Both Jeff Eppleston and Geoff Willis found success in the Country versus City teams match, Eppleston became a state Champion of Champions, next week Steve Williams will head to Sydney in his role as coach of the NSW rifle team, while Elizabeth Willis notched up a club first.

“They’ve done very well. It’s a very small club but we’ve been lucky enough to have some good shooters there,” club publicity officer John Coghill said.

Eppleston, the club’s F-class champion, and Geoff Willis were part of the Country team which competed in Sydney and “annihilated their City counterparts” by 44 points.

Their efforts meant they were selected in the NSW team to travel to Tasmania to contest the National F-class teams competition in March 2014.

Having taken out the Blue Mountains District Rifle Association in May, Eppleston was also eligible to contest the NSW Champion of Champions event. Again he shone.

Coghill said it continued a good run of form for Eppleston, who also picked up a win in the 2012 NSW Rifle Association’s Queens Prize.

“He added another jewel to his fast growing cache of achievements,” he said.

“This latest exploit points to his growing reputation as one of the best exponents of the scoped long rifle in the state.”

Taking on district champions from across the state, consistency was the key for Eppleston.

He was amongst the best on the 500 and 600-metre stages, so even when he found trouble over 700m, he was not out of contention.

The Bathurst shooter finished strongly on the 800m stage to claim the title by three points over another talented Central West competitor Geoff Garlick. 

Meanwhile, the club’s final shoot of June saw a piece of history created as Elizabeth Willis became the first female shooter to get her name etched onto a Bathurst trophy.

“Full Bore target rifle shooting has existed in Bathurst dating back to the first settlement in the early 1800s, but few women have featured in the Bathurst Rifle Club’s long and distinguished history,” Coghill said.

“A Miss M. Carr was one such lady who competed against men with much success in the period 1913-14, but little is known about her other that she was very competitive against her male counterparts.

“[Now] History may be about to repeat itself with the emergence of a talented young women 100 years after Miss Carr’s exploits with the long rifle.”

Based on a piece in the Macleay Chronicle newspaper on February 4, 1914, it is clear the Bathurst Civilian Rifle Club were happy to have Carr amongst their ranks.

“The Bathurst Civilian Rifle Club boasts that in Miss M. Carr they have the champion lady rifle shot of the Commonwealth, and only lady rifle shot in New South Wales. Miss Carr, who is about 21 years of age, shoots under the same conditions as male members of the club,” it read.

“The Bathurst Civilians are prepared to match Miss Carr against any other lady shot in Australia.”

While Carr won herself some shillings in that year’s Machattie Cup meeting, Willis secured a bigger prize. Since the Bathurst club’s record started being kept in 1909, no female shooter had won a trophy until now.

She won the CR Kelly Cup, which was first presented back in 1951. Flourishing on an overcast day from the 800 mound, she shot a day-topping 58.4 and sealed the trophy with the maximum 200/200 handicap points over the combined 700 yard and 800 yard ranges.

“Willis took up competitive rifle shooting just 15 months ago and has made spectacular progress in her chosen discipline of F-class standard,” Coghill said.

“Willis did it in style, winning not only the trophy but the Cock of the Walk against F-class champion Jeff Eppleston and her father Grahame Willis. Her handicap score also topped target rifle Club Champion Steve Williams and former Champion and 2013 runner up Graeme Bright.”

Willis has now temporarily put her shooting on hold while she studies in Goulburn.