WELLINGTON RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1326, 2 January 1912, Page 2

WELLINGTON RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

THE FIRST SHOOT. CONDITIONS AND IiESCLTS. The Wellington Kiflo Association, d combination of the ride club' men who to-du,v have, superseded the old Wellington i'lilo Association, opened its first meeting nt tho Tronthain Kunge .yesterday. Tho weather was lets boisterous than that experienced in-town, but, according to .experienced Trenthom shots, the wind ins tine of- the worst of the "fish-tail" brand ever experienced on the range. .Shooting at.sooyds., some of the uieu had to change from 5 left to 5 right between each shot. There were individual instances of brilliant shooting, where competitors struck a good patcli, but these good patches were few and far between. . The total entry was 115, and included some of the best shots in the Dominion. The gathering .was a .thoroughly' representative one, thero being some 11 visitors from Christchurch, half a dozen from Nelson, besides: competitors from Wanganui, Taumarunui, and Hastings, and various parts of tiie Wellington province. ' Interest was lent to the .gathering by the appearance on tho mounds of Frank, Loveday, and Halliday, three members of the 191! Bisley combination. Excliampion shots, were represented in Messrs. G. Hyde, li. J. King, J. W. Milroy, and ■G. iralliday. • Several local men who would otherwise have been shooting at Trentham are at present visiting the Auckland Association's meeting, and the fact that under the reorganised, territorial scheme the men have not yet had their rifles issued ■must also have affected the entries. Practically the whole of the competitors were : rifle club men. One of the attractions of tho meeting was. the running of pool targets at OOO.and iOOOyds., and many of the shots availed themselves of these. In the first two matches of tho day Gunner E. Ballinger; 'of "the Garrison Artillery, a son. of .'ex-champion Arthur Ballinger, shot really brilliantly.. At 300 yards he put on IS' out of the possible 50, and at 51)0 yards he planked on 4!) out of the possible. .These shoots won him, in addition to the ordinary prizes and tho B.S.A. trophy—a W.0.J1. .23 rifle, presented by Messrs., J. B. Clarkson and Co., Ltd., for the best aggregate at tho above distances. Ballinger cracked up at GOO yards, his shoot only, yielding 39. Exehampiou Milroy, who headed.tho list, scored >17, and two • Suburbs men, C. Whitcnian and.M.. Evans, were next with 45. ' ~' "- ' -Hifleman Milroy was runner-up in tho 300 yards shoot, lie and Eifleman F. Wliitemau. of tho Hutt, each securiug 47. Ballinger had a'lead of three'from his nearest opponent in the 500 yards match. Several of the men with reputations failed to'strike form. . There was a shoot-off between Ballinger' and Milroy for the host aggregate for the 3(10," 500, and 600 yards ranges, which aggregate carried the Walker and Hall trophy and the Licensed Victuallers' Cup. Both these men scored 138 for tho three ranges. In the shoot-off Milroy won ."with 21 against his opponent's 18. Milroy thus won tho Walker and Hall trophy, but .Ballinger. takes the Victuallers' trophy, as this is only open to shootists who arc residents of Wellington or between the city and the Upper Hutt. Milroy, who hails from Nelson, could not carry-this prize. A beginning was made with the Champion Teams' Match—seven' shots at 300, 500 and GOO yards—but the competition will not ho completed until to-day. At 500 yards several possibles were recorded, the conditions having improved greatly by this, time. Matches at SOO, 900, and 1000 yards have olso f to. be decided to-day. Tho prize-v;inners-fdr : 'the' day's shooting are as under:—

