THE COLONIAL PRLZE FIRING.

Evening Star, Issue 3535, 22 June 1874, Page 3

THE COLONIAL PRLZE FIRING.

A supplement to tlje ‘ Npw Zealand Gafcett'e,?' is solely Occupied by a report and returns from Major Gordon, relating to the firingfor Colonial prizes, which took place at Napier on the 14th of March last. Major Gordon explains the arrangements which were made for the competition, and the delay which took place, contrary to his wishes, m assembling the competitors at the butts! He then describes the proceedings during the several matches, with the following expression of opinion as to their features and results : In the Rapidity and Skirmishing Matches every opportunity exists (and it cannot be avoided), and I am afraid in some cases was taken advantage of, to make fictitious scores : ftr when fifteen men are firing at fifteen targhtsy which arp flyp apart, and all at the samp instant, it m’ay be supposed that two jny different shots will conspire to fire at pne target, and so secure by such pre-arrangement a first prize for subsequent division, to the obvious, loss of the honest competitor. Such a esse was said to have occurred, but detection was impossible, r Therefore, I think these matches should be discontinued ; for, irrespective of. the. dishonesty which may be practised ia firing them, .they are injurious to rifles of any description, but more particularly to muzzle-loaders. , Much more honest and real instruction whs afforded by a “ Match at Moving ■Targets” of ; the skirmishing dimensions, and one which it is very desirable should be permanently introduced at annual competitions. In tms instance, by the ingenuity of Mr Christie, tramway was laid on to the target platform, on which were placed, at a phain aparti but secured to each other, five wooden four-wheeled trucks, each surmounted by a tar- * fcave indicated. These were moved backward and forward simultaneously, *t either end—the penod of firmg being fixed at three mmutes for breach and five for muzzle-loaders. I think also that small-bore matches in mm petition with Enfield Rifles should be discon tinued. Our rifles of this latter description nave almost ceased, from long use, to be weapons of precision* and the sighting of small! bores can be so.much more accurately adjusted that a competition between two such weapons

no matter how handicapped, is unfair; besides,' no judgment is required in using a small-bore beyond that of fixing and adjusting the sights, for when this is done any inexperienced or inexpert shot may take up the weapon and score bull’s-eyes so long as his hand is steady. Such i a manifest advantage cannot attach to our service weapon, and competitions between the two should not again take place. But I would be sorry to see small-bore matches discontinued altogether. Matches confined to arms of this description exclusively should still be embraced m the Prize Firing Regulations. In one match I had to disqualify the score made by a competitor, for having, when standmg amongst the men of his squad, and when waiting his turn to fire, put a cap on his rifle and discharged it into the ground, apparently forgetting that it was loaded. The ball entered the ground only a few inches from the feet of those who were standing near him, and had the ground been stony, the consequences would undoubtedly have been serious. In another match a competitor was disqualified whose pull-off of trigger was considerably under the minimum weight.

i 9 D t as , e sus P* c ted tampering with a riflemck i had to submit to the investigation of a -board of Officers whose decision was recorded as ‘notproven;” but, nevertheless, whereas tne score of the competitor was, before the investigation, exceedingly good and promising as regarded Ins chance of obtaining the belt, after the inquiry he could not by any means succeed in making his previous scores. I inust do the man the justice to say that he was himself the first tq declare that some defect existed m the lock of his rifle. i c 9! aU f. e 9, Prize Firing Regulations of + directed that ‘no Volunteer will be eligible to compete in the Colonial Prize Firing unless he was an efficient Volunteer of the year ending 31st March, 1873.” I regret to say that, m my opinion, very many of the competit2eS - °i y ear were not by any means efficient Volunteers. Many of them were quite guiltless of understanding the meaning of the terms “ Half right” ar “Half-left turn,” or ®ven m 2? me cases of “ Right-about turn!” I j - j cers commanding districts should be advised not to be too generous in the constructimi of the fourth paragraph of the Volunteer Jimciency Certificate when they affix their signatures thereto; for awkward, careless, and undnlled men in the ranks, and with loaded rmes, are a cause of very serious anxiety to the officer who may be moving them, if only from one firing point to another. Besides, however able a Volunteer may be to punish an enemy in the field, it is very desirable that his friends should feel that there is no possibility of their being made hoT&,d/C~co7tih(it by their own comrades.

I believe that the shooting of tfc® present year wifi bp found to be an improvement upon that of last year ; at all events, a glance at the score of the matches by which the championship was decided will show that the practice has been more uniform than in last year’s firing—a result which should be a matter of some surprise, when the for the most part wornout condition of the rifles is taken into consideration.

With respect to the propriety and advisability of always, on occasion of Colonial prize firing, placing the competitors under canvas, I strongly urge the adoption of such a measure ; but the filing should take place not later than during the month of February, before the days begin perceptibly to shorten, and damp nights, succeeded by foggy mornings, are not so likely to be experienced. As regards the firing of next year, should a meeting be authorised, I would ask you to recommend to the Hon. the Defence Minister that some other staff officer-r^nd there are some who are sgnior in point of rank to myself-rtmay be permitted to enjoy the honor and realise the anxieties which attach to the command of these annual cempetitions ; for it is a duty which every officer in command of a district might very fairly be required to undertake.