Brett Worner: shooting’s all-rounder
by senior correspondent Jennifer Martens
Western Australian junior shooter Brett Worner can’t wait to get his P plates so he can head down to the Wanneroo Shooting Complex on a regular basis. Relying on his father, who has a very busy work schedule, doesn’t allow Brett to fully quench his thirst for the sport.
Having been born into a family with a long line of sporting shooters, shooting has always been a part of Brett’s life. His father, Mick, and family friend, Steve, got Brett shooting and competing in Field Rifle as soon as he met WA’s firearm requirements. He joined the SSAA when he was 13.
Early on, Brett experimented with Field Rifle and 3-Positonal shooting, but for the past year, he and his shooting partners, Mick and Steve, have been focusing on the Lever Action discipline.
At the 2008 State Lever Action Titles held at Kalgoorlie, Brett set a new Junior State Record (498) and finished sixth in the Open event, which is a dramatic improvement from the previous year’s performance. Brett’s training had been going well prior to the Titles, but he said it was a different competition that helped him rise to another level.
“The Kalgoorlie Club had a competition to see who could guess the score they would shoot,” said Brett. “I guessed I would shoot 500 with six targets. I ended up shooting a 498”. “The man shooting next to me, Kim Knapp, heard my guess and immediately started pushing me to get the best out of myself. I guess it worked.”
Brett’s shooting has earned him his state and national bronze and silver medals. “I need a score of 95 to get a gold and I’ve shot 93,” said Brett. If he continues to post scores like that, it won’t be long before he has the hat trick.
To recognise achievement among its members, the Perth Lever Action Rifle Club awards ‘scoring bars’. At just 16 years old, Brett is only missing three of the eight possible.
Most athletes can easily rattle off their strengths and weaknesses, but it takes a certain level of maturity and insight to use both to your advantage. Brett is learning this skill as he progresses in the sport.
Along with the coaching from his father and Steve, who Brett says are the “best coaches anyone could ever wish for”, he credits his confidence and ability to forget about bad shots for his recent successes and his lack of speed with turning targets for holding him back. Being able to consistently call upon his strengths when it counts has gotten him where he is today. Overcoming his weaknesses will get him where he wants to be in the future.
One of his goals is to attain AA-grade status. As he is shooting AA scores at just about every shoot, he’ll soon be able to concentrate on his other goal, which, he says, “is to keep all my shots on target”. He admits to dropping two to three at each match. Recently, he competed in a National Postal Shoot and shot 295 out of a possible 300, dropping only one shot at 50m. “I just have to keep trying for improvement,” he said.
Reloading is one way that Brett increases his chances of success. “I believe reloading gives you that little bit of an edge, allowing you to make your own specifications according to what you need to achieve,” he said.
In addition to being a member of the Perth Lever Action Rifle Club, Brett is also a member of the Perth Field Rifle Club and Hunting for Conservation. Hunting is something his entire family participates in. They spotlight for foxes and feral cats around New Norcia, which is about one and a half hours’ drive from Perth. “The rifle I use for spotlighting is my Sako .222, which is very reliable.” New Norcia has been the family’s favourite hunting spot for the past 20 years and has rarely disappointed. “Our record,” said Brett, “is 60 foxes in two nights. That was the weekend the comet passed over WA. It left a spectacular trail.”
Brett’s enthusiasm for the sport sees him shooting a variety of disciplines and owning a number of different firearms. “My first rifle was given to me by Steve. It was a little Brno with an inexpensive blue stock. It had to be cut down to fit me.” He still has the little gem, albeit with a new scope, trigger and stock and uses it for competitions.
For Lever Action, he uses a BLR in .222 with a moly-coated 53-grain Hornady HP Match bullet in front of 18 grains of ADI 2207. For Running Target, he changes the load to 19 grains to cut down the lead.
When spotlighting is the go, he uses his dad’s old Sako .222. “He claims I took it from him,” laughs Brett. He also owns a Winchester .22 Magnum, Remington .308 SPS Youth and a Ruger Single 6 revolver, which he uses for handgun competitions.
The Year 11 student also enjoys playing guitar, baseball and rugby, but he finds shooting the most relaxing of his recreational activities.
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