HFT Extreme 2010

Round 1 Wendover




Left home Sunday morning at 7am looking forward to a good days Shooting at round 1 of the HFT Extreme series. Wendover Air Rifle Club’s new ground was to be the venue and the buzz was that this course would test the very best shooters and provide some entertaining sport for the rest of us.

I arrived at the ground at 7.45am and there were already a few people there getting their set ups ready and final checks and fixes were being made to the course. I decided to go and see if I could help with the setting up, I did assist in erecting the mobile toilets (not a nice job but one that needs doing)



Luckily the venue is quite close to where I live so I knew a fair few people at the event so once my assistance was no longer needed I walked over to the car park to have a chat and a cuppa. Dave Hatfield (Organiser for Wendover ARC) called the shooters over for a safety briefing about 09.30am and not long after that the competition began.

I had decided to use my BSA R-10 for this competition and was keen to do well. I have not ever entered any kind of HFT type event and have only ever been around a HFT course twice so this was indeed a baptism of fire. The temperature at the venue when I arrived was -6 so it was cold but at least the ground was firm and the wind was calm. It looked like it was going to be a good day.

I started the shoot at peg 31and joining me for the round was friend, gunsmith and shooting buddy Dave Welham


I had been telling everyone that I will be happy if I score 40-45 points or above. The maximum for these rounds is 80 points that being 2 points for each of the 40 targets. I started quite well with only one miss on the first half of the course unlike Dave who was struggling a little as he had not had time to set his Anschutz 2002 up properly before the shoot.

The course was intended to be fun but extreme and that it was! Dave and I had a great laugh on the way round quite often I would drop in to prone to take my shot and just start laughing once I had located the target. Some of them were just tiny and in some very imaginative positions. The guys that set the course out had made and excellent job of it and everyone I spoke to enjoyed the event which was a result of everyone’s hard work.

One thing I know for sure is that I will be doing more of these in the future! After shooting a 61 with my BSA Sidewheel focus mounted R-10 I can promise you I will be using that for the next rounds. The gun worked flawlessly today and my confidence in it now is supreme.

The round was won by Roger Bentley with a fantastic 69 points and after a sudden death shoot off Dave Hatfield managed 2nd place and 3rd was Steve Lanyman. For the ladies Andrea Marshal put in a score of 50 points with her new Daystate MK4.


If you have never shot HFT I would thoroughly recommended giving it a go. The people are warm and welcoming and if you are not sure what to do there is always someone there who will be happy to help you find your way round.



HFT Extreme is my new favourite hobby and do you know what? I think it is here to stay!

Please click here for the video------>http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_miqo1dg1L0