WHFTA 2022, meet the competitors
Here we get the unique opportunity to get to know some of the Competitors that will be doing battle in WHFTA 2022. We get to see what makes them tick, what equipment they use, what tips and tricks they want to divulge with us mere mortals. So, if your looking for a insight into the minds of HFT'ers this will give you just that!
Name : Christopher Donnelly
Country Representing: Germany Class: Open Rifle: BSA Scorpion Scope: Sightron SIII What kit are you using to compete in WHFTA 2022 and why? I'll be shooting my 'Hulk Smash' BSA Scorpion. This was my little build a few years ago and as much as the likes of Steyr are the 'go to' rifles my little Scorpion is just as accurate in my opinion. I've topped it with a Sigtron Siii. What is your top tip for those competing in WHFTA 2022? My tip would be to just have fun and enjoy the shoot and do not be afraid to ask questions: it's the only way you learn. List your favourite things about WHFTA events.. My favourite thing, well that's a difficult one as there are so many. But if I did have to pick one, it would be just how welcoming and helpful everyone is, especially to newer competitors. As much as it is a competition, even some of the best shooters will go out of their way to to talk to people about how they took different targets,. Everyone just wants every person to shoot well and just enjoy the day. It's probably one of the best sports around when it comes to support from other competitors! |
Names : Jennie & Emily Smith Class: Ladies (Jennie) & Juniors (Emily)
Rifles: Jennie - Air Arms S510 Emily - Steyr LG110
Country Representing: England Scopes: Both Optisan CP
Hello the Smiths! Let's get straight into this. What go you ladies into HFT and more importantly what has kept you both hooked?
Emily - I got my first air rifle at 10 years old, my dad (Stuart Smith) has always had them but he only ever hunted and had never shot targets competitively. We saw an advert for a competition at our local club PARC (Pontefract Air Rifle Club) and went along. I was shown a lot by the people at PARC as mum and dad had no clue. I just enjoyed it and seemed to get the hang of it quickly
Jennie - I decided to have a go as we was driving what seemed like a million miles for Emily to shoot 30 pellets and like Emily I picked it up pretty quickly and enjoyed it a lot.
Emily, you haven't been shooting HFT for very long. You have come a long way in a short space of time. What do you think has helped you the most?
Other people sharing their experience with me. Lee Stevens from PARC showed me the ropes initially then Chris Cundey (Former UKAHFT Champion), Liam Todd and Kieran Turner (Former WHFTA Champion) have also been coaching me. That plus plenty of practice!
Jennie, it is very obvious that you are incredibly proud of Emily but as it happens you're not too bad at this HFT malarky yourself. What has been your biggest HFT success so far?
Winning 3 rounds of the Midland Hunter Series and also winning the overall Ladies class in the Emley Moor FTC Extreme HFT series 2021. This was all in my first year competing in HFT!
What advice would the both of you give to someone competing in their first WHFTA event?
Emily - Just enjoy it, it's supposed to be fun so have fun.
Jennie - The same as Emily, just go out and enjoy it!
Emily, what is your favourite thing about HFT?
I love meeting up with everyone and having a laugh whilst competing
Jennie, what is the single best piece of HFT advice you have been given?
Find a rifle and scope that you are comfortable with. doing this will bring you confidence.
Rifles: Jennie - Air Arms S510 Emily - Steyr LG110
Country Representing: England Scopes: Both Optisan CP
Hello the Smiths! Let's get straight into this. What go you ladies into HFT and more importantly what has kept you both hooked?
Emily - I got my first air rifle at 10 years old, my dad (Stuart Smith) has always had them but he only ever hunted and had never shot targets competitively. We saw an advert for a competition at our local club PARC (Pontefract Air Rifle Club) and went along. I was shown a lot by the people at PARC as mum and dad had no clue. I just enjoyed it and seemed to get the hang of it quickly
Jennie - I decided to have a go as we was driving what seemed like a million miles for Emily to shoot 30 pellets and like Emily I picked it up pretty quickly and enjoyed it a lot.
Emily, you haven't been shooting HFT for very long. You have come a long way in a short space of time. What do you think has helped you the most?
