The 200 yard targets at Bell City Rifle Club in Southington CT
The 2009 Brophy Trophy Match
By Digby Hand
The Brophy Trophy, a stunning copper Revere bowl mounted upon a wooden base, is awarded annually to the winner of a two hundred yard smallbore prone rifle match. Legendary author, firearms expert, researcher, Palma Team member, and Distinguished Marksman Bill Brophy won the bowl in 1938, at St Petersburg, Florida, in a 200 yard prone match. The trophy was recovered from the Brophy Estate and restored by Art Jackson, Olympic medalist, World Champion, and long time friend of Brophy and donated to the Cpl Digby Hand Schützenverein to be placed in competition in honor and memory of Brophy. The winner or the match also receives a lion’s share of the entry fees, the rest being distributed, hyena-like to class winners.
This year was the fourth annual match and Len Remaly returned to the Bell City Rifle Club in Southington, Connecticut, defend his title against some of the more prominent names in the long range belly shooting game. All had their eye on also establishing a new match record by besting Bull Lange’s 395-9X score set in the very first match. The conditions were tolerable, an overcast sky and mildly switching winds out of 12 o’clock, made it a good day to shoot but the winds probably saved Lange’s record. The match was closely a fought affair. Remaly came out of the first relay with a good shot a retaining his title as he shot very consistently posting a 95, 99, 96, and 95 for a 385-7X and top score on the first relay. Ever the gentleman and sportsman, Remaly noted that match organizer Hap Rocketto was not shooting in order to see that this prestigious event was run efficiently, and had his gear but no rifle. Remaly, ever the sportsman, insisted that Rocketto use his rifle.
With the command to fire the second relay began and Jeffrey Lord Doerschler was not even on paper! While he tried to get zeroed in Rocketto and Chris Zibbideo jumped ahead of the pack posting a 94 and 95 respectively. Jeff was soon on paper and blasted nine of his first ten rounds into the X and ten ring. On the second string Doerschler opened his lead with a 98 to Rocketto’s 97 and Zibbideo’s 96. The third string saw Rocketto claw back besting the other two by a single point as he shot a 97 to their 96s. Doerschler stopped playing cat and mouse with his competition by nailing 99 on his final ten giving him a four point lead and the victory. Rocketto enjoyed a one point lead on Zibbideo going into the last stage and lost it as he fired a 98 to Zibbideo’s 99.
In the long run second and third place were decided by a single X, as both posted aggregates of 386 but Rocketto had nine Xs to Zibbideo’s seven. Remaly’s sportsmanship had cost him third place and so he earned no money but he did win a larger award, the respect and admiration of his peers in the arcane sport of long range prone 22 caliber rimfire competition for his gallant act.
Entries were a bit off this year as many of the regulars had commitments to various civic organizations, children’s activities, and hedonistic vacations in far off climes.
Match Results
Jeffrey Lord Doerschler 99-3+98-2+96-4+99-4=390-13X Match Winner
Hap Rocketto 94-2+97-2+97-3+98-2=386-9X
Chris Zibbideo 95-2+96-2+96-1+99-3=386-8X
Len Remaly 95-0+99-3+96-3+95-1=385-7X
Joseph Waller 96-2+97-3+96-4+94-2=38311X
Bill Lidke 94-3+95-1+95-0+97-4=381-8X
Jeff Mendyka 95-3+94-2+95-1+97-1=381-7X High Irons
Gail Barry 93-3+96-5+96-2+95-1=380-11X
Chet Rusico 93-6+93-2+94-1+96-2=376-5X
Ralph Gilnack 88-2+90-2+92-1+89-0=359-5X
