RIFLE SHOOTING.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20488, 5 March 1932, Page 11

RIFLE SHOOTING.

NATIONAL MEETING. R. H. NICHOLL LEADING FOR KING'S PRIZE. (rarss association telegram ) TRENTHAM, March 4. Petone's success in providing the winner of tho two championship matches and the two aggregates decided during the day was the outstanding feature of to-day 's shooting at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association a; Trentham. Three and a half matches have now been fired for the King's Prize, and with the completion of these R. H. Nicholl (Petone) is in the lead with a score of 332 out of a possible of 350. Five points behind him is J. C. Feast (Greytowfi), and lying third is the 1920 belt winner, H. V. Croxton, of Karori, with 320. Tnese three are followed by T. W. Warburton (Petone) 324, H.,Cromie (Ashburton) 322, W. H. Ballinger (Petone) 322, and C. Glassey (Ashburton) 322. First thing in the morning competitors went to the firing points at 500 yards, to complete the unfinished two range Wellington match, one range of which had been fired, the previous day. The winner in . the A . Grade of this match was W. H. Ballinger (Petone), who finished with a score of 96, H. Simmons (Auckland) wa!b second, and Feast third. The B grade was won by C. J. M. Clark (Auckland), and Tyro grade by E. Kronast (Wairakei). After the completion of the Wellington match the Trentham aggregate was compiled. This is in the nature of a prize, list for the highest aggregate scores in the two short range matches in thei championship belt series. The winner of this was Nicholl, who finished with a .score of 191 out of a possible 200. Second placo went to J. C. Feast with 190, while third and fourth positions were filled by Ballinger and P. B. Goldfinch (Karori) respectively. With the short range matches disposed of, the marksmen moved back to the long ranges for the Taranaki match, ten rounds iat 800 and 900 yards. The winner of this event wias T. W. Warburton (Petone), with 97, H. King (Opaki) was runner-up, and H. Cromie (Ashburton) came third, each having a score of 96. The B grade was won by another Ashburton competitor, C. Glassey, and in the -Tyro grade •W. H. Thompson (Auckland) filled first place. Warburton and Nicholl tied with. 326 each in the Australian aggregate', and although the former collects first prize money, a shoot-off will be necessary to determine the holder of the trophy allocated. The aggregate is awarded for j highest scores in the Wellington and Taranaki matches, plus The score over the 300 yards range in the Canterbury match.

Throughout the morning and afternoon competitors had to contend with a fresh but variable wind blowing from the left and frequent . alterations in elevations were necessary.