In 2018, a brand-new section of the Australian Shooter will feature a crack team of shooting experts answering questions from SSAA members. The experienced and knowledgeable shooters we have assembled to answer these questions will be known as our ‘Top Shots’. No matter how big or small the question, the Top Shots will be ready and willing to answer anything our SSAA members throw at them.
Questions could be anything from, why it is you start to aim a little too high when you get tired, or maybe you are unsure why your pistol reloads aren’t quite as good as factory loads, or perhaps you’re just wondering whether you really need to clean your rifle as often as the manufacturer says. Just about every possible sports shooting and hunting topic is covered between our Top Shots so whatever the question, they will have the answer.
There is a wealth of knowledge hidden away around shooting ranges across Australia and it’s a shame that this wisdom and experience can be so hard to access. Our Top Shots are a great example of this and with decades of shooting experience between them, they have seen it all, shot it all and shot it again. Passing on knowledge to the next generation and spreading our experiences across the country is a very important step in keeping the shooting sports going. There really is always something new to learn when it comes to shooting.
Right now, we are taking questions from members about problems they are having or anything they simply don’t know.
Please direct questions to our Editor at [email protected] or send them through via the SSAA National Facebook page.
Who are our ‘Top Shots’?
Paul Miller
You may recognise Paul Miller from the very popular SSAA TV YouTube video ‘How to lead a target when shotgun shooting’. Paul is well qualified to discuss shotguns and clay target shooting, having been a part of the Australian training squad for Sporting Clays as well as the NSW state team several times. He grew up shooting foxes and rabbits on a friend’s farm and continues his battle against foxes to this day.
Speciality
- Shotguns
- Clay target shooting
- Shooting psychology
- Hunting small vermin
- Sporting rifles
Barry Wilmot
Barry Wilmot has spent most of his life reloading, which is quite significant given his more than 60 years experience with the shooting sports. He is the author of the much enjoyed book, Reloading for Rifles & Pistols and his reloading column regularly features in the Australian Shooter. Barry says that there’s no reason why experienced handgun or rifle shooters shouldn’t be reloading. “Once they start, they realise how much money they can save and how gratifying experimenting can be,” he said.
Speciality
- Reloading
- Optics and scopes
Geoff Smith
Having been a SSAA member since he was 14 years old, Geoff has been involved with the SSAA for a long time. Although he was a hunter for much of his life, he has since turned his attention to handguns. He is the vice captain of the SSAA Veterans Handgun Metallic Silhouette team and is passionate about teaching firearm safety. Geoff is also the secretary of a handgun collectors’ club, helping form the club in the wake of the 2002 handgun buy-back. Geoff is also active in the TAFE SA Firearms Safety program that he established in 1992.
Speciality
- Handguns
- Training
- Conservation
- Collecting firearms
- History of firearms
John Dunn
John was introduced to hunting and fishing by his father as a child and has been hooked ever since. From 1976 to 1998 he worked for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, followed by working as a Ranger and then finally as a Project Manager responsible for pest animal and weed control work in Kosciusko National Park. He also collects American single-shot rifles, old metallic cartridges, powder tins, reloading tools, knives and tobacco tins. If it’s not obvious by now, hunting and collecting are his lifelong interests. John is also a senior correspondent for the Australian Shooter.
Speciality
- Game and wildlife management
- Pest species control
- Hunting
- Knives and knife making
- Collecting ammunition and firearms
- Optics
Greg Reimer
Greg has been a SSAA member for more than 40 years and has been reloading since he was just 14 years old. He is both the National Chairman for Target Pistol as well as Gallery Rifle and has travelled extensively throughout the world in shooting competitions. Greg used to own an ammunition manufacturing business that specialised in obsolete cartridges and that interest has continued on through his large and unique historical collections of firearms and reloading equipment.
Speciality
- Handguns
- Reloading/handloading
- Black powder
- Range design
Rod Pascoe
Rod started competitive shooting when he joined the St Ives Pistol Club in suburban Sydney in 1970. His career in the film and television industry led him to South Australia, Victoria and Queensland where he also took up a number of rifle and shotgun disciplines.
Returning to NSW, Rod became involved in shooting sports administration with the NSW Rifle Association as Sports Development Coordinator and later with SSAA (NSW) as its Communications Officer. During this time he made a number of promotional videos for SSAA NSW and SSAA National. These days Rod is heavily involved with making content for SSAA-TV and is a Senior Correspondent with SSAA Media and Publications.
Specialty
- Disciplines/participation/coaching
- Reloading
- Reviews – accessories, ammo, firearms (preferably pistols)
- Industry issues
- Cartridges and ammunition
- History