BOONE LIFE: Bullseye promotes the sporting side of shooting

COLUMBIA — Standing quietly and steady with his feet properly positioned, protective gear keeping his ears and eyes safe, Kent Finlay pulls the trigger on his Colt .45 Gold Cup, aiming for a target 50 feet away.

Finlay, of Centralia, is the discipline head for the shooting group Bullseye, a National Rifle Association conventional pistol group within the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club. As the head of Bullseye, Finlay schedules tournaments, coordinates getting association approval for the events and sends out awards to participating shooters.

Most weeks, however, Finlay spends time improving his shooting just outside the northeast city limits of Columbia, east of North Wyatt Lane on North Hinkson Creek Road.

“This sport, to me, is like bowling or golf or having a boat on the lake is to other people,” Finlay said. “It’s something to grade myself as I go along and try to make my own improvements. Everybody tries to bowl a 300. I’m just trying to shoot the best that I can and keep improving.”