News

Fluky mirage the cause of headaches

           ANOTHER mild day and fair conditions were tempered with a fluky mirage destined to cause a few headaches for shooters at the Bathurst Rifle Range on Saturday for the CR Kelly Cup (700 yards). There were only two possibles scored, both in the first stage, and that was the key to wins in both A and B grades.

           Graeme Bright started with a 50.05 to again set a challenging target for later shooters. Steve Williams (49.04), Gordon Shepherd (49.03) and Jan Sibera (48.03) were unable to reach that target but Ron Gibson, with a career high of 50.06, just topped Bright’s score. Dennis Lavelle (45.02) was a little off the pace and Keith Redding (39.02), with a change of barrel, still could not get out of the doldrums.

           Although there did not appear much change to the conditions other than a little high cloud and a corresponding light change, scores deteriorated in the second stage. Williams and Shepherd dropped two shots apiece, giving Bright some breathing space. With little pressure on him Bright was able to win the A grade cock of the walk by a clear two shots despite scoring an early inner four in his last stage 49.04.

           In B grade Lavelle reversed the trend with an improved 46.01, but that score was never going to be enough to catch the runaway leader. Sibera’s sight fell apart, explaining in part his wild 44.0, and another equipment failure, this time a stripped thread in a loose rear sight, caused Redding much grief in a 30.0 drubbing. Gibson, ignoring all the dramas going on around him, scored an easy win despite dropping three points in his last six shots to take the B grade by a leisurely five points.

           For the second week in a row Jeff Willis (108) had little competition in taking out F class but the scores were moderate to say the least. Northcott (106) pushed Willis all the way but fell one point short in both stages. John Coghill (101) was again out of sorts but did improve with a 52/60 second stage.

            The C R Kelly Cup will conclude next week at 900 yards.

SCORES:
R Gibson 97.08 (7) 100;  
J Sibera 92.03 (16) 100;
G Shepherd 97.05 (3½) 100;  
D Lavelle 91.03 (10) 100:
G Bright 99.09 (1/2) 99½;  
S Williams 97.08 (1) 98;
K Redding 69.02 (20) 89.  
 
F Class:
R Northcott 106 (9½) 115½;  
G Willis 108 (7) 115;
J Coghill 101 (11¾) 112¾.  

by John Coghill