The Castlemaine Rifle Club held its annual Australia Day Medal Shoot on Sunday, 26th January. Shooting was 3 rounds of ten shots all from the 500 yard mound. The day’s temperature was around 30 degrees and sunny. There was only a light breeze but lots of quickly changing mirage. Numbers were well up on last year with shooters travelling long distances to participate.
Considering the tricky conditions some very good scores were recorded. Club glasses were awarded to the winners in each grade at the 3 ranges contested.
At the first range, “A Grade ” was won by Tim Letts from Darwin with 49.5. “B Grade” was won by Cynthia Hollis from Darwin with 48.2. “F Class A” went to Bruce Serjeant from Werribee with 58.3 and “F Class B” to Castlemaine’s Dean Swagemakers with 56.3. “F Open” went to Viren Pereira from Werribee with 60.7.
The second round saw Greg Tomorad from Bendigo win “A Grade” with 50.5. “B Grade” was won by Doug Ratcliff from Maryborough with 48.4. “F Class A” went to Bruce Serjeant from Werribee with 58.3. In “F Class B” the winner was Paul Szalman from Geelong with 59.4. Gerry Thomas from Bendigo won “F Open” with 60.4.
After the lunch break the wind picked up a little but there was still a lot of mirage. In” Target Rifle A” Greg Tomorad from Bendigo won with 49.5 and in “Target Rifle B” Doug Ratcliff from Maryborough won with 49.5. “F Class A” was won by Alan Fuge from Nagambie with 57.3 and “F Class B” went to Paul Szalman from Geelong with 58.6. “FOpen” was won by Bendigo’s Geoff Krake with 59.5.
Final Aggregates were for the covetted “Australia Day Medallions.
RANGE TROPHIES AND THE COVETTED AUSTRALIA DAY MEDALLIONS
Target Rifle A Grade was won by Greg Tomorad from Bendigo with 146.14 and Darwin’s Tim Letts was second with 145.12.
Target Rifle B Grade went to Doug Ratcliff from Maryborough with 144.13; Carol Hulett from Geelong was second with142.6 and third was Peter Hulett from Geelong with 141.8.
F Class A was won by Bruce Serjeant from Werribee with 172.7, and Robert Chiswell from Werribee was second with 169.9 and Alan Fuge from Nagambie was third with 169.7.
F Class B was won by Paul Szalman from Geelong with 173.11 and second was Castlemaine’s Dean Swagemakers with 166.10 and third placing for the local club went to David Perry with 164.5.
F Open was won by Gerry Thomas from Bendigo with 178.13 and Geoff Krake also from Bendigo second with 177.16 . Rod Mahon from South Bendigo was third with 175.11.
1034 – SARAH SWAGEMAKERS, CASTLEMAINE RIFLE CLUB WATCHING ALL THE ACTION 
STAN SMITH, CASTLEMAINE AND GREG TOMORAD, BENDIGO CATCHING UP WITH NEWS 
COMPETITORS FROM Maryborough AND GEELONG SOCIALISING 
AT THE 500 YARD MOUND 
TOULA WARD,CASTLEMAINE SCORING 
A. GRADE WINNER GREG TOMORAD FROM BENDIGO RIFLE CLUB RECEIVING HIS MEDALLION FROM CLUB PRESIDENT, RICHARD RUDDICK 
B. GRADE WINNER DOUG RATCLIFF, MARYBOROUGH RIFLE CLUB WITH HIS MEDALLION 
F. CLASS A. GRADE WINNER, BRUCE SERJEANT, WERRIBEE AT THE MEDALLION PRESENTATION 
F. CLASS B WINNER, PAUL SZALMAN, GEELONG BEING PRESENTED WITH HIS MEDALLION 
F. OPEN WINNER GERRY THOMAS, BENDIGO WAS PLEASED TO WIN HIS MEDALLION 
SOME OF THE WINNERS
It was a great competition and a great way to celebrate “Australia Day”.
Castlemaine will again be running rounds of The Victorian Precision Service Rifle Series with the first round to be at Castlemaine on Sunday 15th March. Our Classic and Military Shoot run with the Kyneton Rifle Club is scheduled for Saturday 3rd October and is going to be bigger than ever with some really special historical firearms that you wont see anywhere else.
For more information email the secretary at glend595@gmail.com or phone the Captain on 03 54 74 2552.
