14 August 2007

For Captain Dan Wildy shooting on target has helped take him across the world.

The HQJFNZ Desk Officer recently headed to Bloemfontein, South Africa to compete in the combat rifle champs with the New Zealand Service Rifle Team and says the sport has experienced a resurgence in recent times.

For those unfamiliar to the sport, the 27-year-old explains, the service rifle version pits the shooter against all the variances of nature as well as incorporating different shooting positions and distances with a standard infantry firearm.

“The key is you don’t shoot weapons that are issued to Special Forces. There are no sniper rifles; you only use military firearms that have been in service with any standard military force around the world.”

Competition involves events like the “Action M”, where participants shoot in the shape of an “M ” by shooting in prone, kneeling and standing positions with two, five round magazines over the period of one minute.

Events can also be shot over a variety of distances ranging from 100m to 500m and wind can have a significant impact. Capt Wildy says this field focus of rifle shooting attracts a wide variety of participants, including hunters and farmers, ex-servicemen and tradesman aiming to refine their skills and hone their technique.

“I guess the way we shoot is more exciting. In other types of shooting it can be very clinical, it will be indoors and you’re sitting there with a jacket, sling, special glasses, special hats and everything – it is really equipment heavy and it’s almost like an artificial type of shooting. Whereas with service rifle shooting you’re outside, out in a paddock and there’s not a lot of equipment involved. It’s just you and the target.”

The North Shore-raised Captain says the only problem with shooting is that it hits the pocket as well as the target, although it’s an incentive not to miss.

“It’s 40c a bang. You go to the range and say you shoot off 100 rounds each time, 300 rounds a week, that’s $120 worth of ammunition. When you miss you start to add it up, which provides plenty of incentive to concentrate harder.”

Capt Wildy, who has been shooting since his high school years, says the trip to Bloemfontein in April was the culmination of months of training and swotting up on marksmanship.

“I spent the last year reading a lot of marksmanship books and principles to help me get better and once I got selected I talked to my boss who allowed me to start days early so I could get away early two afternoons a week to get up to the range. I’d shoot on Sundays as well, so basically I was out three times a week.”

It also holds something for the socially inclined, and shoots attract a huge amount of people who are there for the social scene, Capt Wildy says.

“Members will come along with an interesting firearm and they’re really attracted to the scene because of the history and talking to others who have a common understanding of the history. And then on the other side of the coin you’ve got the guys who are also are very competitive as well and want to win.”

Capt Wildy combined the two in South Africa.

“We were based inside the Armoured Corps barracks, where the South African Army Armoured Corps has their training school. Their (shooting) range was huge, with a firing line large enough for hundreds of shooters at a time. As I was the only serving member of the military in the team, I got treated quite well while I was over there and got invited to formal dinners and to assist in the handing out of medals.”

The social occasion didn’t prevent Capt Wildy from a little friendly banter either.

“I told the top South African shooter that if I couldn’t beat him at shooting I’d beat him in the run down match from the 300m mound to the 100m. He then proceeded to thrash me in the run down, as well as obtain the highest points score of any of the 300 shooters to complete the match. He was a freak of nature that man.”

Although the results of the competition were a bit of mixed bag for the NZ team, Capt Wildy says he’s looking forward to future competitions in South Africa and other opportunities to head overseas.

Capt Wildy would like to thank the Singapore Fund for providing financial assistance and to NZ Army Sport for providing some NZ Army branded clothing. He says the support was a vital part in getting to South Africa and was greatly appreciated.

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