Saturday was clear and hot, with a vigorous mirage that faded as a southerly breeze picked up, presenting challenging conditions for Target Rifle shooters in a Double 600m Competition.

In the first 600 metre match Neil Attwood opened the Full-bore Target Rifle (308 cal., peep-sight, manually-supported) competition.

Despite a wayward 3-point ‘bird’ on his third pull which was bracketed by a 5-point centre-bullseye and a 5-point super-centre, indicated that he was clearly coming to grips with his new rifle.

Attwood closed with a very fine 45 points (out of 50 this 10-shot match) with 4 centre-bulls (centre-bullseyes and super-centre bulls are, along with bulls-eyes, valued at 5-points each, and are used to break ties on a count-back).

Rob Wearne followed, and after an absence of several months showed that he was still a force to be reckoned with.

He opened with a centre-bull/bulls-eye combination and dropped just 3 points with three dispersed 4-point ‘inners, including his last pull, to move into the lead with an impressive 47/3.

Ron Schild then took the mound, and though he closed with a 5-point centre-bull, he struggled with the turbulence of the mirage and in contrast to recent matches shot an up-and-down round of 4- and 5-pointers to post an out-of-form 41/1.

Mal McKellar was last of the Full-bore shooters down and, as with Wearne, he opened with a bulls-eye/centre-bull combination, and continued to mirror him with two 4-pointers in his next seven shots.

Unlike Wearne, however, he managed a 5-point super-centre to finish, taking the match win by just one point with a 48/4.  

Norbert Schmidt opened the F-Class Standard Target Rifle (308 cal., telescoped and bipod-supported) category and struggled with the mirage dancing in the ‘scope, pulling just three 6-pointers, though with a super-centre to finish, to post an uncharacteristically low 50 points (out of 60 this 10-shot match, for F-Class) and 1 super-centre.

Cairns Rifle Club visitor Steve Lazarus followed and, though he was trialling 185 grain projectiles (against the regular 155gn), was very measured in his approach.

He accepted a 6-point super-centre second-sighter as his first-to-count, and though he pulled four 5-pointers through the match, he worked the mirage very well and posted a respectable 56/4 to move into the lead.

Gus Gusmeroli was last down and he too struggled with the mirage, pulling two 3-point ‘birds’ amongst a string of 4- and 5-pointers to close with a perplexing and disappointing 42/0, handing the match win to Lazarus.

In the second 600 metre match Attwood again opened for Full-bore Target Rifle, and continued to demonstrate improving form.

A fine shoot of 5-point bulls-eyes and centre-bulls, with just three 4-point ‘inners’ was spoilt by a surprise 2-point ‘outer’ mid-match, but left him with another impressive score of 49 points (out of 55, this 11-shot match) with two centre-bulls. In fact both were super-centres, the best of anyone for this match.

Schild followed, but again failed to find his recent form, dropping his percentage with just one 5-pointer mid-match (though a centre-bull) and closing with another 41/1.

Wearne was next down and again opened strongly with five straight 5-point bulls-eyes and centre-bulls. His final six shots included two 4-point ‘inners’, but despite his lack of match practice he none-the-less moved into the lead once more with an impressive, and possibly unbeatable, 53/3.

McKellar was last down and again mirrored Wearne to the sixth shot where he too dropped a point. One more 4-pointer in his last five pulls left him square with Wearne on points with 53, but he took the second match on count-back with 5 centres to Wearne’s three.  

Schmidt’s second range for F-Class Target Rifle saw him continue to struggle with the mirage, which was proving extremely difficult through the ‘scopes.

He found the centre just twice in a string of 4- and 5-pointers, and dropped his percentage to close with an unheard of, for him, 54 points (out of 66 this 11-shot match, for F-Class) and 1 super-centre.

This time Gusmeroli followed, and though he too found the 4-point ‘inner’ ring three times, he lifted his game substantially with a string of fine 5- and 6-pointers to move into the lead with an impressive, given the conditions and his experience, 56/1.

Lazarus was last down, and he too found the conditions difficult pulling three 4-pointers and two 5-pointers through his shoot. Also dropping his percentage, he found the centre enough times to edge Gusmeroli and take the match win with a respectable 58/2.

In summary, in demanding conditions, the Full-bore Target Rifle Double 600m Competition was taken by Mal McKellar with 101 points (out of 105) and 9 centre-bulls, over Rob Wearne second in a fine comeback with 100/6, and Neil Attwood third with a commendable 94/6.

F-Class Target Rifle was taken by Steve Lazarus with 114 points (out of 126) and 6 super-centres, over Norbert Schmidt second on 104/2, and “Gus” Gusmeroli third with a very commendable 98/1.

The Club meets every Saturday at 1pm at the Mossman & District Rifle Club Range mid-way between Port and Mossman. Visitors are always welcome.