SHOULD THE BULL'S-EYE REMAIN?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 25 March 1912, Page 4

SHOULD THE BULL'S-EYE REMAIN?

Sir,—T regret-tjiat np till the i>resent some abler pen -tbau mine has not taken up the aliovo question in the interest of riilenicn. ThroiifJi; tha columns, of the press ws rend tho'.bpinion of the theorist who 'has never lo;irncd to shciot.liims.elf, ■but declares in- a loud voice that the bull's-eye shooting iinist 'csatV. i-'or a iiiijiiber'of ytilrs''tl!io.se aftliiS'liead of the Defence llpparfment; have been introducing service niatches into' the programme of the premier, rifle nieeting "of 'Sew Zealand (held at 'i'ventlaim , annually)'. 'J'his has '''steadily been .c.iiisuig dissatisfaction among riflemen, , , and. when;; it became known.that the greater part of this year's programme contained service matches, amf evpry competitor,wjio. wished.,to have two or, three days' 'steady., shooting at fixed targets was'.comjiellod to pay an entrance i'ee for service matches and "put in three.days'at his ''own expense, and'blow the inside' out of li'.s private rifle doing prinqipally rapid filing,, is it any. wonder that the entry'fell from (!00 last year to ■300" this .year? '.It" is all ■ very well for those responsible;to.say that.it is because the.';Terntonals'aro..iai a sta.to of, transi|.tion.",;' ISV'hy,1SV'hy, "t'fie-'huiu'jer 'of entries from rifle clubs alblip .last Tear were .almost as big'as'the total'. en fry this year. "Why try to'dra'w si re'd hft'Hng over the scent? ThefpwaS' no falling..off of entries at the district meetings. Take Wangamii ■ and 'GroytoVvn: they were' both abuvo.tho average attendance. ; ThiGTo ■ were, a good number of competitors, at tho Grey town meeting' who, would- not- hear of. gfling on know of one, where .five cdriipetitd'rs.worn. "lost. from, bio club 'thrfulg'h:" jsitcli'""Jin ;'. , .nn'f , allsfiVctojy programnio being nut on. As I do not wish to trosnass on too ronich of your space, I '.VfiH give .briefly.thj: ..reason of the socpllcd so unpopular 'iwitli. rafl*.meii.; un■fliiitflble'.for competition a.s /they .introduce a' greater'.'eTe"meiif;!o.f.!liickl I'oi:-iiistance, 'wopll/say that, ten "shot? arpjo bo fired •at a target . appearinj; one 'minute, ,I'e'rhap.s''flu- first,,man will go down and get perfect conditions.; the next man will follow and his .target will ap.|ioar with the conditions at their worst. The unfortunate competitor has ho time '•to look and judge the ".strength of the 'changes, or his target. will ..disappear. •Tlie'ri- fake another , class' of"" service niatch. The- competitors arc' niafched at A double, a:id ore- ordered to get dawn 'and. lire as .their target api)car,<i.i The ;groiind ...is so, uneven that, norhans only half.'o'f-the competitors can get-'a-shot at ,'lhc. target lying. , The-other lialf-.have to '.-kiicfil or., stand. .. This! might, be. -service 'conditions', but ii i's not of shootiiig that will"' eiicoiiragp citizens to tako ttiprillo shootißlv : a.s- i n- , spbrtJ''l-have figured in Hie inizc-Hst of such matches when I had the,luck under conditions de■scribciVbut am. solisfied that I learnt r.o- . L thtng-' thereby; , and it' 'under'adverse coii•.ditions no liits "ivcrt!.recorded, 'I'.was as .wise-as. before i.fii'ing-,- and am satisfied 'that if pueiind.np.t. leai'jmd.to shoot at a •fixed- target he-couldn't make a score on .a. service target;, .under the ; inost fnvour'ablo conditiuns imssible.- If anyone doubts .'Hiis statement, li;t. them.look, uoytUp prizelist of a service match. He .will fiwl that tlie winners ai'o all known shuts at lixed bigots. They are all men who know that a little shift inajtes the difference between a /rood hit and a clean miss. The number of possibles they will put on is asbut ..their." practice-.-is not car-",35-t any of fclie public, who I:avc been influenced by theory, go out and watch a regiment of volunteers firing independent rapid at a figiire feu-get, and ther will see dirt flying vov rliains around. Then go to Trentham, and sen a team of trained bull's-eye .shots fqj.jtlj.o first,. uri"di;r;,tl\o same i 'eouditk)ns. > a f-tsadjy deliberate siiu,:snd ';i-stifei'm ofl'dusf-'ltohijul ;Jhe tnrjjpt. -I'.fpc sonie'of the'authorities rwish liesLyenivto divJtle-.the scrviceishoot'iflg iiitb'ftwbClasses, A ,; alid B;..'That will mean a .class for tho loariiH's;'--If ,ive are 'tb K> ' : have all service shooting' ari'd tho bull's-eye has proved valueless to train marksmen, for this clnss of shooting, why make two classes? It will be something almost now to us all. -:Tn.the,-face of this it certainly looks ns'/jf thX authorities recognise that the bull's-eye is not-too bad even luuler service "coiiiljlions, and if the Territorials are to Icarjvto thgot under service conditfons, the,v--.will hi in B class all tbeir lives. I railway passes are li'cely to be stopped for all district mentiugs unless run on military lnres,.. This Uie;(leatli knell of ..tho, small- associations. w-lricß lmW -l-eally been riin .at the' pxnensu of the shooting iiH'ir-thenia'olvesj except for the-.-granrins of railway '-'passer.! tq competitors coming a distiuici'. Almost every rifle shot is out of- pbcltet at H'.e.'-'.ehd of "tho. year, although, he is often'called a'pot-hunter for liispains.-- ]ti'ie-oiif of-the cleanest sports, iiiid luaiiy'a cifizcii.iii '-lioth'town and country have bson taught to handle a rifle: : -by-.entlutsiast,ic inemljers o£ rifle clubs, who worked 'to strengthen their sliooting team to defeat an- opponent. But 7. am'-'tifraid,'with ' threatened'- changes taking place, rifle rlubs will end up in being a thing of the past, and rifle shooting will not become- our national sport. In conclusion, even if it could be proved that the service-tartfot was of the.greatest value, is it wise to enforce a system of shooting ,which is so unpopular? Is it wisp-'to do-away with u tavgot which has made rifle shooting sn popular .as a pas'tiilie?'. Would'ft not be a'mistake to dis'couraue'ii form 'of shooting which has ■jifoVcd '-ifsplf to make marksmen efficient 'under'all-conditions? —I am, etc., '■~■•:.■ .J'IKST SHOT.