New Zealand Service Rifle Association National Championships
23-25 April 2011

The SSAA Australian Team comprised
Andrew Brown, Peter Brown, Greg Mills-Thom
and Tony Bennett.


The firing line at the Military Range at Waiouru.


The back drop to the range at Mt Ruapehu.


Andrew Brown with his trophies. The 2011 New Zealand Service Rifle Association National Championships were run and won in spectacular style over the Easter long weekend (23 and 24 April). The venue was the Waiouru Military Camp, where 35 competitors shot on a cold and windswept army range, only 30 minutes drive to the snow-capped peak of Mt Ruapehu for the coveted Riflemans Belt and title of New Zealand National Champion.

New Zealand now has a new National Champion - 20-year-old Andrew Brown from the SSAA Grafton branch. Andrew won the title with some very consistent shooting and managed a decisive victory, beating the nearest competitor by 40 points, along with his father, Peter Brown, who was beaten out of outright second by 1 point to run a very respectable third place.

Overall, the SSAA Team of Greg Mills-Thom (captain), Peter and Andrew Brown (all three from Grafton) and Tony Bennett (Townsville) shot admirably considering that they are shooting unfamiliar borrowed AR-15 rifles. The Australian team outscored the New Zealand Army Marksmans Team 1825.139Vs to 1749.124Vs and beat the soldiers on their home range.

The range was exposed to the elements and was snow covered three days prior to the Championships. The weather was bitterly cold for the first day of competition, with the wind blowing off the snow-covered Mt Ruapehu, wind strengths varying from 0 to 30kph and no wind flags to aid the shooters! The wind was so strong that when Mills-Thom and Bennett shot the 600m match, Mills-Thom had to use the edge of the 2.4m target frame as an aim point to hit centre, showing a wind drift of 1.2m. The fickle wind dropped for the shooters in the last detail, giving them a distinct advantage, but that's the luck of the draw!

The competition was run like clockwork by Sergeant Major Paul Mumm and event director John Herbert. All the shooters bunked in the Cambrai Barracks, where they were able to relax out of the cold and socialise with our Kiwi mates. We were well fed in ‘the mess’ and while on the range, we ate among other things, barbecued marinated venison prepared by Sergeant Major Mumm.

After 3 days at Waiouru Army Camp, we had a quick play in the snow at Mt Ruapehu, then drove back to our base camp at Carterton, where we were hosted by our mate Gerry Veugelaers. Aside from accomodating us, Gerry also lent us several AR-15s and sourced reloading components and allowed us to use his reloading gear to load 1200 rounds for our four-man team.

On Monday April 25 (Anzac Day), we arrived at the rain-soaked, fog-shrouded Range of Kaitoke in Upper Hutt, where we would compete in the .303 (what else would you shoot on Anzac Day?) Challenge, which was hosted by the Wellington Service Rifle Club. After a brief sighting-in period, we listened with heads bowed as Din Collings WSRA Patron gave the Ode to the Fallen and elaborated on the Anzac legend.

The Australian Team again fared well with borrowed .303 rifles. Andy Brown won three perpetual trophies, which had to be left in New Zealand. Greg Mills-Thom took home one silver and three bronze medals, while Peter Brown won one bronze.

Overall, the tour by the Australian Service Team was a great success when you consider that the only chance they get to practice with an AR-15 self-loading rifle (the firearm of choice to compete successfully in the Kiwi shooting format) is a sighting-in period at 100m the day before the Nationals. So, well done men!

NZSRA Championships results
Andrew Brown: 4 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Peter Brown: 1 gold, 1 silver
Greg Mills-Thom: 1 bronze
Overall, Riflemans Belt, Services Class Optics: 1 Andrew Brown 532.50, 2 Matt Shelton (New Zealand) 491.50, 3 Peter Brown 490.50
WSRA Bulls Eye Cup: 2 Andrew Brown
Southern Cross Cup: 1 NZSRA 1893, 2 SSAA 1824
New Zealand Fullbore legend Din Collings made the presentation of Andrew Brown’s trophies.

WSRA Anzac Day .303 Shoot
Andrew Brown: 1 gold, 1 bronze, silver in Service Rifle, gold for SMLE
Greg Mills-Thom: 2 bronze, bronze for SMLE
Peter Brown: bronze for Galatas