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2026 SSAA National Benchrest Centrefire Championships — Dairyville, Coffs Harbour
The 2026 SSAA National Benchrest Centrefire Championships were held at the Dairyville Range, Coffs Harbour, over the four-day Easter weekend.
We had a great field with competitors travelling in from WA, SA, QLD and across NSW — and plenty of local support on the ground to keep the weekend running smoothly.
A big weekend for the locals
Local shooter Michael Thompson was the overall winner across the four days, finishing 1st in all categories:
  • 2-Gun: .2270
  • 3-Gun: .2160
  • 4-Gun: .2297
Michael also broke the Australian record in the Sporter event and the 4 gun, making it a weekend to remember for the Thompson camp.
Another standout for the locals was Keiran Grabham, finishing 3rd overall in Sporter — a top result at a Nationals level. Well done to Michael and Keiran.
Thank you to the volunteers
Events like this don’t happen without a huge amount of behind-the-scenes work. A sincere thank you to the volunteers who put in the time across the weekend — from range setup to scoring support — to make sure the Nationals ran the way they should.
Top 3 results (all categories)
Unlimited (10-shot groups) — 28 competitors
100yds
  1. Darren Parsons (NSW) — agg .2378, smallest group .161
  1. Milan Morell (SA) — agg .2360, smallest group .188
  1. Gavin Marshall (QLD) — agg .2376, smallest group .188
200yds
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — agg .2387, smallest group .434
  1. Darren Parsons (NSW) — agg .2769, smallest group .385
  1. Brendon Atkinson (SA) — agg .3129, smallest group .464
Overall (Grand Agg)
  1. Darren Parsons (NSW) — .2549
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .2709
  1. Gavin Marshall (QLD) — .2883
Sporter — 34 competitors
100yds
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .1916, smallest group .121 (New Australian record)
  1. John Babic (NSW) — .2372, smallest group .162
  1. Brendon Atkinson (SA) — .2482, smallest group .178
200yds
  1. John Babic (NSW) — .1884, smallest group .238 (New Australian record)
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .1962, smallest group .222
  1. Keiran Grabham (NSW) — .2534, smallest group .330
Overall (Grand Agg)
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .1939 (New Australian record)
  1. John Babic (NSW) — .2128
  1. Keiran Grabham (NSW) — .2615
Light Bench (LB) Custom — 52 competitors
Sunday saw 52 shooters line up for the LB Custom. Conditions were rough for competitive shooting, with gusty (almost gale-force) winds all day.
100yds
  1. Mitchell Tallar (NSW) — .1920, smallest group .169
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .2214, smallest group .176
  1. William Greer (QLD) — .2420, smallest group .172
200yds
  1. Keith Sewell (QLD) — .2588, smallest group .330
  1. Colin Farquharson (WA) — .2638, smallest group .285
  1. Brendon Atkinson (SA) — .2661, smallest group .324
Overall (Grand Agg)
  1. Mitchell Tallar (NSW) — .2395
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .2522
  1. Brendon Atkinson (SA) — .2635
Smallest group (day): Trevor Brown (QLD) — .109
Heavy Bench (HB) Custom — 56 competitors
On Day 4 the wind had kindly dropped and there were no showers in sight. HB Custom was the order of the day with 56 shooters on the firing line.
100yds
  1. Josh Russell (QLD) — .1706, smallest group .084
  1. Brendon Atkinson (SA) — .1882, smallest group .139
  1. John Babic (NSW) — .1906, smallest group .104
200yds
  1. Keith Sewell (QLD) — .1808, smallest group .196
  1. Thomas Thompson (QLD) — .1869, smallest group .185
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .1942, smallest group .301
Overall (Grand Agg)
  1. Keith Sewell (QLD) — .1998
  1. Michael Thompson (NSW) — .2018
  1. Thomas Thompson (QLD) — .2047
Keith Sewell was later inducted into the Benchrest Hall of Fame — a well-earned
recognition.
The Thompson family celebrating Michael’s historic win.
Want to get involved?
If you’re coming across benchrest for the first time (or you’ve been thinking about stepping up from club shoots), Nationals weekend is a great reminder of what makes the sport special: good people, good gear, and plenty of learning — side by side.
Keep an eye on upcoming events, and if you’re not already a member, jump in and join the Benchrest Australia community.

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