THE EMPIRE MATCH.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9166, 9 June 1908, Page 8

THE EMPIRE MATCH.

IS IT POSSIBLE? Press Association. Christchurch, June 6. - Major Cosgrove writes to the Times concerning the doubts that have been cast upon the bona-fides of the fine score by the East London Rifle::Club (South Africa) of 834 in the Daily Mail Empire match. He asserts, with over forty years’ experience of rifle shooting, that Ja score of 824 is not by any means impossible. He writes “I have fired on the East London range, and have seen some remarkabie“sbooting done there by the rifle club, as well as by members of volunteer corps. Th© rifle club in East London is composed of exvolunteers and sportsmen, all of whom are recognised shots, and when it is borne in mind that the atmosphere in South Africa at certain seasons is remarkably Cfree from refraction, and the range at East London is an ideal one, I see no reason to be surprised at the score. “When I first went to the range with Colonel Long, a team was firing at the 600 yards mound, and possibles were quite common. I thought the men were firing at the 400 yards mound,"and could scarcely credit that it was the 600 yards, the targets looked so near. I had obtained permission from the j||commaudant (Colonel Smythe) to take .the Now Zealanders, who were in the depot, to the range for practice, but after seeing the scores put up that day I took the men eight miles into the back country, where we had a good practice at a 500 feet bluff In Horseshoe Yalley. I am confident that there are in Christchurch a dozen men who, under like conditions, could emulate the East London eight.”