​Only 2 shooters attended the match this morning but this was expected as regular competitors were stuck at the usual inconvenience.....work! There was also some confusion with the new calendar and accordingly discipline new comer D.N. brought a T Class rifle thinking Sniper Match was being held. But we're about encouraging shooting so the match was adjusted, D.N. shooting 2 details of 300yd Sniper Match first, and discipline coordinator A.W. shooting 2 details of 300yd Deliberate afterward.

Sniper Match is a curious event as it often reduces experienced hunters and unflappable culling shooters to shaking bundles of nerves, purely because it's a timed event. D.N. found the match initially intimidating but settled in on his second detail, having determined the correct holdover. He scored 36 for his first detail using his 3-9x40 scoped Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic in 270 Win and then upped that score to 48 in the second detail for a total score of 84 out of a possible 120, all the more pleasing because he was using S&B factory ammo, not tuned handloads.

A.W. was less successful with his 1899 Martini Enfield in 303 and his scores reflect that need for constant practise when shooting long distances with military open sights. He shot a 27 in the first detail and then, with some allowance for the breeze (but not enough!) improved his scored to 36 in the second detail for an overall score of 62 out of 100.

Although we only had 2 competitors this morning it was an enjoyable morning's shooting and without doubt the opportunity to stretch one's capability and develop one's skills were invaluable, not the mention the camaraderie of hanging out with like minded enthusiastists. If you're not sure if you should come but you have the time please join us and we can definitely include you in these matches. Contact us through FB or by email for further information on the exciting and challening world of Combined Services Discipline.

​Our next CSD shoot is Cadet & 22 Trainer on Saturday 3rd March so anyone interested can shoot using the club's .22lr trainer rifle. This is especially ideal for junior shooters or newcomers.

It is with great apologies from myself that this page was not updated more often. However, due to a handover from our previous assiduous and illustrious web manager I fell behind and I thank her for her encouragement and previous work.

2017 was a time of growth for Service Rifle at SSAA Goulburn & Districts Branch. As indicated below the January Sniper match was a successful day. 

On March 5th a small but enthusiastic trio of shooters gathered and shot 2 details of Rapid Fire A and one of Snap A. D.Wyborn was the winner on the day.

The April event was not held. May's match was the challenging but enjoyable Deliberate match. Competitors had 2 sighting rounds prior to their first detail and then it was into the match. 10 rounds at a core target at 300yds from the prone position in 6 minutes. Once again D.Wyborn demonstrated his skills, this time with a No4 Mk1 to followed by A.Wood with a No1 MkIII*. K.Kenchington took out the modified class with a scoped K31. Here are the scores for the afternoon.

Service Rifle was not held in September, however, in October the Standard Rifle match was the 300yd 10-round match shot prone. While there were only 3 competitors the weather on October 1st was lovely and it allowed for some particularly accurate shooting. A.Wood recorded the highest score with a 44.02 out of 50. But complete newcomer J.Robinson took the Junior 1st with an impressive 42.01. His brother W.Robinson, a regular competitor, also shot a creditable 39.00 in the second detail.

December's event was a different day to the previous day's deluge. While it wasn't warm, in fact there was a chill in the breeze, the was no rain.....at least to begin with. However, there were crosswinds around 28kmh with gusts as high as 40kmh and shooting 55gr .224 cal projectiles, even from a 22-250, aren't ideal in this weather.
The challenge of Sniper Match is that you aren't allowed to have sighting shots. You're supposed to know your rifle and shoot it accordingly. For those unaware, the match is shot prone at 300yds, 2 phases of 6 bullets for a total of 12 rounds. In each phase the shooter has a minute to set up their "nest" and then 90 seconds to shoot all 6 rounds, and then get back off the mat.
And the lack of sighter was the downfall for a number of today's competitors. The only scores that count are the first detail. So, S.Hale took 1st place with his Weatherby Vanguard in 22-250, scoring 37 out of a possible 60 points. J.Hohnen placed second with a Steyr ProHunter Varmint in 223 Rem, scoring 29. And S.Hale's son, A.Hale took outright 3rd place and 1st Junior using his father's Lithgow LA102 in 223 Rem with 26 points.
While A.Wood scored an impressive 54.12, this was a second detail score and did not count to the overall result. If the match revealed anything, it was that competitors tended to shoot high and needed get to know their rifles better. Basically, there's no substitute for practise and experience. All competitors looked hungry to shoot these distances more often and nothing is more sure than the fact that long distance shooting is infectious!

