Trevor Thatcher
MIC Shooting

 

Max Tavener

 

 

current happenings

Images from the recent GPS Competition

   
   
   
   
 

 

 

Smallbore Competition Report

TAS Rifle Club hosted it’s annual smallbore competition against Sydney High School and NEGS last Saturday.

  The teams compete for the Tank Shell, a Leopard tank shell casing donated by Major Thatcher from his time as a tank commander in the army. Teams of ten compete over two stages; a 50 yard 10 shot deliberate match followed by a 50 yards 8 shot snap match.

Individual highlights were TAS’ Andrew Murray with a score of 172-2 (possible 180), NEGS’ Rowan McNaught 163-4, TAS shooting captain Mitch Maguire 162-1 and SHS’ Andy Wu 158-4.

TAS won the match scoring 1509-12, from SHS 1391.10 and NEGS 1225-06.

Fullbore Champion of Champions

 Three shooters from TAS rifle club competed in the New England District Rifle Association's (NEDRA) annual champion of champions match at Spring Ridge on Sunday 23rd May.

This match sees the champion shots from each club within the district compete in the Under 18, Under 25 and open divisions in order to represent the NEDRA at the state champion of champions match in Sydney in July.

The match is shot with one stage at 300 yards and two stages at 600 yards. TAS shooters Archie Munro (Bingara), Jock Barnett (Delungra) and Hamish Turnbull (Ebor) shot in each respective division. Archie won the U18 section and Jock won the U25 section.

In fact, Jock shot so well that he would have won the open division if he had have entered in this, beating the district's top A Grade shooters. He shot a score of 144-6 out of a possible 150.

  

target shooting - 2010

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TAS Rifle Club Calendar Term 2- 2010

TAS Rifle Club

Shooting Program

Term 2 - 2010

Small-bore Shooting

Small Bore shooting is scheduled each Monday and Thursday afternoon from 3.45 – 5.00pm.  Shooters are to meet at the Armoury to load equipment, then proceed to the Small Bore Range east of the school on Brown St (TAS Meadowfield – farm).  Training is to be attended at least one afternoon per week.  For those who have elected shooting as their only sport, small-bore is to be attended one afternoon and weights training another afternoon per week.

Full-bore Shooting

Full Bore shooting is scheduled on Saturday at Wollomombi 12.00pm – 5.30pm, on days listed below.  All full bore shooters are expected to attend.  Also note the Warwick and Wingham Prize Shoots and the New England District Training weekend.

Attendance

If you are unable to attend small bore or full-bore shooting, Mr Thatcher is to be notified via email: tthatche@as.edu.au . 

 

Week 1             Saturday 24th April -                   Wollomombi (300 yds deliberate and snap)

Week 3   Saturday 8th May  -                    New England District Rifle Association
          Sunday 9th May -   Training Weekend at Wollomombi 

Week 4             Saturday 15th May -                    Warwick Prize Shoot

                        Sunday 16th May

Week 5             Saturday 22nd May -                   Sydney High Small-bore Competition at TAS

Sunday 23rd May -                     NE DRA Champion of Champions Match at Spring Ridge

Week 7             Saturday 5th June -                     Wollomombi (300 yds deliberate and snap)

Week 8             Fri 11th June – Mon 14th June      Wingham Prize Shoot

                                                                        (Q B’Day Long Weekend)

Week 9             Saturday 19th June -                   Wollomombi (600 yds deliberate)

GPS Camp       13 – 21 July                              Hornsby and Malabar

 

 

Target Shooting with The Armidale School Rifle Club - 2010

General

Target Rifle Shooting is a precise and technical sport. The sport is of benefit to participants as it requires the shooter to maintain a calm and self-controlled demeanour, in addition to a good technical knowledge of the rifle and its sight adjustments, weather conditions, and ammunition fired. The promotion of close teamwork is also a characteristic of the sport at TAS, as the boys not only compete as individuals at events, but also as teams at prize meetings and the AAGPS Shooting Premiership.

The TAS Rifle Club has a proud history dating back to establishment of the school in the 1890's. In fact it is the oldest sport at TAS, producing many top class shooters, that have gone on to compete at national and international level.

