Where do you live and your home range?

South Coast of NSW after a sea change in 1990.  Regard Canberra as home range.

 

When did you first start benchrest?

Joined SSAA in 1969.  Tom introduced me to benchrest in 1970.  First success at Newcastle in 1971 followed by placing in NSW LV that same year.  First National 1972 in Canberra - auspicious FTQ Sporter and LV, 6th HV.

 

Who helped you in the early days?

Harry Luhr, Ron Marsden and of course Tom who still attends to the chambering and tedious preparation tasks.

 

What was your first benchest rifle?

Sporter - factory 788 Remington in .222.  First custom rifle a LV in .222mag, Sako action, Mersch laminated wood thumbhole stock, Douglas barrel chambered by Bill Marden Snr.

 

When did you get your first HOF point?

At first 10 target National in Adelaide 1973 won HV100 using .222 Sleeved Remington, McMillan barrel, 20X Unertl stocked (wood) and chambered by PSECo (then Nev Madden).

 

What year did you qualify?

1981 Nationals in Canberra won LV 100 agg to be sole female in HOF for 21 years until Annie Elliott's entry in 2002 as #22.  Rifle used 6X47 Sleeved 40X Remington,

McMillan stock and barrel smithed by Nev Madden as PSECo.

 

Where do you shoot most?

Tuning and fiddling on a one bench range in a paddock with the cows.  Competition wise Canberra and about half a dozen times a year at Silverdale.

 

Which ranges to you dislike and why?

All have their own idioyncrasies and challenges- suffice to say those I don't like my attendances are limited.

 

Which ranges do you like and why?

Portland despite the icy winds from Antarctica and horizontal rain they run a good shoot in a proficient manner and the social afters are great. 

Coffs Harbour can present land gales and torrential rain but when it is good it is very good with value for effort.

Silverdale is also up there mainly because that is where it all started for me but it has changed much since the 1970s.  Facility wise for the better but for readability the layout, obstacles and man made topography contibutes to group wrecking.  Having said that my agg  in a registered match was there in 2004 - .1874 LV 100.

 

Overseas - Hart range (now Palmisanos) when I shot there was  rural, wooded, natural springs and wild white tail deer on the fringes, however believe it has changed.

Kelbly's because of the facilities, enormity of  bench line  loading room and professionalism.

 

 

Which match do you like most each year?

NSW State titles as have experienced a great deal of luck there over the past 36 years.  Particularly Experimental as over the past 10 years have won 5 times and placed 4.

Which is a fair record. 

 

Have you shot overseas, when, where and how did you go?  

In 1970s international scene was confined to postal matches.  In 1979 Australia team of 5 in Experimental  beat USA and Canada and was part of that team.

 

First shoulder to shoulder with overseas person was in 1975 when a group of USA and Canadians came to Canberra to shoot with us.  Won HV 100 and 2nd in grand behind the legendary  Ed Shilen.

 

Travelled to the USA in 1980 (with Tom and Ron Marsden), 1984 (with Tom, Jean and Denis Tobler) and in 1989 (just Tom and I) competing in various State titles, Nationals and Super Shoot #12.  Over the time was 6th in Californian State (Visalia), 4th Pennsylvania State (Harts) and in New Jersey State (Englishtown) won HV and 2nd in 2 Gun in what is believed to be the first for an Australian.

 

In 1980 lectured and coached at IBS B/R School #2. Had hoped to develop the concept here but shades of insularity and parochialism put paid to the idea maybe the idea was just a bit ahead of its time.

 

During the various trips overseas had discussion with a view to shoulder to shoulder competition, the response was encouraging however only tacit interest but the barriers came down.  The WBC was born and is now an integral and accepted event.  In the lead up to the 1997 WBC in Phoenix was honoured to be named as one of 7 Australians who had made "invaluable contributions to establishing international shoulder to shoulder competition" something little known or recognised in Australia.

 

What is your current equipment?

Stolle Panda, Kelbly stock finished by Alex Chryss, barrels for this action all chambered in 6 PPC - Tobler, Turbo, Maddco and Krieger chambered by Tom and Steve Sori topped with either 36X Leupold worked over by Cecil Tucker or a 36X Weaver.  To complete the barrel smorgasbord my rig is a Remington XP100, Hart barrel with all metal work and stands by Tom.

 

Philosophy for Benchrest.

There is always a learning curve and when you think you know it all it is time to give the game away.  If things go bad don't brood tomorrow is another day and try not to repeat the mistake.  It is just a sport and no gold ingots.

No matter how much or how hard you practice you always need that little pat from lady luck.

 

Advice to new shooters.

Buy the best equipment you can afford as you are better off with 1 good rifle than a cupboard full of mediocre ones that in $ terms represent parity. Do not sidestep the used market.  Seek out those with a proven track record as in the main they are the proverbial font of knowledge.  Enjoy the thrill of small groups and think smaller.