NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 72, 13 November 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

[From London papers.] The meting commenced on Thursday, July 2nd. The weather was cold and cloudy, and the competitors were principally engaged in sighting their rifles. Amongst the notabilities were Jules Gerard, the lion killer, and several Swiss winners of prizes in 1800. There were only two matches decided. The first for the Association Bronze Medal for the County of Middlesex—Captain Bridgman and Sergeant Porter scoring 3!) each ; in shooting off Bridgman won. The second match excited much interest, 10 Lancashire Volunteers contending against 10 Middlesex. It was nearly 8.30 before it concluded, owing to the strong desire not to postpone the finish till the following day. Middlesex scored 862, and Lancashire 870. The latter's score was as follows:—Heaton, 91; Silicon, 83 ; Bland, 63 Lothbury, 88 ; 'Purvey, 86 ; Dougau, 99 ; Wood 82 ; Sprott, 85 ; Kemp, 100 ; Tonnby, 90—Total, 870; Lancashire winning by 8 points. On Friday the shooting was unprecedented. For the Association Cup, Heaton’s score of 54 was beaton by Major Moir, 12th Stirling, scoring 40 points and 15 hits—total, 55, In the contest of All Comers, Halford, 31st Leicester, scored 4 bull’s eyes and a centre at 800 yards —total, 19. In the first stage, Queen’s Brize, Walton, 17th West Y ork, Knaresborough, scored 46, and there being no tie, lie will receive the silver medal. The first scries of shooting for the Queen’s Brize, at 200, 500, and 600 yards, came off on the same day, and was very good, ranging from 37 to 16. In the exhibition-tent, the valuable cups and other articles oj jewellery forwarded by several of the most eminent manufacturing firm were exposed for view. The same marquee contained a fullsized drawing of the Eicho Challenge Shield, to be shot for at the international match between England and Scotland. The shield is divided into compartments, in the most prominent of which Britannia, armed and erect, is represented, with the sea in the distance, and in the foreground her attendant handmaids, Plenty and Liberty, in the lap ot Peace. A medallion, exquisitely drawn, of the Queen’s head separates the allegorical from the historical part of the shield, where miniature groups suggestive of Bannockburn and Flodden, tilbury, and Wimbledon, are introduced. Just above tiio point of the shield stand two figures—a Highland and an English Volunteer, shaking the right hands of good-fellowship. The shield in the mamilaeture of which a couple of years will be occupied, is to consist of iron and gold. Owing to the attraction of the Lords and Commons, the public schools, and other matches of interest, there was a considerable attendance on Saturday. Lord Clyde was not amongst the visitors. The Lords and Commons match excited great interest. The following is the score ; Lords—MarquE of Abereonr, -15 ; Earl of Arlie 37 ; Lord Holton, 42 ; Earl of Hueie, 43 ; Lord Lomlesborough, 33 ; Lord Lovat, 23; Duke of Marlborough, 39 ; Earl Somers, 39 ; Lord Sutilold IS ; Lord \ ernou, 45 ; Lord WTiarncliffe, 47 —total, 411. Commons—Lord Bury, 16 ; Mr. Dillwyn, 32 ; Lord Lleho, 41; Mr. Foster (Bradford), 34; Grey do W alton, 14; Earl Grosvenor. 34; Mr. Leslie, 31 ; Mr. Hastings Russell, 32; Mr. Talbot, 26 ; Mr. 11. Vivian, 29 ; Hon. H. Wyndham, 26—total, 319. Majority for the Lords, 62. Loud cheering by their Lordships. The betting was in favour of the Lords. The public school match was equally interesting. Marlborough scored 182 ; Rugby, 234 • Harrow 234 ; Eton, 185. Harrow was declared the winner, amid much cheering. Spencer Cup :—Four best shots of each school -—Paravicina, Marlborough 6 ; Flenhurst, Rugby, 18 ; Flood, Harrow, 14; Earl of Eldon, Eton, 19. Eldon won the cup. The ties of 37 points and upwards in the first series tor the Queen’s Prize where also shot off on Saturday. Mr. Walton of the 17th West York, by obtaining the top score of forty-six, entitled himselt to the silver medal of the Association, as to the W hit worth rifle, value 25 guineas, which lie receives in common with the nineteen other conquerors in the first stage. Sr. George's Challenge Vase (presented for annual competition to the Volunteer battalions of Great Britain by Licut-Col. Hon. 0. H. Lindsay ; —Ferguson, Ist Inverness, 30 —winner of vase and gold jewel of St. George. Leet, Queen’s Westminister, 30—winner of the silver jewel of St. George, Hemcry, 11th Middlesex, 29 —winner of bronze medal of St. George. 11 arolde Cup. —Nichols, 10th Stafford, 48— winner of Haroldc Cup. Gibbs, Ist Gloucester, 47—winner of £25. Hogg, Ist Peebles, 46winner of £ls. Macgibbon, 14th Edinburgh, 46 —winner of £lO. On Monday, as on Saturday, the sighting-tar-gels were open without charge to the "forty 0 successful competitors in the first stage of the Queen’s Prize, in order that those not previously accustomed to use the Whitworth rifle might have opportunities of familiarising themselves with its powers before shooting in tiie second At first (hero was some trouble in finding ranges not a ready appropriated at which the prize of £lO5 offered by the Messrs. Eley could be shot for; but ultimately, Captain Page overcame the difficulty. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, several very large scores were made. A Volunteer belonging to one of the Monmouthshire regiments shot standing at the 900 yards, and made a bull s-eyc and a centre successively. This feat was the more remarkable as the same man, in the first stage of the Queen’s Prize, was hopelessly distanced, having made no less than three misses. Lord Bury, for the Association Cup, made five bull's-eyes running at 500 yards ; but even this