Other people sharing their experience with me. Lee Stevens from PARC showed me the ropes initially then Chris Cundey (Former UKAHFT Champion), Liam Todd and Kieran Turner (Former WHFTA Champion) have also been coaching me. That plus plenty of practice!
Jennie, it is very obvious that you are incredibly proud of Emily but as it happens you're not too bad at this HFT malarky yourself. What has been your biggest HFT success so far?
Winning 3 rounds of the Midland Hunter Series and also winning the overall Ladies class in the Emley Moor FTC Extreme HFT series 2021. This was all in my first year competing in HFT!
What advice would the both of you give to someone competing in their first WHFTA event?
Emily - Just enjoy it, it's supposed to be fun so have fun.
Jennie - The same as Emily, just go out and enjoy it!
Emily, what is your favourite thing about HFT?
I love meeting up with everyone and having a laugh whilst competing
Jennie, what is the single best piece of HFT advice you have been given?
Find a rifle and scope that you are comfortable with. doing this will bring you confidence.
Name : Matteo Careddu
Country Representing: Italy Class: Juniors Rifle: Air Arms HFT500 Scope: Optisan CP What is the biggest HFT competitions you have competed in so far? I have taken part in the Hunter Field Target Italian Trophy in 2020 and 2021, as well as the selections for the Italian HFT Championship in 2021. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate in the final of the HFT Championship due to Covid. Why do you use the equipment you use? I started to practice HFT with Air Arms because it is tried and tested equipment. It is the brand that meets my needs as a HFT shooter; short. robust, reliable and accurate. I started with a S200 and after a year, I switched to an S400 and now shoot an HFT 500. For optics, I started with Hawke but my team leader, Alessandro, recommended Optisan and I immediately found it worked better. The Optisan CP has good lenses and a perfect reticle for HFT. Do you have any personal goals for WHFTA 2022? I am a young shooter with little experience so I have no major demands/presumptions for WHFTA 2022. I hope to have fun, meet/make new friends and learn from those who are more experienced, improving my HFT technique. Have you got any top tips for people competing in WHFTA 2022? Being young, I can’t really give advice. The only thing I can say to everyone competing in WFHTA 2022 is the advice my teacher/team leader Alessandro gives me: have fun! |
Name : Karen O'Mara
Country Representing: Ireland Class: Ladies Rifle: Air Arms EV2 Scope: Hawke Vantage What kit are you using to compete in WHFTA 2022 and why? My trusty carbined Air Arms EV2 with a Hawke Vantage scope. I have used this set-up for the last few years and it has never let me down. What is your main goal for WHFTA 2022? Simple....... have fun!!! Your biggest achievement in HFT so far? Winning the Ladies Class in the UKAHFT National Series. It was my third year in the 'Nationals' and in the previous two years I had finished second. It was my ultimate goal to get to first place and I did it! On to watch, who in your opinion is going to do well at WHFTA 2022? That's an easy one. Little Emily Smith. She hasn't been shooting long, but she is brilliant and definitely my favourite to take home the Junior title. |
Names : Elliott and Harry Compton Class: Open
Rifles: Elliott - Steyr LG110 Challenge Harry - Steyr LG110 Challenge
Country Representing: Wales Scopes: Elliott - March 1-10x24 Harry - March 1-10x24
The two of you fall into what we would class as the ‘top end’ HFT shooters. What in both your opinion sets apart a good HFT’er from a great one?
Harry - I think the main difference between a good HFT shooter and a great one is temperament and the ability to let a miss shot go and not dwell on it. I think too many people concentrate on a miss as opposed to the targets they knocked down which then affects their confidence and subsequent shots. People can always go into great detail over the misses as opposed to knocking down the difficult targets. Then as always being good at the disciplines for me is what makes or breaks a round. The better shooters tend to be a lot more consistent compared to the rest in my opinion.
Elliott - Consistency is key, anyone can have a good weekend but those at the top consistently put the top scores is.
Harry, what is the best thing you have learnt from your years shooting HFT?
The main thing for me has been the reinforcement of having a good routine in general makes for better results. I've become a fan of structure mainly down to shooting which I've transferred into work and outside life. It's also helped me to be able to switch on and off and has helped learn to focus more when I need to. I've also realised I'm a lot more of a competitive person than I thought!
