SRA 2013 Review:-
NATIONAL (18 Jul 2013)
Our National Match performance was disappointing, with the team averaging 102 (as against the winners’ 103.15 with 13 Vs). While the finishing exaggerates that disappointment, it is nevertheless the case that only about a third of the team performed at the level we need if we are to win again. The majority of the others' performances are hard to explain; one or two have subsequently discovered barrel problems but a number had been performing well individually. While I don't think our team processes are particularly lacking, I do feel sure that it would help if we were able to get more of the team out training together in advance of the Imperial Meeting and would encourage all squad members to make it out for the RAF weekend in May, and (for home Scots and anglos respectively) to the April Blair Atholl weekend or the Army match in June.
COMBINED SERVICES MATCH (19 Jul 2013)
This match was again used for development purposes. There were some good performances from some of our up-and-coming shooters, with the outstanding one being Lindsey McKerrell’s 150.26 that was the highest score on the entire range (beating everyone in the GB Kolapore team!).
MACKINNON (20 Jul 2013)
Our Mackinnon performance was again strong. We finished third behind a very strong performance from Australia and a powerful England team that seemed to struggle tactically. We led after 900 yards, but suffered at 1000 yards from being on the far left in a right hand wind. England moaned after the match that they had been downwind of Australia but I don’t think that accounts for a ten point gap. However, we were a long way downwind of both at 1000 yards, so our 1158 was probably the moral equal of England's 1162, if not Australia's 1172. Strangely, we and Ireland were always to the left of Wales and Canada at both ranges; the NRA Shooting Committee has already been looking at how to change the draw in the interest of fairness and I will seek to help them refine that.
LMRA MATCH (5-6 Oct 2013)
More than 20 people turned out for the LMRA match, including all but two of the team to California (Hamish was on CG duty and Will was ill). In fine conditions there were a lot of excellent performances, including from a number of the development shooters who are going on tour. Notably Claire Halleran scored two possibles (one a 50.9) at 900 yards with Dollar’s / Lindsey McKerrell's rifle, as hers was not available, and Ross McGregor of Dollar scored his first ever possible, also at 900 yards where the team scored 500 out of 500 on Sunday. The eventual result was a win for the SRA by 77 points, with Kenny MacDonald the highest scorer in the match with 373 out of 375.
The team to California used the LMRA Match weekend for training and admin, with everyone getting a taste of “string” shooting (the US norm is not to shoot in pairs or threes) at one of the ranges. In off-range sessions on both days, we also covered a lot of ground including allocating team jobs to people and securing their commitment to various fund raising items each.
