RIFLE SHOOTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 794, 18 April 1910, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING.

BATTALION SHIELD FINAL. YOUNG SOLDIERS' CUP MATCH. . It is rather to be regretted that such " important events as the final for the Battalion Shield and the ■ competitions for - the Young Soldiers 1 Challenge Cup should have been left so late in the. season, as the ;weat-her at this time of the - year is not to be depended oai, and the commencement of the winter sports offers counter-attractions which deprive the rifle range-at Trentha-m of many of its supporters. Now that- the season has closed, it. may be well for the companies to consider the question of -- limiting their programmes cf oompeti-' tions next year. The advantages' of such a course of action would main-ly bo(1) : The season would not he' unduly pro-,, tracted; (2) representative team 6 m&toheis; could more easily be arranged; (3) a desirable margin c-i' safety would be secured .against the 'advent of one or more wet Saturdays; (4) tho New Zealand' lliHe. Championship would constitute an Appropriate finish , to the season,' and'the re- ; maining Saturdays in March wfiuld be.. ~: available for odd. matches. 'So far'as' the set programme of events'is>,concerned, the season should/ certainly. terminate by the end of March , at the very latest. A TASTE OFJjWAK. The most interesting . event at the range ■ on Saturday was the coin-petition for the Young Soldiers' Challenge Cup. For the, institution of this highly instructive; and to recruits most encouraging competition-, ' the garrison is indebted to Staff Sergeant' Major Rose, of '•the District Headquarters Instructional Staff, whose kindlyand practical interest in the "rookie" 'is -well J known. competition was open to. " si-x-men teams from any cadet volunteer' V corps in the Wellington Garrison, but . only recruits who had been trained during the. year of . the competition (1909-10) under ;"a non-commissioned' officer were ■ eligible ;for inclusion-in the teams. The match was fired under service conditions, field-firing targets being used, each hit on> the figure counting one point. The following extract from the rules of the competition gives a very good idea of the nature of the match-.— ."The team will extend to four pacesand lie down 500 yards, from target. Ten rounds of ammunition,will be issued to . each recruit, live rounds in pouch or bandolier, and the magazine charged - : .with the other five. The team will then double forward about 50 yards, fire oine .shot loading from the pouch or bandolier, and at each successive advance of <about 50yar<}s they will halt and fire one .'shot in like manner/ When the team arrives at 200 yards from target-the commander . : will order it to fix bayonets and open rapid fire, thirty-seconds .being allowed from the.time rapid fire is ordered. Tho ' commander will then cease fire,' unload,unfix bayonets, inspect arms and pouches or bandoliers, and immediately marel his team back behind, the starting point." -■ ■ ' In other words, the .match was really an exercise, in advancing to the attack,' 1 " maving rapidly from- deoisive I range to close quarters, the bayonet- theoreticallj . to complete the annihilation of the enemy. .-' The. match excited the keenest inter-; est among the recruits of the and five tea'm6 entered, ; the result being as follows:— . " - : ■ ■ Hits. '■ 1. Victoria College O.T.C 18 ■ 2. Wellington "Engineers (5 men only) 17 3. Wellington College Senior Cadets (No, 3 Company) .- 8 4. Wellington College Killcs — 5. Wellington Guaids (4'men only) Victoria College at first tied witih the : Engineers, each team securing 16 hits. Considering that* the Engineers fired with one man'short, the.fact that they were beaten on the shoot-off by one point only, is distinctly to their credit. The. members of the winning team were-as follow:— , ' . Sergt. • • Skinner (squad - commander),- ■ Lce.-Corpl. C. Strack,.■; Pte. G. Strack, . ; Pte. F. C. Larking, Pte. A. W. B. Quick,; r Pte. E.E. Sanson, Pfe. u _C. L. Wardrog/.;The winners, in addition to carrying 1 off the.cup, received 50 per cent; of the; entry money;, the runners-up, 30 por cent.; and the third team, 20. per. cent; • - -

GUARDS .WIN BATTALION SHIELD. Only two teams put in an appearance for" 1 the finai shoot in the -Battalion Shield competition, a ten-shot contest'.at' 500 and 600 yards. The state of the wind, which varied from six degrees right--to eix degrees left, in : strong gusts of. sometimes hurrioane force, is eloquently demonstrated in the disparity between tho scores made at -500 yards the previous week and those put up at the loiter range on Saturday. • These are detailed below. The supervising officers for the shield match were Captain Beere, Victoria College O.T.C. (range-officer and Lieut. Chappie, Engineers (trenclh-officer).-For the Young Soldiers' Cup match, the supervising officers were:—Major. Mathieson (Senior Cadet Battalion, Wellington College), Lieut. Hutchen (College Rifles),. Lieut- Atkinson (Victoria College 0.T.C.), and Staff-Sergt.-Major Rose. 1 : _ Following arc the scores made in - , the two ranges of the Battalion Shield , match (only the scores of those teams which completed each, range are given): •