manificent score will not give him a chance of wining, owing to the lead attained by Captain Heaton and Mr. Moir. All that has been done at Wimbledon, however, in the way of shooting, falls short of the extraordinary score made by Mr. Turner, of the Ist Stafford. This gentleman, son of Mr. Turner, the well-known rifle manufacturer of Birmingham, in shooting for Lord Yemen’s prize with a Turner rifle, made no less than seven bull’s-eyes in seven shots, in tne aggregate entitling him to 28 points. The event of the day was the match between Oxford and Cambridge Universities, eight representatives being sent to Wimbledon from each. Cambridge inflicted upon Oxford a defeat at all the ranges, though in the first two the majority was little more than nominal; in the aggregate, however, Oxford was beaten by 02—precisely the same majority which the Lords obtained over the Commons on Saturday. To this result Lieutenant Boss materially contributed, but Capt. Deverell, of the Cambridge eight, made a score which was not equalled by any one either on his own side or on that of Oxford. On Tuesday, July Bth, the final competition for the Queen’s Prize was the chief feature, and the following is the result: — Pixley, Victoria Rifles, Ist Middlesex, was the winner, scoring 44. Dougan retired. Simpkins, Ist Notts, and Ferguson, Ist Inverness, both scored 42. The following were the twenty highest scores—gross total at 800, 000, and 1,000 yards ranges:— Pixley, 44; Simpkins, 42; Ferguson, Ist Inverness, 42 ; Williams, lOtii Middlesex, 41 ; Norfolk, 13th Suffolk, 41 ; Jee, 55th Lancashire, 41 ; Anderson, 22nd Middlesex, 40 ; Salisbury, 3rd Berks, 39 ; Walton, 17th W. York, 37 ; Doe, Ist Middlesex, 36; Thomas, 4th W. York, 35; Porter, 22nd Middlesex, 34 ; Sullivan, sth Lancashire, 32 ; Morris, oth Middlesex, 30 ; Bettell, 7th Lincoln, 29; Jaques, 70th Lancashire, 28; Allen, 12th Derby, 27 : Millican, 4th Leicester, 27 ; French, Ist Warwick, 26 ; Hook, 3rd Devon, 26. When the result was announced, Pixley was carried in triumph on the shoulders of his comrades to their encampment. The ranges being 800, 900, and 1,000 yards, it was hard to believe that men could really clearly distinguish what they were firing at. A casual observer felt under some difficulty, in the first instance, in making out the target itself; and when this point had been settled to his satisfaction, the bull’s-eye looked to him like the merest black smudge, lint with all these obstacles, and with a light so strong and glaring as almost to dazzle the eye, results were obtained such as might be expected rather from machinery than from human vision and nerves. The Swiss competitors are said to have expressed their conviction that there was no use in contending against such shooting as that made at Wimbledon, and to have packed up their rifle# and gone home accordingly. Mr. Fley's Prize, £lO5, at 500 and 800 yards. —Halsall, 21st Lancashire, 49 ; Starkie, Queen's Westminster, 43; Baker, 4th Gloucester, 42. r lhe first man receives one-half of the stakes ; the second, three-fifths of the remainder.; and the third, the remaining two-fifths. Lord Vernon's Prize, 500 and 600 yards—Halford, Ist Leicester, 53, winner of the prize. On the Wednesday, the English and Scotch match excited great interest, and notwithstanding the wet, Lady Grosvenor, Lady Eleho, Lady Bury, and a number of other ladies were present. The betting was in favour of England. At the close of the second range shooting, England was 82 a head. The shooting at 1000 yards was not concluded, but England, in 63 rounds, made 154 points ; Scotland, in 65 rounds, 88 points. The match was concluded on Thursday. The following are the results of the competitions : England and Scotland—Gross score at 800, 900, and 1000 yards : ENGLAND. Lord Bury 99 Bifle leaded at Gth shot, 100 yds. Captain Heaton 119 M. Smith 11l Halford 121 Earl Uuicc 118 Halliclay 95 Beasley 117 Rowe 110 Total 890 SCOTLAND. H. Boss 113 Ferguson 37 Anderson 96 Muia 104 Moir 113 Pcterkin 88 Master of Lovat 86 E. Boss 97 Total 724 Majority for England 166 For tlie Albert Prize, the following are the 12 highest gross scores at 800, 900 and a 1000, yds : Halford, Ist Leicester (winner), 64; Young Ist Stirling, 57 ; Bose, School of Musketry, 54; Boland, 55th Foot, 51 ; Jopling, 2nd Derby, 48 ; Thomas, 4th West York 47 ; Potter, School of Musketry, 44: Thornbury, Victoria Rifles, 43 ; Morison, London Scottish 42, Scott, London Scottish, 42 ; Hern, 9th Devon, 41. Duke of Cambridge Prize. —Colquhoun, 4th Dragoon Guards. Gross total at 500, 800, and 1000 yards, 61. Duke of Wellington Prize.—Form by, Liverpool 8.8., scored the highest number of points, 22 ; but a protest on the question on the use of rests having arisen, the decision will be given to-mor-row. Prince of Wales Prize.—A. Smith, 17 Edinburgh, winner. Score at 200, 500, and 600 yards —69. Muir, of the Ist Kirkcudbright, was second for the Prince of Wales prize, and lodged a protest against Smith for taking a sighting shot previous to his last round. It was overruled. The protest against Formby of Liverpool Rifle Brigade, winner of the Duke of Wellington’s prize was that he did not use a rest, but as the ride of the match was that any competitor might use any rest or position he liked, the objection does not appeal’ to have much weight, and was overruled.