19th August
It is nearly 1800 hours. Two thirds of the team are in our “classroom”. The blackboard (in this case green) is covered in various coloured chalks listing ammunition requirements, team member’s victualling requirements but most importantly scores over the last two days.
We all got thoroughly wet yesterday during an extended, very heavy shower, which penetrated deep into everyone’s kit and ruined some lovely hairstyles.
The Captain has had a ‘scope drying out in the toaster from yesterday’s rain, or at least on it. He has now resorted to a hair dryer, but keeps finding more lenses.
The DCRA, in their wisdom has decided to postpone the last detail of the Gibson until 1815, at the same time as Jon Underwood and Paul Wheeler are tie shooting for the Ottawa Regiment.
The delay – about a 90 minutes, has completely scuppered the team’s evening plans for restaurant bookings and considerably delayed the visit of some team members to a barbeque with John and Deitra Carmichael.
Our day started early, up at 0600 to be here by 0700, many of us on first detail at 0800. We left Bell’s Corner in drizzle, under a very low, threatening cloud base, by the time we shot, things had brightened considerably and promised a bright day, with increasing winds.
Scores across the team were generally rather creditable with 11 possibles and 16 49’s amongst the team of 23 over two shoots at 500x.
Years ago, travelling teams used to weigh issued ammunition in order to try and optimise grouping during any particular shoot. Now that we use our own ammo, we push our rounds to length, using “clackers”, which seems to be a familiar sound accompanying us in hotel and classroom as ideally lengthed offerings equip the team.
The two shoots at 800 metres were in three details each, staring after lunch with fresh winds from 10 o’clock needing an eye keeping on strength, which increased steadily, needing 10 -12 minutes on the sights until about 1600, when almost as if a switch had been turned off, the wind coming from 11 o’clock and needing no more than about 3 minutes. Numerous shooters were caught!
Mr Postle just dropped his last at 800 metres for a 50 with one V. The unintentional V being his last shot.
The Captain (Sparky?) has just tripped a breaker, air conditioning has now stopped….
Chris Mitchell has been shooting very well during the pre Grand Shoots and has won the Champlain Aggregate only dropping one point to finish on 299.44.