Life at the Range by Gary Chillingworth

WHFTA World Championships

Borders Wood once again played host to one of the biggest events in the shooting calendar: the WHFTA World Championships.

With over 330 shooters, two days of fierce competition and 60 testing targets, this is the event every HFT shooter dreams of being involved in.

Now in its 15th year, the Worlds remain the gold standard that every other competition is measured against.

With classes for Open, Recoiling, .22, Ladies, Veterans, Juniors and Sticks, there was no shortage of silverware up for grabs. Over the weekend, competitors faced two courses: Alpha and Bravo. Alpha stretched across water, woodland and open fields, testing every ounce of skill.

Bravo wound its way through dark woodland, packed with elevation changes, tricky range traps and bespoke targets designed to keep even the best on their toes.

But the Worlds aren’t just about targets and trophies — they’re about camaraderie, support and the spirit of the sport. Nowhere was this clearer than in the Juniors.

After day one, Oli Usher held a commanding five-point lead over Jake Jones, but Jake refused to quit. By the close of day two, he had clawed it back, and in a nail-biting shoot-off, he took the Junior title.

Both lads showed exactly what this sport is all about — competing hard while lifting each other up. That is true sportsmanship in action.

Away from the firing line, the famous WHFTA raffle delivered yet again, with thousands of pounds worth of prizes up for grabs. The biggest winner of the lot was James McLachlan, who walked away with a brand-new XTI-50 courtesy of Air Arms.

And then, of course, came the headline result. The new Overall World Champion is none other than Dave Ramshead, an Air Arms team member, who produced a near-perfect weekend, dropping just two targets for a staggering 118/120. A masterclass in consistency.

RESULTS
Overall World Champion – Dave Ramshead
Recoil World Champion – Jon Ball
Ladies World Champion – Gillian McNab
.22 World Champion – Jim Harney
Veteran World Champion – Phil Soper
Sticks World Champion – Simon Miney
Junior World Champion – Jake Jones
Team World Champions – England

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