At TAS, shooting is offered to middle school boys as small bore (.22 Cal) shooting, conducted at the TAS Meadowfield Small bore Range. For older boys, and interested middle school boys, full bore (.223 & .308 Cal) shooting is offered. Practice is conducted at the Wollomombi Rifle Range and competition shooting staged at club ranges in northern NSW, southern Queensland, and at the AAGPS shooting premiership at Hornsby.

Key Appointments

Key appointments for the TAS Rifle Club are:
Master-In-Charge (MIC): Mr Trevor Thatcher
Coaches: Mr Chris Spencer, Mr Max Tavener, Mr Rob Bondfield
Captain of Shooting: Mitch Maguire

Practice and Competition Program

Middle School Small Bore. Middle School small bore shooters will practice at Meadowfield Range one afternoon a week. Mr Spencer and Mr Tavener will coordinate this shooting, providing safety and skills training to all beginner shooters. Boys will shoot at targets ranging from 20 - 50m on the Range. As boys gain skills and confidence they can opt to attend full bore practices.

Senior Full Bore. Full Bore shooters will practice at the small bore range on one or two afternoons per week, dependent on whether shooting is a first or second sport selection. Weekend full bore shooting varies according to regional competitions. Boys will shoot at ranges varying from 300 yards, upwards to 1000 yards. Boys are expected to attend club prize meetings throughout the terms. They are a valuable way for boys to improve their skills and gain experience in competition shooting. Most boys are entered at the C Grade level, providing them with the opportunity to perform well at that level, prior to progression up the grades.

Shooting Calendar. The Term Shooting Calendar is available from this web page.

TAS Shooting Camps

A weekend shooting camp in Brisbane will be scheduled for all fullbore Shooters early in Term 1. This camp for fullbore shooters, is designed to introduce and revise boys in the skills, techniques and procedures required for successful target shooting. Experienced shooting coaches from the Armidale Club and Southern Downs Club (Warwick) will be in attendance to instruct and assist boys. All boys, middle school and senior shooters, are expected to attend.

AAGPS Shooting Premiership

The Athletic Association of Greater Public Schools of NSW (AAGPS) Shooting Premiership is staged at Hornsby Range each year in July. TAS has successfully competed in this competition since 1927, with a 1st VIII and a 2nd VIII. In 2010 the competition is scheduled for the first week of Term 3. All senior shooters are expected to attend the competition and represent TAS in the 1st or 2nd team. Selection for teams occurs throughout the year, leading up to the competition, with results at prize shoots and Wollomombi practices primarily considered. In preparation for the GPS Premiership, boys will attend a compulsory weekend training camp at Hornsby Range in the last week of the winter holidays. Parents should 'pencil-in' their calendars the week 13 - 21 July 2010, for the GPS preparation and competition period.

Attendance and Leave

Senior Shooters. Boys who have elected shooting as their only sport are expected to attend small bore training twice a week, and weekend shooting in accordance with the calendar. Boys who also play other sports should attend midweek training on at least one afternoon, and weekend practice and competition as detailed on the calendar.

Middle School Shooters. Most middle school shooters elect small bore shooting as an extra sport. Therefore, they are expected to attend shooting training one afternoon each week.

Leave. Boys unable to attend mid-week training and weekend shooting need to see Mr Thatcher in order to gain approval for their absence. Leave from weekend shooting is discouraged, however under exceptional circumstance it may be approved. Notification from parents is required in this instance.

Dress Code.

Mid-week training. Boys are required to wear the TAS sports uniform at training:
Blue PE Shorts
House Sports Shirt
Runners and socks
TAS Tracksuit (cold weather)

Weekend practice and competition. Boys are expected to wear the following:
Blue Denim Jeans (in good repair)
TAS Rifle Team Blue Polo Shirt (approx $25 from clothing pool); or
TAS Rugby Jersey; or
TAS Rifle Team Canterbury Jersey (approx $75 from clothing pool)
Solid leather boots or shoes
Akubra Hat (school or own); or
TAS blue cap

(Note: boys may wear this uniform to mid-week training rather than sports uniform)

Rifles and Equipment.

