OTAGO RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3382, 22 December 1873, Page 2

OTAGO RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Saturday, December 20. 4th Match.—All Comers’ Match. —700 and SOO yards; seven shots at each range; rifles, sights, pull of trigger, and position, optional. Ist prize, L 4 ; 2nd prize, L 3 ; 3rd prize, L2; 4th and oth prizes, LI each. 700 800 yds yds T1 Wilson (Ingrain) 0332233 2303233—32 Grant (Ashton) 2233432 3000333—31 Cutten (Ashton) 0033233 2333002—27 Nightingale (Henry) ... 2033323 3204020-27 Ball (Henry) 0322434 4030000-25 Richardson (medium) ... 0423023 3300300—23 Stewart (medium) ... 0222332 0300300 —20 In this match the Government medium rifles received 10 points, so that the prize-winners stand as follows : 1. Yol. Richardson, N.D 33 2. Lieut. Wilson, P.0.N.8. ... 32 3. Lieut. Grant, D.N 31 4. Yol. Stewart, D.N 30 5. Yol. Cutten, D.N. 27 Squads fell in for this, the fourth match of the series, at the Anderson's Bay Butts at I p. in. A perfect gale was blowing throughout, which will doubtless account for the poor scores. The first prize last year fell to Corp, Tressider, with a score of 50; the second to P. O. Wilson, with 48 ; the third to i). Christie, with 45; the fourth to Mackenzie, with 44; and the fifth to Muir, with 43. The Consolation Match, the only one not yet fired, will take place at five o’clock this evening. Our contemporary, the ‘Daily Times,’ in its report of the shooting by the members of the Rifle Association, gives comparative statistics of the scoring last year and this. No doubt numbers prove something—there is no gainsaying them; but they do not prove whether the shooting was good or bad without stating the comparative conditions under which the match was tired. As to the first two matches no comment is needed—the results are sufficient; and judging by results, the third would seem to indicate that this year's firing was inferior to last, whereas the contrary is the fact, although the scores are lower. The shooting on Saturday took place under the greatest possible disadvantage, for the wind blew heavily and in gusts, and nothing tends so much to interfere with rifle practice as a heavy and fitful gale. Cuder the circumstances the surprise is that the scores were not below what were made, and not that they were lower than last year.