Archive for July 30th, 2018
Mark Buchanan finishes in 4th place at H.M. Queens Prize, Bisley 2018!
July 30th, 2018 | 
Author: In an astonishing display of marksmanship, Mark Buchanan top scored in the Queens Prize Stage III Final, shooting 134.10 over 900 yards and 1000 yards, to give him a total Aggregate of 280.24. This placed him 4th in H.M. Queens Prize, Bisley 2018, only one point and five centres behind the winner, David Luckman on 281.29.
Mark was also only one centre behind both Matt Button and the great Parag Patel who shot off for second and third place with 280.25 each.
Conditions were extremely difficult with strong and variable winds racing across Stickledown range for both shoots at 900 yards and 1000 yards. Mark shot 65.4 at 900 yards and 69.6 at 1000 yards, his 69.6 being the highest score shot at 1000 yards on the day – by three points!
Mark had shot 102.10 in Stage I to qualify for Stage 2, where he scored 146.14, placing him in 54th position. This effectively gave David Luckman, this year’s Commonwealth Games Gold medalist and arguably the best rifle shooter in the world at the moment, a 3 point lead going into Stage III, as David had scored 149.20 in Stage II placing him in 3rd position.
Luckman took a further 3 points lead over Mark at 900 yards shooting 68.6 to Mark’s 65.4, but Mark piled on t
he pressure at 1000 yards with his 69.6. Luckman replied with 64.3, which was enough for him to finish just one point ahead of Mark and to win H.M. Queens Prize for 2018.
Mark was the top scorer of a sizeable Australian contingent and congratulations must also go to James Corbett who finished 5th with 279.32 and Angus Bell who finished 9th with 279.16. Mark Horsnell finished 52nd with 271.18. Well done mark! Associate member Keirin McCamley was unlucky to finish Stage II with 144.15 in 108th position, missing out on a place in the Final by 1 point and 3 centres.
James Corbett was unfortunate in that he went into the final with 148.23 and shot a brilliant 70.6 at 900 yards to put him in the lead, only to finish with 61.3 at 1000 yards, thus indicating the extreme difficulty of the conditions on the day.
Mark’s 4th place is his best performance at Bisley so far and a just reward for many years of dedication and application. UK Queens results are HERE.
Good report written by Captain of Australian Rifle Team to Bisley 2018 Geoff Grosskreutz is available HERE
Well done Mark! You have done yourself, your club and your country proud.
Tim Walter.
30 July 2018.
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