NRA Journal - Summer 2003 - National Rifle Association

The very thing about MR, and its best selling-point, isthat it is an easy discipline to enter. Many MR recruitscome from TR where their eyes have given-up theuneven struggle with iron-sights and crave the sightpicture telescopic sights provide. For them a change indiscipline can cost as little as two or three hundredpounds with many shooting their first couple of seasonswith their existing TR barrels, before taking the plungeand fitting a MR barrel. Most if not all of these wouldbe lost were MR to move to any calibre. We are acompetitive bunch after all.Going over Richard’s points one at a time:Experimentation is being stifled.I have never stopped experimenting - the day I stopexperimenting will be the day before I quit the sport.Change would take us from the transonic instability.Yes, probably, but many seem to manage well as mattersare now.Wind deflections would not alter significantly.Yes they would! The biggest disadvantage of .308” isthat only the heaviest bullets give comparable drag coefficientswith the 6.5s etc.Some would change, some wouldn’t.Some would change, many would leave!Young barrels win.The barrel that won the English VIII Spring Meetingstarted that Meeting having shot 5560 rounds; youngbarrels win some of the time but not always.No change to scoring.Scoring is the one area where MR needs change. TheNorth London have been experimenting for several yearsusing the Palma target for MR competition, I feel thiswould be the way to go for MR scoring.Near possible scores.This would be addressed with the above answer.Match Rifle is a great discipline, populated by a greatbunch of men and women who enjoy level competitionin their chosen discipline, without the additional expenseof multitudinous calibres. At this point I should like torecord a personal thanks to John de Havilland, whosepersonal generosity brought me into the disciplineseveral years earlier than I had planned.Let the discussion continue.From Chris HockleySportsworld TravelIt is not what one expects to happen at the end of ashooting tour – to be robbed and be left without passport,firearm certificate and flight tickets. The fact that thishappened from a locked vehicle in downtown Aucklandin broad daylight was a serious shock. Why was it thetwo Welshmen, you may ask, that lost their flight bagswith these vital documents? Well it was all the fault ofthe Irishman who had hi-jacked the two to drive him toAuckland a bit early to do some shopping. The two ofus had then a forced stay of 24 hours in order to getemergency passports and new flight tickets.62Anyway the real point of my letter is to say what awonderful service was then provided by Sportsworld,our travel agent for the trip. David Freeman jumped inhis car and drove from Brighton to Abingdon at 10.30 atnight so that he could fax copies of our flight tickets tothe numpty in Air New Zealand who would do nothingwithout such proof.I cannot speak too highly of Dave Freeman’s andSportsworld’s service and the fact that they have nowmade a breakthrough with British Airways for thecarriage of extra baggage to include sports equipmentmeans that I for one, will put future shooting tourbusiness their way as a first port of call.From Tom McGillCheshire Police Firearms Licensing DeptOn 9 January 2003, our Secretary died suddenly leavingthree target rifles. I phoned the Firearms LicensingDepartment at Chester who requested the Club’s FACto allow the Club to acquire these rifles, as we had slotsavailable, and within one week the new certificate wasin my home.I must say that we have always had an excellent servicefrom this section but it is good to see that in the hour ofneed that they have really excelled themselves. Our mostsincere thanks go to the department.The rifles will be sold to 101 Club members and theproceeds given to his family. A very sad loss to ourClub.From Gary ClarkeCompetitor Range OfficersWith regard to competitor Range Officers for theImperial Meeting I feel the situation should be reinstatedwhere competitor range officers are given credit forduties carried out. As Range Officer duties wereconsidered the same as marking duties in the past andas you have already paid not to have to mark, is it fairthat we are not compensated when we are required towork? As all competitors have no choice but to buy outof marking, those of us who have gone to the time andpersonal expense of becoming qualified range officersare being penalised. Is it fair that those who don’t makethe effort and aren’t qualified as range officers don’t getany duties? Last year because I was a qualified RO andput my entry in early I received three RO duties whilstothers received no duties. It may be worthwhile to letmy RO qualification lapse.From Phil HarrisonFree equipmentI have an elderly coaching communications set consistingof three stations (padded headphones/integralmicrophone), power units, hub and wiring (thus makingit legal for FP use). It works off 1.35 volt batteries whichought still to be available, although I cannot guaranteethis! It is free to anyone who wants it, as an alternativeto being heaved out.Please contact on phil@nosirrah01.freeserve.co.uk.