Victoria Combined Services Rifle Championships
9-11 April 2010

Competitive shooting requires focus in all weather conditions, with that maxim truly put to the test at the SSAA Combined Services Discipline Victorian State Rifle Championships held at Dookie between April 9 - 11, 2010. Roaring full-value winds, downpours and all-day drizzle failed to deter around 60 shooters who competed in the Championships across the weekend. Members of the three Military Rifle Clubs in Victoria - Melbourne, Mildura and Shepparton - joined in the spirit of healthy competition, along with a smattering of interstate shooters.

Although clouds loomed at the start of Saturday, the weather’s bark was worse than its bite. A steady drizzle set in as shooters took to the 300m mound for the start of the 3P event and persisted for most of the day.

Competitors then moved up the range just before lunch to take on the 200m 3P event and the Snap C competition, requiring shooters to fire two rounds prone on each of five target exposures of six seconds each. This challenge was made even greater by a bucketing downpour in the early part of the afternoon, which marked the start of the only ‘clear’ weather of the weekend - a lucky break for those who shot during that three-hour window! Saturday concluded with the 100m 3P shoot, with the 100m Rapid Fire event held over until Sunday morning.

Another torrential downpour marked the start of the next day’s shooting. After the 100m Rapid Event finished, shooters moved right back to the 500m mark for the Long Range event with B, H, F1, F2 and T class rifles. Competing at 500m poses unique challenges, not lessened by the 40km/h winds, which sprang up to test the mettle of shooters. No-one was deterred, however, and all battled on with some good scores recorded.

The Mildura contingent also held a .310 Cadet/.22 Training Rifle competition in parallel with the Long Range event.

Medal presentations in mid-afternoon marked the end of the Championships, with grins and the usual good-natured joshing proving that Victorian shooters are hardy enough not to be deterred by mere weather.

by Simon Troeth