Although he did not make the veteran’s final – with only the top six shooters going through – he and Queenslander Daryl Stephens did enough to take out the team gold medal for Australia.

“I was a bit disappointed with how I shot,” Gary said.

“I was about 20 (points) down, so 730 out of 750.

“I maybe finished top 10 or something, but I never got in the final.”

The seasoned campaigner said the travel took its toll, with his shooting dropping off as the week progressed.

He started on a high, top-scoring in the veteran’s class at the European championships that preceded the world championships – even if he was unable to claim the prize as a non-European – but said fatigue started to show as the week went on.

For his nephew and fellow Noorat Gun Club member James Hayden, however, momentum built.

After settling in, he too performed well at the European championships, before going on to finish fourth in the junior class at the world championships, claiming a team gold alongside New South Wales’ John Duryea.

“James shot really well over the events,” Gary said.

“The first day was the only day (he was a bit off) – he was getting used to it.

“He got better as the time went on, but I dropped off a bit. But we were happy – the result in the team was the most important thing.”

For the world championships, competitors shoot at 100 targets a day over three days – though they only face the final 50 targets if they make the final.

They are awarded three points for striking the target on their first shot and two if they hit it with the second.

The Noorat pair’s accuracy over the first two days was good enough to see their scores count towards the Australian total for their respective age categories.

“There are three on the team, but only the two best scorers count,” Gary said.

“I think James was 10-down and John was seven down, so 1183 was their score out of 1200.

“The veterans’ team, we were 21 down out of 1200, so we were 1179.”

Gary and James earned their spots in the Australian squad after a strong showing at the Australian Clay Target Association Championships earlier this year.

They took out the family Deauville doubles, with Gary also winning the veterans’ single barrel class, while James received the gold medal for the All-Australian trap team.

The world championships are held every two years and alternate between the northern and southern hemispheres. Australia is set to play host to the 2018 edition.