News

Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 19th March 2016 K Redding 700yard trophy, 700yards

            Bathurst Rifle Club is proud of its National and State representatives but the constant travelling becomes a little tiring. None of the travellers attended the local shoot on Saturday as they rested on their laurels from the Tasmanian State Championships and the Lyndhurst Annual Open Prize meeting last weekend. Nick Cock shot well in Tasmania finishing 3rd in the Queens Prize Series and 5th in the Grand Aggregate not quite up to his 2015 results but still very impressive.

           At the same time Geoff Willis and Ben Wright started the Lyndhurst shoot in great form both finishing day one in second position in their respective grades. However day 2 and the strong Lyndhurst contingent proved too much as Willis faded to 3rd and Wright to 5th in their aggregates. 

           The 700 yard range of the K Redding trophy looked quite a simple task but proved deadly with the mirage unreadable most of the day and all indications from flag movements totally at odds with the fall of the shot. Early shooters were totally mesmerized and it was fortunate there were no misses albeit by the smallest of margins. Graeme Bright bucked the trend with a careful 49.02 and Steve Williams countered with 47.03. Ron Gibson held reasonably steady for 45.04 but Gordon Shepherd 42.02 finished with a magpie three after a string of inner fours and John Coghill was completely out of his depth.

           In F-class Jeff Eppleston had too many bull’s eyes and not enough centrals and Grahame Willis even added inner fours in his attempt at beating the conditions. The second stage was not much better with inner fours decorating both scorecards in a day that will be consigned to the scrap heap. Neither Eppleston’s 105.3 nor Willis’s 103.2 will see the light of the Championship score card.

           Bright again did well to have some control, shooting a 48.03, but he was still beaten by a quick double switch of the mirage giving him consecutive 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock inners. Williams was under the weather in his 45.0 but Shepherd turned it around with a day high 49.03. Coghill repeated his dismal first stage but Gibson shot another 45.0 to win the K Redding Trophy.

           The range is closed at Easter and the next shoot is on 2nd April at 800 yards.

Scores:

R Gibson TRB 90.05 (12) 100

G Bright TRA 97.05 (1 ¾) 98 ¾

G Shepherd TRA 91.05 (5) 96

G P Willis FSA 103.2 (12) 95 ¾

S Williams TRA 92.03 (2 ¾) 94 ¾

J Eppleston FSA 105.3 (6 ¼) 92 ¾

J Coghill TRB 69.01 (12) 81