J M Wilkinson Shoots

Greetings All,
Following some of the recent posts on target shooting I thought that some may be interested in some details of the J M Wilkinson postal shoots that were run by NZDA branches, at least until recently.
Attachment 164387Attachment 164388
Hopefully you can see from the pictures that the target is a deer silhouette without any scoring rings. Scoring is done using the plastic sheet with the rings on it laid over the target after shooting. There have been a number of variations in rules since I first shot it in 1981 but currently it is shot over the standard 4 positions at 100 metres or yards. Rifles are any centrefire rifle up to 4.1 kg and scopes to a maximum of 12 power. No slings, butt hooks or palm rests allowed. It should be of interest to the average hunter but seem to have just about faded away like most target shooting. Our branch last shot it in 2019, perhaps for the last time.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Following some of the recent posts on target shooting I thought that some may be interested in some details of the J M Wilkinson postal shoots that were run by NZDA branches, at least until recently.
Attachment 164387Attachment 164388
Hopefully you can see from the pictures that the target is a deer silhouette without any scoring rings. Scoring is done using the plastic sheet with the rings on it laid over the target after shooting. There have been a number of variations in rules since I first shot it in 1981 but currently it is shot over the standard 4 positions at 100 metres or yards. Rifles are any centrefire rifle up to 4.1 kg and scopes to a maximum of 12 power. No slings, butt hooks or palm rests allowed. It should be of interest to the average hunter but seem to have just about faded away like most target shooting. Our branch last shot it in 2019, perhaps for the last time.
Regards Grandpamac.

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It is a pity. I wonder if it because the average hunting rifle nowadays have much bigger scopes and gadgets attached to it which meant that less and less people are able to compete because their gear excluded them from participating.

Would be great to get more of these competitions going again.


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Originally Posted by janleroux

It is a pity. I wonder if it because the average hunting rifle nowadays have much bigger scopes and gadgets attached to it which meant that less and less people are able to compete because their gear excluded them from participating.

Would be great to get more of these competitions going again.


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Thanks Janleroux,
The deer targets are still used for the annual Taruarau Shoot between Taihape and Hawkes Bay Branches (Napier and Hastings) but there are only two or less branches still entering the postal shoot. I think that the target shooters are not interested due to the imprecise aiming point and most hunters have never heard of it. Also you need to build your own targets for which you need templates to make sure they are all the same so all that effort for one shoot pa seems a lot. The weight limit is actually 4.5 kg.
Regards Grandpamac.

The average NZDA member is not interested in target shooting pop down to any DA range on the monthly shoot and see how many turn up
a very small percent of the members bother,
There is a move to start a Regional Hunters Shoot competition it has been run a few times at the Tokoroa Sport Shooting Complex
with good results, It is along the the lines of the old Prize shoots we use to have in the 70's to 90's
The new format is open to all not just NZDA members so there is no excuse not to take part.

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Originally Posted by shooternz

The average NZDA member is not interested in target shooting pop down to any DA range on the monthly shoot and see how many turn up
a very small percent of the members bother,
There is a move to start a Regional Hunters Shoot competition it has been run a few times at the Tokoroa Sport Shooting Complex
with good results, It is along the the lines of the old Prize shoots we use to have in the 70's to 90's
The new format is open to all not just NZDA members so there is no excuse not to take part.

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Greetings Shooternz,
I turned up at the Taupo monthly shoot last month and there was only the Rangemaster and I there. The pistol club looked pretty busy though. I am a member of Hastings and Taupo as I live in HB but target shooting seems to have bitten the dust here. I also belong to another Shooters Group but most only seem to be interested in shooting prone with a rest. Not that I am any good at target shooting, I just enjoy it even with just the two of us. Will look up the Regional Hunters comp.
Regards Grandpamac.

I joined the South Auckland Deerstalkers in 1971, Mainly to shoot competition shoots did 3P and 4P Running Boar, Running Deer at 100 metres
and Silhouette later joined the Pistol club and Clevedon Fullbore rifle club nothing improves your shooting like competing in serious matches.

@shooternz I shot 22rf silhouette at the Ararimu range for several years with the Small Game Shooters Club. Around 1988.

Nothing like silhouettes to deflate people. As you're well aware, either you get a "hit" or a big fat zero/miss. No 10, 9, 8 etc stuff.
We had visitors turn up with super flash gear, struggled to hit a silhouette, and never came back, which was a shame really, as that's inline with my performance when I started.

