It was good to see 15 competitors for the Branch 1000 yard Championships at Bisley on 8 June. Once again members travelled from throughout the UK plus the Netherlands. The match is a 30 shot course of fire over two details (morning and afternoon).
For the long range rifle shooter who has developed an accurate load and honed their technical shooting skills, understanding and reacting to changing atmospheric conditions is the key to good results. The conditions for the match were however a challenge! Light varied throughout the day, from bright sunshine to somewhat overcast. The mirage present during the bright spells also vanished during the dull periods. The biggest variable however was the wind – the morning being tricky and the afternoon’s fishtailing headwind difficult!
The top three, John Whittaker, Ben Greftenhuis and Mike Hall, fired well (and consistently) in both morning and afternoon and are to be congratulated. This can be a frustrating and challenging sport, but just a few well-placed shots in difficult conditions can be joy. For those outside the ‘prize list’, we now just need to extend those strings of well-placed shots to challenge for a medal placing!
Link: 1000 yard Championship 2024
