Gisborne riflemen on target at Queens Shoot in Brisbane

MEDAL SUCCESS: Gisborne riflemen and New Zealand team members Paul Hofman and Shane Kapene display their medals from an intense two weeks of shooting in Australia. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

GISBORNE fullbore riflemen Shane Kapene and Paul Hofman were on target for New Zealand at the Australian Presidents and Queens Shoot at the Belmont complex in Brisbane.

Kapene, a member of Gisborne Rifle Club since 2008, won the Presidents F open grade at 500 yards on day two of the competition. He scored 60.9 out of 60.10, heading off Australian champion Rod Davies.

Hofman, who joined the Gisborne club in 2007, narrowly missed gold on countback from 500 yards in the Queens competition.

However, he won silver from 800 yards, bronze from 600 and was second for the one-day aggregate. He was fifth overall in the Queens event.

This was one of a series of competitions they shot in over an intense two weeks involving 170 competitors from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa and England.

Distances range from 300 to 1000 yards.

“We shot over 200 rounds and while it was a great experience, we’re both over it now,” said Kapene.

Hofman said they were up from 6am each morning and did not finish until around 6pm.

“We had a lunch break if we were lucky. There was a lot of people and a lot of concentration and shooting. It was full-on.”

Taking up target shootingBoth took up target shooting after many years as “avid deer stalkers”.

Kapene wanted to learn more about trajectory and ballistics to help him in the long-range shooting of goat and the odd deer.

Hofman enjoys the technical challenge of the sport “where the ability to read varying wind conditions often determines who ultimately takes the honours”.

“We both shoot 7mm/.284 custom-made rifles, with the barrels made by our local sponsor True-Flite NZ,” Kapene said.

“Having True-Flite here in Gisborne is absolutely fantastic, a world-class product and service right at our doorstep. You can’t ask for anything better than that.”

To be nominated for the New Zealand team, shooters must have won at least one regional competition. Hofman won the Gisborne and Napier championships in 2015 and went on to represent his country at the inaugural New Zealand-versus-Australia F-grade open team shoot at Wellington last year. He also took part in a “good will” team visit to Belmont.

Kapene won the Gisborne champs this year.

“Winning these competitions only means you earn the right to be nominated, and doesn’t mean you are automatically picked to represent your country,” Hofman said.

Kapene said it was also a reward for all the hours of practice put in. Training camps were held in Wellington, Blenheim and Whangarei, which meant a lot of travelling and time away from work and families.

We’re out on the range at Patutahi most weekends during the season, which runs from September to April, as well as attending competitions around the country,” Kapene said.

“Practices usually last around four hours.”