Weekly Review 17/03/2018
Weekly Review 17/03/2018
Bathurst Rifle Club Inc. 17th March 2018, W Cutler Cup, 500yards
Saturday had that summery feel with a hot gusty wind swinging in an arc from northwest to a head on southerly. With the obstructions in its path (Mount Panorama western ridge and the SSAA mounds) the wind swirled about the range in a very haphazard way.
It was a nightmare trying to pick the strength let alone direction of the breeze as the flags flopped about in all directions at the same time. Phil Mahon our newest member showed everyone that he will be a presence in the trophy competitions in the months to come by easily out shooting the best of his F class competitors, dropping just two points in a first stage 58.2.
The best that the more experienced group, including our international duo could do was a series of 56’s with Jeff Eppleston, Geoff Willis and Grahame Willis and Colin Howell all two points adrift of Mahon. Isaac Bower was put under pressure by his coach and grand dad, Geoff Willis, for handling his sight adjustment knob but still managed to shoot 54.2 in spite of the harassment.
The Target rifle group was pretty much at sea and with the wind creating havoc only Steve Williams showed any semblance of control in shooting 47.03. Gordon Shepherd with 45.0, John Coghill 43.0 and Ron Gibson 42.0 did not have much idea at times.
Whether the breeze settled as the afternoon wore on is debatable but the scores certainly didn’t improve as shooters tried to hold their own against the trying conditions. Geoff Willis did best dropping just three points for a total of 113.3 but one by one his competitors failed to reach the number required.
Howell couldn’t beat his first stage 56 and finished with 112.3 whilst Eppleston dropped five points leaving him on 111.6. Grahame Willis suffered the ignominy of an inner four in each of his stages and Bower spoiled his stage with a double inner but did enough to get his first ever handicap win. Meanwhile Mahon came back to earth when a run of 5 inner fours sunk his day.
As for the target rifle group Shepherd 46.02, Gibson and Williams both with 46.01 held their own but Coghill again suffered a meltdown with just 40.01, magpie threes again the bane of his day. Williams won the A Grade Cock of the Walk and Gibson B grade.
Next week is the final range of the W Cutler Cup and a 600 yard Championship range.
Scores:
G S Willis FSA 113.3 (3 ¾) 97 ¼
G P Willis FSA 110.5 (5 ½) 96 ¼
J Eppleston FSA 111.6 (4 ¼) 96
S Williams TRA 93.04 (2 ¾) 95 ¾
J Coghill TRB 83.01 (9 ¾) 92 ¾
by John Coghill
Posted in Weekly Roundup on Mar 18, 2018