OC Rifle Club News 2008

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These are the headlines for 2008.

• 5th April - Short Range Practice
• 19th April - Long Range Practice
• 26th April - Short Range "Q" Match
• 10th May - Long Range "Q" Match
• 14th June - Cranleigh Tankard and Match v. School
• 17th July - The Schools Veterans
• OCs at The Meeting
• 16th August - Long Range Shoot
• 21st September - The Annual Prize Meeting
• 18th October - Season Wind-up

Disclaimer: all the following material was written by the Hon. Sec. of the OCRC, Ted Eilley, and represents his views alone.

5th April - Short Range Practice

After the near shorts and T-shirt weather of the day before, the 300 yard firing point with a grey sky and a north wind fishtailing towards us was a bit of a shock. Nevertheless, five of us had kept our resolve stiff and stood ready to take it on. By the time we got back to 600 yards the climate was more sunshine and showers. Rob Pile and the Hon. Sec. were caught unprepared in quite a heavy shower, complete with hail, and got up rather wet. The effect of the wind then was literally teeth chattering.

The scores were distinctly middling: the best we could manage was 93.10 and the spread was quite wide. After rifle cleaning, we were a bit miffed to discover that, apart from the armoury, the Surrey Hut was shut solid: we couldn't even get in to wash our hands.

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19th April - Long Range Practice

Seven OCs arrived at Bisley on a very uninviting day for the first long range shoot of 2008. Despite the fact that one had to leave for pressing family business half way through the afternoon, we just failed to finish the 1000 yard detail by the time shooting had to stop. This proves yet again that things do go slower at long range: the targets are bigger and harder to move and more "message 4s" seem to be needed.

The threatening weather fulfilled its promise: it rained and we all got wet (again). Despite this, Anthony Gamage showed us the way with 93.7, achieved without any help from a wind coach. It was very good to welcome one of the 2007 School leavers, Tim Cross, who unfortunately suffered most from the time constraints. What with this and the weather, let's hope that he has not been completely put off!

We can report that facilities were running better at the Surrey Hut: lunch was available and the bar was manned after shooting.

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26th April - Short Range "Q" Match

The full complement of OCs turned up for this one - excellent commitment! Some other schools could muster only four and it was agreed that the match would be decided by teams of four with three nominated at the start. We deserved better weather for our third outing of the season and we got it. In fact it was just about perfect but with a tricky wind that we failed to master as well as some of the other teams and we could come only fourth. The full results table is:

The team selectors got it badly wrong: our best four scores on the day made a total of 371.25 which would have given us third place.

There was time to gather in the sunshine as Rob Pile (181 kB) discussed the finer points of target rifle construction with Tim Cross (back to the camera) who left Cranleigh last September while Adrian Elliott and Tim Bourne (145 kB) did the business. Most importantly, the bar was open at the SRA after rifle cleaning.

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10th May - Long Range "Q" Match

Despite start-of-week worries that we might have too many people for this match, unforeseen problems prevented several would be participants from making it and we stood at the 900 yard firing point at a strength of five. The wind, though no more than "gentle", started difficult and learned a few things during the afternoon: by 1000 yards it was fishtailing at a maximum of 2½ minutes either way. Otherwise, it was a splendid afternoon weatherwise. The results are:

In the circumstances, we are filled with admiration at the Framlingham "A" score - well done you chaps. This time the selectors did much better: our final score was the best we could possibly have made, but with only five to choose from anyway it was easier.

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14th June - Cranleigh Tankard and Match v. School

We arrived with a field of eight to find the School already at the 300 yard firing point with RSM Gordon Bryant (93 kB) giving his squad a serious briefing about the conditions.

The Cranleigh Tankard was won by Rob Welford with 97.11; Simon Hayton was second at 96.7 and four clear points ahead of the rest of the field. Unfortunately, the holder, David King, was, at the last minute, prevented from joining us by an emergency and we were unable to present the Tankard to the winner.

The disparity in numbers was resolved by calculating an average score for each shooter. On this basis the match was won by the OCs 62 to 53.

There are some pictures: the preparation (196 kB), the action (176 kB), and relaxing afterwards (119 kB) at the Surrey RA.

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17th July - Schools Veterans

We had two full teams available for the Schools Veterans. These scored: "A" Team - 234.15 and "B" Team - 220.16. The Simmonds Medal was won by Simon Hayton with a score of 48.4; Adrian Elliott also scored 48.4 but Simon had the stronger finish and his shoot was deemed the better. Vice President Andrew Black presented the medal to Simon(99 kB) back at the Surrey RA. Below are some relevant extracts from the results.

For the 52 "A" Teams entered.

and for the 37 "B" Teams:

Rob Welford's son Edward shot in the Wellington "A" team and scored 50.8.

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OCs at The Meeting

Simon Hayton and Rob Welford took part in the whole of the 139th Imperial Meeting and Ted Eilley was there for a couple of days. Simon made it onto some prize lists as shown in the following table. Be aware that Rob is Class "A" and that means that he has to do better than the rest of us to get on the lists.

Your reporter's results were distinctly mediocre: the best he could manage was 49.3 in the Admiral Hutton and "the last "O" in" had 49.4.

For all the Imperial Meeting results click here.

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16th August - Long Range Shoot

Five OCs turned up for this silly season shoot at long range on an afternoon that turned out to be much more pleasant than the mid-week weather forecasts had been promising. The fresh southerly wind was, nevertheless, quite difficult as it tried to find its most comfortable direction. The Hon. Sec. had been reasonably satisfied with his 87.5 until he discovered that Rob Welford had scored a very creditable 95.7 (49.4 at 900 yards).

Agreeably, the facilities at the SRA were fully available.

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21st September - The Annual Prize Meeting

The programme for the day was:

1. JACKSON CHALLENGE TROPHY: 2 sighters & 10 to count at 300 & 500 yards, a.m.

2. LOVESY CHALLENGE BOWL: 2 sighters & 10 to count at 600 yards, p.m.

3. LONG RANGE TROPHY: 2 sighters & 10 to count at 900 yards, p.m.

4. PRESIDENT'S PRIZE, the Championship: best aggregate score for the day.

It was a little disappointing that only six of our members were able to get to the biggest Club event of the season. It was a fine day throughout with virtually still air in the morning and a decidedly testing east wind in the afternoon. The scores at the longer ranges tended to show the effect of this. The results are:

The Jackson was closely contested: both Tim Bourne and Rob Welford scored 98.9, just one "V" bull behind Andrew Black's 98.10 which included 50.6 at 500 yards. In the afternoon, Rob Pile, with 48.2, missed out in the Lovesy by just one "V" bull again. Consistently good performance was, as last year, displayed by Rob Welford who took the Presidents Prize for the grand aggregate of the day, four points clear of the rest. Interestingly, the rest included four scores of 187, ranging from 187.14 (Black) to 187.9 (Eilley).

There are some pictures. Andrew Black (132 kB) receives the Jackson rose bowl from Rob Welford, Ted Eilley (139 kB) receives the Lovesy trophy from Rob Welford and Rob Welford (128 kB) receives the Presidents Prize from Andrew Black.

To those who couldn't make it we say "Too bad! You missed a grand day out!"

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18th October - Season Wind-up

Report will appear here. Back to top

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For more information contact the Hon. Secretary, Ted Eilley:

E S Eilley
eilley@btinternet.com

To e-mail him now click here.