SSAA NSW State Championships

Military Service Discipline

17-19^th August, 2007

Match Report

All Results                     Photos

The Mudgee team of Andrew, Dave, Don, Mick and Dash had done their work well. The range and camping areas were in great shape and by Friday at 08.30 all targets were waiting the first holes.

Despite rain on Thursday, a foggy campfire that night and showers forecast for the weekend, not a drop fell during the matches. The 46 competitors were able to enjoy the best that Windamere Shooting Complex offers.

FRIDAY 17^th

Andrew Prowse welcomed competitors wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Pistol competition began on Friday with 23 competitors.

50m Deliberate Match

In class 1, Rob Irving (Sthn. Highlands) top scored with 106.01 with Greg Mills-Thom (Grafton) tying with Ben Doherty (Mudgee) for second/third on 104.0.

In class 2 Top Junior was Andrew Brown (Grafton) with a creditable 99.01

Also in class 2, Rob Irving again top scored with 114.03, second was Ben Doherty with 111.0 and third was Dave Toovey (Mudgee) on 108.02.

25m Three Positional

In class 1 Rob Irving top scored with 176.08, followed by Andrew Prowse with 156.01 and Darren Pearce (Mudgee) on 151.01.

In class 2 Junior Andrew Brown top scored with 140.0.

Class 2, was closely contested. Open winner was Rob Irving on 173.06 with Nick Abrahall (Grafton) two points behind on 171.07 and Richard Brown (Sydney) a close third on 169.02.

Standing 25m Rapid Fire sorted out the field.

In class 1, Matthew McPherson (Grafton) was top gun, using a borrowed 92FS Beretta to score 54.03. This was the first competition Matthew had shot with a 9mm. Second was Ben Doherty on 51.01 with Mick Toovey and Don Mackay both from Mudgee equal third on 47.0.

In class 2, Nick Abrahall led the pack with 56.02 followed by Junior Andrew Brown one point behind on 55.02 and Terry Lark following by two points on 53.01. Andrew was close enough to smell the gold on that one!

Three Range Core, this graded event produced the following results.

Class 1

C Grade, Greg Mills-Thom 313.02                               

                Robert Scott (Batemans Bay) 279.01

                Jeanette Doherty (Mudgee) 251.0

A Grade, Mick Toovey 323.08

                Darren Pearce 312.09

                Ben Doherty   299.01

M Grade, Don Mackay 337.09

                 Andrew Prowse 317.07

GM Grade, Robert Irving 350.01

                   Matthew McPherson 326.07

                   Ian Crabbe 182.01

Class 2

Junior, Andrew Brown 299.03

C Grade, Andrew Brown 299.03

               Robert Scott      297.04

               Rob McCracken (Grafton) 294.05

A Grade, Dave Toovey 337.01

                Terry Lark     330.09

                Ben Doherty  330.07

M Grade,  Nick Abrahall  348.16

                 Kerry Benson   330.06

GM Grade, Robert Irving 352.21

                   Richard Brown 343.07

                   Peter Brown (Grafton) 333.07

TOP GUNS

Class 1   Rob Irving  677.16

              Matthew McPherson 619.07 (9mm is not so bad really Matthew!)

              Ben Doherty 604.06

Class 2  Nick Abrahall 673.25 (Well done Nick!)

              Rob Irving      654.30

              Terry Lark       649.16 

Cadet / Training Rifle Match 18

During the afternoon, 32 competitors shot under variable wind conditions out to 100m and some scores, despite wind, were particularly good.

George Pabis (Lithgow) led the field with an excellent 146.07 using his No.8 Trainer.

Ben Doherty was a close second with a creditable 145.13 using a Cadet.

John Lewis was two points behind on 143.11 also using a Cadet

The evening included the traditional campfire, a few beers and good stories.

 SATURDAY 18^th

Andrew Prowse opened proceedings by welcoming rifle competitors, again wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend. Mudgee member, Ben Doherty, asked all of us to remember those who fought and fell on this 41^st. anniversary of the Long Tan battle between a 2500 strong Regiment of Viet Cong and D. Company 6 R.A.R.

Standard Rifle 

Rifle competition began with the 300M Deliberate

This was the first test of who was sighted in, since there was no wind effect. Competition was tight in all grades.

Junior Grade was won by Andrew Brown with 43.01.

