Mattersey Rifle & Pistol Club

MATTERSEY CHRISTMAS SHOOT
Report by
Pete Whomersley

The 18th of December 05 saw Mattersey R&PC run its Christmas steel shoot at the range in north Nottinghamshire. The day started with a very cold finger numbing -5 degrees with around 40 hardy souls arriving to shoot from as far north as Northumbria and as far south as London. The extreme cold had a diverse effect on the food and hot drink equipment as the gas in the bottles had started to freeze, but shooters being the type they are just got on with the job at hand which was to shoot metal plates and have a lot of fun doing it.

Shotgun

The shotgun stage is probably the most popular up and coming event at Mattersey, in this stage there are two arcs of five pepper popper steel targets with a large timer read out above and behind the shooters just like the one's seen in America. One thing that helps make this event popular is that we run with five classes which are FAC AUTO, FAC PUMP, NON FAC AUTO, NON FAC PUMP and DOUBLE BARREL. The fact that you can enter and re-enter almost all day if you want, as with most types of shooting it's a real challenge just to beat you own personal best time.
Just like the old adage "it's about the best fun you can have" (you know the rest?)
Mark Overden won the fac auto class but it must have cost him an arm & leg with all his re-entries but he had a grin from ear to ear when he went home and that's what it's all about. I particularly like to see the hardy souls with side by side non eject shotguns shoot this match it takes great skill and dexterity but again what fun they have!

GRCF PLATES & SKITTLES

This match is a test of speed once again but accuracy is important too because plates left standing cost you penalty seconds. The course of fire was to shoot the skittle steels twice and the round steel plates twice and the fastest time from each added together to give your final score.
This match was also shot with LBRs but there were only 3 of us, so lets see some of you others next time.

GRSB ( 22 ) STEELS

This match was shot on the Bianchi steels and a mixture of shapes as well, once again the shapes were shot twice then the Bianchi plates shot twice the fastest time from each was added together to give scoring time.
Some of the people were trying this type of shooting for the first time and there's one thing for sure it won't be the last.

PRIZES

We just managed to tear the shooters away from the shotgun stage just as the light was starting to go so that the prizes could be presented. The prize table had a Christmas theme with small hamper type items like wines and cheeses, also shotgun cartridges and a few other items were donated by the members.

THANKS

I would like to thank our great friends at York Guns, once again they lent us some shotguns to use for the shotgun steel shoot. Dave Neilson from York brought some cartridges for us, so a great big thanks have to go to Dave and Gary at York Guns. I would like to thank all those who helped make it a great day they know who they are! so come along and meet them. Scores and photos are on this site else where.

Photographs are HERE

Results are HERE