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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 30th May 2015 F A Wilde Trophy, 300yards

            With the Club Championship now complete, weather conditions have moderated and target shooting has become a lot easier, at least that is the way it seemed to shooters on Saturday at the 300 yard mound of the F A Wilde Trophy competition.

           A light south westerly breeze drifted down from the hills behind the range and wandered around the SSAA butts before passing over the target. There did not appear to be enough variation in the conditions to alter sight settings although some contestants swore that they were the subject of some subtle wind shifts.

           None the less there was only one possible on the day and except for Gordon Shepherd, centre counts were, at the best, average. Nock cock, trying new sights in preparation for his Australian Team trip to the USA, was content with a 50.03 first stage and backed up with a 49.05 second, to win the Cock of the Walk from Shepherd who amassed 13 centre bull’s eyes in his pair of 49’s. Shepherd’s two inner fours were blots amongst long strings of centre bull’s eyes.

           Graeme Bright had a steady shoot but found it hard to centre his group and ended with a pair of 49’s, with just 5 centre bull’s eyes. John Coghill returning to his .223 cal rifle had a much better day with two 48’s, but he also found centres hard to come by. Dennis Lavelle did better in the centre count but was a little more wayward with a magpie three slipping into a pair of 47’s with 8 centre bull’s eyes.

           F-class almost produced the upset of the year with 1st year tyro Ben Wright pushing new Club Champion Grahame Willis to the brink of defeat. Wright outscored Willis by a point and three super centres in the first stage but a mistake in judging the breeze two shots from the end of his second stage resulted in an inner four, bull’s eye finish. Although the task of shooting a 56 or above seemed easy Willis struggled dropping four points, just falling in by two super centres, 113.6 to 113.4.

           The F A Wilde Trophy will continue next Saturday, the 6th June, at 500 yards. 

Scores:

J Coghill TRB 96.04 (12) 100

G Bright TRA 98.05 (3) 100

B Wright FSB 113.4 (7 ¼) 100

G Shepherd TRA 98.13 (1 ¾) 99 ¾

D Lavelle TRB 94.08 (5 ¾) 99 ¾

N Cock TRA 99.08 (¼) 99 ¼

G P Willis FSA 113.6 (5 ¼) 98 ½

by John Coghill