MATCH NO. 1. Ten shots at 300 yards. Possible, 50. £i and J. Dutkie'strophj-, Gunner E. Ballinger • 48 £3, Rflmn. W. J. Milroy, Nelson 47 ".£2,' RHmn. P. Wliiteinau, jun., Upper. " 'Hutt- J ~.:....•: 47 ■£2, Rflmn. J. E. Turner, Karori 4G .£l, Rflnin. J. Rennie, Cbristchurch 4G jGl,' Rflmn. H. Marshall, Karori 45 £1, Rflmn. D. J. Guincy, Christchurch 45 ■ JBI, Rflmn. H. M. W. Richardson, Karori 45 JEI, Rfimn. A. J. Cameron, Opaki 44 The following won prizes of 10s. oaeli: Rflmn. A. Otton, Suburbs, 44: Rflmn. F. Wickens, Karori, 44; Sergt. Frank Nelson, 44; Rflmn. H. Plimmer, Karori, 44; Rflmn. H. Evans, Suburbs, 43; Rflmn. J. G. Newton, Suburbs. 43. The following were counted out:—Rflmn. J. Rivers, Okawa; Rflmn. C. J. Fisher, Suburbs; Rflmn. E. C. Russell, Petone; Rflmn. W. Gower,' : Suburbsv Lieut, llellor, sth Regiment; Lioiit. Hastings, Gth Regiment; Pte. Barkle, sth Regiment; Rflmn. J. Bums, Karori: Rflmn. S. R. Shannon; Pctonc; Rflmn. H. Griggs, Linton; Rflmn. J. Stubbing:, Ngntiawa. Tyro prizes of 10s. were won by the following:—Sergt. .T. G. Faulkner, Garrison Artillery, 41; Rflmn. 11. W. Bear, Ngatiawa, 41; Rflmn. Pollock, Petone, 40; Rflmn. AV. Chirnside; Karori, 40; Rflmn. C. Allen, Upper Hutt,, 10. Counted out: L. Percy, Alfrctlton. M. ' ' MATCH NO. 2. 1 Ten sliots at 500 yards. Possible,' 50.' £i, Gunner E. Ballinger, Petone (Kudfield tropin-} 4!) £3, Rflmn. Barkle, Suburbs ' 47 .£2, Lieut. Haskings, lith Regiment... 47 .£2, Rflmn. C. Whitcmun, Suburbs ... 40 £], Lieut. "Mellor, sth Regiment : 40 £1, Rflmn. -Evans, Suburbs v 40 ctl, Rflmn. V. Wliitcman, Upper Hutt 45 £1, Rflmn'. It. Marshall, Karori 45 J.'l. Sergt. Frank, Nelson 45 The following won prizes of 10s. each: Rflmn. F. Wickens, Karori, 45; Rflnin. iM'Lachlah, Petone, 15: Rflmn. A. France, Karori, 15; Rilmn. C. Morris, Petone. 45; Rflmn. Wood, Christchurch, 44; Rflmn. Walker, Christchurch, 44. Counted out: Rflmn. Gower, Suburbs; RHmn. .Smart, Suburbs;. Rflmn. King, Opaki; Rflmn. Grooves, Ali'redton; Rilmn. .Sharlaud, Nelson • 1 Tyro prir.es of 10s. were won by the following:—Rflmn. G. Clout, Petone, 44; C. Taylor, Opaki, 44; Rflnin. J. Murray, Opaki, 42; Rflmn. T. W. Warburton, Petone, 42; Rflmn. W. H. Cook, Suburbs, 42. MATCH NO. 3. ■ ; Ten Shots at GOOyds. Possible 50. £i, and J. Myers and. Co.'s trophy, Rflmn. Milroy, Nelson 47 .£3, Rflmn. C. Whitenian, Suburbs ..." 45 £2, Rflmn. M. Evan's, Suburbs 45 .£2, Rflmn. H. Bulford, Karori 44 £1, Rflmn. L. Loveday, AVoodvillc ... 44 £\, Sgt. M'Jlorran, Signalling Corps 44 £1, Kilmn. C. M. AValker, Christchurch 43 £1, Rflmn. C. J. Fisher, Suburbs 43 ..£l, RHmn. Wood, Christchurch 43 Prizes of 10s. wci'o won by the following: —Minn, J. Given,: Suburbs, 43; Sergt. Frank, NcLson; ■12;-Rflniu W. J. Henry, Christchurch, 12; Rflnin. W. G. Faullinor, Petone, 41; Rflmn. J. Rabe, Karori, 41; Rflmn. R: F. AVilton, Mauriceville, 41. 'The following were counted out:—F. A. AVluteman, Upper ..Hutt; H. C. Russell,' Petone; and "J. L. Turner,' Suburbs. ■ Tyro prizes of 10s. we 'o won by the wider-mentioned:—Rflmn. C. Allan, Upper Hutt, 40;. Rflmn. ,T. Murray, Opaki, 33; Rflmn. C. Morris, Petone, 37; Rilnm. AV. 11. Cook, Suburbs, 37; Rflmn. Bennett, Ng'atiawa, 37.