During Long Leave the senior shooting team. Ruari B-S. (Capt) Archie W., Bryn S. and Will V-P. travelled to Bisley camp for the National finals after qualifying at the start of term.
Weapons checked, lateral flow test completed and registering at stats we then drove to Pirbright camp to take over accommodation to get ready for the range brief. It was all starting to feel a bit real, a mix of nerves and excitement meant for a restless night.
After a hearty breakfast we headed back to Bisley, the home of shooting. We were allocated our lane and introduced ourselves to Suffolk county team we would be registered keeper for.
The first shoot was a practice shoot at 300 yards. The team were given 12 rounds per firer and 60 minutes to use how they felt appropriate. All was going well, Ruari just needed a few rounds to confirm his sights were zeroed and Maj Money could work out the effect of the wind on the bullet. Archie was next up, a bit of adjustment needed to his elevation and then…. “Sir, my target has gone down”. After a frantic radio message to the butts it turned out the target frame had broken and we had to wait for it to be repaired. All we could do was sit and wait. 25 minutes later it appeared, I asked for an extension and was given 4 minutes. Some slick change overs and accurate shooting was going to be required. The boys delivered. All now set up and ready for the first round.
The first shoot was team and individual 300 yards. 2 sighers and 7 shots to count. The rain started but did not dampen the enthusiasm. Solid scores from all firers. In the afternoon we fell back to 500 yards. At the end of the day we were happy with our scores and we were confidently hitting the middle of the target. Thanks to Simon Hayton from the OC team who came along to see the team and helped with some coaching.
The next day was the final shoot of the comp, 600 yards, 2 and 7, still raining! There was an excellent atmosphere at the firing point as teams chatted together after making new friends whilst coaches stared at the range flags. The wind seemed to change 2 or 3 times towards the targets with gusts from left to right. The boys shot well in tough conditions but credit must go to the parents and grandparents who braved the weather to come and support the shooters.
The sun came out as we packed up and assembles for the presentation. CCF units dominated the prizes with Epsom winning the Schools and overall cups. Ruari B-S. came 31st overall with only 3 points between him and GB squad selection.
The future looks good for Cranleigh shooting and we look forward to using this momentum to more events and Bisley Schools week in the summer.
Anyone interested in the shooting team should contact Major Money.
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