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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 17th January 2015 R L Gilmour Cup 600yards

            Saturday was one of the most difficult days of competitive shooting experienced at the Bathurst rifle range in a long time. A strong gusting west-south westerly wind, swept the range without letup and wild bursts of wind buffeted shooters on the mound, making it almost impossible to achieve a decent score. In fact accuracy was more luck than ability. The frequency and strength of the gusts were camouflaged by regular, ill defined direction changes. 

           Gordon Shepherd was the only target rifle shooter to break 90% accuracy and even he succumbed to the magpie terror. With scores of 44.02 and a day topping 47.02, Shepherd was the standout as he continues his excellent recent form, taking out his fifth Cock of the Walk in ten shoots this year. Past and present Australian representatives Steve Williams and Nick Cock were no match for the Shepherd machine-like control. Graeme Brights' challenge was completely undermined by a disastrous 39.02 first stage and in B grade Dennis Lavelle and John Coghill were no match for Ron Gibson who added a third COW performance in his last four shoots. 

           Having a telescope was of little advantage to the F-class contingent and they suffered the same humiliation as the target rifle group. Scores were however much closer and the COW came down to a second stage count-back, Geoff Willis winning after he and Jeff Eppleston were tied on 109.2 apiece. Just a point back was newcomer Kody Thomas who under the coaching of Geoff Willis finished with 108.3 in an eye catching performance for a first time target shooter. Another who is progressing in fine style after a break is Lawry Sim whose regular appearances and slight tweaking of rifle and ammunition is paying dividends. Grahame Willis scrubbed his rifle barrel for hours and the results were there to see as his super V count was 300% higher than his nearest competitor but his wind reading was a little off. Ben Wrights' bush rifle was finally exposed in the wild conditions. 

           Sim won the historic R.L.Gilmour Esq. Cup by one point from Geoff Willis as the Club Championship continues, and the J Wilde Memorial Cup commences next week at 700 yards. 

Scores: 
R Gibson TRB 89.05 (6 ¼) 95 ¼
G Shepherd TRA 91.04 (3 ½) 94 ½
G S Willis FSA 109.2 (4) 94 ¼
G P Willis FSA 105.8 (7 ¼) 93 ½
L Sim FSB 107.3 (5) 93 ½
J Eppleston FSA 109.2 (2 ¼) 92 ¾
D Lavelle TRB 83.04 (7) 90
S Williams TRA 88.02 (1 ¾) 89 ¾
G Bright TRA 84.04 (3 ¼) 87 ¼
J Coghill TRB 75.01 (12) 87
N Cock TRA 89.02
K Thomas FSB 108.3
B Wright FSB 91.0

by John Coghill