100s @ 1200
Record  of Match Rifle Scores of 100 for 20 shots at 1200 yards
           
Score Name Date Range Match Conditions
100.8 Philip Bain 26th Sept 2011 Lower Light, Aus Individual South Australian Championships
100.16 Shane Courtney 4 July 2010 Stawell, Aus Individual Club Shoot
Stawell, Victoria
100.10 Mike Halloran 10 April 2010 Raglan, Aus Individual Queensland Championships
100.15 Jim McAllister 10 Oct 2009 Stickledown, UK Individual North London Rifle Club Closed Champs
100.13 Jim McAllister 26 Sep 2009 Stickledown, UK Coached
(T. Kidner)		 GB Match Rifle Team Practice
100.12 Gareth James 26 Sep 2009 Stickledown, UK Coached
(A.Cargill Thompson)		 GB Match Rifle Team Practice
100.08 John Kielly 18 July 2009 Belmont, Aus Individual Queensland Championships
100.16 Gareth James 6 June 2009 Stickledown, UK Coached London & Middlesex RA Match Rifle Team Comp
100.13 Philip Bain 7 June 2008 Corryong,  Aus Individual Club Shoot
Vic Match Rifle Club
100.13 John Knight 14 Oct. 2007 Stickledown, UK Individual North London Club Championships
100.08 Rob Halloran 5 Nov. 2005 Corryong, Aus Individual Competition
Victorian Champs
100.08 Paul Charlton 11 June 2005 Stickledown, UK Coached London Middlesex Match Rifle Team Comp

We are looking for details of any other 100s shot at 1200 yards either in Australia or UK, coached or individual, to add to the above list. If you are aware of any other 100s please send the details to the website so we can add to the above list. (See Contact Us for email)
The Stories
100.8 Philip Bain
Day 1 Range 3 of  the 2011 South Australian championships and the winds were very light, approximately 4 mile per hour, but fishtailing from the rear from 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock.

In usual Lower Light style, the mirage and flags didn't always agree with the mirage sometimes running the opposite direction to what the flags would indicate. The last shot was a 6o'clock bull  - so just as well I read the wind right for that shot!
100.16 Shane Courtney
Shane Courtney celebrated US Independance Day 2010 with a 100.16 in club competition at Stawell.
 
Despite winding the wrong way after his first sighter Shane got down to business with 9 centres on the trot and the 10th not far out of the centre. 11 was a low 6 o'clock bull which must have given him a fright because he went back to shooting centres again. There was another bull in the second half of his shoot but as Shane retained his normal phlegmatic approach to things we don't know if the butterflies were kicking or not - but the last one was also close, but a bull and well and truly in, at 4 o'clock.
 
As well as being the only 100 shot at Stawell to date, this is also the only 15 shot possible from 1200. Unfortunately he was just a few months too late as Lew Horwood did have some gold on offer for a possible at the last Victorian Championships held at Stawell. He might have to rethink this offer next time as the possibles keep coming!
100.10 Mike Halloran
s s s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3 4 5 5 v v v v v v v 5 5
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Total
v 5 v v 5 5 5 5 5 5 100 10

                                                     
Before shooting 1100 metres, the 900 and 1000 metres have to be taken care of, 900 metres began for me as it always does, little nervous moments, not holding as well as I would have liked, but somehow crawled in with 75.5.
1000 metres, the humidity was getting higher, put that out of my mind and felt a lot more in control, even though I dropped one point, the centre count had risen to nine. After lunch it was hotter and very humid, the only thing to do was drink plenty of water and ignore it, after all I used to work all day once in tougher conditions, this was sport, so enjoy it. The scope I was using on the rifle had been returned for repairs not long after I purchased it, and I was not that familiar with it, misread the elevation and started with a high magpie, screwed down for an inner, another move and was on with a bullseye.The faint air movement was coming from the left, the flags not moving far, with the high humidity, I could see the mirage quite well. From the second record shot on I had a run of centres and after a few, the thought came that this was easy, not a good thing, so told myself to wake up and concentrate on the job. For once I must have and had a run of seven centres in eight shots. From previous shooting, at the Australian Match Rifle Team practices, I knew the rifle and ammo were very accurate, so I could trust the results, as long as I fired good shots. After each shot I would check the wind flags, in case something had changed, listen for the score, load, check the spotter, watch the mirage, adjust the aiming point, if needed and fire. The centres slowed down, with the final one coming at shot fourteen. By this time I knew things were rolling along nicely, it was up to me to keep calm and barring some extreme happening, a good score could happen. Bullseyes kept coming, though not as easy as earlier in the match, the mirage was slowing down, making me think and worry somewhat. Shot nineteen was fired and called a bull, as I was loading for the final shot, the scorer called out, that shot is very close to the line, do you wish to challenge, immediately I thought it must have been a four and my chance was over. After a check through the scope, it was a bull, close to the right centre line, just above four o'clock, thank goodness for that, the quick reply was, thanks but I will keep the bull and continue. Shot twenty went down and to my relief came up as a bull, probably the widest one in the match, but still a bull.