El, how did you get into HFT and have you tried any other shooting disciplines? If so was you any good at them?
We originally got a rifle due to a rabbit epidemic in the garden, ended up not shooting any, at the shop we purchased the rifle, the guys mentioned HFT, first ever shoot was at Millride and we haven't really stopped since.
I have tried .22 Rimfire at 10m, 50m and 100mwasnt awful at it but don't do it anymore, we have also tried FT but id say I'm pretty useless at that.
Although you guys are relatively young it seems like you have been on the HFT scene for a long time, what has kept you both hooked?
Harry - For me the shooting has always come second to me. It always started off for me as a way to spend more time with my dad and Ell, it's something we do/did as a team and all these years later it's not changed. I started shooting HFT when I'd just turned 16, I'm now 28 - it's the people that make you come back every time. The weather might change every time but the banter is always there - you can have a bad round but you can enjoy it because of the people you're around. The shooting itself isn't bad either!
Harry, what would your one piece of advice be to someone looking to be successful in the world of HFT?
Listen to everyone and try everything until you find what works for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions even if it's things like what zero do you use, can I have a look through your scope etc. One style/equipment etc won't work for everyone - there's a lot of similarities between peoples setups but each one is slightly different. It's all about figuring out what works for you and what doesn't - you need to persevere to go forward and don't stop trying to get better.
El, who in your opinion is favourite to be crowned WHFTA 2022 HFT World Champion?
Its always hard to look past the likes of Richard Woods and Chris Cundy for events like these, however anything can happen over a weekend of shooting.
WHFTA events have been around for 13 years now what do you guys enjoy the most about them?
Harry - It's always the one competition of the year that EVERYONE tries to get to. A lot of people pick and choose which nationals they want to shoot for a variety of reasons but with the WHFTA it's the one shoot every year that everyone tries to get too. It's like the Masters for golf - just the biggest one off event in the calendar.
El - I like how the event is different to a normal shoot, a weekend of shooting as well as the other events that normally take place at the same time. I also enjoy the national team event, adds a different spin to the weekend.
Rifles: Elliott - Steyr LG110 Challenge Harry - Steyr LG110 Challenge
Country Representing: Wales Scopes: Elliott - March 1-10x24 Harry - March 1-10x24
The two of you fall into what we would class as the ‘top end’ HFT shooters. What in both your opinion sets apart a good HFT’er from a great one?
Harry - I think the main difference between a good HFT shooter and a great one is temperament and the ability to let a miss shot go and not dwell on it. I think too many people concentrate on a miss as opposed to the targets they knocked down which then affects their confidence and subsequent shots. People can always go into great detail over the misses as opposed to knocking down the difficult targets. Then as always being good at the disciplines for me is what makes or breaks a round. The better shooters tend to be a lot more consistent compared to the rest in my opinion.
Elliott - Consistency is key, anyone can have a good weekend but those at the top consistently put the top scores is.
Harry, what is the best thing you have learnt from your years shooting HFT?
The main thing for me has been the reinforcement of having a good routine in general makes for better results. I've become a fan of structure mainly down to shooting which I've transferred into work and outside life. It's also helped me to be able to switch on and off and has helped learn to focus more when I need to. I've also realised I'm a lot more of a competitive person than I thought!
El, how did you get into HFT and have you tried any other shooting disciplines? If so was you any good at them?
We originally got a rifle due to a rabbit epidemic in the garden, ended up not shooting any, at the shop we purchased the rifle, the guys mentioned HFT, first ever shoot was at Millride and we haven't really stopped since.
I have tried .22 Rimfire at 10m, 50m and 100mwasnt awful at it but don't do it anymore, we have also tried FT but id say I'm pretty useless at that.
Although you guys are relatively young it seems like you have been on the HFT scene for a long time, what has kept you both hooked?
Harry - For me the shooting has always come second to me. It always started off for me as a way to spend more time with my dad and Ell, it's something we do/did as a team and all these years later it's not changed. I started shooting HFT when I'd just turned 16, I'm now 28 - it's the people that make you come back every time. The weather might change every time but the banter is always there - you can have a bad round but you can enjoy it because of the people you're around. The shooting itself isn't bad either!
