Smallbore shooter Colin Abbs has enjoyed a summer of successes, culminating with a call-up for his country.Abbs has made has made his mark with a .22 inch calibre target rifle, and in addition competes with a lightweight sporting rifle at North Walsham Rifle Club.

Smallbore shooter Colin Abbs has enjoyed a summer of successes, culminating with a call-up for his country.

Abbs has made has made his mark with a .22 inch calibre target rifle, and in addition competes with a lightweight sporting rifle at North Walsham Rifle Club.

After winning the Norfolk Summer Open Meeting in June he was selected as reserve for Great Britain in the 20-strong team that won the postal Dewar match against South Africa, the United States and Canada, a year after getting the fourth highest score for GB in their victorious 2007 team.

Late August saw him at the National Smallbore Rifle Association annual meeting at Bisley, where 500 shooters use 200 firing points at 50 and 100 yards to take part in competitions of 40 or 60 shots over 10 days.

In blustery wind conditions every day, causing many firers to lose shots to the left and right, Abbs called on all his years of top level competition to keep himself in the top 20 every day, finishing 11th overall in the meeting aggregate to retain his X Class status.

His club-mate Charles Cain was both pleased and frustrated, gaining A Class but missing out on X Class by a single point.

On the way, Abbs collected the 100 yard BP Cup, thus attracting the interest of the international selectors.

That victory and his grand aggregate finish were rewarded with a place in the 10-strong England team in the Home Countries match, an event they were to win.

Bisley over, Abbs went to the Bury St Edmunds Open, winning that and equalling his 50-metre personal best, scoring 594 ex 600.

With the summer open meeting season now drawing to a close, Abbs is looking to finish the year on a high by taking the Felixstowe Open and doing the double at home by taking the Norfolk Winter Open Meeting, before concentrating on postal matches at North Walsham over the winter.