve Pelin in one of his rare visits kept pace with Eppleston shooting a 54.1. 

           In the second stage the Willis brothers again turned on a personal duel, this time Geoff turning the tables with a two super centre (X) margin giving him the F-class Cock of the Walk by a single X, 113.6 to 113.5. The margin between Eppleston and Pelin remained as it was in the first stage, two X’s, as both shot 53.2’s.

           The cream rose to the top in target rifle with Australian team member Cock almost wiping out the centre with a 50.07 as his last seventeen shots (including the first stage) produced 13 centres in a morale boosting first post-operation appearance. Shepherd, as he is want to do, pulled a big one from the bag with a 50.05 whilst Bright and Williams both fell one point short of the possible with mid-stage inner fours. Coghill had it all set up but then dropped three points in his last four shots for a 47.04 as Lavelle again struggled, the dreaded magpie appearing on his scorecard for the second time. Cock (A grade) and Coghill (B grade) were the COW winners.

           The Gilmour Cup concludes next week with a depleted attendance expected due to the Festival of Sydney clashing with the local competition.

Scores:

G Shepherd TRA 96.09 (2 ¾) 98 ¾

S Williams TRA 97.08 (1 ¾) 98 ¾

N Cock TRA 97.13 (1) 98

G P Willis FSA 113.5 (4 ½) 98

D Lavelle TRB 88.02 (9) 97

G Bright TRA 95.05 (1 ¼) 96 ¼

G S Willis FSA 113.6 (1 ¼) 95 ¼

J Coghill TRB 91.07 (3 ½) 94 ½

J Eppleston FSA 107.5 (3) 91 ¾

S Pelin FSB 107.3