A HALF BULL'S-EYE

Southland Times, Issue 18859, 26 June 1920, Page 8

A HALF BULL'S-EYE

ADOPTION OF NEW TARGET. Particulars of a new target to be used in the rule shooting contev>ts at liisley next month were receive.) last mail by President H. Marshall, chairman of the New Zealand Rifle Club’s Executive, Irom Colonel C. IT. Crosse, secretary of the National Rifle Association oi Great Britain. The new target, which has been approved by the War Oineo and the Hythe authorities, is based on the princip e oi grouping---i.e., the whole of the scoring is by rings. This ensures a fair scoring value lor each hit in relation lo its distance from the point of aim. The lower half of the new too-get is coloured a light yellow, resembling c-.ay, and the upper half is a light grey. The upper half only of the bull's-eye is painted black, thus presenting really half the old bull's eye as known to shops of 30 years ago. The target, in other words, represents as near as possible an enemy helmet appearing above the top of a trench. It will be remembered that with the figure target adopted before the war the lower half was green, with a khaki figure superimposed, representing a man lying in Ihe Open, In the war, however, the combatants mostly "went to earth.' This in the new target, the alteration in the colour of the lower half represents clay, or part of a trench. According to the London Daily Telegraph of 12th March last, the new target is at least as realistic a-s the present figure target, and secures more uniform conditions of visibility in light, varying as they do throughout the day. The aiming mark provides one which is visible in fights where, in the case of the present figure target, the fircr is left to guess, and so reduces the accuracy oL aim. Its adoption for the service rifle competi.ions would make impossible a revival of the old controversy (bull’s-eye v. figure;. A demonstration in the use of the in .» target was given at the Polhill Gully range the other afternoon. It is considered that the adoption of such a target in New Zealand would popularise shooting greatly with the Territorials and Senior Cadets,