The match, held at Hornsby Rifle Range, brought together the two schoolboy GPS teams along will all district rifle associations for competitions shot at four ranges –300m, 400m, 500m and 600m.

Sam had an outstanding day down the barrel, scoring 197.19 from a possible 200.

He had not long had a rifle out of his hand, having the day before competed in small-bore competition in Armidale for TAS against former students at the annual Old Boys’ Weekend.

“The Josephson Shield competition consisted of 10-shot matches at each distance,” he said.

“I didn’t drop a shot until the last range, and because it runs east-west we were shooting into the sun and it was a bit harder to see the targets.”

Sam’s selection in the GPS team followed his performance at the annual Great Public Schools championships at Hornsby Rifle Range on July 19-20, during which he scored 192 out of a possible 200 with 13 centre-bulls.

“His result in the Josephson Shield was a high level A Grade score and would rate very well against some of NSW best fullbore shooters,” TAS Master in Charge Rifle Shooting Trevor Thatcher said.

“Sam’s selection in the GPS First VIII was well warranted, and another of our shooters narrowly missed out on GPS selection.”

In the GPS competition the TAS First VIII team came second in the NRAA Shield shot at 600m in wet and windy conditions on July 19.

TAS shot consistently, scoring 48 or 49 across the team for a total of 386 points, from a possible 400, pipped by one point by Sydney Boys' High on 387.

It was an improvement from the Rawson Cup shot at 500m and 600m earlier in the day, when the team came sixth but with only four points separating third and sixth places. In the ‘snap’ style event shot over 300m on 20 July, TAS placed fourth, rendering the team fourth overall.

“The final points did not reflect the closeness of much of the competition and with such many of our shooters only in Year 9, it augurs well for the future of the sport at TAS,” Mr Thatcher said.