SHOOTERS from Junee Ex-Services Rifle Club have helped NSW claim the Rowlands Trophy at the Australian Long Range Target Shooting Championships in South Australia.
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Mike Halloran along with his son Chris and brother Robert were part of a team that included shooters from Tumut, Griffith, Wagga and Tamworth.
"We're fortunate that NSW has some quite good shooters," Mike Halloran said.
"We're lucky to have a rifle range in Junee.
"It's only 700 metres but it's a good place to start."
Participants used match rifles and shot over distances of 900m, 1000m and 1100m, battling high temperatures and strong winds at the four-day event.
Shooters were judged on a possible score of 100.
Robert claimed the first day's aggregate score, with Mike winning on day two.
On day four, Chris shot 96.7 in wind conditions which wreaked havoc for other competitors to claim third place in open competition and first in the reserve grade.
"Chris had an excellent score considering the conditions," Mike Halloran said.
Meanwhile, Wagga's Phillip Bain claimed the individual match rifle championship, finishing 10 points ahead of the next competitor.
The NSW team claimed victory in all three team events, beating Victoria by three points for the Rowlands Trophy, seven points in the Maloney Trophy and 10 points in the Mincham Aggregate Trophy.
Mike Hallorn was also recognised for his performance at the previous national championships at Coonabarabran.
At that event he became the first person to twice record a perfect score and only the second person in the world to have achieved the feat since the match rifle discipline was introduced 150 years ago.
Mike said he was quite happy to have scored 100 twice but admitted conditions had been favourable.
"It's just a matter of getting off a good shot and firing when there's the least amount of movement," he said.
"Providing your rifle is accurate and you can fire a good shot, it all comes down to the wind."