RIFLE SHOOTING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21416, 7 March 1935, Page 17

RIFLE SHOOTING

♦ F. BOWES WINS KING'S PRIZE YOUTH TRIUMPHS OVER EXPERIENCE J R. (ONGKEVE JN SI'X"ONL> J'LACIi (i'KE.SS ASSOCIATION TtSLKUU.VM.) WELLINGTON, March 6. Youth triumphed over experience at Trentham to-day, when the Ballinger Rifle Championship Belt, the gold medal, and gold badge of the National Rifle Association, and the King's Prize of £3O were won by F. Bowes, of the Auckland City Rifle Club, who is 27 years of age. An extraordinary fear ture of the final was that five tied for second place. As a restilt of subsequent shoot-offs, this was filled by R. Congreve. of the Old Navals Club. Wellington. Congreve is 21 years old, and both he and Bowes competed at the national meeting this year tor the third time. W. N. Masefield, who was runner-up for the last year, finished third. Conditions were tricky for the final match for the King's Prize, a variable south-east wind blowing across the range. The King's 40 iired m two batches, the last 20 firing first, and the first 20 shooting last. When the 40 went down at Ihe mounds for Ihe final 10 rounds at 'JOO yards, A. R. Wills (fnvercargill) had a three-point lead over Bowes. Sixty-eight years ol age, this veteran marksman could not master the conditions. Wills shot on target No. 15, and Bowes on target No. 16, and it was round their score boards I hat the majority of spectators Lathered. First to Finish

Eowes was by u loot; way Uie first of the leading men to finish, and with his 4G in the final match he had an aggregate of 464 out of a possible 500. llis performance was a brilliant one, for there was a margin of eight points between his and the next highest stores. Tho rapidity with which he got his shots away was an outstanding feature of his shooting. Wills could not do bolter than y.7, lo shore an aggregate score of 458, with Congreve, MtiKi'lield. F. 11. James tJSiapier), and 1.. CI. lienloii t Kciitherslon>. A shoot off was therefore necessary among these five, one compulsory sighter and five counters being fired. This also resulted in a further tio between Masetield, Congreve, and Jfimes, who each made 22. Benton, with 19, took fifth place, nnd Wills had to be content with sixth position tor 13. VVills's iYlisforUr.ie Misfortune had again dogged Wills, for in his shoot-oil' ho put a shot, on the wrong target. The second shoot oIT was on a basis of shot for shot. Congreve had a "bullseye," Masefield a four, and James a thVec, which gave Ihem recon.d. third, and fourth positions respectively hi tho King's Tr For the hicliesl individual score in Ihe Kiim's Prize match the Rifle Challenge Cup is awarded, and a sltool-ofT was also noces-sru-y to deride this. Co".i:rc\v. IvO.ves. and L. TI. ProllUt iNapu ii i-'ell h:ul i r ive si'.ols were (ir::d. Pres.'Tilt rruHiv: 1 !»•* ! > :-'l ti" •: v.M'h 21 ;na wioning She ei.n. V.'inncr of Kind's Cup

The championship boll iciutns to Auckland otter an absence oC 'l3 years, the last Kin;;'-; Prizemn i i're-.n that city I'cinc; S<;r/»o3?it DouMh.'.v. who won i it.* championship in Since Howes liisl cu:n'u to Ti-i. sit ham ihrov years he has comix'ted u^!l1 11m: l:t.d success. He is the ho!u"s oi' the H-iouth Auckland championship and I!io Auckland miniature rii'le championship. Consreve has been a mi rr bcr of the Old I\'avals' Club for the last four >t:ars. He made his first appearance at a national meeting at Trentham four vcars ago, when he shot as a tyro. He missed two meetings, but competed last year as a B shot:, and this year as an A grade competitor. After his success Bowes was "chaired" cmd carried shoulder high by his elubmates to the Young Men's Christian Association I-lall, where the prizes and trophies were presented by Lieutenant-Colonel K Puttick. Teams' Match Twenty-live teams competed in the champion teams' match, which was Jircd in the morning. The learns consisted of four men, who each had to tire seven rounds at 300, 500, and GOO yards. The variable litlht and rapid wind changes made siyhtinj; difficult, but in spite of these conditions there were some good individual scores. The New Plymouth No. 1 team was the winner with a score of 333 out ol a possible 420. The service championship, the final match of which was also tired during th<> morning, was won by R. H. Nicholl (Petone) With his final 10 rounds application at 000 yards, Nicholl made 4], this brinfiiii,*{ his aggregate up to :;C0 out of a passible of 2U5. I'\ A. Hiscock (Christchurch), who had a one-point lead in the service 40, could not do better than 38 m the lmal match, and finished second with 198. The results of the King's Prize match are as follows: Ballinger Belt, Gold Medal, and Gold Badge of the National Rifle Association, and £3O:—F. Bowes (Auckland City), 46, 404. National Rifle Association Silver Star and Badge, and £ls:—R. Congreve (Old Navals), 46, 453. National Rifle Association Silver Star and Badge, and £lO:—W. N. Masefield (Blenheim), 43, 458.

