News

            Bathurst marksman, Jeff Eppleston has emerged as a prime candidate for selection in the national team to be named later in the year. The Australian Team will compete in Canada in the World Championships in 2017 in the category known as F Class Target Rifle. This competition is held from ranges out to 1000 yards using telescopes and firing from a light bipod rest.

            Jeff has been able to push his name to the forefront for selection due to his excellent form in competitions throughout NSW and also particularly in the recent Queensland State Championships, known as the Queensland Queen's Prize. He has previously won Queen's Prize meetings in both Sydney and Canberra, but on those occasions Jeff shot in the F Class Standard competition, which allowed him to use a much heavier and more stable pedestal rest.

            In Brisbane it was Jeff's consistency in varying wind conditions that enabled him to emerge with his third Queen's victory. After the first day of shooting from 300yds, 500yds, and double 600yd matches Jeff was lying in second position, three points behind Mark Faibairn from Cannon Hill in Brisbane.

            The second day of competition saw matches at 600yds, 800yds and double 900yds in winds which were varying in both strength and direction. The overnight leader fell by the wayside, but another Brisbane competitor, Andrew Blaiklock, used his local knowledge to top score. Jeff produced an excellent result to finish third on the day, and more importantly this gave him the overall lead from Blaiklock on countback by a solitary "x".

            On the final day three, competitors were faced with the championship ranges of 900yds and 1000yds where they fired twenty shots for a total possible score of 120 in conditions where the wind blew from all points of the compass. Many a competitor had their results decimated on this final day.

            However, displaying enormous poise under extreme pressure, and the wind reading ability of a true champion, Jeff fired a score of 114.8 to clinch the Queen's Prize. Blaiklock's knowledge of the local conditions was not enough as he fell short with a score of 112.7.Jeff's final aggregate, to claim a memorable victory was 578.35 out of a possible 600.

            Bathurst Rifle Club may well have yet another national representative in their midst.

We wait eagerly in anticipation.