SPORT WITH THE RIFLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 11

SPORT WITH THE RIFLE.

i ; ;: .-; ;A NEW!'JfINIAT^EE ; RANGE..'•;.. ■; -.; ' A sport .of which very, little was,heard in i Wolliugton.twqi.oE three years ago,-but which • israpidly.,coming into favour, not only with- ; volunteers, .but also with.enthusiastic civilians, i is miniature, rifle 'shooting... During the. winter : months,;.when the state-of the weather'offers t a".bar-to target,.shooting .in the. open.range, j an.eicellent indoor substitute is the. miniature' { range, l .for 'Morris' tube, and' miniature: rifles. '•■ The.trustees of the- Garrison Hatlhave recently ' had ; a'c6uple.of ;miniature rifle.ranges installed •. in the basement of. the Drill Hall, and for ■■ the last few weeks odd matches have be«n ; ; fired'from time" to time. It was deemed fitting, - 'however, to' officially declare the ranges open, f and on Saturday -afternoon,-.in'the. maini'driU > hall.'an officers' and ladies' mafoh was fired, the targets being improvised in the big hall in.'order tb; have : the-advantage, of, the. day-: light." ' There was a. good atteudance/and'tne ' little /function was -very ■successful,' ~ Among r . thflse present were:—Colonel, -A. . W;' Eobin, C.B.,'Chief of the General Staff; Colonel 1 B.' J. Collins, V.D...finance, member of the .Council of Defence, and ohief exeoutivp officer'of the Dominion Biffe Association; Lieut-Colonel W. G. Duthie,. Commanding the First Wellington .-• Rifle Battalion; Major J. E.,Hume, , R.N.Z.A., ■officer coiainandiiig the Wellington detachment of the Permanent Force; Major C. "D. Mackintosh, Battalion staff;-Major T. W.'M'Donald, i oflicer commanding ,the-New Zealand Public F School Cadets; . and': Captains G. ,S, : Sich- . -ardson (chief instructor^of artillery), J; O'Sul--3 livan (Defence Stores Department), S. V.. Trask, J and company officers "<of the Wellington Eifle , Battalion.: ■ ■ ■;" ■- -i''. •■ ■'■:•■'-'■ .- -. ■■'■'.'•■■. -.'. Some preliminary'practice was taken: before c the commencement oftthe matohes,' and the honour, 'of firing the?first shot was given tc' 5 Miss Robin, and the marker -recorded a bull's--1 eye, amid applause; Firing then became gene--1 ral, and at the- conclnsion of the competitions, , Mrs. D. Mathesoii, who scored the "possible," a 35 points, was adjudged.the winner; Miss Tur--3 nor caitie second with 17 points, and Mre. Eudn man third with 11 points. Mrs.-Matheson'used the sling and orthoptic with the skill of. a ' practised shot. 'In the officers' match,-Cap-tain Corrigan (Zealatfiiia Rifles) was first, with ; 34 points, and Captain Eichardson-(33-points). ° second. -..'..,. ■■■ '' -Mrs. Matheson was afterwards presented, by I Colonel Robin,-•with a handsome silver purse" t)' (dnnaled- by Liout.-Colonel Duthie), and after C a heat little;speech;by the Chief of the General \i' Staff, the party wfere entertained to afternoon [, : tea by tho Garrison Offiosrs' Club.' i! .-. ' ' ■' _' ■ ■■:.■. .. ■■ ; •■.■.■: .