The First ANZAC Rifle Range Rimfire Invitational Shoot

Marcus O’Dean reports

The Military Rifle Clubs Association had been running in-house rimfire matches for some time on the newly refurbished Horseshoe Range complex at Malabar. The complex consists of two 50 metre and one 100 metre bays that can accommodate good numbers of both pistol and rifle shooters.

Range briefing

So we sprung into action approaching multiple sponsors to support a special rimfire match on Sunday 3rd July, while getting a barbecue organised, range staff for safety and RO duties while printing up flyers, entry forms and doing E-promotions through multiple websites. Eventually we were good to go.

The Shoot. We shot a reduced size version of the SSAA Military Service Discipline 3P Core grading event in a alkdown format from 50 through 35 and 25 metres. We had 40 participants made up from MRCA, Alpine Precision, SSAA Sydney and Sydney Rifle Clubs with two juniors and two “try shooting” P650 shooters as well. Broad categories were scoped or iron-sighted rifles in .22 Long Rifle.

Highest possible score for the event is 150 with 30 centres and eight hits our of eight on the Skirmish silhouettes added to the target on the bottom. Many got pretty close and it is fair to say that at least 80 percent of the scoped rifles were either Brno Model 2s or the later CZ 452s. That certainly says something.

So who won?

The following took away the top score prizes on the day:

Scoped .22 – Kevin McDermott from Alpine PRC with a score of 149.19 and seven skirmish hits. Kevin used a CZ 452 Varminter. Kevin won a monster Winchester Bowie Knife.

Iron-sighted – Marcus O’Dean (RAE Rifle Club) using a SMLE-based Lithgow No2 Mk4 with a Rawson aperture and blade foresight with a score of 147.22 and eight skirmish hits. Marcus won a pair of Bushnell binoculars

Best off-rifle over 70 years of age – Peter Thompson (SSAA) using a scoped rifle for 144.13 with two skirmish hits. I think Peter won a knife(?)

Best Junior (U/18) – Laura Smith (RAE Rifle Club and Drummoyne RSL Pistol Club) with 133.5 with seven hits on the skirmish. Laura won a pair of Shooting Glasses.

Logistic support

Dick Whitehead ran a splendid, much -appreciated sausage sizzle and Peter Birchall brought along some venison-blend sausages which were wolfed down with gusto. Thankyou guys for your help. Range Officers and safety personnel including Arthur Johnstone, Peter Birchall, Wilko, John Lewis, Paul Wilkes and Mark Guest (who had just run for Parramatta as a LDP candidate), Nigel and Louise Smith and anyone else that I should not have forgotten.

Sponsors

Most of the prizes on the day were awarded on a raffle basis. The sponsors of this terrific day were:

Michael from eagleye for 30 gun bags
Mick from Benson Archery for a brick of Highland .22 ammo
Damien from Nioa for two 500 round tins of SK Magazine .22 ammo
Sue at NSW Rifle Association Shop for two bricks of CCI .22 ammo
MRCA for multiple Winchester branded knives
Bill de Vink from Tawonga Distribution for his lovely Opinel and other continental folding knives
Tracy at Yaffa Media for four magazine subscriptions to Guns Australia and Sporting Shooter magazines
Pam at SSAA Sydney Branch for two NSWRA shop $50 vouchers
Chris at Tasco Sales Australia for a pair of focus-free binoculars