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Bathurst Rifle Club 22nd August 2009 The W & J Brown Shield 900 yards

          Weather forecasts earlier in the week had shooters on their toes as to what to expect, and the fact that Saturdays shoot was over the 900 yard range, further added to the their apprehension.

Conditions appeared quite mild in the early afternoon but something was lurking there, which nobody was able to see, or once caught, able to control. Elevation was all over the place and groups unacceptably large.

          Graeme Bright and Dennis Lavelle were the best of an uncertain lot with 48's whilst the next best were the trio of John Coghill, Keith Redding and Gordon Shepherd with 45's. Coghill and Redding both visited the magpie circle whilst Shepherd scored an inner four every second shot. 

          Jan Sibera just couldn't get it together, having a magpie visit in his 43.01, and Ron Gibson had a miss in a 39.03 stage of inner fours and magpie threes. Tim Halloran faired a little better with a 41.02 but Tim Robinson in only his second solo shoot couldn't do better than 38.0. 

          Adam Parkinson in his second full bore shoot and using an ancient club rifle couldn’t get on the target until his fifth shot but once found, honed in for a three bulls eye, centre finish. Geoff Willis started his F class shoot with a magpie and consistently missed the centre in a poor 51/60. 

          The demons that were present during the first stage seemed to disappear as the afternoon wore on and scores rebounded strongly. Light became a factor in the late afternoon but it didn't seem to bother everyone. 

          Bright and Shepherd both shot 50.06's and Coghill just missed a possible with a 49.06. Robinson burst back to life with a 48.01 but Lavelle had a disappointing double inner finish in his 47.01. Redding had his best stage for some time a 46.01 and the veteran achieved the days only handicap possible.

          Willis improved a little (55/60) but with his small calibre 5.56mm stringing together runs of inner fours, he just could not compete with the larger calibres over the 900 yards. Gibson bounced back with 46.03 but he remains in a bit of a form rut and Sibera just can't come to terms with his new front sight nor get his ring combination sorted, another frustrating 43.01 the result. Halloran and Parkinson both scored 38.01’s in the late afternoon gloom. 

          Bright won the Cock of the Walk by three shots but nothing could surpass Reddings' triumphant first B grade COW for the year which included winning the W & J Brown Shield.  

          The final shoot before the Bathurst RSL Club/Kenny Springs Solicitors Annual Open Competition on Fathers Day will be the 3/500 yard first round of the Gurdon Cup and Pratley Shield on 29th August. 

Scores:      

K Redding 91.04 (16) 100

J Coghill 94.09 (5 ¾) 99 ¾

D Lavelle 95.04 (4) 99

G Bright 98.10 (3/4) 98 ¾

G Willis 106 (11 ½) 98

G Shepherd 95.08 (2 ¼) 97 ¼

J Sibera 86.02 (8 ¼) 94 ¼

R Gibson 85.06 (8 ¼) 93 ¼

T Halloran 79.03 (13 ½) 92 ½

T Robinson 86.01 (5 ¾) 91 ¾

A Parkinson 67.02