NSW Queens

[ecomeat]

Holy pistolero !! The wind was really kind to me again today , and I managed to win my first ever "Days Aggregate" at my 4th Queens as well as poking my nose in front by a whisker in the overall Queens Aggregate from Rod Davies, with Matt Paroz just a point or two behind Rod, and Mark Fairbairn, Greg Warrian, Spencer Dunstall, John Peters and Les Rozsnyai well and truly within striking distance.
The wind was BLOODY CRUEL to a lot of shooters today......Matt Paroz for example shot two superb 60-5s at 300 mtrs, ended with a great 59.5 at 600 meters, but got had by the conditions and dropped 5 shots on his first 600.
I accidentally found a wind meter in my car after I had finished, and I swear to God that it went from 6mph to 25mph and back to 6mph then back to 22-24 mph in the blink of an eye.......and as ridiculous as I know this sounds the flags never dropped at all during the process !! The shifts were that fast and furious that the flags didn't have time to drop !!
I told you a porky by accident earlier re Rod Davies.
He used his 6 Dasher at 300 mtrs, and not his "Gertrude" wildcat, but then got serious at 600 mtrs and pulled out the skeleton stocked 7mm . He was a "victim" of the conditions in the first 600 and dropped 5 points, but got it all together rather well to win the final 600 meters with a superb 60-5 in conditions that made grown men cry.
Thankfully we didn't really get wet today. Cold, blustery etc etc but the 30mm of rain that was forecast for Malabr didn't eventuate.
Being a "newbie" at all this, i can freely admit that it's pretty damn daunting looking over your shoulder at Davies, Paroz, Fairbairn etc but once again we will all be at the mercy of the weather at some stage. Winds are forecast to only be 6-8 kph......here's hoping
Tony

[AlanF]

Well done Peter Drew and Tony Berry! Tony when you're ahead of that field after 2 days, it ain't luck!

[DannyS]

Go for it Tony, bloody good to hear how well you went, hang in there and the best of luck to you.

Cheers
Danny S

[DaveMc]

Good luck Tony. one shot at a time.


JohnK - yes they ranked from Left to right in both the Nationals and Worlds.

[Matt P]

Tony
NOOOO PRESSURE mate, just don't look back !!!!

Matt P

[bruce moulds]

yes,
it looks like tony has done his apprenticeship.
he is now ready to go up a notch, and face lower light.
keep safe,
bruce.

[AlanF]

Bruce,

An ANZAC switchover makes Lower Light look like an indoor range .

Alan

[ecomeat]

Quick update.
I choked with a too clean barrel (was all organised to blow off 5 or 6 but was barred today, "because its Sunday") and dropped 2 at 700m . Shot 2nd in perfect conditions . No excuses now at 800 and get to shoot last.
Rod dropped 1, Matt P dropped 1, Mark F dropped 3. Trying to find out for sure but rumored that Greg Warrian shot. 60, so is probably on the same score as Matt Paroz

[AlanF]

That's what I like to hear - a close finish! Regardless of who gets the badges, sounds like a great event, and worthy contestants - that's what F-Open should be about.

Alan

[bruce moulds]

alan,
returning to blowoffs.
if fclass is allowed blowoffs on the mound prior to or during strings,
I am concerned that unless tr embraced this as well, we might return to the old days of tr/fclass range wars, from club level to the top.
also, the rules went from 3 to 2 sighters, and this seems to have stood the sport in a good position.
it just comes down to barrel management, a challenge, but a thing that can be done.
ultimately, if we need blowoffs, I feel that the range should be made available prior to the day's shooting for blowoffs into the mound with no targets, in order that no shooter has an advantage with understanding the weather.
obviously if you don't need to blowoff, then you should not be forced to do so to have an equal chance.
the policy at sara queens now is that the range is available until 7.00 am for this purpose, and this should suffice for fouling a barrel, if that is your only motive.
keep safe,
bruce.

[bruce moulds]

tony,
in competition, you can't control other shooters' scores.
you can control your own better by not knowing theirs, or where you are placed.
what comes out in the wash is how it is.
keep safe,
bruce.

[mike H]

F/Standard A is close,Peter Drew has lost a shot,now one point behind Peter Johnstone,also good to see two new entrants from Griffith and one from Ungarie.

[ecomeat]

Quick update....I joined the long list with inexplicable vertical flyers thismorning . Problem was that most victims only dropped 1 or 2 but it cost me 4 to that, shooting last. Then lost a completely inexplicable point "into" the wind......just a bloody poor shot obviously
I think that means that Rod Davies is the winner, but will confirm the badge winners ASAP . I have no excuses ...I just wasn't good enough in the last match to win the event . Rod dropped 3 at the 800 mtrs and I dropped 5. BUGGER !
John Peters from Cessnock shot a superb 90- 8 or 9 first up.
Spencer Dunstall from Ungarie had an 89-8 or 9 and having had a good yarn to him, I think we will see his name regularly appearing at the upper end of the results at big meetings. That ol' bugger can really shoot and is as keen as mustard to keep on with F Open and will probably build a 7 mm shortly.
I will see if I can chase up the formal results.
Tony

[ecomeat]

Still technically "unofficial" , but we have worked it out as follows
1st. Rod Davies 583-46
2nd Tony Berry. 583-39
3rd. John Peters. 582-44
4th. Matt Paroz. 582-38
5th. Spencer Dunstall 580-43
6th Greg Warrian 580-36
7th Mark Fairbairn 579-34
8th Les Rozsnyai. 577-33

So not much in it, and a highly competetive 3 days of shooting. Now we have the long wait for the VIP to arrive.
It just wasn't "my turn" yet, and a very good man wins the No.1 Badge. It probably wouldn't have been right if I had held the First Place to the end, because I can guarantee you that I wouldn't have been able to have even been worthy of a spot anywhere in the top twenty here if it hadn't been for all of the help that I have been given.
Dave McNamara and Rod Davies in particular, have selflessly given me an extraordinary amount of professional, hard earned advice that has allowed me to tune a couple of barrels well enough , and learn to shoot well enough to be competetive here at Malabar.
Mark Fairbairn and Matt Paroz have also both been willing to help me whenever I needed advice and I truly value their opinions ,advice and friendship, and hold them both in enormous respect.
Similarly Jenni Hausler has given me an enormous amount of extremely helpful advice regarding all of the little "fine points" associated with getting a good shot away ....bag fill , rest alignment, head position, trigger pull etc etc.
F Class is in great shape here in Australia when such extraordinarily well performed competitors as these I have mentioned , along with the many others in the sport who do like wise for newbies all over Austrlaia, and are happy to compete alongside those pupils and heartily congratulate them when the "pupil" has a better day than themselves.
We truly do have a great sport !
Tony

[AlanF]

Congrats to Rod Davies - this might be some consolation for the problems at Raton. Tony, you were far from disgraced - great placing in that company - you're going to win one soon. What a tight finish! John and Matt were closing, and will be wishing there was another day .

Congrats also to Jeff Eppleston and Dennis Formiatti in F-Std . Peter Drew - a very costly miss - rotten luck mate.

Alan