DEAN Brus has prepared for nationals the best way possible, claiming four events at the Banjo Paterson Open Service Pistol Championships at the Orange Pistol Range over the weekend.

Brus won the Service Pistol, Service Unrestricted, WA 1500 and 25 metre Service disciplines to go into the nationals in Brisbane next week firing.

Fellow nationals competitor Dave Oates was right behind Brus all weekend with two seconds and two thirds.

Max Wicks, who is also off to Brisbane for nationals, claimed the remaining two second placings.

A tie breaker was needed to split Brus and Oates in the Service Pistol event with both tied on 875 after five rounds.

Brus claimed the tie breaker 117-116 and also beat Oates by one shot in the Service Unrestricted class.

Last weekend’s shoot and a previous event in Gulgong have been good warm-up events for nationals with Brus feeling optimistic about his chances in the competition which will start on Sunday.

“Gulgong was a fortnight ago and Orange was this weekend and that has been a good lead-up,” Brus said.

“We had the same matches in Gulgong a fortnight ago and I won four matches so I’m looking good at the moment.”

He thought his performance on Sunday wasn’t the best and tried to make amends yesterday by spending a couple of hours at the range.

Brus broke a firing pin and is desperately trying to find a replacement in the next three days before heading north.

It will disrupt his preparations but he will use other pistols to train.

The competition at nationals is wide open with Brus identifying Oates and two Cairns shooters as big chances in the sunshine state.

“There is any one of 20 guys out of the 50 or 60 there who can take it out. That has been proved in the past,” the shooter said.