THE EMPIRE RIFLE MATCH.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9136, 4 May 1908, Page 4

THE EMPIRE RIFLE MATCH.

Forty of the best shots of the second battalion of the Wellington Rifle Volunteers (which as a matter of fact is the Wanganui battalion) will assemble on the Wanganui range on Saturday, May 23rd, to fire for the Daily Mail’s hundred guinea prize. The match is known as the Empire Match, and will be competed for on the same date in every part of the world. In this match all competitors must be nominated before they can fire. Captain Barltrop, Colour-Sergeant Aitken and probably Volunteers Mayhew and Belk will be chosen from the Manchester Rifles to take part in the match. In addition to this match the eight highest scores will be counted for a fifty pound trophy donated to the team of eight from any association who make the highest aggregate score on Empire Day. For this match competitors need not be nominated, therefore it is open °to any decent shot affiliated to any association to try his mettle on that day with the hope of being included in the top eight.

Several members of the Manchester Rifles, including Captain Barltrop. Sergeant Fisher, Volunteers Mayhew and Pleasants, intend taking part in the Hunterville Rifle Club’s half-yearly shoot to be held on Saturday next. CADETS’ “RIFLES.” Lytton Street School cadets assembled on the Manchester Rifles’ range at Feilding on Saturday morning to try their new rifles, recently issued by the Defence Department. They were “rifles,” and the men who were responsible for their issue should have been on the range and seen the remarkably good shooting done by them. Out of the five rifles, one of them would fire off a. cartridge after pulling the trigger three or four times, another would miss fire on an average about six times and then go “pop.” Theothers were not tried as it could easily he heard that the springs were much too weak to fire off-a cartridge. Grand result—no shooting with the “rifles” as supplied by the Defence Department. Not. to be out done, Mr H. C. Stewart, the headmaster, sent to Feilding for a couple of LeeEnfields, and the youngsters, although the rifles were rather heavy to handle, put up some good scores.