We alternated, which was good, silhouettes one shoot, paper (NZDA targets?) the next shoot. Paper was standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone, out to 100yds.
Couldn't do all positions and ranges in one day so cycled thru over several shoots to complete sequence.

Wish I could shoot as well now as I did then. Shot hunter class, 4x scope limit, Anschutz sporter.

Lived in ararimu in the late 80s early 90s, never knew there was a range there always went down to ness Valley near clevedon to shoot competitively at the antique arms range.
Or do you mean the other ararimu?

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Lived in ararimu in the late 80s early 90s, never knew there was a range there always went down to ness Valley near clevedon to shoot competitively at the antique arms range.
Or do you mean the other ararimu?

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Ararimu as in out from Bombay.
The Small Game Shooters moved from the Ararimu range to the Antique Arms range. Shooting there was like shooting on the surface of the moon, being a working quarry. The club slowly folded after that.

The move from Ararimu was either a falling out with the Deerstalkers or maybe housing encroachment. Cannot recall which.

Interestingly the cops also used the Ararimu range. We always knew when they had had a shoot as we would find live pistol ammo on the range.

Attachment 164502

@grandpamac In my youth also attended several Deerstalkers national shoots. Whitemans Valley and Ohariu Valley. They were particularly boozy gatherings. Hopefully not tolerated nowadays.

I have competed the JM Wilkinson postal shoot a few times - though years ago now. Was a good format as it was just hunter class - no slings, no jackets, no heavy rifles, etc. Just you and your rifle.
I shot NZDA rimfire silhouette as well as part of the NZDA branch at the time. You get really good and your standing shooting, trigger control, and patience.

NZDA matches are, for the most part, fairly static and are based around the standard 4 unsupported shooting positions (prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing). These events are excellent at teaching and demonstrating shooting fundamentals - natural point of aim, trigger control, position fundamentals, patience, etc.

But I also agree for the most part national level NZDA shooting matches seem to be dying out. This is pretty sad really as NZDA is one of the few organisations in NZ able to take on widespread shooting training. I have not been significantly involved for a few years now so my comments are likely out of date. But i feel the NZDA matches have not "aged well" - basically they haven't moved with the shooting community. For example, most hunters will get a rest if shooting prone these days (day pack, bipod, anything really).

Look at the duckshooters clay target events, IPSC pistol shooting, Service Rifle (before the semi ban), and now the practical rifle events coming up. I think NZDA would be well served to take on a rimfire NRL22 match as a start.

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Originally Posted by zimmer

@shooternz I shot 22rf silhouette at the Ararimu range for several years with the Small Game Shooters Club. Around 1988.

Nothing like silhouettes to deflate people. As you're well aware, either you get a "hit" or a big fat zero/miss. No 10, 9, 8 etc stuff.
We had visitors turn up with super flash gear, struggled to hit a silhouette, and never came back, which was a shame really, as that's inline with my performance when I started.

We alternated, which was good, silhouettes one shoot, paper (NZDA targets?) the next shoot. Paper was standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone, out to 100yds.

Couldn't do all positions and ranges in one day so cycled thru over several shoots to complete sequence.

Wish I could shoot as well now as I did then. Shot hunter class, 4x scope limit, Anschutz sporter.

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Yeah I shot there for 25 years, I think I am the only person that shot in the competition between the Deerstalkers and Small Game for both sides
Geoff Brewer still runs what is left of the Small game as The Tokoroa Rifle Silhouette Club they shoot the third weekend of the month

Greetings All,
Thanks for your replies, likes and mentions. I think my first target shoot was in 1981 using my standard Remington 700 ADL with a 2.5 power Tasco scope and a hard plastic butt plate. Loads were full power either 180 or 150 grain. 20 to 30 shooters turned up to most shoots on the now lost Roy's Hill range. Reading through the replies sees the same story repeated with loss of interest and loss of ranges. Most of my shooting is on a local range that has shotgun, pistol and rifle clubs using it. It is not open to the public, only the clubs and there is no target shooting program. The Wilkinson was last shot by the two Hawkes Bay NZDA branches in May 2019 and only the Taruarau shoot still uses the deer target to my knowledge. I would love to know if there are any others.
Regards Grandpamac.

South Canty and North Otago branches have held a combined Wilkinson shoot the last few years.

Sth Canty at least was also taking part in it on their own prior to that.

Also using the deer targets still I believe.

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Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

South Canty and North Otago branches have held a combined Wilkinson shoot the last few years.

Sth Canty at least was also taking part in it on their own prior to that.

Also using the deer targets still I believe.