GM Grade, Craig Mahoney (Sydney) won with a superb 49.05 using his M96, Darren Ottery (Northern Rivers) came a close second on 48.05 also using a Swede. Simon Ross (ACT) was third on 44.02 using a No.4 in 303.

M Grade, Matthew McPherson led the field with an impressive 49.02, edging Morten into second on 48.04, with Tim Hayes (Mudgee) third on 47.03.

A Grade, Terry Lark swept in with 47.01, from Dick Antcliff (Sydney) on 43.02 and Andrew Goodsell (Sydney) one centre behind on 43.01.

B Grade, Graham Smith (Sydney) shot an impressive 46.03 to win with Gordon O’Donnell (Illawarra) second on 43.01 and Ned Gligich (Sydney) third on 40.01.

C Grade was won by Paul Wilkinson (Sydney) on 39.01, from Jeanette Doherty on 38.01 and Robert Scott on 21.0.

The 3P Core event was contested in the following grades;

Grand Master Grade – 1^st Darren Ottery on 145.19,

2^nd Craig Mahoney (Sydney) on 145.17 &

3^rd Robert Irving on 142.08.

Master Grade – 1^st Nick Abrahall on 147.19,

2^nd Tim Hayes on 147.14 &

3^rd Morten one centre behind on 147.13.

A Grade – 1^st Jeremy Bates 144.11, 2^nd was Junior Andrew Brown one centre behind on 144.10 this also gave Andrew the Junior win, and 3^rd Richard Ottery (Northern Rivers) with 140.14.

B Grade - 1^st Ned Gligich with 131.01, 2^nd Mark Lewis (Sydney) on 126.07 and 3^rd 

Graham Smith with 125.02.

C Grade - 1^st Paul Wilkinson with 128.02, 2^nd Robert McCracken on 125.03 and 3^rd Craig Kirkman (Sydney) with 119.05. Craig shot with an M48 Mauser in 8mm using factory loads.

Rapid Fire B

1^st Craig Mahoney 100.13, 2^nd Nick Abrahall 100.09 and 3^rd Ben Doherty with 99.13

Modified Accurised

300m Deliberate

1^st Craig Mahoney with an excellent 50.6 shot with his CG63 Swede. Closely followed by 2^nd Peter Brown also with a CG 63 on 49.5 and one point behind Matthew McPherson on 48.5.

3P Core

1^st Ben Doherty with 148.20 closely followed by Craig Mahoney 2^nd on 148.16 and Rob Irving 3^rd on 143.13.

Rapid Fire B

This match was as tight as it gets. 1^st Peter Brown with 100.13 2^nd Craig Mahoney on 100.13. 3^rd Ben Doherty with 100.12.

Standard Rifle Top Guns

1^st Craig Mahoney

2^nd Greg Mills-Morten -Thom

3^rd Darren Ottery

Dinner on Saturday was again well catered with Lamb and Beef on the spit from Tom “The President” and Co. Mudgee does its competitors proud again.

Good campfire stories and antics kept the party going until an un-named Mudgee competitor played “We Are The Champions” accompanied by some croaky singing. Time for bed.

SUNDAY 19^th

Optical match day, shot on the mini core targets at 300m with wind naturally.

F1 Class  Shot with original sniper rifles or faithful copies.

1^st Carlos Herreros (Mudgee) 46.01, 2^nd Robert Irving 40.0 & 3^rd Ben Doherty 33.0

F2 Class

1^st Ben Doherty 56.06, 2^nd Jeremy Bate 55.04 & 3^rd Carlos Herreros 40.0

Tactical Class

1^st Simon Ross 46.03, 2^nd Robert Irving 55.05 & 3^rd Carlos Herreros 53.04.

Tactical Challenge “fun” Match

1^st Simon Ross 52.01, 2^nd Graham Smith 40.02 & 3^rd Rob Irving 40.02

So ended another great shoot, there were some lessons learned:

1 Check your cases carefully, we had four case head separations.

2 A dud primer is not a basis for a re-shoot. We had two of those.

3. A shot fired during the cease fire command is still a legal shot.

Conclusion

Our thanks must go to the workers at Mudgee who put on the event, without them and others at all our venues we might have to become belly floppers! Perish the thought.

Our next event is the National Championships to be held at Eidsvold in Queensland over Nov. 9^th-11^th, see our web site for details.

The locals up there are desperate to win back the rifle trophy after three consecutive wins by NSW. We need as many NSW shooters to experience this great show as possible, it is a graded event so join us and win a National medal.