News

Bathurst Rifle Club Inc. 3rd November 2018, Diggers and G James Cups, 300yards

            The eagerly awaited reopening of the range was well attended and shooters grasped the day with gusto. Despite a gusty west to south westerly the short 300 yard range held few fears and almost 50 % of competitors shot up to or better than their handicaps. There were some excellent shoots but none better than tyro Nick Webster.

            After sorting out his reloading technique and using a light 69 grain projectile Webster had a moderate first stage 54.1 but finished off with the top F-class stage of the day, a 59.7. Webster’s stage seemed to inspire a number of shooters from both target rifle and F-class ranks to try to emulate his deeds.

            After fairly tame first stages Ben Wright and Graham Willis (with a fancy new rifle) just missed their possibles scoring 59.4’s and Geoff Willis slotted a 58.4 to go with his leading first stage 57.3. Colin Howell had a pair of 57’s for a consistent effort as did Phil Mahon using a borrowed rifle as he awaits the return of his rifle from the gunsmith.

             The F-class Cock of the Walk was taken out by Geoff Willis with 115.7 over Howell (114.4) and Grahame Willis (114.7) with Webster (113.8) and Ben Wright (113.9) in close attendance. Jeff Eppleston, whose rifle Mahon used, shot a single stage of 15 shots before Mahon used some dicey factory rounds to finish off his day.

            The target rifle group was a little circumspect with the gusty breeze and scores were fairly moderate without a standout until Dennis Lavelle produced a fine 49.05 second stage, easily the best TR stage of the day.

            Graeme Brights' consistency won him the target rifle COW from Lavelle the B grade winner as Steve Williams twin stages of 45.03 and 46.03 and Gordon Shepherd’s meltdown gifted him the win. Shepherd running in his long awaited new barrel at the same time as competing was a little preoccupied with the twin tasks. John Coghill had no such excuse, as he crashed with a second stage 44.02         

             During the recent range shutdown Ben Wright contested the NSWRA State Championship and Queens Prize Meeting winning the F Standard B Grade division and elevation to the A grade ranks. At an earlier meeting Geoff Willis won the 2018 State F-class Champion of Champions Trophy and 4 members of Bathurst Rifle Club, Eppleston, Geoff Willis, Wright and Howell, joined with 4 others from the Blue Mountains District Rifle Association to win the State District Rifle Associations F-class teams event.

            On the local front Darrin Crimston (TRC), Howell (FSB) and Eppleston (F-Open) won their divisions of the Bathurst Rifle Club’s Annual Open Prize meeting closing out a very successful year of International, National and State representation by Club members.

             Saturday the 10th November will be the second of six ranges of the Diggers and G James Cups over 500 yards and the continuation of the 2019 Club Championship.

Scores; 
N Webster FSB 113.5 (9 ¾) 100
D Lavelle TRB 93.05 (9) 100
B Wright FSA 113.9 (7 ¾) 100
C Howell FSB 114.4 (6 ½) 100
J Coghill TRB 88.04 (12) 100
G P Willis FSA 114.7 (5 ¾) 99 ¾
G Bright TRA 95.07 (3 ¼) 98 ¼
G S Willis FSA 115.7 (3) 98 ¼
S Williams 91.06 (5 ¼) 96 ¼
P Mahon FSB 102.1 (12) 95
G Shepherd TRA 89.07 (4 ½) 93 ½
J Eppleston FSA 79.3/84 (practice)

by John Coghill

All scores/plots can be found Here.