SSAA NSW

6 Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. 2017 Junior Target Shooting Camp This year saw 20 junior shooters from around NSW converge on the Deep Creek Shooting Complex at Batemans Bay for this year's Junior Camp which was held from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 January. Ages ranged from 12 through to 17 with all Juniors holding Minor's Permits. The level of experience with different firearms and disciplines was quite varied however, everyone enjoyed the opportunities the Camp provided to widen their exposure. Over the 4 days Juniors got to try their hand at Air Rifle, Benchrest, Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette and Trap. These half day sessions were run by shooters experienced in these disciplines and gave the Juniors a chance to shoot a number of different competitions. They were able to learn first-hand the skills and tips for particular disciplines as well as test their new found skills against friends. Friday afternoon's session proved very popular as the Juniors were able to shoot a number of different firearms including .243 bolt action rifles, 30-30 lever action rifles, 300 win mag bolt action rifles and lever action shotguns. Despite the sore shoulders, there were some very big smiles at the end of the day. Once again the shotgun session was very popular. It was led by experienced shotgun shooters Michael McNabb and Gemma Dunn who have represented Australia at international events, who were only too happy to share their experiences and skills with the Juniors. There were a number of extracurricular activities included in this year's program, some proving more popular than others. Dirt karting on Thursday afternoon was very well received, despite the rain. The Amazing Race, a GPS orienteering team based activity, definitely tested everyone's ingenuity and endurance, with some teams having to be assisted back to the finish. In the end, it was the Blue Team (all girls team) who were awarded the prize for best and fairest. For the final day of Camp Juniors were allocated to teams for the Team Challenge which incorporated modified Air Rifle, Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette and Trap matches. The scores of each competitor were averaged giving an overall team score. After the tally, "Ghetto" won the Air Rifle component, "Team Export" took out the Trap component and "Pingheads" cleaned up in Cowboy Lever Action Silhouette. The scores for the overall Team Challenge were extremely close, with only 5 points between first and third places. In the end it was the "Pingheads" with a score of 121 who were awarded the Gold, followed by "Ghetto" on 118 for the Silver and "Team Export" rounded up the competition with a respectable 116 for the Bronze. When everyone arrived at the start of Camp all but two sisters knew each other but, by the end there were some great friendships forged and it's always rewarding to see everyone leave the Camp happy, satisfied and with a big smile on their face. Thank you to the many volunteers and supervisors who gave their time and shared their skills, experience, and in some cases their firearms, to make this year's Camp an overwhelming success. Thank you also to SSAA NSW Batemans Bay Branch for making their Range and facilities available.

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