County title for small-bore men

THE GUERNSEY A team has won a county small-bore trophy. In the final of the Elizabeth competition organised by the Hampshire County Rifle Association, they beat New Milton by 1,186 to 1,183 in the tightest of postal shoots.

After the first set of targets, New Milton opened a five-point lead but with some consistent shooting on the second set Guernsey overturned the deficit.

The final was the climax of a season-long competition which started in October 2003.

In total, 20 teams from all over the county entered the knockout competition.

Following a bye in the first round, Guernsey A beat teams from Shanklin, Kingsgate and Basingstoke to reach the final.

A second Guernsey team almost made it to the final and there was some excitement with the potential for an all-Sarnian showdown which would have been a first. Unfortunately, the Bs lost in the semi-finals.

The Elizabethan competition team comprises six people and unlike most other shooting competitions, competitors do not have to achieve the highest possible score, normally 100 on a single target.

Each one nominates a start before he or she commence shooting and they must aim to lose that number of points on the target.

Put simply, if a competitor nominates a start of six, he or she must lose six points and achieve a score of 94. If he or she does not lose enough points or gains too many, their score is adjusted. This form of competition is an acquired skill, which takes years to master.