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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 24th January 2015 J Wilde Memorial Trophy 700yards 

            The weather threatened all afternoon but held off long enough to allow a small contingent of shooters to complete the second of four 700 yard championship shoots. Bathurst shooters are getting a reputation as good travellers and the Festival of Sydney competition at Malabar Rifle range in Sydney, attracted strong club representation. This of course left the local shoot short of numbers, but not enthusiasm. 

           The heavy rain which fell at the start of the shoot abated and the day settled into one of fine overcast skies with good even light, and just a little breeze. In other words almost perfect shooting conditions. One would not have thought so after the first stage produced some very average scores. Gordon Shepherd was the only competitor to pass muster, his 48.04 still a bit disappointing. Ron Gibson shot a 46.01 and he too was unhappy on failing to take advantage of the easy conditions. Dennis Lavelle and John Coghill wasted their first stages whilst Laurie Sim and Ben Wright failed to perform, shooting quite ragged and inconsistent stages in the F class section. 

           As the mild conditions moderated further, scores were expected to improve but generally this was not the case, except for Lavelle and Coghill. In what was a stunning return to form Coghill shot the only possible of the day to grab the B grade Cock of the Walk. Coghills' painstakingly slow shoot was his first possible in many months if not years. Lavelles' 48.01 left him a point adrift of Coghill, who in turn was two points behind A grade winner Shepherd. 

           Sim started his second stage in all sorts of strife. After finishing his first stage with twin inners his second stage sighters were one and three, after which he never fully recovered. Wright again battled the limitations of his Remington bush rifle and his thoughts turned to the acquisition of a scoped F-class target rifle in the near future. 

           The Blue Mountains District Rifle Association will hold their annual open prize meeting next Sunday, 1st February at the Lithgow Rifle Range. There will now be a three week hiatus in the local shooting calendar to allow for the running of the Bathurst Gun Club's Top Gun Shoot next weekend, and the Bathurst 12 hour motor race on the 7-8th February. 

           Shooting will recommence with the second range of the J Wilde Memorial Trophy at 800 yards on 14th February. 

Scores: 
J Coghill TRB 93.04 (12) 100
G Shepherd TRA 95.09 (4 ¾) 99 ¾
R Gibson TRB 91.02 (7 ½) 98 ½
D Lavelle TRB 92.03 (5 ¾) 97 ¾
L Sim FSB 107.4 (8 ¾) 96 ½
B Wright FSB 100.2

by John Coghill