In a real match simulation of the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Council Short Range Match on Sunday (October 1) the Guyana Rifle team shot an impressive combined score of 1142: 74 Vees.
Shooting at Various positions of the range at the 300, 500 and 600 yards banks to test the conditions across the range, the scores were of an exceptionally high standard.
At 300 yards, three shooters shot scores of 49; they were Ransford Goodluck with 49:6, Lennox Braithwaite with 49:5 and Fullbore captain Mahendra Persaud 49:4. At the 300 yard range the team combined for a total of 378:26 vees.
Guyana’s Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud
At 500 yards it improved further with the team only dropping 8 points, shooting 392 out of the possible 400 points. Possibles were shot by Mahendra Persaud 50:5, Braithwaite 50:4 and Sherwin Felicien 50:4.
At 600 yards the wind got trickier and shooting from the extreme right of the newly renovated Timehri Rifle ranges for the first time in over 4 years, the scores dipped. The wind coaches had their work cut out for them and had to call on all their experience to conquer the conditions. The wind direction and speed was changing rapidly thus at times it was difficult to even judge what was happening.
Top Scorers for the range was Felicien with 48:2 and Goodluck 48:1.
The Guyana National Rifle Association in conjunction with the Guyana Defence Force has expended large sums of money and effort in renovating the Timehri Rifle Ranges and can now boast of having a truly International Shooting Range. The Fullbore shooters especially played an important part in making this a reality with lots of days in the hot sun replanting grass on the shooting banks, installing and renovating target mechanisms and in general rebuilding and redesigning the range.
This was part of the preparations for the celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of the Guyana National Rifle Association, making it one of the oldest Rifle associations in the world. The only negative spot in the Association’s history is the inability on the part of successive administrations to recognize this prestigious Association and grant them a piece of land that they can call home. A piece of land that is that is both conveniently placed and close enough to the arms stores and security forces in Georgetown, to facilitate the easy movement of arms and ammunition taking security into consideration and at the same time to promote the sport of air Rifle, air pistol, small bore and pistol shooting disciplines. Hopefully with the Association achieving this 150th milestone, fortune and recognition would erase this negative spot.
With Guyanese shooters starting to make a name for themselves and Guyana in the world of Rifle shooting gaining recognition, it is hopeful that more of Corporate Guyana will be on board to make this tournament a success.
In a release to the media, the Guyana NRA thanked “all their sponsors, well-wishers, friends and supporters who over the years have stood with us. Without you none of our achievements would have been possible.”
Guyana is set to defend both the Short Range over 300, 500 &600 yard ranges and the Long Range Title over 900 and 1,000 yards, trophies which they have dominated in the last 20 years. The Guyanese have been so dominant that it has gotten to the point where other WI teams are scrambling for second place and at times not even thinking of winning.
