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Wide Bay Championships 2016

The Maryborough Rifle and Pistol Club held the Wide Bay Championships in Gympie on the 11th and 12th of June and a great weekend was had by all who attended. The festivities started off on Friday night with all the early arrivals, approx 30 enjoying a very tasty meal cooked by Laurie Aberdein assisted by Brian Cooper and the ladies in the canteen. After the meal there was many stories to be told and many remedies for rifles that were not shooting quite right. All this happened around a good fire drum to keep the chill out.

Saturday dawned to a brisk temperature and good shooting conditions. After a good breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked by Roy Muller and helped by Laurie Aberdein it was time to get down to business. First up was an 80 shot silhouette match which attracted 33 entries.

In A Grade Heyden Stey was the winner from Shannon Peters and John Patzwald after a hotly contested shoot off as they all ahd a perfect score of 80. B Grade was won by Kristine Crawford with 78 from Adrian Doesel 77 and Jessica Crawford 77. C Grade was won by Roy Bagust 73 from Callum Hickling 70 and Geoff Hammelswang 69. D Grade was won by Reg Morgenson 60 from Jakob Larsen 45.

The next was the 50 metre prone match which got 22 entries. A Grade was taken out by Robert Eckel from Charleville with a score of 581 from John Patzwald from Toowoomba with a score of 572. B Grade was won by Patrick Sullivan from Gympie with a score of 581 from Alan Smith 576 from Paramount and Rachael Ross 573 also from Paramount. C Grade was won by Bob Gunner 554 from N.S.W. from Courtney Martenelli 546 from Toowoomba and Heyden Stey 544 from Gympie club. D Grade was won by Heyden Stey 544 from Gympie club.

The next match was the 50 metre bench rest sporter match. A Grade in this match was won by Neil Digweed 732 Hornets club from Roy Muller 729 from Maryborough club and John Patzwald728 from Toowoomba. This was followed by a heavy varmit match. John Patzwald was successful here with a score of 748 from Murray Cole 741 and Maria Rizzo 740 from Lismore club. The next match was light varmit. This was won by Bill Simmons 743 from his son Jack 742 and John Patzwald 741.

Saturday night saw another sumptuous meal provided by the Gympie club and two roaring fire drums to keep everybody warm. Another very sociable night with a lot of merriment and stories, some a bit taller than others.

Sunday, Bacon and eggs for breakfast and back to business with 50 metre L/V match first up and the weather throwing up very different conditions to Saturday with plenty of wind and quick wind changes. Bill Simmons was the winner with 741 from John Patzwald 737 and Murray Cole 737. Next up was a H/V match. This was closely contested with Neil Digweed 741 coming out the winner from Bill Simmons 739 and John Patzwald 737.

The weekend was finished up with a 50 metre prone match. A Grade was won by Robert Eckel 590 a very credible score under the prevailing conditions from John Patzwald 585. B Grade was won by Andrew Pape 579 from Commercial club from Patrick Sullivan 576 and Robyn Sampson 574. C Grade was taken out by Bob Gunner 566 from Heyden Stey 547 and Courtney Martenelli 534. D Grade was won by Savanna Stey 538 from Gympie.

Wide Bay Prone Grand Champion was Robert Eckel from Charleville. Junior Prone Champion was Patrick Sullivan from Gympie.

The Maryborough club would like to thank Mick Schneider for donating the trophy for the two gun event which was won by John Patzwald. The club would also like to congratulate all the winners and thank all competitors for attending, coming from Mackay, Charleville , Lismore , Toowoomba ,Brisbane ,Newcastle as well as local area shooters. 148 nominations were taken over the weekend from 61 shooters. 74 benchrest , 41 prone , 33 silhouette, THANKYOU ALL!

The Maryborough Club would like to give a big thankyou to the Gympie Club for allowing us to use your range and facilities also all the help from their members and the good food all weekend. Hopefully we will have our range back next year.

