Victorian Rifle Association 2024 Kings Series
April 29th, 2024 | 
Author: Tim Walter was Roseville’s sole representative at the Victorian Rifle Association 2024 Kings Series held over 10 to 14 April 2024.
Tim stayed at the Happy Wanderer Motel as usual and had the company of Graeme Bright from Bathurst, Don Thompson from Natives and Cedric May from Canberra.
The weather was fine, around 7 or 8 degrees in the morning, but becoming quite warm during the day. Conditions for Day 1 of the Syme were blustery all day over 500, 500, and 600 Yards.
It was not a good day for Tim who distinguished himself in the wrong way by coming last at each range in B Grade!
Day 2 of the Syme saw calmer weather for 700, 900 and 1,000 Yards.
At 700 Yards Tim continued to place last, but at 900 Yards Tim was able to shoot a 49.5 to win the range in B Grade!
1,000 Yards proved trickier and for once Tim did not finish last!
Day 1 of the Kings was shot over 500, 500, and 600 Yards.
A sling adjustment before the first range made a difference and Tim shot 48.4 and 49.4 at the 500 Yard ranges, finishing in 3rd place in the second shoot.
600 Yards saw Tim finish with 46.2 giving him a Day 1 Aggregate of 143.10 finishing in 7th place in B Grade and feeling a lot better about his shooting.
Day 2 of the Kings was shot over 700, 800, and 900 Yards and many shooters were hopeful of some big scores at these ranges, however, the mirage liked to reverse itself on occasions, usually while a shooter was on aim, and magpies were not unusual.
Tim shot 45.3 at 700 Yards finishing in 8th place, and 46.2 at 800 Yards finishing in 9th place.
At 900 Yards, Tim opened with a miss to finish last again with 39.2, an outer 2 for his second last shot not helping the score. This gave Tim 130.7 on Day 2 to finish in 12th place.
Day 3 of the Kings was shot over 900 and 1000 Yards.
Tim was shooting early at number 3 and sighting proved difficult for him, scoring 42.1 with another outer 2.
At 1,000 yards and shooting last, sighting was again a challenge, and although the wind was light it was drifting up and down. Tim dropped 4 points in 6 shots but finished 2,4,4,4, for 40.0, but in 10th place, not last!
Not the desired outcome, but an improvement on the lead-up and with a plan to see the Optometrist very shortly, which may hopefully eliminate some sighting issues.
The Kings A Grade Target Rifle winner was Duncan Davies of West Wallsend Rifle Club with a score of 396.49 two centers ahead of Geoff Grenfell of Bendigo Rifle Club.
Jim Jeffrey of Lyndhurst Rifle Club, for whom I had the pleasure of scoring during the Kings, was most unfortunate to drop his last shot for 49.5 at 1,000 Yards to finish with 396.47. A bullseye would have won him the Kings!
On the social front, our Hostess, Melissa, cooked us all a great meal on the Tuesday night and on the other night’s Cedric, Don, Graeme, and Tim walked down to the Tyson’s Reef pub for a meal, Melissa joining us on the Thursday.
The usual outing to a restaurant on the Saturday night did not occur, but four tired shooters had a Chinese takeaway at home and had an early night, apart from Don, who continued to Watch “Oklahoma” on TV!
Tim W. 17 April 2024.
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