FOLLOWING on from the successes of the Guernsey Rifle Club in the annual match against the visiting National Rifle Association team, the local shooters have now, for the first time in many years, taken the Astor Trophy from the Jersey Rifle Association.

Shot locally on a postal basis by teams of six, the winning Channel Island team then has the right to shoot against the county champions for the Astor County Championships in the Imperial Meeting at Bisley.

Teams must comprise a maximum of two X-class and two A-class shots and a minimum of two O-class shots. The competition is designed to allow teams with little strength in depth to compete with the top counties.

Guernsey opened their account by losing just a single point at 300 yards, five of the six marksmen scoring the maximum 35 ex 35.

The feat was repeated at 500 yards and the local team moved back to 600 yards knowing that they had a real chance of beating the strong Jersey team but also remembering that on many similar occasions failure had come as the result of a poor long-range score.

Form was on Guernsey’s side as Nick Branch, Richard Perkins and Phil Ogier all managed maximum possible 105s, with Branch the pick of the bunch on 105.16 ex 105.21.

Only three points were lost by the other three shooters and with a total of 625.76 ex 630.126 the team waited nervously for the Jersey result.

Once before they had posted a superb score and been beaten by a single point.