Roy Muller President / Club Captain
Maryborough Rifle & Pistol Club

Bingera & South Kolan Prize Meeting 2016

Author: Kerry Pagotto

Windy conditions greeted 40 shooters on the 12th & 13th March at our annual prize shoot. Although conditions were testing, some shooters shot really well.

By all reports all shooters enjoyed themselves over the weekend especially those who attended the Saturday night dinner where we were entertained by Maryborough shooter and comedian Roy Muller.

Shooters attended from Brisbane, Lismore, Maryborough, Mundubbera, Childers and Bundaberg.
We as a club would like to thank all those shooters who attended for the weekend to make it the success it was.

Placegetters for the weekend were:

Comradery and the ANZAC Spirit

Author: Rachael Ross

Growing up, we’ve all watched movies that told the story of the ANZACs. On the 25th of April each year, we stand in complete silence. You can hear a pin drop. The bugle plays, flags are lowered. We pay tribute to those who gave their lives in the ultimate sacrifice. We hear of the comradery between Australia and New Zealand, strengthened by the atrocities the ANZACs endured together during the Great War.

I didn’t realise that this comradery extended beyond the history books and into our everyday lives. Earlier this month, Alyce Devlin, Tamsyn Henry and myself attended the New Zealand Nationals. From the moment we touched down in Wellington, we were welcomed with open arms. The customs officers joked with us about our ‘funny looking’ rifles, and told us to ‘shoot well, but not too well.’

As we arrived at Palmerston North, (where the NZ Nationals were being held) the view was almost postcard-perfect, with sheep frolicking in the distance as the trees waved in the breeze. We could not have asked for a better environment to compete in. It was a beautiful 24 degrees, and coming from the 40 degree Queensland summer, we were bundled up in our winter jumpers and scarves. Meanwhile, our Kiwi counterparts were in singlets and thongs, complaining about the heat.

To top it all off, the kiwi competitors treated us like we were their own. Coming from electronic targets to paper targets, meant we were not the best at setting up scopes. With no hesitation, they were on the scene and showing us the quickest way to move between positions.

Shot over 3 days, the competition was close. With scores going back and forth across the three events. The conditions for the 3P match were quite favourable; a nice constant breeze with only a few tricky changes. The air rifle range was homely and familiar, the paper targets barely changing the overall shooting experience.
Between these competitions, we dined together and shared stories, made plans for future visits. The only time things got heated, was when the origins of Pavlova was mentioned at the dinner table. I’m sure this discussion will be continued when we meet again.

The important part of these Nationals were not the results or which one of us won, it’s the rediscovered friendship between competitive shooters of our two countries that for many years seemed to be forgotten.

From South Africa to South Kolan

Author: Frans Snyman

Back in 1989 I joined my school’s target shooting team in South Africa. We practiced after school and had the occasional inter-school competition. Those were some of my fondest memories from high school – not so much the shooting itself: Spending time with friends, looking at each other’s targets and occasionally aiming at the washing pegs holding up your friend’s target.

Twenty years on I now live in Brisbane and a few years ago I joined Commercial Small Bore Rifle club and Queensland Target Sports. The shooting aspect is nice – it brings a level distraction from everyday work. Target shooting is a mentally demanding activity. Unlike the mainstream perception of associating shooting with aggression, to be good you need to be focused, calm and in control – it’s not supposed to be easy.

The best part of joining QTS though is meeting a community of like-minded people and making new friends. The Australian small bore target shooting community is smaller than I expected. It’s great to share ideas and to compete among some of the world’s best shooters.

The Belmont range is equipped with electronic targets. The new technology is great, however returning to paper targets during last week’s competition in South Kolan was wonderful. Apart from bringing back old memories, it had a fresh feel to it. The rural vibe and community at the range is nice. I was great to take a break after 20 shots, to chat with fellow competitors while walking to the targets and to see actual holes in paper again. It was easy to forget we were taking part in a competition. My average score perhaps explains that. But that doesn’t matter.

Our family made a weekend trip out of it and spent some time at Elliott Heads. We loved it. I will definitely return.

Belmont Jim Smith Range Access.

30 May 2016

The range was closed and the final working bee held on 28/29 May.

