Kapiti Pairs Shoot 2024

Hunting and Wildlife Magazine - Issue 225 - Winter 2024

Words By: Hamish Orr

On Sunday, 18 February, the Kapiti Deerstalkers ran their annual Pairs Shoot. With the branch keen to grow the sport, this competition was designed to get novice or junior shooters involved. These newbies are paired up with an experienced shooter - some of us who don’t have kids borrow them from neighbours or other club members - and families are encouraged to come along on the day to support their kids. It's not very often that you have spectators at club-level shooting competitions.

This year's event saw nine teams enter, each with a novice or junior. Over the last four years, we've had almost every team combination you could imagine. However, we were delighted to have had our first all-female and father-daughter teams this year.

The competition is shot with a rimfire at 50m and a centrefire at 100m, with team members shooting both rifles at each distance. Each team member must do one sighting in session, making it a true team event.

Handicaps to even out the playing field

Teams don't have to have a junior or novice shooter, but it is encouraged. And to keep things as equal as possible, we have a handicap. Juniors are 15 and under and use a front and rear rest, supported prone. Novices are divided into two categories and refer to someone with little shooting experience.

A teenage novice is 15 to 17 years old, and they can use a front rest, semi-supported prone. An adult novice is 18 years and older, and they do half semi-supported prone and half unsupported prone.

This shoot is geared towards having a junior team member. The experienced team member must use the standard four positions (4p) spread over both rimfire and centrefire. Some prefer the more supported 4p at 100m and the least supported 4p at 50m. However, it's entirely up to the shooter to use the 4p. 

To keep the competition's cost down for the rifle owners, the round counts are 45 rounds of .22lr (including five sighters) and 23 rounds of centrefire (including three sighters). Apart from the sighting in sessions, both teammates shoot equal shots.

Competitive team tactics hit the mark

I like to have my junior teammate use the centrefire for their sighting session. It gives them those extra shots using the more significant, louder, and higher-recoiling firearm, making them a little more comfortable when the shots count.

We try to run an Open Range Day the weekend beforehand so the juniors can shoot on the range with others around them and get a little more comfortable. My teammate this year had her older sister shooting in the all-female team, and on the practice day (the week before), she told me she's just a bit competitive. I understand she and her sister had a wee side bet going.

After the rimfire section, there were only 24 points between the top three teams. However, after the centrefire section, the points gap opened slightly more. Let me tell you, though, these juniors can shoot very well. Their scores were around the 90% mark! On the day, my junior teammate took out the top score for a junior in both rimfire and centrefire. I'm super proud of her. She outshot me big time; my form on the day was well below par, and I didn't hold up my end of the team.

Club sponsorship an essential ingredient

Leading up to this event, I contacted our club sponsors to secure a selection of spot prizes. The goal was for everyone, especially the newer shooters, to go home with a prize. But that’s not all. Our club has custom-made medals for the top three finishing teams.

I want to thank our club sponsors for their generosity. Thank you, Otaki Hunting and Fishing, Warfighter Athletic, and Wilsons Hunting and Outdoors. You guys rock!

Through NZDA's national relationship with Swazi apparel, they supplied prizes for the top three finishing juniors. Thank you, Swazi, for your continued support of NZDA and junior shooters.

A team BBQ rounds off a great day out

The day finishes with a social BBQ, cold refreshments, and prize giving. This year worked out perfectly; all our shooters left with a prize or a medal. Happy days all around. I've already heard whispers of potential teams for 2025. So, if your club struggles to get members and new or juniors on the range, I urge you to try this format. It's one of the highlights of our range calendar.

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