The weekend started on Friday morning 21st July as a contingent of Maitland Rifle Club members headed off for Carrieton to meet Yanyarrie/Orroroo Rifle Club Captain Bill Naismith at the Carrieton caravan park and travel out to the Yanyarrie range to prepare the targets for Saturday's shoot.
After calibrating the targets and admiring the view from on top of the hill just above the 1200 yard mound we ventured back to Carrieton for a BBQ outdoor dinner as a few late arrivals turned up just in time to join in and enjoy the fantastic steaks supplied and cooked by Dave Hindmarsh! Thank you Dave.
Saturday morning and a very cool and crisp morning greeted us as we gathered for an egg and bacon roll and with plenty of tea and coffee to help warm us up we got out to the range, put up the flags, raised the targets and lit the fire drum, sorted out the shooting order and so began the inaugural “Hill to Hill" 1200 yards, a field bin a mere 400 yards away looked small and the targets another 800 yards beyond that looked positively tiny! A mild breeze meandered across the range, but with the flags an estimated 100 feet below the trajectory of the projectiles they were only a partial indication of what was going on, the detail consisted of two sighters with ten to count, the scores in order off rifle showed:
Michael Dayman 50, Lynton Wakefield 47.2, Melissa Webb 46.1, Chris Tucker and Roger Francis 44.0, Clayton Peake and Dave Hindmarsh 42, John Shobbrook and Brad Semmler 41, Chris Bavistock 34, Brad Renfrey 22 ( ammo issues)
With coals from the fire drum we cooked up a slap up snag & onions in bread lunch then proceeded down onto the flats and set up for a double round at 800 yards Top off Rifle honours Brad Semmler led the way in TR on 97.9, Bill Gillis 117.5 F Std A 117.5, Chris Tucker 112.3 FS B and F Open John Shobbrook 118.10
Scores with handicaps
Chris Bavistock. FSB 53.0. 57.1. 110.1 12. 120.1. 83.3%. 3 points
Clayton Peake. FSB. 53.2. 56.1. 109.3. 12. 120.3. 91.6%. 2 points
John Shobbrook. FO. 58.3. 60.7. 118.10. 0. 118.10 1 point
Dave Hindmarsh. FSB. 56.2. 53. 109.2. 9. 118.2
Bill Gillis. FSA. 57.4. 60.1. 117.5. 0. 117.5
Chris Tucker. FSB. 52.1. 60.2. 112.3. 4. 116.3
Brad Semmler. TR. 48.5. 49.4. 97.9. 0. 97.9
Michael Dayman. TR 46.2. 48.2. 96.4. 1. 97.4
Lynton Wakefield. FO 57.6. 57.2. 114.8. 0. 114.8
Roger Francis. FS A. 58.2. 52.1. 110.3. 2. 112.3
Brad Renfrey. FO. 46.0. 53.0. 99. 6. 105
Bill Naismith. TR. 46.1. 50..3. 96.4. Y O. RC
Melissa Webb. TR. 46.4. 48.6. 94.10. Y. O. RC
Possibles Shobby. 2. 60.7 60.5 Chris Tucker. 60.2. Bill Gillis. 60.1. Brad Semmler. 50.6.
After packing up the targets and flags at Yanyarrie we headed back to Carrieton Hotel for a meal and refreshments where a few members wives joined us, all the while enjoying the evening and the company.
Sunday morning we gathered again at the outdoor kitchen in the Carrieton caravan park to an even cooler morning, well rugged up we got into our breakfast, again consisting of a bacon and egg roll with plenty of coffee and tea!
Packing up our gear and getting underway heading down to Orroroo range and readying the targets for the Sunday stage from 500 yards, after the usual draw for targets we got underway, all the while a very cool mild sou'wester cut across the range.
Top off Rifle honours went to Michael Dayman 98.9 in TR, Lynton Wakefield 118.11 in F Open, Bill Gillis 117.8 in F S A & Dave Hindmarsh in FSB on 118.6
Scores with handicaps added showed:
Dave Hindmarsh. FSB. 58.0. 60.6. 118.6. 9. 120.6. ( 22%) 3 handicap points
Andrew Dayman. TR. 48.1. 47.2. 95.3. 8. 100.3. ( 62.5%). 2 points
Chris Bavistock. FSB. 53.2. 55.2. 108.4. 12. 120.4. ( 100%). 1 point
Brad Renfrey. FO. 58.1. 56.1. 114.2. 6. 120.2
Clayton Peake. FSB. 55.4. 58.2. 113.6. 12. 120.6. (coached)
Michael Dayman. TR. 49.4. 49.5. 98.9. 1. 99.9
Chris Tucker. FSB 59.4. 56.0. 115.4. 4. 119.4
Lynton Wakefield. FO. 58.4. 60.7. 118.11. 0. 118.11
Bill Gillis. FSA. 59.5. 58.3. 117.8. 0. 117.8
Brad Semmler. TR. 48.5. 48.1. 96.6. 0. 96.6
John Shobbrook. FO. 56.4. 59.5. 115.9. 0. 115.9
Roger Francis. FSA. 57.1. 55.1. 112.2. 2. 114.2
Bill Naismith. TR. 49.6. 50.7. 99.3. Y O Rifle Club
Possibles were shot by Lynton Wakefield 60.7, Dave Hindmarsh 60.6, and Bill Naismith 50.7 Y O Rifle Club
The Knowles trophy contested over the two days was won by Chris Bavistock with 200.5 ( 200%) with Dave Hindmarsh 198.8 , congratulations Bav.
With the shooting concluded for the day we again stoked up the BBQ, (courtesy of the coals from the fire bucket) and snags and onions in bread were the order of the day, then Ruth Bavistock surprised us again with a lovely sponge jam roll ! Thanks Ruth.
All agreed it was a great weekend away, thanked our host Bill Naismith and headed for home.
If any other clubs are interested in visiting Yanyarrie Orroroo for some long range shooting please contact Club Captain Bill Naismith (if you need contact details please contact SARA via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone 0456 315 567).
Article submitted by Maitland Rifle Club with permission