3 March 2016

The Belmont range is still open. There will be a working bee in the future, watch this space for future updates.

Bingera and South Kolan Prize Meeting 16 – Program

Please see attached the Program and rules & conditions for the 2016 Prize shoot – bingera and south kolan program 16

Silhouette Shield Round 1 2016 – Mundubbera

Author: Learne Sims

On Sunday 14 February the Mundubbera Small Bore Rifle Club held the first of four Shield Shoots for the 2016 season. The event was very successful and everyone had an enjoyable time. The heat didn’t slow anybody up with 36 shooters in attendance. The youngest shooter, Alyx Peters, was only 11 years of age and she scored herself a gold medal. Wayne Perry, a Mundubbera member, was shooting a competition for the first time. He didn’t let his nerves get the better of him and he too walked away with a Gold medal in D Grade. Our Mundubbera Club took out 3 of the medals. The Munduberra/Childers team also finished on top in the teams competition. Congratulations to the winners. Round 2 of the Shield will be held at Gympie on March 6.

Results

A Grade
1st – Shannon Peters (79) Countback
2nd – J Pepprell (79)
3rd – Rob Probert (78)

B Grade
1st – Peter Bowring (79)
2nd – Ray Bock (77)
3rd – Jimmy Wardell (75)

C Grade
1st – Bill Slack (72)
2nd – Dale Cockerton (50)

D Grade
1st – Wayne Perry (66)
2nd – Aiden Taylor (60) Countback
3rd – Reg Mogensen (60)

Juniors
Hayden Stey
Savanna Stey
Alyx Peters

Teams
Mundubbera/Childers 675 points
Maryborough/Gympie 659 points
Bundaberg 598 points
Bingera/ Sth Kolan 290 points

Maryborough Masters Games 2015

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Author: Roy Muller

The Maryborough Masters Games for 2015 was held on 10 & 11 October at Childers Smallbore rifle range. The weekend started on Friday afternoon with the early arrivals being greeted with some very heavy showers of rain. Spirits were high and the rain did nothing to dampen them. The early arrivals soon pitched in to help Roy & Marg to unpack everything and get the gazebos erected before the next lot of rain, this help was much appreciated. Friday night saw a delicious meal with Marg’s delicious homemade pea and ham soup as an entrée followed by a sausage sizzle and some homemade tartlets and cream for sweets also provided by Marg and a few social drinks just for health reasons.

Saturday dawned with a clear sky early and no wind, things went downhill from there. The sky stayed clear but the wind came up and blew from every direction and changing very quickly which made for some very interesting shooting and also brought scores down with many shots being fired by top shooters and the next comment would be WHAT THE **** how did that get there? Neil Digweed said he had heard rumours about wind etc. on Childers range and he can now go back and tell them they are not rumours.

There were shooters from Lismore, Charleville , Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Bundaberg , South Kolan , Woodgate , Munduberra , Brisbane , Childers and Maryborough with quite a lot of new faces who have said what a great weekend and they will be there next year.

The silhouette match saw John Pepprell take the A grade win with a perfect score of 80 and Ken Ogilvie come in second ahead of Hayden Stey after a countback with a score of 78. B grade was won by Peter Bowring with 77 with Mark Brown second 76 and Jimmy Wardell third 74. C grade was won by Robert Milne 77, second was Tim Doessel 68 and third was Ann Bruton 57. D grade was won by Reg Morgansen 60 from Arron Marsden 47 and Shanae Doessel 26.

In the prone match Saturday Patrick Sullivan 568 took out 1st place in the U35 with Heyden Stey 537 coming second. Brandon Kemp 579 came 1st. in the 35-44 age group. Shane Jones 571 came 1st. in the 45-54 age group with Jason Kettle 567 second. In the 55-64 age group Derek Cassar 560 came 1st. with Matt Murillo 549 coming second. In the 65+ Barry Sturgess 568 came 1st. with Greg Tennant 557 coming second.