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Greetings StrikerNZ,
I had a vague memory of South Canterbury and Nelson had shot it previously and am glad that at least one of them still does. Thanks for that, I will look them up.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by small_caliber

There are still a few branches shooting the Wilkinson & Hawkes Bay Challenge, I had 4 branches shoot it on the North Otago range last year and I'm trying to get another branch to host it this year and get several branches involved.

I've had a few other branches show interest but they haven't held one yet.

One observation I made was that those that don't shoot much their scores improve with each position and I've seen many shoot better scores standing than any of the other positions.

I think a lot of peoples ego stops them participating in shooting competitions/events, they don't want others to think they can't shoot.
The thing is that the more you shoot the better you get but a lot of people don't want to put in the effort to be better shots.

One of the things that I try to encourage is you aren't shooting against the others you are competing against yourself and trying to better your previous result.

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Greetings Small_calibre,
Thanks for that. Glad to hear that there are at least some branches still shooting the Wilkinson. Last year was difficult due to covid and some branches missed it completely. I also wonder if some branches have shot it and not sent their scores to National thinking them not good enough to compete. Hastings did this for many years but have sent them recently with some success. I see from the Nelson Newsletters that they use the Deer targets in other shoots as we used to some time back. Others may as well.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by zimmer

@shooternz I shot 22rf silhouette at the Ararimu range for several years with the Small Game Shooters Club. Around 1988.

Nothing like silhouettes to deflate people. As you're well aware, either you get a "hit" or a big fat zero/miss. No 10, 9, 8 etc stuff.
We had visitors turn up with super flash gear, struggled to hit a silhouette, and never came back, which was a shame really, as that's inline with my performance when I started.

We alternated, which was good, silhouettes one shoot, paper (NZDA targets?) the next shoot. Paper was standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone, out to 100yds.
Couldn't do all positions and ranges in one day so cycled thru over several shoots to complete sequence.

Wish I could shoot as well now as I did then. Shot hunter class, 4x scope limit, Anschutz sporter.

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Started with NZSGSA in Hamilton, used to travel around bit, shot Tokoroa before it is what it is now. Ended up shooting at Ararimu once I started work at Ardmore. I shot with a 541S Remington and a fixed 8x Leupold. The writing was on the wall when people with deeper pockets turned up with heavy barrelled Kimbers and 6.5 x 20 Leupolds.
I won the Small Game Nationals by 1 point with my Rem. Cant remember what range it was at.
I couldn't afford a spotter, .22 holes are fkn hard to see with fixed 8 power......
I remember leading the National after the first day in Napier, and hearing conversations about me , "who is this prick" etc.
First detail on Sunday morning was 75 yd prone., I had 10 shots in the 8,9, and bull. What I couldn't see was 3 shots into the black portion of the target into 2 and 3 ring. We all had bullet holders that had to be visible, with 10 rounds to be checked by the R.O.
The scorers accused me of every foul practise under the sun.....and took 3 bulls off me and counted the 2's and 3's. The target backing card showed to the bullets had come through on a slight angle, not from my position, but my left. They didn't want to hear about it. The Napier President was on my left.....
That left a bad taste, I was pretty young and wasn't up for a row.
Upside was Dad told Mum to Give me some birthday $ for a spotting scope.....

B

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Originally Posted by shift14

Started with NZSGSA in Hamilton, used to travel around bit, shot Tokoroa before it is what it is now. Ended up shooting at Ararimu once I started work at Ardmore. I shot with a 541S Remington and a fixed 8x Leupold. The writing was on the wall when people with deeper pockets turned up with heavy barrelled Kimbers and 6.5 x 20 Leupolds.
I won the Small Game Nationals by 1 point with my Rem. Cant remember what range it was at.
I couldn't afford a spotter, .22 holes are fkn hard to see with fixed 8 power......
I remember leading the National after the first day in Napier, and hearing conversations about me , "who is this prick" etc.
First detail on Sunday morning was 75 yd prone., I had 10 shots in the 8,9, and bull. What I couldn't see was 3 shots into the black portion of the target into 2 and 3 ring. We all had bullet holders that had to be visible, with 10 rounds to be checked by the R.O.
The scorers accused me of every foul practise under the sun.....and took 3 bulls off me and counted the 2's and 3's. The target backing card showed to the bullets had come through on a slight angle, not from my position, but my left. They didn't want to hear about it. The Napier President was on my left.....
That left a bad taste, I was pretty young and wasn't up for a row.
Upside was Dad told Mum to Give me some birthday $ for a spotting scope.....

