In an exciting battle, the Full-bore Target Rifle Double 400m Competition was won by Ric Mischlewski with 95 points (out of 105), and 6 centre-bulls over Neil Attwood 2nd on 94/4.

Norbert Schmidt took the F-Class Standard Target Rifle honors with 117 points (out of 126) and 2 super-centre bullseyes.

Saturday 2nd November was humid and calm on the range after early morning showers, with a mild mirage presenting, initially, fair conditions for Target Rifle shooters in a Double 400m Competition.

In the first 400 metre match Neil Attwood opened the Full-bore Target Rifle (308 cal., peep-sight, manually-supported) competition with a 5-point bullseye as his first sighter; unfortunately, as so often happens, he followed that with a 3-point ‘bird’ forcing him to cut them both.

He then opened his account with another 5-point bullseye and followed that up with a fine centre-bull, but despite four more 5-pointers, including two super-centre-bulls, he sprinkled in three 4-point ‘inners’ to close with a respectable but, these days for him, disappointing 47 points (of a possible 50, this 10-shot match) and 4 centre-bulls.

Ric Mischlewski followed, and, believing he could do better with his new-for-him, international-competition-forged Target Rifle (it was made specifically for an Australian team member in the 2003 PALMA match held at Bisley in the UK), also decided to cut his two sighters after pulling a centre-bull followed by a frustrating 4-point ‘inner’.

Looking like he had made the correct call, he opened with a bullseye and a centre-bull, followed by a doubt-inducing 4-point ‘inner’, but then another fine 5-point centre-bull.

Unfortunately it was all down hill from there, for a 3-point ‘bird’ on his next pull sucked the oxygen out of his match, and despite three more 5-pointers in his final five shots, he finished with two 4-pointers to close with a very disappointing 45/3, handing the match win to Neil Attwood.

Norbert Schmidt opened the F-Class Standard Target Rifle (308 cal., telescoped and bipod-supported) category with two fine 6-point centre-bulls. However with the mirage starting to dance he could not find the “super-centre’, and continued with a string of centre-bulls interspersed with two 5-point bullseyes; frustratingly, he closed with two further 5-pointers to post a disappointing, for him, 56 points (out of 60 this 10-shot match, for F-Class) with, surprisingly, no super-centres, none-the-less taking the match win for the category.

Cruickshank and Schild again coached local visitors.

In the second 400 metre match, Attwood again opened for Full-bore Target Rifle. Conditions continued to deteriorate however, as evidenced by his 4- and 3-point sighters, which he cut.

He opened with another 4-point ‘inner’, and went on to shoot an up-and-down round that included just four 5-point bullseyes and a closing score of a surprising 47 points (out of 55, this 11-shot match) with no centre-bulls. Mischlewski again followed, and recognizing that Attwood had left the door ajar, he cut his first sighter – a 4-point ‘inner’, and carried his second – a 5-point bullseye.

Fighting both the elements and for intense concentration he too was up-and-down, but despite a 3-point ‘bird’ on his second-last pull, he made seven more 5-pointers, including three fine centre-bulls, to stamp his name authoritatively on the match win with a respectable, given the conditions, 50 points with 3 centres.

Norbert Schmidt’s second range for F-Class Target Rifle saw him maintain his percentage and, though he dropped five points, he found the centre-bull six times to close with a respectable, and match winning score of 61 points (out of 66 this 11-shot match, for F-Class) with 2 super-centre bullseyes.       

The Club meets every Saturday at 1:00pm at the Mossman & District Rifle Club Range mid-way between Port and Mossman, and visitors are always welcome.