The SSAA Coffs Harbour Branch Bananacoast Championships were held at the Dairyville Range in Coffs Harbour over three days from August 22 to 24. Saturday saw the Light Benchrest contested with 45 competitors participating, while Sunday was Heavy Benchrest with 43 competitors and Monday was Experimental with 10 competitors. A big thank you to all of our volunteers who made it possible to once again hold this event.
The branch put on an evening meal on Saturday with around 35 shooters remaining at the range to enjoy a lovely scotch fillet steak dinner cooked to perfection by resident chef Michael Laidlaw.
The weather was kind to us on the weekend, but it rained and thundered on the Monday, which was unpleasant for the target crew. Murray Hicks shot a pending record in the 200-yard Light Benchrest with an aggregate of .1696. A screamer of .080 was shot by Paul Sullivan in the 100-yard Heavy Benchrest. Screamers were also shot by Barry Warwick (.244) and Roger Marshall (.228) in the 200-yard Heavy Benchrest.
The State of Origin Trophy was once again won by the NSW Team consisting of Murray Hicks, Steve Sori, Mitchell Tallar and Bill Jupp, who recorded a combined score of .2380. The vanquished Queenslanders were represented by Roger Marshall, Steve Blaine, Russell Gibson and Paul Sullivan whose combined aggregate was .2600.
Results from this year’s Bananacoast Championships are:
| Light Benchrest 100 yards top 3 |
| Barry Warwick |
.1854 |
| Mitchell Tallar |
.2162 |
| Steve Blaine |
.2248 |
| Light Benchrest 200 yards top 3 |
| Murray Hicks |
.1696 |
| Steve Sori |
.2145 |
| Russell Gibson |
.2344 |
| Light Benchrest Grand Aggregate top 3 |
| Murray Hicks |
.2120 |
| Mitchell Tallar |
.2305 |
| Steve Sori |
.2345 |
| Heavy Benchrest 100 yards top 3 |
| Steve Sori |
.1708 |
| Russell Gibson |
.1978 |
| Murray Hicks |
.2142 |
| Heavy Benchrest 200 yards top 3 |
| Roger Marshall |
.2081 |
| Steve Blaine |
.2245 |
| Murray Hicks |
.2286 |
| Heavy Benchrest Grand Aggregate top 3 |
| Steve Sori |
.2122 |
| Murray Hicks |
.2214 |
| Roger Marshall |
.2448 |
| Experimental top 5 |
| Steve Blaine |
.2862 |
| Barry Edgley |
.2993 |
| Steve Sori |
.3226 |
| Mitchell Tallar |
.3550 |
| Ean Parsons |
.3831 |
| 2-Gun top 15 |
| Murray Hicks |
.2167 |
| Steve Sori |
.2234 |
| Mitchell Tallar |
.2381 |
| Roger Marshall |
.2449 |
| Steve Blaine |
.2537 |
| Russell Gibson |
.2542 |
| Bill Jupp |
.2739 |
| Keith Smith |
.2750 |
| Barry Warwick |
.2803 |
| Paul Sullivan |
.2872 |
| Annie Elliott |
.2906 |
| Gary Hunt |
.2908 |
| Michael Thompson |
.2934 |
| Mark Mundell |
.3054 |
| Steve Nash |
.3055 |
| 3-Gun top 3 |
| Steve Sori |
.2565 |
| Steve Blaine |
.2645 |
| Mitchell Tallar |
.2771 |
