Mostly F/TR competitors here
the year. But, when we assembled for sighting-in/ blow-off on the Saturday morning with threatening clouds shrouding the mountain tops, there was only the odd bit of drizzle in the air, visibility was good and the wind was from 5 o’ clock - light and apparently constant in strength and direction.
Could this be really so? Was it too good to last? Whilst on the subject of weather and blow-offs, we’re spoilt on this range. The host Club’s low tent like structures, or ‘gazebos’ as everybody calls them, would keep us dry and there was an extended sighting-in session starting at the civilized time of 9.30am. None of this was to help the competitors you understand - the weatherproofing is to protect the sensitive Kongsberg electronic scoring monitors; the sighting-in (on the backstop sand with targets down) likewise, as it is essential to avoid wild shots hitting the outside edges of the target frames and damaging the wiring.
The late start was in response to complaints from the neighbours about previous F Class rounds. Neighbours? Well, there is only one actually, the large house on the other side of the glen opposite the 1000 yard firing-point and it’s reputedly the 20 or so dogs that live therein that object most to the sound of high-powered rifles echoing around the steep hillsides.
Saturday As in all Blair GB FCA rounds, all matches or ‘stages’ are shot over 1000 yards and this day’s programme was three 15 round contests romantically titled the Glen Tilt, the Blair Castle, and the Old Atholl. By the time sighting-in/blow-off was done the weather was brightening, the cloud thinning and lifting but so too
84 Target Shooter
was the wind, with the two tall flags on the right side of the range billowing out.
Although it was F/TR to start, I’ll cover our 25 ‘Open’ hopefuls first, one of which was yours truly. Only two broke 70, Gary Costello tying with Peter Hobson on 71 but getting the medal for 7 against 5 Vs. Ian Boxal, fresh from his Diggle triumph (but now back to shooting 7mm rather than the 6mm Crusader) took third on 68.3v. Most of the field fell within a 65-68 point bracket, so no runaway leaders at this stage.
Match 2 either saw people get their eye in - or more likely had marginally easier conditions - as Hugh Inglis pushed the winning score up to 73.3v followed by two more in the 70s, John Campbell on 71.3v and Gary Costello again on 70.3v. The main pack pushed their scores up too, nine shooters submitting cards in the 65 to 69 range, no fewer than four on 69 including Ian Boxall and Peter Hobson.
By the time Match 3 came round, the wind was decidedly stronger and was producing some marked variations between shots. Classic Blair diagonal-line plots appeared like a measles rash on the monitors as a gust not only moved shots left but high, a lull dropping them right and low – there is a ‘formula’, something on the lines of adjusting elevation a half- MOA for every 2 MOA wind change but that needs you to compute wind changes first, something that I and several others were struggling with! Scores fell back again with a new trio taking the top slots, 2010 F Class champion Grant Taylor got the medal with 68.2v on countback from a good result by League regular Les Prior, and these two were a V ahead of Gordon Waugh.
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