The benchrest matches were shot on R.B.A. targets. The benchrest match on Saturday was won by Neil Digweed 725 from Barry Sturgess 723 and Roy MacCarthy 719 in 65 years+. The 55-64 age group was won by Stuart Neale 725 from Ann Bruton 702 and Alan Braford 688. The 45-54 age group was won by Bill Simmons 720 from Peter Bowring 606 and Fay Bowring 511. The 35-44 age group was won by Miriam Blythe 646. Under 35 was won by Patrick Sullivan 699 from Hayden Stey 507.

Saturday night was a really good social night of a BBQ with apple pie, custard, fruit salad and cream followed by a lot of yarn spinning, laughing and a lot of shooting information shared.

Sunday was nearly a rerun of Saturday, only with some mirage thrown in for good measure.
The prone match on Sunday saw Patrick Sullivan take out the U35 age group from Heyden Stey, Brandon Kemp won the 35-44 age group, Jason Kettle won the 45-54 age group from Shane Jones. In the 55-64 age group Derek Cassar won from Kevin Barden with Matt Murillo third. The 65+ age group was won by Barry Sturgess form Robert Milne.

In the Sunday benchrest match 65+ age group Barry Hilzinger took out 1st. 733 from Neil Digweed 728 and Roy MacCarthy726. In 55-64 Ann Bruton 715 was 1st. from Stuart Neale 714 and Kevin Barden 662. In 45-54 Bill Simmons was 1st. 717 from Fay Bowring 588. The 35-44 age group was won by Miriam Blythe 672, and the U35 was won by Patrick Sullivan 663 from Heyden Stey 588

Remember the Masters Games is not about winning or losing , it is an event to bring the people who love the sport of shooting together for a fun weekend of friendship and camaraderie and this weekend certainly showed that.

The Maryborough club would like to thank the Childers club for the use of their range and facilities, the shooters who travelled also the helpers on the weekend and hope to see you all next year for a bigger and better Masters Games.

Gympie shooters make the top three

The Gympie Smallbore Rifle and Silhouette Club hosted 24 shooters at the Queensland State Silhouette Championships held at the weekend.

President Tod Fleming said this was the first time the championships had been held in Gympie in three years.

“Overall it went really well – very happy with the result.”

He said numbers were quite good with competitors travelling to the shoot from as far south as Lismore, Mundubbera, Childers and South Kolan.

It was a successful weekend for Gympie placing in the top three positions overall.

It was a close contest between father and son with Gympie shooter Les Stey placing first with a top score of 158/160, closely followed by his own son, 16-year-old Hayden Stey.

Fleming was the third Gympie shooter with a score of 156/160.

Both Les and Fleming have now moved from B-grade to A-grade after presenting strong scores at the event.

All 24 participants competed in four 40 shoot matches with a day and night shoot on Saturday and two day shoots and a night shoot on Sunday.

He said the night shoot was scheduled in order to challenge shooters but suited the Gympie members better than the day-shoots as they would usually compete on Friday evenings.

“We shoot predominately at night.”

There was an A, B, C and D division with juniors also competing.

Fleming said the youngest competitor was Les Stey’s daughter 14-year-old Savanna Stey with shooters ranging all the way into their 70s.

“The rest of the clubs congratulated Gympie on how the event was run.”

Fleming thanked sponsors Owen Guns, Sullivan’s Live Stock, Auto Barn, BCF and Queensland Rural Supplies for their support.

He said the event brought the best shooters from across the state to Gympie and gave local shooters the chance to see the standard of shooting at other clubs.

Not only were the championships a success but also was a great fundraiser for the club raising over $1000.

Results QLD Silhouette Championships 2015

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WRABF World Championships 2015

The WRABF World Championships 2015 was successfully held at the Jim Smith Range, Belmont. Competitors from the countries of Australia, Ireland, Brazil, Italy, Czech, Philippines, Finland, South Africa, Great Britain, Ukraine, India and USA attended. Host country Australia topping the medal tally with 17 medals in total.

A report from the WRABF president including all medal winners and a photo gallery is provided below:

WRABF World Championships 2015 Report

Full results are available on Benchrest Bulletin.