TAS Rifle Club holds a large number of small bore (.22 Cal) and full bore (.223 and .308 Cal) rifles and shooting equipment in the TAS Armoury. All rifles have been safety checked by an armourer.

Senior shooters are issued with a rifle and associated equipment for the year. They are expected to maintain their rifle and equipment, with particular emphasis on rifle cleaning.

Boys who have their own rifle or equipment are encouraged to use it, provided it is of the appropriate standard. This may be stored in the TAS Armoury, provided proof of registration is confirmed with the MIC.

NSW Firearms Regulations and NSW Rifle Association Membership

Minors Firearms Permit. All boys are to obtain a Minors Firearms Permit in order to shoot. The Permit allows minors from the age of 12 to 18 to use a firearm, in the presence of a licensed adult. Obtaining a minors permit involves firearms safety awareness training and testing, conducted by members of the Armidale Rifle Club (namely Mr Stuart Cleghorn), followed by the submission of an application for a minors permit to the NSW Firearms Registry. This process can take quite a period of time (approx 2 months), dependent on NSW Firearms Registry processing times, and scheduling of safety training. The processing of applications and safety training is coordinated by the TAS Rifle Club and MIC Mr Thatcher. Parents will receive application documents in the mail for their signatures, and return to Mr Thatcher for processing and on-forwarding to the Firearms Registry.

In order to allow boys to shoot prior to obtaining a minors permit, TAS Rifle Club can approve boys to shoot on the ranges. This permits boys to participate in target shooting, under close supervision, for a period of up to 3 months with TAS Rifle Club as a temporary or probationary member. Parental approval on form "P650" is required in order to allow this to occur.

NSW Rifle Association Membership. For boys to compete at club prize shoots and the AAGPS competition, membership of the NSW Rifle Association is required. Applications are processed through the TAS Rifle Club.

Costs

Term Fee. The term fee for participation in Rifle Shooting is $55.00. This fee covers the student's .22 small bore ammunition for the term, purchase of small bore targets, use and maintenance of rifles and equipment.

Minors Firearms Permit (once only costs) Cost of Safety Awareness Training and Test     $75.00
Cost of Minor's Firearms Permit     $75.00

NSW Rifle Association Membership (1 Jul 09 - 30 Jun 10)
U21 member     $60.00
(Pro-rata rates for late membership) Subscription to Australian Target Rifle (Released every 2 months)     $30.00

Senior Shooters Wollomombi Training
Range Fees ($2.50 Per Stage)     Approx $5.00
Ammunition ($1.10 per round)     Approx $24.00
Open Prize Meetings. Throughout the year, the club travels to a selection of Open Prize Meetings organised by other Rifle Clubs at ranges around the district. These include Mungindi, Spring Ridge, Warwick, Cessnock, Goondiwindi, and possibly Brisbane Queens. Costs involved include: travel (usually by school bus driven by Mr Thatcher or Mr Tavener), entry fee, meals and ammunition ($1.10 per round) for a one day meeting, while accommodation and extra food and ammunition is required for two day shoots. Camping out or barrack style accommodation is usual, while food is often sourced from the school kitchen in order to keep costs down.

Typical entry fees range from $25.00 to $30.00 per day of competition. TAS charges school bus travel at flat rates for nominated destinations at .55 cents per km (if driven by staff member).

A summary of anticipated costs for the Mungindi Open Prize Meeting (6 - 8 March 2009), based on attendance of 15 boys, is listed:
Entry Fees:     $40.00
Meals:     $62.00 (day boys) and $32.50 (boarders)
Travel:     $42.00
Ammunition:     $66.00
Total:     $210.00

Conclusion

Shooting with TAS Rifle Club is an enjoyable and developmental experience for boys in middle and senior school. Technical knowledge of the rifle and associated equipment is gained, as well as the practical application of very accurate shooting at targets over long ranges. Parents are encouraged to support their boys in shooting by attending range practices and competition prize meetings.

For further information or enquiries, please contact MIC Shooting Mr Trevor Thatcher: Ph. 02 67665800 or Mobile: 0427 765 806.