Individual - Final Day

Wow, what a day!

The final day of the individual even served up some really tough wind conditions which showed what fullbore shooting is all about.

The wind was from the west (from behind us on the east facing range) and was fresh. At 900 yards the angle was fairly steady and there were some good scores (74s being the best).  I had a pretty poor shoot ending up with 70.  I just couldn't seem to be able to get comfortable even after getting up and moving after the blow off shots.  That left me in 18th place meaning that I would (just about) get to shoot on the second detail with the leading shots at 1000 yards.

1000 yards was brutal.  The first detail was carnage with the wind going either side of zero and changing in the blink of an eye.  Nobody broke 70 with Gaz Morris getting the best score of 69.

Going into 1000 it was very close at the top and so it would all come down to who could hold it together there.

I think our detail was fractionally easier than the first but it was still very hard (4 left to 3 right) and the scores were mixed.  I was really pleased with my shoot managing to keep a very tight elevation and making some good wind calls.  I ended up with 69 which was one of the better scores.

However, it was David Luckman who stole the show.  He somehow contrived to get 74 after dropping his first.  The next best was a 70.  David won with 401 (ex 405) which was an unbelievable score.  As is traditional we chaired David off the range to the medal ceremony (despite my suggestion that we build a pyre and burn him as a witch!).  With that shoot he really deserved to win.

Jim Paton got the silver and Parag the bronze.

The other leading shooters from yesterday really suffered at 1000.  Barry Le Chem of Jersey got 64 and ended up 7th.  Daniel Richardson, also of Jersey had 60 and finished well down.  Geoff Grenfell (Australia) could only manage a 59.

I gained 10 places at 1000 yards to finish 8th.

So, now the shooting is over, what are my thoughts?

In terms of my own performance, it was mixed.  I had a slightly below par second day and 900 yards was not very good.  However, 8th place is my best result in the individual event at a Commonwealth Games and I was really pleased to finish with a good 1000 yard shoot in very tough conditions.  I could have done better but I've got to be reasonably satisfied with my overall performance.

On the event and the broader experience?  The shooting has been very good.  It was a well run match in some trying and frustrating conditions (haars and the like) but the standard of shooting has been superb and the competition tough but, as you'd expect in the world of fullbore shooting, very friendly.  I think the best shooters won the medals which was good.  The range staff (led by Alan Mabon) and the markers and volunteers did a fantastic job.  We thanked the volunteers and markers by pooling surplus team kit for them to share amongst themselves.

Off the ranges the illness in our team has taken a lot of the fun out of it unfortunately.  Peter, Rick and I have barely been together as a team over the past week.  Rick came to the range today for the first time since the events started and it was great to see him feeling so much better.  I'm hoping we can make up for lost time over the rest of this week and have a good time watching some other events in Glasgow.

Tonight there is a party planned at a club in Dundee.  Hopefully lots of the fullbore shooters will be there and some of the volunteers are planning to join us too.  Noris has issued me with instructions to make sure we don't leave without him. Wish us luck - I think we'll need it!!