The final scores for the year were reasonably predictable. A.Wood won the year's competition with an overall score of 573.4, purely by his consistent attendance of every meet. He was followed in second place by D.Wyborn with 225.7 points, and in third by C.Hartley with 175.6. The Junior champ was W.Robinson with a score of 172.4 points. Goulburn hopes to have more consistent attendance of shoots in 2018 and closer competition as a result.  

Sunday February 5th - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Long Range Sniper Event A – 300m*

Sunday March 5th - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Snap A – 100m
Rapid Fire A – 100m

Sunday April 2nd - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Action M – 100m
Rapid Fire 50m

Sunday May 7th - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Deliberate – 300m

Sunday June 4th - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
3P Core Match – 100m/200m/300m

Sunday July 2nd - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
3P Core Match – 100m/200m/300m

Sunday August 6th - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
3P Core Match – 100m/200m/300m

Sunday September 3rd - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Rapid Fire B – 100m

Sunday October 1st - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Core Match – 100m/200m/300m

Sunday November 5th - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
4 Range Event – 50m/100m/200m/300m

Sunday December 3rd - 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Long Range Sniper Event A – 300m*
*Note – Original and replica sniper rifles (Class F) and modern scoped rifles in approved military chamberings (Class T) are only eligible for the Long Range Sniper Events. Modified military rifles (Classes H) and modified, scoped military rifles (Class J) are permitted but are scored separately. Gradings apply to Class B rifles.
See this link for classes: https://ssaa.org.au/disciplines/combined-services/
Important - No cartridge larger or more powerful than 8x57JS is permitted. For example, 300 Win Mag and 338 Lapua, while common sniper cartridges, are not permitted on Goulburn Range due to power restrictions. Antique Black Powder cartridges and/or those using lead bullets are not included in this restriction.

Andy Wood  email: kombi1976@yahoo.com
Convenor
Range Officer & Committee Member
SSAA Goulburn Branch​

"Here's my experiences at this year's City Vs Country Combined Services Match held at the Windamere Range Complex near Mudgee, NSW. For the record, my team Country won the meet!" - Andy Wood
​

Name                      Deliberate (at 200 yards)          Rapid (200 yards)         Snap (100 yards)     Total
1. PM                      45                                          25                               6                            76    (2nd)
2. MD                       9                                           12                               8                            29
3. DM                       28                                          37                              6                             71   (3rd)
4. RG (Scoped rifle)   39                                          37                               1                            77
5. MV                       41                                          39                               8                            88   (1st)
6. WW                      0 (sat in car due to rain)          0 (sat in car due to rain)  8                            8    (last)

Extra excitement was had after RG bogged his Land Rover trying to drive from the 200 yard mound to the 100 yard mound -up to the axils! A good team effort getting the rover free (eventually)! 
The practice ran well and I can see how everyone is more confident with shooting and doing the butts.
Thanks to everybody who came and braved the weather -it was a fun day regardless and we did see a little bit of sunshine for about 10 minutes.

It was a frosty cold morning that day -so cold that there was black ice on the cement at the butts in the afternoon! Still, the sun was out and there was no wind and it was a perfect winter's afternoon for shooting. We did a revised P3 match starting at 200 yards rather than 300 yards to give new shooters a fairer chance of getting a decent score on paper and developing shooting skills at distance. It was fun doing snap with the repaired Figure 11 targets which held up well and were held up well!

Name                      Deliberate (at 200 yards)          Rapid (100 yards)         Snap (100 yards)     Total
1. AW                         42                                           40                               7                            89  2nd *
2. PM                         44                                           40                              10                           94   1st *
3. MD                          22                                          30                              5                            57
4. RG                          29                                         45                                7                            81  3rd *
5. DM                          14                                         40                                9                            63    
6. WW                          0 (LOL waste of ammo)         40                                5                            45  
7. MV                          45 (scoped rifle used)              45                               9                            99  N/A

Well done everyone!
* 9/7/15 Thanks to AW for letting me know the original scores I posted for 2 shooters were wrong because the marker had put down the number of target hits for rapid but did not allocate any points on the score card. We'll double check this next time.