Roseville Rifle Club Australia

As we approached the end of the shooting year, we found ourselves in a predicament with only half the Arn Hammond shoots completed. Gosford Rifle Club to the rescue! A special double-header was organised at the Kariong Range with teams shooting 600y in the morning and 500m in the afternoon. It was a small contingent from Roseville with 60% of the Roseville teams doubling up and shooting both TR and FTR disciplines (TR: Mark Buchanan, Alex Toth, Dmitri Kazakov, Sam Houston, and, finally returning after an extended “no sports allowed” medical order, Adam Beale…. FTR: Alex Toth, Dmitri Kazakov, Adam Beale, Alan Humbert, Janet Beale…with mascot Barney (the cavoodle) who came courtesy of Sam).

Highlights & lowlights of the day:

• Barney finding his lead wasn’t secured and taking an unscheduled jaunt through the Gosford Club house with Sam then realising and saying “Which way did he go? Which way did he go?” rather like the beloved cartoon character.
• 600y:
  • Adam coached Mark to a possible (75-10) and Mark returned the favour with coaching Adam to a possible (75-7) … the only two possibles in TR at 600y across all the clubs.
  • Dmitri recording the only “Pin hole” at 600y in TR across all clubs.
  • Alex lying down to shoot from Janet’s rifle with 2 “unrecognisable shots” as sighters (elevation miscalculation by Janet)…then a quick spin of the dial and first counting shot being an X. Phew!!!
  • Dmitri was the top FTR scorer from Roseville scoring a very nice 89-10 coached by Alan.
  • Janet lying down waiting to shoot and watching a swarm of ants on the mound (which then disappeared)….then an hour later Sam lying down waiting to shoot and finding the ants were now swarming on his ammo box and sights box….(Janet quickly got a spray can – which worked a treat!).
  • The 3 FTR shooters using Janet’s rifle all getting the same, unfortunate score of 83/90 … is it the conditions? The barrel? Or the load?
  • The {light} rain showing up just as the last shooters were finishing (“quick – put stuff into cars or under covers”).
  • Roseville’s teams coming 1^st in TR and 2^nd in FTR at 600y.
• 500m:
  • The rain coming and going as it pleased – good thing they put up the tents at 500m.
  • Adam coached Mark to a possible (75-13) and Mark returned the favour with coaching Adam to a possible (75-10) with Dmitri also getting a possible (75-10).
  • Sam recording the only “Pin hole” at 500m in TR across all clubs.
  • Janet swapping barrels so the 3 FTR shooters using Janet’s rifle all got much better scores of 88, 88 and 90 out of 90 … is it the conditions? The barrel? Or the load?
  • Adam was the top FTR scorer from Roseville scoring a possible (90-9) coached by Alan.
  • Roseville’s teams coming 1^st in TR and 2^nd in FTR at 500m (FTR was tied on points, but not on centres)
• Other
  • Mark and Adam both went clean across the day in TR and were the only two to do that in TR! (noting Adam hasn’t been on a shooting range since Gosford’s OPM on 9 Nov 2025 which was 6 months ago)
  • Dmitri was the top scorer for Roseville across the day in FTR with a pair of 89’s but couldn’t quite catch the leader (Eva from HMTRC) who scored 2 possibles.
  • Alex and Adam who don’t usually shoot FTR but who came through for Roseville.
  • Our intrepid wind coaches for the day (Mark & Adam in TR and Alan & Adam in FTR).
  • The efficiency of Gosford RC putting up tents at the club house because of the unexpected rain then moving the tents to the 500m mound.
  • Gosford RC who put on a generous spread at lunch time (sausages, onions, salad etc).
  • After shooting, the cakes, doughnuts, and Alex’s yummy muffins!
  • The camaraderie of all teams – we may be competitors, but we are also all friends.
  • A thanks to the other Rosevilleans who stayed at Hornsby to do “Duty club jobs” to keep the range open for other clubs.

One range to go – 800m….

Janet Beale

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