he Snap Shoot Competition was held at Binton Social Club on 17 October when only six shooters took part. This competition requires shooters to be not only accurate but also quick. Shooters qualify for the final round only if they can manage a score of 22 or more from five pellets shot within one minute. New shooter Paul Workman started well but under pressure from the time factor failed to get the necessary qualifying score and eventually retired from the competition. Chris Green’s first attempt was more accurate with a four, clean bull and another 4 but he ran out of time. He too retired without reaching the necessary 22 points.

Fred Williams had four attempts before he qualified and Paul Clingan qualified at his second attempt. Binton shooters Will Cemis, a former winner, qualified at his first attempt with 23 points as did Andy Smith with 23.1 points – a clean bull counting as 5.1points.

In the final shoot off, Will Cemis set a high standard scoring three bulls for 23.2 points, hoping this would be enough to rest the trophy back from last year’s winner, Paul Clingan, who shot a four, two bulls, one of them clean, then finished with two fours which gave him 22.1 points. Fred Williams shot three fours and two bulls for 22. Andy Smith only managed 21. Will Cemis regained the trophy.

Avenue-RBL were at home to Binton A and both teams shot well. Binton started with 32 from Andy Smith and was followed by 33 from new shooter Chris Reed and John Parrott, 31 from Simon Dale and 30 from Alan Dyer and Neil Bragg. Last man, Neil Beningfield also shot 32 points. Alison McMillan for the home team started with 33, her best score this season, and commented afterwards that she thought she’d got her mojo back. Long may it last. Steve Ray who has not been as accurate this season as he can be scored 31. Paul Nixon-Barron and Steve Everett both shot 30, Guy Ganderton 29 and par 28 from Jo Everett and Dee Green. Neither team had a stray three in their counting scores and though some of Avenue-RBL shots were tight the bell just failed to ring as often for them as it did for Binton and their pre- charged FWB and Anschutz rifles so with Binton hitting the bull more often they came out winners 221 to 209 points.

Clifford were hosts to the Home Guard team. Haydn Taplin had another good week scoring 30, as did Richard Mills and Derek Powers but Jackie Mills and Bill Gately both shot 31 and Colin Fulford 32. Clifford’s Brian Smith improved on his personal best with 30 and Trevor Morris equaled his personal best score, 29. The rest of the eight man team had too many stray shots for big scores. Home Guard won 210 to 186 points.

Both Wilmcote teams shot against each other on MEB’s new target. Wilmcote only fielded six shooters and had to rely on an A N Other score but with solid shooting from John Maycock 33 – a season best, Andy Morris, Brian Adshead and Paul Clingan 31, Alan Brookes 30 and par 28 from Tim Stephens they came out on top on the match and remain top of the league. Karl McMillan had the highest score for MEB with a seasonal best of 32. Richard Groom shot 31, Kath Williams 30, and 29 from Sheila Clarke, Paul Workman and Fred Williams. Ray Hodgkins shot par 28. The final score MEB 208 Wilmcote 213.

The first leg of the Avon challenge was shot on 24 October at Badsey RBL against eight shooters from Evesham. Amy Lewis shot a possible and Andie Lewis and Dean Baglin shot 33 for the visitors. Stratford was represented by Andy Smith (Capt), Colin Fulford, Bill Fleming, Michelle Dale, Andy Morris, john Parrott, Alan Brookes and Steve Ray. Andy Morris had the highest score for Stratford 33. Evesham go to the next round some 13 points in the lead.

Tonight (27 October) sees the first and time permitting second rounds of the Whitbread Individual Competition at Wilmcote.