Dorchester Rifle & Pistol Club

Dorchester R&PC v. Bayeux Tir Club at Dorchester

This weekend [19th-21st June 2009] Dorchester Rifle and Pistol Club shooters entertained teams from their twin town of Bayeux for the annual rifle and pistol competitions that have now reached their 24th year.  The matches this year coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the twinning between Dorchester and Bayeux.

Despite arriving late at the Sandringham Sports Centre range on Friday afternoon, following a disrupted journey, the strength in depth of the Bayeux team enabled them to retain the trophy for the 10 metre air pistol competition.  This comprises 30 shots for each firer in the teams of five, and although Steve Maros for Dorchester was top scorer on the range with 268 x 300, closely followed by Jean-Jacques Durand 266, and Gill Carter and Jean-Pierre Bouin both on 361, Bayeux recorded 1290 against Dorchester's 1238.

The second competition was the Police Pistol, a rapid and snap course of fire originally designed for cartridge pistols but as they are now prohibited in England it is shot with repeating air pistols.  This action shoot involves 12 shots in 2 minutes at 20 yards followed by 3 shots in 4 seconds repeated four times at 15 yards, and finishing with 2 shots in 2 seconds three times at 10 yards.  Dorchester's team practice during the summer paid off, with all the team scoring over 200 each, and Steve Maros, Brian Moore, and Ian Davison being the top scorers.  Dorchester were very pleased to win the Police Pistol for the first time in many years by 1123 to 797.

On Friday evening a barbeque and social at the Clubroom was attended by shooters, their partners, and other Club members.  Both teams were pleased to welcome Mike White, previously Dorchester's rifle captain but now living in Normandy, as the scorer and arbitrator for all the competitions.

Although Saturday dawned clear and sunny, by the time the teams reached the outdoor range at Piddlehinton the sky was covered by heavy cloud and the variable and gusty wind, coming across and slightly down the range, had a nasty chill to it.  The .22 rifle competition comprises two targets, each of 10 shots, at both 50m and 100 yard. Only Lynda Renshaw [Dorchester, 97 & 94] and Marie-Claire France [Bayeux, 96 & 94] shot consistently well at 50m although Dorchester shooters Dave Carter and Dave Jenkins both put up individual cards of 95.  At the halfway stage Dorchester were leading 935 to 892.  The wind and variable light for the 100 yards shoots caused the shots to spread, and the home advantage told, with Richard Burden [96 & 94] and Rod Hann [95 & 88] top scoring for Dorchester against Bayeux's top shooters Marie-Claire France [89 & 90] and Jean-Pierre Bouin [87 & 92].  Adding 907 and 865 respectively for the 100 yards team scores, Dorchester ran out clear winners to retain the rifle trophy with 1842 against Bayeux's 1757.  The combined top scorers across both 50m and 100 yards were Richard Burden [375] and Lynda Renshaw [370]. 

Whilst the teams adjourned up the Piddle valley to the Poachers for lunch the weather began to clear, becoming much warmer and sunnier, although still windy, for the Black Powder competition, using replicas of historic duelling pistols, which started at 2pm.

The scoring is different from other shooting disciplines, and to take account of the problems and difficulties of hand loading these arms the best ten of each shooter’s 13 shots are scored.  The Mayor of Dorchester, Susie Hosford, accompanied by Tony, joined the teams and saw the measuring of the gunpowder, the loading of the lead ball, and the cloud of smoke when the pistols are fired.  Both teams found the conditions tricky, with the wind buffeting the shooting arm.  However, the skill and experience of the Bayeux shooters is formidable, with Jean-Pierre Bouin and Michel Huart scoring 91 and 88 respectively, well clear of Dorchester's top scorer, Steve Maros, with 80.  Bayeux won the Black Powder competition by 459 to 390.  The Mayor presented the trophies, two to Bayeux and two to Dorchester, as well as medals for the highest scorer on the losing team.

Richard Burden   Chairman
RFB  21 6 09

Score Sheet