National Rifle Association Silver Bronze and Badge, and £B;—F. H. | James (Napier), 42, 458. j £5 Each L. G. Benton (Featherston) 42 458 A. R. Wills (Invercargill) 37 458 £3 Each J. C. Carter (Petone) .. 44 456 L. H. Proffitt (Napier) .. 46 454 £2 Each C. J. Nix (Featherston) .. 43 454 A. H. O'Donnell (Petone) .. 38 454 H. Simmonds (Auckland City) .. .. 43 454 F. J. Soler (Wanganui) .. 42 453 £1 Each C. Whiteman (Upper Hutt) 44 452 R. Nicholson (Napier) .. 43 452 F. H. Sharland (Nelson) .. 43 451 K. Grigsby (Morrinsville) 40 451 H. W. Feast .. 4$ 450 H. V. Croxton (Karori) .. 42 450 F. C. Hogg (New Plymouth) 44 449 W. Johnson (Featherston) .. 44 448 D. McKenzie (Opaki) .. 44 448 D. Roots (Patea) .. 33 448 J. IT. Thompson (Woodville) 41 447 A. R. Elgar (Okato) .. 40 447 L. E. BraithwaUe (Okawa) 41 446 R. 11. Nicholl (Petone) .. 41 445 W. N. Kummer (Opaki) .. 40 445 W. H. Ballinger (Petone) .. 39 445 .T. C. Feast (Greytown) .. 33 445 T. J. Spry (Auckland City) .. 40 444 P. W. Congreve (Old Navals) 40 443 B. B. Jones (Nelson) . . 39 443 Ballinger (Petone) .. 39 443 J. McKelvie (Karori) .. 36 440 F. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) 36 440 H. King (Opaki) 34 439 F. Bocking (Cheltenham) .. 32 439 R. C. Anderson (Tnvercargill) .. .. 30 43.i W. Norris (Whangarei) .. 29 434 H. C. Percy (Alfredton) .. 26 430 Other results arc:— Service Championship (Aggregate scores in all service matches) Ross Carbine, Champion Belt, National Ride Association's Gold Medal, and £s R. H. Nicholl . (Petone), 200. National Rifle Association's Silver Medal and £3 —F. A. Hiscoek (Christchurch), 198. National Rifle Association's Bronze Medal and £2—\V. N. Maselicld (Blenheim), 196. £1 Each—F. J. Soler (Wanganui >, 192; H. R. Hunt (Suburbs!, 191; C. J. Nix (Featherston), 190; G. G. Kelly (Auckland City), 190; J. E. Fardley (Wanganui), 189; S. C. Parkinson I (Auckland City), 188: C. 11. Govvcr (Wanganui), 186. CHAMPION TEAMS' MATCH Teams of four men. Seven rounds at 300, 500, and 600 yards. I District Challenge Shield, and four miniature cups and £12 —New Plymouth No. 1 (F. C. Elgar UiO. O. P. George 94, C. 13. Benton 98). £8 —Opaki No. 1, 387. £6—Wanganui No. 1, 336. £s—Wanganui No. 2, 38."). £1 Invercargill No. 1, 382.

RIFLE AMMUNITION

CAXTEKBI RY MEN" SIPPOKT COMPLAINTS Complaints made at the annual meeting of the National Ride Association about the quality of the ammunition issued to provincial associations by the Government were supported by riflemen in Chrislchurch yesterday. Jt was stilled that many members had given up shoot in -4 until belter ammunition was issued.

Mr R. H. Neil I. secretary of the Canterbury Hide Association, declared that some of the ammunition issued had been in store since l!)l'J. At the last Canterbury meeting six bullets had failed to travel 50 yards. It was known that 1030 ammunition was being issued to some of !he cadet corps, and good ammunition had been used at the National Association's meeting, but the provincial associations could not get it.

Mr Neill said Hie Otago association had refused th-. Government grant of 10,000 rounds free, and had bought its own. It was doubtful if one Christchurch club would continue under present conditions.