Thanks to a disrupted sporting calendar in the first half of the year, clay target competitors were making up for lost time in the central west on the weekend for Tambo's two-day shoot.
The club hosted 142 entrants, consisting of 23 squads, and was on the windy and chilly edge of the rain event that brought good falls further west on Saturday.
The trip north was well worth it for Condamine's Clayton Cusack who claimed the overall high gun sash for the weekend, while travelling companion and Texas club member Tim Williams wore the 30 target single barrel overall sash.
It was also a good weekend for Charleville club member Pat Saunders, winning first the 50 target double barrel overall prize and then backing up to take out the central zone's 25 target double barrel championship shot under lights on Saturday night.
One of the Tambo club's cherished trophies, the James Gall Memorial, will finally have a Tambo shooter's name engraved on it after 11 years of competition when Lil Brandt shot 89/90 to win it and the overall sash for the 30 target double barrel points event.
The 30 target double barrel continental went to Springsure's Richard Woolcock, and fellow club member Des Richardson came up trumps in the 30 target double barrel handicap as the only shooter with a perfect score.
Showing the beauty of the handicap event, first-time Tambo shooter Leon Russell, shooting off a 15 metre handicap, claimed the lucrative second prize with 29/30.
Third, fouth and fifth placings went to Justin Moore, Judy Gordon and Hanna Bischoff.
The weekend's high gun winners included Travis Streeter (Callide-Dawson), junior; Breanna Collins (Chinchilla), ladies; Glen Reynolds (Rockhampton), veterans; Bella Woolcock (Springsure), C grade; Justin Moore (Springsure), B grade; Martin Hoolihan (Ilfracombe), A grade; and Alex Dallas (Blackall), AA grade.
In past years the clay target program has wound down in the central west for summer but this season the Ilfracombe club is planning a coaching weekend with an emphasis on ladies and juniors on January 16-17.
Level two coach Debbie Young, who has qualified for Queensland ladies teams in all four disciplines - down the line, skeet, Olympic trap and sporting - and who was the 2009 Commonwealth night skeet champion, will be taking the weekend.
Organiser David Back said the central west was well supported by younger shooters and they felt it was important to encourage them to continue with events such as this.
It will be run in conjunction with Ilfracombe's 100 target handicap event, the last in the series starting in December that this year includes Blackall and Barcaldine, after a successful 2019 debut.
"It showcases the ability of clubs out here to generate interest in shooting, and prizemoney - last year the clubs involved handed out over $14,000 over the five-event series," Mr Back said.
"Everyone's on a level playing field. Last year's winner was Anna Hirsch, a C grade shooter from Scrubby Creek.
"Plus it's something for the keen shooters over summer."