PISTOL SHOOTING
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ORANGE'S Dean Brus has worked his way to the top in service pistol, winning eight State titles, four national titles and now competing as part of the NSW side for the seventh year running.
Having reached the top in service pistol and worked hard to stay there, Brus has decided to shoot rapid fire and take a break from the discipline he has dominated for so long.
"I'm trying to represent Australia in rapid fire," Brus said yesterday.
"My coach said I have to put down the service pistol if I want to shoot rapid fire because it's a very different event.
"I took a break (from service pistol) for two reasons - firstly, because I wanted to give rapid fire a real good chance and secondly I've achieved my goals with service pistol and gone as far as you can.
"This is my seventh year in the State team in a row, I've been a national champion four times and a State champion eight times. That's all you can do in service pistol.
"Now my new challenge is rapid fire. It's hard to put down the guns you've worked so hard on to reach the top."
Brus picked those guns up again on the weekend in Orange competing in the Banjo Paterson Service Pistol Open shoot and won every masters grade event.
"I had a break from service pistol and was concentrating on rapid fire.
"I'm in the State team for service pistol so I got the guns out after Christmas and had a tune up. I guess the training and preparation has paid off."
The NSW team member used the shoot as preparation for the national titles in April in which Brus will shoot three service pistol events and two rapid fire events and he would like to make history.
"It is the first year they have shot 25m service pistol at the Nationals and I'd like to be the inaugural winner.
"I'll also shoot the service pistol and the service pistol unrestricted.
"We (NSW) have won the team title for six years running which equals Western Australia's record, so this year we want to win it again and break the record."
Brus said the team would have to perform well to win the team title but he was confident he could come home with another individual medal.
"We need to try hard as a team and as individuals.
"We'd need three shooters in the top 10 to win the team title.
"I think Queensland and Western Australia will be our main threats. I'm reasonably confident.
"I'd like to win at least one individual title and as many team titles as possible."
Working in Brus's favour will be the venue for the national titles, Wagga.
"We'll be shooting under cover which is what we normally do in Orange so I've got the mind set that it's like being at home," Brus said.
After the national titles his priorities go back to rapid fire and working his way to the top.
"I'll concentrate on rapid fire and I'd like to get in the State team for rapid fire and compete at the World Cup."