The Bendigo star won a dramatic contest by a mere one clay, 410-409, against Canterbury's Gavin Searle.

The High Gun involves seven events run across seven days of competition.

The shooter with the highest cumulative score at the end is adjudged the winner.

Boucher said he was delighted with his second win across the Tasman, which pitted him against competitors from America, Ireland, Tahiti, and, of course, New Zealand, and Australia.' 'I'm thrilled to bits. Shooting doesn't get a lot of recognition in Bendigo, but there are some good shots here,'' he said.

‘‘It's not only the prestige, but the High Gun also holds the biggest financial prize money in the New Zealand Clay Target Nationals.

‘‘They gave me a 682 Berretta Gold E which is worth a considerable amount of money and I have been fortunate enough to win two of those now,'' he said.

Boucher said the conditions at the Canterbury Clay Target Club on the South Island were difficult.

‘‘The scores were low this year, because of the conditions; it was raining and overcast,'' he said.

‘‘They were hard conditions, but there was a fight right to the end.' ‘In the end of the Points event, which is the last event of the seven, I shot 148 out of 150 which was one of the better scores and enabled me to win it outright.'' The victory comes as perfect preparation for Boucher, who will now compete at the Australian National Championships and then the World Championships, in the next few weeks.

He has won the Australian title on five occasions and has a best placing of eighth in the World Championships, achieved four years ago.

Boucher will be re-united with close friend and Olympic and Commonwealth Games clay target gold medallist, Russell Mark, at the upcoming tournaments.

‘‘Russell and I have been shooting together since we were 20, which makes it about 25 years we have known each other,'' he said.

‘‘I'm shooting with him and four other shooters as part of a squad at the World Championships.

‘‘We will shoot for three days together. Four years ago we ended up eighth after we went into the final round in third, but that's just the way it goes.''