News

Bathurst Rifle Club Inc. 24th June 2017, C R Kelly Cup, Champ & QVM, 700yards

            Several of the club’s top marksmen are away at the National Championships in Brisbane but the local competition went ahead with the addition of a trio of young people associated with the Willis clan. 

            Liz Willis is returned after a short break whilst Seth Toon, grandson of Graham Willis, tried his hand at target shooting for the first time. Aaron (AJ) Smith fronted up for another tilt at the targets and all three performed in a manner that suggests that they can hold their own against the regular members. 

            Looking at the weather conditions before play, a freezing cold breeze dipping and surging from the western quarter induced a fair amount of trepidation as shooters approached the mound. The fear turned into reality when the first shooters were splattered all over the target. Gordon Shepherd realized his fears with a fairly ordinary 90.04 whilst Dennis Lavelle fumbled his way through a first stage 42.01 before regaining some control with a 47.03 second stage. 

            John Coghill found a light patch and managed to group in the bulls eye ring with a day topping 48.0 but missed a chance to put a really good score on the board with mixed ammunition and a few wobbles leading to a 45.03, which included his regular magpie three. 

            Graham Willis managed to shoot a 108.2 between coaching Toon and Smith to very respectable scores. Toon shot a pair of 52.1’s but a decision by the coach not to move the sight when the wind gusted resulted in a magpie three saving his Pop some embarrassment. 

            Smith and Liz Willis shot their first stages in the early wind gusts and while Liz retired AJ had the best stage of the day, a second stage 55.2. Colin Howell had a bit of a letdown after his giant killing stages in recent weeks with a poor 96.1. 

            In Brisbane, Graeme Bright started the Queens in brilliant fashion just one point down after two days and eight stages. Nick Cock and Steve Williams also shot well but the F class contingent of Jeff Eppleston, Geoff Willis and Ben Wright were a little off the pace. Day three saw Bright drop 5 points including a last shot magpie three at 1000 yards while Cock finished with a double possible to pass both Bright and Williams into the top twenty.   

            The C R Kelly Cup continues and the K Redding 8/900 trophy commences next week at 800 yards         

Scores:   

J Coghill TRB 93.03 (6) 99

D Lavelle TRB 89.04 (9 ½) 98 ½

G Shepherd TRA 90.04 (6) 96

G P Willis FSA 108.2 (5 ¾) 92 ¾

C Howell FSB 96.1 (4 ¾) 82 ½

S Toon FSB 104.2

A J Smith FSB 102.2

E Willis FSB 49.0- Rtd

by John Coghill