It was all over, the old bloke from Junee had scored a 100 at 1200 yards/1100 metres, apparently some people were watching, because clapping broke out and I remember Kerod Lindley reaching over and shaking my hand.
100.15 Jim McAllister
Plot Sheet
The North London Rifle Club's Closed Championships is an individual two- day event with competitors shooting alternately in GB fashion. The 2009 Championships were favoured with another good spell of weather. The wind was much stronger this time but reasonably steady with again, bright sunlight. Jim shot a 100.15 as a follow on from the 100.13 shot under coach a few weeks earlier (see below).  The Championships shoot from 1200 down to 1000 so there could be no better way to start the event.

Jim was partnered by Derek Lowe, another member of the GB team, and he shot a 99 on the Sunday. John Knight also shot a 99 and there were other 100s at 1100 and 1000.   All Results
100.13 Jim McAllister & 100.12 Gareth James
Conditions were good at Stickledown on Saturday 26th September, 2009 so the GB Match Rifle Team members decided to take full advantage with a morning practice shoot before the start of the English VIII/Irish RC Autumn meeting later in the day.

Shooting "Australian (String) Style" Jim McAllister, coached by Tim Kidner, shot a 100.13. Jim had previously shot a 100.17 using his 7mm as a Match Rifle in the Any Rifles Match at the Imperial meeting in 2008.

Coached by Alex Cargill Thompson, Gareth James took the opportunity of the good weather conditions to clock up his second 100 @ 1200 with a 100.12 to follow on from his 100.16 at Sitckledown earlier in the year (see below).

Jim McAllister's Plot Sheet            Gareth James (L), Jim McAllister (R)   Gareth James' Plot Sheet

The practice obviously worked as a good number of the GB team later went on to do well in the English VIII/Irish RC Autumn shoot with 6 out of the top 10 places going to GBMRT members. However the Scots dominated the weekend taking the first five places in what was quite a high scoring the week-end.
100.08 - John Kielly
The Magic Scoreboard
100.16 - Gareth James
Plot Sheet
Seven teams of six shooters each shot the London & Middlesex Rifle Association teams match at 1000, 1100 and 1200 yards. Gareth James, representing Wales, shot his 100.16 at 1200 yards being
coached by Andrew Burgess.

This was the first time that Gareth had used the Sierra 210 grain bullet in a match...  Guess which bullet he used for the Bisley Meeting in July !
100.13 - Philip Bain
Fog Over Range 8.30am        Corryong Range 9am         Corryong Range 10am
A foggy Saturday morning at Corryong (Victoria) cleared to one of those fine, still winter days when members of the Victorian Match Rifle Club gathered on the long weekend in June for one of their 4 club weekends a year at Corryong. The numbers were small but the conditions excellent. After warm ups at 1000 and 1100 the group moved back to 1200 after lunch. Paul Deehan shooting F Class opened the scoring at 1200 with a 100.12 (5VVV55V555VVVV5VVV5V).

Philip Bain was next down, shooting Match Rifle with his "best" rifle but old barrel.  After a 4 for his first sighter it was a string of bulls and V bulls to follow for a final score of 100.13 (45VVV5V5VVV555VVV5VVV). This is believed to now be the  highest score in Australia for 20 shots at1200.
100.13 John Knight
The North London Club Championships in October 2007 offered up calm conditions for  the 20 or so competitors in the event. Apart from John's 100.13, three other competitors shot 99 at the 1200 yard range.
Plot Sheet.
Stickledown Range Where 2 of the 100s have now been shot
Stickledown Range where two of the 100s at 1200 have now been shot.
Photo courtesy of Gabrielle O'Leary
100.08 Rob Halloran
The Victorian Match Rifle and Long Range F Class (Open) Championships are traditionally held on the first weekend in November each year. November at Corryong usually brings reasonable weather conditions with enough wind variations to keep everyone guessing. Rob hadn't been having the greatest of days having come 10th at 1000 yards with a score of 72.5 and 13th at 1100 with 68.5. So at 1200 everyone was going about business at usual. After the first 15 shots went in a few people started to note that he was having a good shoot and as the bullseyes continued a small group gathered. The final shot was fired and there were calls of 'Good Luck' all round as the target went into the pit - and there it stayed for a seeming eternity. When it came up blank there were moans of disbelief - a quick challenge later and the target reappeared with spotter in place. Getting up Rob couldn't believe the fuss everyone was making. Being a relatively new convert to Match Rifle shooting he hadn't realised he had shot a record score!

Having realised his feat, the red wine appeared at dinner which seemed to distract a few members from attending the Victorian MRC Annual General Meeting and was the reported source or more than a few headaches for Day 2 of the Championships.  