B

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Greetings Shift14,
Sorry to hear of your bad experience. Regrettably there are still shooting groups like that but there are more that are most welcoming, especially these days with declining numbers. I have only struck one bad one. In Hawkes Bay we are short of rifle ranges, especially longer range ones. Our local NRA club shoots out to 1,000 yards but this is all prone shooting including FTR and FO. Long term arthritis has made prone shooting out of the question for me. There are no 4P matches shot locally to my knowledge in which I can participate (note the careful choice of word here). I think I will take out some NZDA 100 metre targets to our next range day to see if I can kindle some interest. Currently only prone with a rest is shot and no scores are taken.
Regards Grandpamac.

Your not wrong though.......

The world has changed and so has the shooting scene, shooters are not interested in doing the same dicciplanes over and over anymore. They want change - and on a regular basis. Proof of this can be seen in the huge growth in PRS compared to any other shooting disiplane.

I'm of the opinion that NZDA should focus more on getting members involved in range activities. Developing new and updated disiplanes that will capture members interest and draw them back to the range(s) on a regular basis.

In a recent poll, by a shooting enthusiast in our area, 75% of respondents indicated that they would rather want to see more practiacal/field/PRS type shooting compititions to be hosted by their local branch.

Keep the 4P disiplane for it does have a place, but evolve and refresh to stay in touch with the shooting scene today..

Greetings Small-calibre and Jaco Goosen,
Pretty much agree with you both. Our problem in Hawkes Bay is that there is little of any type of competitive shooting to my knowledge. The NRA boys do their FTR an FO shooting at 300, 600 and 1,000 yards but none of their kit looks like anything I would want to climb a hill with, or wander too far from the truck with for that matter. I am no longer physically able to shoot prone anyway. I don't know anything on what PRS shooting entails but will look it up on the interweb.
Regards Grandpamac.

We put some up at different distances to see how far we could realistically kill a deer (in ideal conditions).
This is a couple of different shooters at 350m using a bipod or improvised rests (stacked up bumbags).
The shots have each been patched out with white dots.

Attachment 166568

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Originally Posted by Bagheera

We put some up at different distances to see how far we could realistically kill a deer (in ideal conditions).
This is a couple of different shooters at 350m using a bipod or improvised rests (stacked up bumbags).
The shots have each been patched out with white dots.

Attachment 166568

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Greetings Bagheera,
We ran a shoot years back, before the days when anyone dialed up. This was on the old Roy's Hill range. Using the deer target we started at 300 yards with 4 shots prone with a day pack rest, walked up to 200 yards for 4 shots sitting and then to 100 yards for 4 shots standing. Roy's hill had rising target frames and a proper markers gallery so the marking was done while the shooters were walking to the next position. It was a pretty steep learning curve for some. The 5 scoring ring was 183mm for yard ranges and the Wilkinson was shot at 100 and 200 metres (or yards with reduced rings) in those days.
Regards Grandpamac.

We run the shoot every year and quite like it, numbers at the northland nzda has dropped off over the years we get about 12 shooters to each event even tho the club has many more members than 12

@grandpamac. Tom and I will look to getting this back and running again. The new laws and the Covid problem put the Wilkinson shoot on the back burner at least for the Hastings NZDA branch.
I will look to see who we can have available as a range officer and give you a shout with arrangements for shillouettes and scoring.
It's always been a good exercise in my opinion. If you can't shoot a stationary cardboard cutout you're already putting yourself on the back foot when in the field.

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Originally Posted by kiwijames

@grandpamac. Tom and I will look to getting this back and running again. The new laws and the Covid problem put the Wilkinson shoot on the back burner at least for the Hastings NZDA branch.
I will look to see who we can have available as a range officer and give you a shout with arrangements for shillouettes and scoring.
It's always been a good exercise in my opinion. If you can't shoot a stationary cardboard cutout you're already putting yourself on the back foot when in the field.

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Greetings Kiwi James,
Thanks for that, will look forward to it. I thought something might be in the wind when I spotted your WTB for a target rifle.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by small_caliber

There is a Wilkinson Postal shoot being held on the Ashburton range on the 29th of May, if any NZDA members are interested

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Greetings Small_calibre,
I see from the latest NZDA Newsletter that The Rakaia Branch held their Wilkinson shoot on what I suspect is the Ashburton Range on 5 June. Good thing it wasn't the following weekend. The photo even shows someone using iron sights with what I suspect is a cloud of black powder smoke. Excellent. No results through at a National level yet though. Perhaps there is still hope for the shoot?
Regards Grandpamac.