The morning broke to an overcast sky with humidity starting to rise from early on. Where was the clear blue that we have been used to?
Today is day 2 of the individual long range, starting at 800 yds. After the compulsory warm up led by our two physios, shooting began almost on time. With next to no wind for the first details, scores were very high with 12 or 13 V bulls being the norm for most shooters. Unfortunately some shooter’s rhythms were disrupted by ‘cease fire’ as boats appeared in the danger area and the odd point was dropped. At present, as I look along the range all targets are showing either V Bulls or Bulls, not a single inner in sight.
As the later details shot, the wind increased from the right with a bracket of 1 to 3 minutes of wind and the shooter who took their eye off the wind or mirage could be rewarded with an inner. Keep it tight folks.
At 900 yds with humidity rising the wind started to take its toll with inners making regular appearances. The wind bracket on the right hand side of the range increased from 2 to 4 minutes right. Just to confound things, we have all been given a new squadding for the 1000 yards that will start after lunch.
With looming rain clouds to our left, the 1000 yard detail got under way. With a steady wind scores were going to be high but the weather gods were going to have fun with us. At about 1600 the heavens opened and those on the firing point got very wet very quickly. Soon shooting was cancelled for initially 30 minutes but this dragged on as the rain got heavier. The markers were then pulled out of the pits. Would shooting continue as there were four details to go?
At 1645 the markers returned to the pits to re-rig and the somewhat damp shooters prepared to carry on, fresh targets were sent to the pits as the old soggy cardboard targets were unceremoniously removed on the back of a tractor.
And then of course, the decision was made to cancel the 1000yd shoot. Those that had shot and scored 75 would have their scores nullified and all would shoot or reshoot tomorrow afternoon. It looks like the weather gods have won the day. We will shoot 900 and 1000 (twice) tomorrow, instead of the allotted 800 yards. We believe the 800-yard shooting is now complete and that the 800-yard aggregate has probably been won by our own David Luckman.
Damp and bedraggled shooters then made their way home to dry out kit for tomorrow and have few well-earned beers.
