Gun shots could be heard from the Rhodes University Rifle Range on Saturday, as the Eastern Province Small-Bore Rifle Championships took off with a bang.
The weather was turbulent, but there was a positive vibe as the participants huddled around the range.
"The general tournament went really well despite the bad weather. Shooting doesn't go so well in the wind," said Gerrit Vlok, the organiser of the championship. "Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves, even though everyone seemed to get lower scores than usual."
Rhodes University seemed to hold their own in the championship according to Vlok. Rhodes will be starting their own league later this year.
The event has been sponsored by the South African Post Office for the past two years. Other sponsorships have been coming out of Vlok's pocket.
"Unfortunately there were no real big names at the championship as most of them are all in Gauteng, where they can have tournaments and leagues every week," said Vlok.
Juandre Wilmot won the class A event, with a score of 1163 out of 1200, while William Reed came second with a score of 1140.
By Nicholas McGregor