National Lever Action Championships
3-5 October 2009
Canberra, ACT

Richard Cains with Rhonda Cains, the 3-Gun
Ladies National Champion.


Mick McDonnell, left, accepts the Lever Action
Hall of Fame patch for the late Danny Mitchell
from Don Ruwoldt.


Richard Cains, left, with Darren Moy, the .22
Rimfire National Champion. The 2009 Lever Action Championships was successfully conducted and hosted by the ACT Majura Range from October 3 to 5. Starting with the Subcommittee meeting on Friday night, the Championship got underway on Saturday with the National Rimfire event, which consists of 10 targets of either IPSU or Contour type shot from distances of 25m to 100m using rimfire rifles fitted with any non-optical iron sight. These targets were shot with varying time limits from various positions. A maximum of five rounds were fired at each target with a time limit for a single round consisting of a three-second exposure to a maximum of one minute.

Sunday was the National Centrefire event. This consisted of 10 targets of IPSU and Contour type shot from 25 to 100m using centrefire rifles fitted with any non-optical iron sight. The targets, times and shooting positions were similar to the Rimfire match.

Monday was the National Classic Calibre event, which requires a lever-action rifle with a two-piece wooden stock (rifles with a detachable box magazine and/or a rotating bolt head are excluded) and chambered for any mass-produced factory centrefire cartridge introduced prior to the end of 1938. The sights must also be of traditional open type. This event requires Contour targets to simulate hunting of that period. Seven targets were shot with a maximum of five rounds with varying times and shooting positions. This event usually shows who the better shooter is on the day, as everyone, apart from calibre, has no distinct advantage.

A Lever Action Hall of Fame patch has been in the making for some time and in 2009, it became a reality. The late Danny Mitchell was to be the first recipient and on behalf of Danny’s family, Mick McDonnell was to receive the patch. A formal presentation will take place in the future in Albany. Other recipients will be notified in due course.

Finally, the National State Teams event was conducted. In 2009, unfortunately, numbers were a little thin, as some members were attending other National Championships. The participating states were Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland.

On behalf of SSAA National, I wish to thank the host state branch, its supporters and sponsors and especially those competitors who made the effort to travel, in some cases thousands of kilometres with varying degrees of cost, to make the 2009 Lever Action Championships a successful event. Many of the competitors have indicated their intention to attend the 2010 Championships to be held in Scottsdale in Tasmania.

Rimfire
Open				Ladies
1	Darren Moy	464.8		1	Gwen Murrell	382.2
2	Steve Hurley	464.6		2	Rhonda Cains	379.1
3	Mick McDonnell	447.3		3	Sue Knapp	348.2
Juniors
1	Brett Worner	413.4
AAA grade				AA grade
1	Steve Hurley	464.6		1	Darren Moy	464.8
2	Mick McDonnell	447.3		2	Jim Ellis	439.11
3	Kim Knapp	432.4		3	Larry Murrell	419.5
A grade				B grade
1	Richard Cains	405.1		1	Rhonda Cains	379.1
2	Tim Rees	379.4		2	Brian Endersby	352.2
3	Harley Wright	368.1		3	Tracey Worner	324.2
C grade
1	Gwen Murrell	382.2
2	Richard Calver	278.1
3	Michael Keneally	258.2

Target Medals
100m precision (target 1 & 2)	Steve Hurley	94.2
50m precision (target 3 & 4)	Kim Knapp	93.1
25m rapid fire (target 8 & 9)	Norm Coon	95.2

Centrefire
Open				Ladies
1	Steve Hurley	457.10		1	Sue Knapp	392.2
2	Mick McDonnell	442.10		2	Rhonda Cains	343.1
3	Murray Wills	439.7		3	Gwen Murrell	338.5
Juniors
1	Brett Worner	438.5
AAA grade				AA grade
1	Steve Hurley	457.10		1	Murray Wills	439.7
2	Mick McDonnell	442.10		2	Brett Worner	438.5
3	Don Chesworth	435.5		3	Kevin Barrington	429.5
A grade				B grade
1	Sue Knapp	392.2		1	Brian Endersby	366.5
2	Harley Wright	382.2		2	Rhonda Cains	343.1
3	Richard Cains	381.2		3	Tracey Worner	335.0
C grade
1	Gwen Murrell	338.5

Target Medals
100m precision (target 1 & 2)	Murray Wills	100.3
50m precision (target 5 & 6)	Brett Worner	94.0
50m rapid fire (target 8 & 9)	Steve Grey	86.1

Classic Calibre
Open				Ladies
1	Steve Hurley	303.2		1	Rhonda Cains	225.0
2	Steve Gray	301.3		2	Gwen Murrell	219.0
3	Kim Knapp	292.4		3	Sue Knapp	184.3
Juniors
1	Brett Worner	265.1
AAA grade				AA grade
1	Steve Hurley	303.2		1	Don Chesworth	282.1
				2	Kevin Barrington	275.0
				3	Darren Moy	267.2
A grade				B grade
1	Steve Gray	301.3		1	Brett Worner	265.1
2	Kim Knapp	292.4		2	Murray Wills	261.1
3	Paul Streckfuss	258.2		3	Michael Worner	251.0
C grade
1	Greg Hogan	223.1
2	Geoff Thomas	223.1
3	Gwen Murrell	219.0

National 2-Gun Aggregate
Open				Ladies
1	Steve Hurley	921.16		1	Sue Knapp	740.4
2	Mick McDonnell	889.13		2	Rhonda Cains	722.2
3	Darren Moy	868.9		3	Gwen Murrell	720.7
Juniors
1	Brett Worner	851.9

National 3-Gun Aggregate
Open				Ladies
1	Steve Hurley	1224.18		1	Rhonda Cains	947.2
2	Kim Knapp	1151.12		2	Gwen Murrell	939.7
3	Don Chesworth	1142.9		3	Sue Knapp	924.7
Juniors
1	Brett Worner	1116.10

National Teams
1	Western Australia	177.2
2	Queensland	170.2
3	New South Wales	162.0
4	Australian Capital Territory	150.0
5	Tasmania	94.0