I don't recall if I, or Dad, actually hit anything but the bug had bitten and shooting was in my blood for life. In those days there was only one household in my street that didn't have some sort of firearm around the house, we kids went rabbit shooting in the market gardens up the road with a "pea rifle" on the handlebars of the bike at an age that would make most politicians cringe in horror these days.

Later in life in secondary school when most schools had an Army cadet unit, we had a 25 yard small bore range at school and for the final 3 years of secondary school every kid that was not in a wheel chair was issued with what was then the current army assault rifle (Lithgow .303 SMLE Mk 111*), for the entire school year, needless to say, most of us found out how these things worked at times other than our annual military camp at Puckapunyal. We also had working Owen, Vickers & Bren Guns and 3" mortars in the school armoury and we used them all at Pucka. We fired more live ammo at our annual camp than the average soldier does in a year now, they have laser toys instead of bullets these days. A love affair with shooting had begun in earnest.

After one young lad (a spoilt little prick!) appeared with his dad's Remington target rifle after school for the Tuesday afternoon inter house shooting sports (when every one else used the Norris tube SMLE) I found out about the nearby Sandringham Small Bore Rifle Club when I was around 13 or 14, in about 1960.

Much later I trained for selection for the 1984 Olympics. I'd been fiddling about with the discipline for a long time and wanted to see if I could perform, but in spite of my families support the heavy work commitments of a family business pressed too strongly, I was unable put in the necessary effort and time and failed to make the cut. Working is the curse of the shooting class. The training however stood me in good stead for many years and I managed to maintain a high standard with the smallbore (and later air rifle shooting), all good training and for several years and managed win several State Championships and to attain a top ten position at several National Championships in various disciplines, ie 3P, Prone, Air Rifle.

Regardless of not ultimately making the a National Team for the Olympics I continued to attend many training and information courses resulting in Level 2 Coaching qualification and a UIT (ISSF) B Class Judges Certificate, since lapsed due to slackness. On one such course I met my now wife, Debra, who in her own right was an excellent smallbore & air rifle shooter. Debra achieved a Level 1 Coaching qualification and ASARA Range Officials Certificate, however (he says) due to slackness she has also allowed it to lapse, however (she says) just could not fit all her current commitments into her new life with her new love and live to tell the tale!!!

Smallbore & Air Rifle competition is taken with intense seriousness before and during matches but the evenings usually found a few souls prepared to party. Debra & I rarely went to bed early while away at matches, probably to the detriment of our shooting performance. But we had fun!

My commitment to the sport over the years became more intense, having being initially shanghaied to the "Shooting Committee" of the then VSBARA as a state delegate aged around 18, and pushing on through the ranks to eventually holding the position of Vice President and ultimately President on and off for around 25 years, or thereabouts of being actively involved in the administration of the Association. I was honoured with the Life Member award for my service to the Association after about 20 years, and like previously honoured Life Members, hold this award very close to my heart.

For a number of years I represented Victoria in various state teams and Australia in several international postal matches. As did Debra to a lesser extent. Debra became too heavily involved with the Small Bore Association administration holding positions as Treasurer, Membership Officer, Membership Grader, Newsletter Editor/Writer/collator and with collaboration and the good grace of Mr Robin D'Ombrain of Morpeth Rifle Club NSW, Robin wrote the first serious and brilliant Membership/Grading computer program for the VSBARA.

Around 1980, after being approached by a German exporter who had pursued me after a visit to the IWA exhibition in Nuremberg while in Europe on other business, I started to import quantities of rifles and accessories from Anschutz and Feinwerkbau to assist the beleaguered smallbore shooter and found a serious market wanting supplies. At that time the DM was 3 for 1 Aussie Dollar and the import procedures both cheap and easy. It is a bit reversed these days.

Somewhere around 1988, Pierangelo Pedersoli, of Armi Davide Pedersoli & C snc wrote to introduce his company to me and I thought this might be some fun and an opportunity for some new business so I brought in a range of black powder rifles and shot guns as samples and was nearly killed in the rush. Russell Kees of the Seymour Black Powder suggested I come/bring/join his club, Seymour, and was I introduced to Muzzle Loading shooting. I've never looked back.

Debra & I would go to the range and be amazed at the difference in attitude and style. We loved the free flowing attitude that pervaded - no, enthused - the black powder shooting at the time. Apart from the very few 'Sheep Station Shooters', the vast majority found their way to 'Bay 13' which was where the 'hit 'n giggle' events abounded. If the gun went 'Bang' everyone was happy. Seymour BPC was then located just outside the town limits of Seymour, near the tip.

After the seriousness and discipline of smallbore shooting this was like a breath of fresh spring air for Debra & I.

Sometime at a Gun Show in Camberwell, around 1992, Barry Macfarlane a dedicated Small Bore & Big Bore shooter and long time friend started appearing with us at Gun Shows and most Black Powder matches. He has become a black powder convert as well and now attends most shows and BP matches with me as Debra's many other commitments, such as completing MBA which prevented her joining me as often as we'd both like.

Now we are in 2008, the business have evolved. We lost the JGA product line but gained better ones with RWS Ammunition and Titan Centrefire Rifles clocking up some 50,000 kilometres annually promoting and distributing the products. Barry Macfarlane is still a major part of our business and Debra has now become the official Managing Direcotir and  Bean Counter - however she still has other projects that keep her far too busy and the MD status doesn't go to her head.

Today I hold number of positions with various shooting organizations, they include

- Member Department of Justice Firearms Consultative Committee (Vic)

- Life Member of Target Rifle Victoria (formerly VSBARA)

- Life Member and President of the Sandringham Smallbore & Air Rifle Club 

- Secretary Firearm Traders Association of Victoria

- Delegate Victorian Police Firearms Users Group

- Member Seymour Blackpowder Club, North Eastern Muzzle Loaders, SSAA, Field & Game Inc., The Vintagers, Western Districts Muzzle Loaders Inc. 

- Member - Antique & Historical Arms Collectors Guild

- Member - Air Rifle Association of Aust (via Tivoli Club)

Hey and you don't think Debra doesn't complain??   Even the dog bites me!!