Harry, what would your one piece of advice be to someone looking to be successful in the world of HFT?
Listen to everyone and try everything until you find what works for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions even if it's things like what zero do you use, can I have a look through your scope etc. One style/equipment etc won't work for everyone - there's a lot of similarities between peoples setups but each one is slightly different. It's all about figuring out what works for you and what doesn't - you need to persevere to go forward and don't stop trying to get better.
El, who in your opinion is favourite to be crowned WHFTA 2022 HFT World Champion?
Its always hard to look past the likes of Richard Woods and Chris Cundy for events like these, however anything can happen over a weekend of shooting.
WHFTA events have been around for 13 years now what do you guys enjoy the most about them?
Harry - It's always the one competition of the year that EVERYONE tries to get to. A lot of people pick and choose which nationals they want to shoot for a variety of reasons but with the WHFTA it's the one shoot every year that everyone tries to get too. It's like the Masters for golf - just the biggest one off event in the calendar.
El - I like how the event is different to a normal shoot, a weekend of shooting as well as the other events that normally take place at the same time. I also enjoy the national team event, adds a different spin to the weekend.
Name : Toni Bingley
Country Representing: England Class: Ladies Rifle: Air Arms S400 Scope: Optisan CP What kit are you using to compete in WHFTA 2022 and why? I am using my very trusty Air Arms S400 topped with an Optisan CP scope. What is your top tip for those competing in WHFTA 2022? Relax and enjoy it! Don't stress!!!!! I find if I stress and put pressure on myself I do terribly. How are you preparing for this year? Lots of practice getting out shooting around different clubs and in different environments. We are going to be doing our first full year of UKAHFT rounds. I will even be having a go at the National Recoil Championships as I do like to get my springer out now and again. What do you like the most about WHFTA events? My favourite thing about shooting in WHFTA is getting to see everyone, having a good time out shooting and the chance to win some great raffle prizes. |
Name : Nick Byrne
Country Representing: Ireland Class: .22 Rifle: Air Arms S400 Scope: MTC Viper Connect What kit are you using to compete in WHFTA 2022 and why? The same somewhat ancient Air Arms S400 with a Viper Connect scope atop, for two reasons – firstly, I have shot this set-up for many years and am therefore totally familiar with how it performs, and secondly, I have found both the rifle and the scope to be totally reliable and neither have ever let me down. You have shot a number of WHFTA events; what is your best memory from them? Taking the 3rd Place slot at the 2019 WHFTA Championships – I was genuinely thrilled with that result. Do you have a preparation routine for big competitions if so what does it entail? Not really – I just try to get to my local club, Meon Valley Airgun Club, a day or so before a competition to check my rifle’s zero and power, make sure I have sufficient pellets in my bag, take a quick look at the weather forecast to see if I might need waterproofs or not, and that’s about it. The only thing that I am fanatical about is never checking my zero at the venue of a competition – over the years, I’ve seen too many people unknowingly “dial out the wind” on a zero range that they are unfamiliar with. |
Name : Tim "Wally" Hale
Country Representing: Australia Class: .22 Rifle: Air Arms S410 TDR Scope: Nikko Stirling Diamond What kit are you using to compete in WHFTA 2022 and why? Air Arms S410 TDR! Not the most HFT friendly rifle, but lovely to shoot. I'm going back to my old 50mm Nikko Stirling scope after trying a Connect and not getting on with it. A nice hefty 16 grain AA Diablo Field pellet to top it off. No glove, no hamster etc, I'm pretty basic! What is your favourite thing about WHFTA events? Definitely the like-minded people. There's some real characters on the circuit! My main joy comes from quality time with my son(s) doing something a little out of the norm. Top tip for those competing in their first HFT World Championships? I'm way too inexperienced to be handing out advice, other than the usual "pull the string and don't shoot the wrong target". The quality of the other competitors is seriously good, so get out there and enjoy it. What are your goals for WHFTA 2022? I'd love to better last year's result, I imagine a top 3 place in .22 is probably beyond reach, but I'll be trying! How are you preparing for this year? Getting in as many local HFT competitions as possible, you can't beat time on a course. |