.Wellington, Guards. ; . . . Pte. Barnes, 47—39—86; Serft! Felling-:; ham, 45—36—81; Corpl.' Johnston, 44—35 -80; Pte. M'Whirter, 41—37—78; _Sergi. . ; . Neal, 43—34 —77; Lieut. Eoache, 45—36— 76; Sergt. Sneddon, 44-29-73; Pte. Dowman, 42—27—69; Pte. Smart, 39—28—67; Pte. Brooke, 42-23-65; aggregate .score, .. 752. - - x Civil Service Rifles.. . . . ■ Corpl. Joplin, 41—37—83; Sergt. Joplin, 45—36—81; Corpl. Fisher, 42 —3d —78; PU>. ■■ Mackay, 42—33—75; Lieut. Hawthorn, 47 —28—75; Corpl. Abbott, 44 —25—69; Sergt. Mardon, 40-28-68; Lce.-Corplv Gazley, 45—20—66; Pte. Pullar, 37—25-HS2;. Col.- t. Sergt. Cokner, 41-21-62; /. aggregate score, 719. HOUSE MATCH. As a preparatory practice for the oom« petition next Saturday for the Hardware Rifle Cup, the 17 members of the staff of Messrs. E. W.. Mills, .Ltd., engaged in a seven-shot match at 200 yards,; handicap. .;g Had it not been, for the force of the : wind, which blew down some of the big . u . targets, practice would also have been ■>' got in at 500 , yards. The shooting, con-; .'« sideriag "the state of ; the . weather, .was fairly good. The scores were;—• . . H. Marshall, 33; W. Nicholson, 20 4 : 33; G. Croll, 29-Hr-33; T. O'Connell, 27— 6—33; A. Briggs, 27-6—33; P. Brain well, 24—9—33; G. Smith, 24-9-33; E. Holmwood, 22—11—33; L.. Williams, 21—12—33; ;; F. Temple, 25—6—31; W.'Henderson, 21— 10—31; C. Gasquoine, 28—2—30; R. ,Davi6, 23—7—30; F. Fliuvel, - 19—10—29; J. Mills, IS—l0 —28; F. F.arquhar, 17-7-24; E. Beauchamp, 17—7—24. PETONE RIFLE CLUB. • 1 The ; third " aggregate competition ior • members of the Petone Rine Club coineluded last Saturday with a match at 200, 500, and 600 yards. Results:— : A Class. • "i 200 500 600. < V : yds. yds. yds. H. T. ~y •Rflmn.' J. Ingram, ... 31 ,30 .30 2 93. . ; Rflmn. S. Knight 29 30 30 4' 9?, , | Rflmn. W. Henderson 29. 24 .28 ' 5 86 ; .i Capt. J. Ross 32 24 28 0 S4 .0 Rflmn. S. 'Spencer 30 31- 22 . 0 8d -,| Rflmin. J. M'Lachlan 32 26 24 0. 82 - I Rflmn. C. Bird 31 29. 20 2 82 ; . 3 Rflmn. B. Bird 2S 31 16 4 79 ,■■ i B Class. , . •Rflmn. J. Caldwell ... 28 30 29 . 0 87 .> Rflnui. H. Ayeon,.'. 31 29 25 Rflmn. W. MMlvride ... 30 29 25 0 84 iS{' Rflmn. W. Cook 28 28 19 075 j Rflmn. J. Coulter 29 26 13 371 j •Legs-in for trophies.. s?.| The following is the complete result of the third aggregate-.—A Class: Riflemen . -•;< Spencer and Ingram, each 255 (to fire off. *! nest Saturday); Henderson, 252;.MTjach- ■::;j lan, 244. B Class: Riflemen Ayson, 245; -oi Caldwell, 241; Cook, 240; MUvride, 239.' The Grace trophy, presented for the highest aggregate of all matches counting for trophies, has been won this, season by Rillemam Ingram, with , 1555 - points, the next/highest scores .being ; those of Riflemen Af'Lachlan, 1539; Heh- V;:| derson, 1495; and Clout, 14S1 (absent at '}■ final shoot). ■ -i Tile.season will be concluded• next Sajfcurday with a match between teams picked : 'f bv the secretary and the treasurer- • ■ J