SHOOTERS from across Australia will be on the ground in Delungra today through Sunday for the NSW 36th Metallic Silhouette 200m Big Bore State Championships. “Big Bore’s the name of it, but they use centrefire pistols,” Inverell RSM Pistol Club secretary Sue Shoemark said. The event has attracted 31 competitors from Queensland to Victoria, including two of the three Australian team members in the sport who will head to South Africa later this year for the World Finals. Shooters do not need to qualify for the championships, but they must fall within grades International, AAA, AA, A and B grades. Sue explained the difficulty of the event progresses, starting at 50 metres with a chicken metallic silhouette. “Then they have pig silhouettes at 100 metres, then they have turkeys at 150 and they have rams at 200 metres,” she said. “So they have 10 (shots) at each one, so that gives them the points of 40, so to get to International, they’ve got to shoot the 40 out of 40, twice a year.” Shooting categories included revolver, standing, production (or right out of the box), and unlimited. Sue said their numbers were a bit down as they and Narrabri both held smallbore shoots recently. “It’s a lot of travelling for some people to have to go to all of them,” she said. Spectators are invited to come around to have a look to learn more about the sport. If you intend to stay up at the clubhouse, you do not need protective gear, but should a person want to get a little closer, visitors will need safety glasses and earmuffs to watch the action. A canteen will operate throughout the weekend. The Championships will be held at the Delungra Shooting Range from 9am-3.30pm today and tomorrow, and 8.30-2pm on Sunday. Follow the first right hand turn west from Delungra township, pass the tip and golf club, and cemetery, and it is on the right-hand side.