Brendan Atkinson

Brendan joined the SSAA in 1973 when working in Whyalla, where he assisted with the initial building of the range bench line.
A keen hunter since he was 15, he developed an interest in group shooting following the visit to the club of a benchrest shooter from Adelaide. Shortly after this he ordered a Shilen DGA benchrest rifle, .222 Rem chambering. The first time he shot the rifle, at the Para Range in Adelaide, he lowered the existing state record for a 100-yard group in light varmint.
A successful international benchrest career was born. His many achievements include winning the State Benchrest Four-gun Championship in 1977 and continuing to win this trophy for the next eight years - he has now won this SA event 15 times.
In 1980/81, Brendan shot several world records for the 300-yard distance, which were recognised by the IBS in the USA. He was presented with a silver tray by the SSAA, as the first member to shoot a recognised world record.
In 1990, Brendan won the four-gun National Championship at Para Range, and in doing so, amassed enough points to enter the Australian Benchrest Hall of Fame. His shooter number is 13 and he is currently the highest point scorer in the Hall of Fame.
From 1995 until now, Brendan qualified to attend the World Benchrest Championships. He was part of the team in 1995, 1997 and 2001. At the 2001 event, Brendan won the World Benchrest Championship against a field that included the best shooters from the USA.
Since 1994, Brendan has used a Stolle Teddy actioned benchrest rifle, which has used up about 12 6mm PPC chambered barrels during the past nine years.
Brendan has served as benchrest captain on the Para Range council for about 15 years and is an active member of the Hunting and Conservation Branch.
Brendan’s other interests are fishing, photography and four-wheel-driving. He is on the committee of the Holden 4WD Club of South Australia and is qualified as an advisor in the Driver Training Unit for 4WDs.
Brendan served 33 years with the Commonwealth Bank, including seven years as a branch manager, and is now the Technical Advisor for the Australian Shooter magazine. He is committed to the ethics and ideals of the SSAA and intends to continue writing, reviewing and competing for as long as possible.