Narrabri Pistol Club shooter Jason Anderson and his Pistol Australia metallic silhouette team recently completed a successful International Metallic Silhouette Shooting Union World Cup campaign as they returned home from Finland with a total haul of 26 medals.
The Narrabri shooter teamed up with Inverell RSM Pistol Club shooters Tim Davey and Glen Anderson for the event, which ran from August 11 to 22.
As a team, they earned gold medals in the 200-metre big bore and 100-metre small bore events, and they placed second in standing and third in 100-metre field pistol.
On an individual level, Jason claimed a gold medal after being the only shooter to register a perfect 40/40 score in the 200-metre big bore revolver class.
The Narrabri man narrowly missed out on two more medals as he finished fourth in the small bore standing and big bore unlimited classes, an he ended up with six top-ten places in total at the event.
His Aussie teammates also claimed several individual honours, and their success across the week was even more impressive considering the flight delays they faced, which meant they were not afforded the three days they had scheduled to acclimatise themselves once they arrived.
Jason told The Courier that he was proud of their achievements on both an individual and a team level.
“We did well. Really well. Especially when you consider that we were shooting against the best of the world,” Jason said.
“We were the reigning big bore champions after winning gold in Hungary (in 2023), and this was my first year on the small bore team. It was great to get a gold in that one.
“Second in the standing team was good, and we got third in field pistol, which was really good, considering that we had a firearm that was damaged in transit on the way over.
“The gold medal in big bore revolver felt great, especially when you’re standing up there and they’re playing the national anthem. I got a perfect score in that with 40/40. Second place got 39 and there were a bunch of 38s. The guys I shot against were the best in the world, so it was a nice achievement that one.
“Finland was very nice and we really enjoyed it. The facility there was new and it was massive. It was really good.”
Jason thanked his family and his teammates for their support.
The team flew back into Australia on Monday and they now have their sights set firmly on the 2025 Metallic Silhouette Small Bore, Big Bore and Field Pistol National Championships, which will be held in Inverell from September 13 to 20.
That will be the last qualifying event for the 2026 Australian team, which Jason said he was hopeful of qualifying for as a reserve.
At a local pistol shooting level, the international gold medallist said the Narrabri Pistol Club was progressing nicely and there were a few juniors who were rapidly improving and impressing.
“Anyone is welcome to come along and give pistol shooting a try,” Jason said.
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