Newspaper Article
100.08 Paul Charlton

shooting discipline matters

Match Rifle

 

From NRA Journal, Winter 2005

Match rifle history was made on Saturday 11 June 2005 when the first recorded 100 ex 100 at 1200 yards was made by Paul Charlton during the London and Middlesex Match Rifle Team competition held at Bisley. Paul's personal account of this achievement follows.

Since shooting first started people have striven to achieve the best that they can. In our case the HPS, or possible, is a mark of that quest which delineates those that can from those who try.

Some of us score a few HPSs and are able to recall each and every one and how much pleasure they bring, others are so proficient they could not tell you even roughly how many HPS range scores they have, though they probably know how few 105s, 150s, 200s etc that they have had.

I can recall the first time I ever had a possible, and the many years it took to get the second! What I had never expected to do was to get a prime possible, let me explain, a prime possible is one that no one else has ever scored. Examples are R St G Maxwell scoring 105 in the 1948 National Match, the 105.21 has yet to be achieved but Keith Pilcher and Stephen Penrose are so far the closest with 105.20s, however the V bull has shrunk since then (and the bull since Keith's!).

My prime possible was very much a team effort, I had been invited to take part in the L&MRA Match Rifle Team Championship, but as I was having work done on my rifle, said I would if I could borrow someone's rifle and use their ammunition. The deal was struck; I would borrow Peter Campbell's, which had been built by Ron Hilyard, and use his ammunition.

The team behind the score.

Standing: Gary Alexander (Coach), Ron Hilyard (Gunsmith).
 Sitting: Paul Charlton (Shooter), Peter Campbell ("Isn't it typical,
 you lend your rifle to someone else and they go and shoot like
that with it!")                                                  (Photo: Michael Wentges)

 

The team of six shoot 2 sighters and 20 to count at 1000,1100 and 1200 yards using two targets per team, so individual HPS is 300 and 1800 for the team. As I was to coach two others, I shot first then coached, whilst Peter shot last, allowing his rifle to cool off slightly between shoots.

As always using someone else's rifle is a bit of a compromise, do you conform to it or move every part possible until it feels comfy and destroy the setup of the rifle? Well my approach has been to conform to it as much as possible, so long as it does not hit me or hurt me. I found the butt-hook and deeply curved butt plate quite difficult to get to grips with at 1000 yards, but was reasonably happy with the result. When Peter shot he moved the buttplate assembly up six inches as I had shot it in the "rifle cleaning" position. I therefore found 1100 a much more comfortable experience and Gary Alexander and I coached one another to a pair of extremely satisfying 99s in conditions which were easily readable and changed gently.

After a satisfying lunch we resumed at 1200 with a marker whose work rate would have been generously judged as steady, certainly not fast. In fact we had only got to about shot 8 by the time our other target team had finished the first firer and were waiting for me to be the coach. But gamely we battled on. Gary by this stage had the fickle trickles of wind firmly under control and left my sights alone. In fact he made no wind adjustment between shots 2 and 13, this did not mean there were no changes, just that when eventually the target reappeared, we carried on using the same setting. One of the great differences in coaching an MR shooter and a TR shooter is the inability to gloss over a rank bad shot. The shooter has a perfect view of the target through the telescopic sight and even with a Galilean sight has a pretty good idea of shot location. Shot 13 caused me some concern as it was hanging in at 8 o'clock, but only just, so I asked Eric Adams if he was happy with the signalled value, which he was, and we carried on. Once shot 15 had been marked a bull I got a bit anxious. If only this had been a short shoot (MR only seem to do 15 and 20 shot shoots) I would have had my maiden 1200 proper possible, (I had had a 25.4 in a tie shoot but that only sort of counted). I realised that a ton was on, the wind played around a little and we did move for it, the marker remained steadily, but slowly, in his rhythm and the bull's-eyes kept on coming, 18 of them and I started to relax as this was likely to be a Personal Best (98.10 to get into that tie shoot was my previous personal best). When 19 came up I said to Gary "Well we're in new territory now" but I don't know how he felt. Shot 20 - calm but excited, could we? -squeeze, bang - looked good to me, and wait, and wait, did we seem to ******* wait - Yes! YES YES YES!

This is what we do it for, to beat the inner demons, to beat the wind, to achieve that to which we aspire, a possible at every range!

Everyone was extraordinarily gracious in the congratulations. It is brilliant when asked "alright?" to say "Yep, got em all". Whilst there have been a few 75s at 1200 yards, this was the first known 100, and like Ronny Maxwell's 105 in the National, no other person can ever be first again.

There is room for improvement; I only had 8 Vs, but I'm not sure I care about that.

Post Script: Just before the Journal went to press it was reported that Rob Halloran of Wagga Wagga shot Australia's first 100 ex 100 at 1200 yards in the Victorian Match Rifle Championships at Corryong.