RIFLE SHOOTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 57, 2 March 1912, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING.

SERVICE .MATCHES FIRED-AT UHENTHAM. AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT. <Per Pregf Association.) Trentbam, March 1. d* The Trentham rifle camp presented " mn animated appearance this morning, Y/hon the ■cMttpelioora mustered at th© squadding pests for the individual watches, to hoar an announcement Which it had Wen under stood colonel Ool'fins, Chief Executive Officer, was to make. Among the 325 competitors were t#« present champion, D. Roots, and ek-ctarmpiens G. Hyde, R. J. King, .W. S. King, Milroy, Ross, Duncan, and Hailiday, also Riflemen Jamea (champ on of Waif«rapa), Moss (chain. , jaon of Southland), as well as most of the prominent shots of Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, an<V Otago. Of the champions Who have won laurels on, the Trentham range, only BaMenger, Ching", and Irvine were albHOIII Colonel Collins, in bis address to the men, referred to the cause of the : ' dissatisfaction among shooters at the «mall attendance. This, as has been explained, wa« due to the establishment of • the Territorial forces,; and to. the fact that matters were in a transition stage. All things considered, the attendance.was good, being 825. Rifles having been withdrawn from the TerritoriaTs,./these had small opportunity for" practice. The meeting, he said, really only commenced , to-day, the previous two days devoted to practice matches, and- it sliowed the deep interest taken in them that yesterday there were 700 in those events. A great jm"prcrvefmenit had been mad© in regard -to ; (tetvice, matches, and the mqn .would know the result of their shots ■is fired... Be \, thought that there wottldih© no trouble in securing an alin the constitution of the Asaooiktion, in the direction of allowing competitors 'to* have a voice in the election of the executive. Arrangements were being made to further encourage* rifle clubs. Although the , prize-lst'was reduced on account of the: reduced attendance,, the amount provided was higher ,in rabio than previously. He believed that this meeting would be the forerunner of great meetings in the future*, and he expected at the next meeting to secure 1000 entriog. ; < The men then marched in a heavy ruin tfhower to the Collins and Somervilie ranges. At the former, snap shooting at 300 yards. Was taken,: half tnettaen taking part in this, whale the other half wen* ion with the loophole Cover match ait 300 yards. In the snap * shooting inatch, f the men had to fire at a khaki figure target representing ■ the head and .shoulders of. a- man, exposed for four seconds,, seven time 3. •An innovation < was made, every shot being on the exact; position M i*"ihownj. and the improvement turned^what has foraterly/been, something of a farce into earnest shoot- • injjj, and madei' 'the- ■■•. menwtakefffar i greater pleasure in i their to sk., Eiffbt 'of i (Bh*i] mririi go* all their. hiti <nt the fttttifrantfa.), Koac&i; getting».ttsia: huUe-l ■;'#y«li.Mrilwefflty^t|jr < eo hit®, and, toM i«Sj|e 'sampbeiß flv-ei lhits( <: IBhi »tshowted, i r|i,}*r<(at'-adivian , (i3e»:of ifformef years. -,',( \ n hamet iWoJ/Koleri'siVer match;'!at;,soo ■'jSasraßV presented great difficulties to those men who fired in the first hatch. 1&« fi«HM WHS of a light khaki colwhich hardly showed at all against mvipgpf we'patches of clay' on the hill. Besides, a steady, warm I, rain created a nasty haze, and at times utterly obscured the target. As a. re*art of this, the scores.- were uniformly bad, but those who fired; latei* 4nud«l!jnu*h. better, -jyfeCabnont.' (Opaki) getting 9 hits, and Melville'v (Waifea*** ataAiWinE. King (Opaki) 81 ' "hitt. .rTfoe-Msad! shooting • match," in! i which the icoiwpetitors 'fired iten i rounds i *t/ •at 16ft- by :6ft; figu re target^, at 500 yards,, produced excellent results.! >n ; ithetdiay .wasithe ! ..'•fepi'V'/prautice eompetifion,.' at (SOO '■'■ J^irtfeM: Thist,iTike '■ theothers,' was'at, ; :. 'a%*lppe#ing | itargets,.-but' | the ..men; weW allowed Tots of time to aim- TO-the-individual service series "' bo completed. ■' .-■.':• .■ ."■"" 'fho following are the principal 'pi-iae-Winners:-^ 1 - ' , "' '• Snap-shooting, 300 yards'j seven ' «hots.—Mayhew (Feikling) and lloyd (Tauranga), each 35, with 6 bullcsyesv £3 10s each; Evans (Wellington Suburbs), 35, with 4 bulls-eyes,

£2, . ■'■" '' ' Loophole Cover Match.—McCalmont (Op«ki), 45, with. 1 hulls-eye, £4; llelrille (Waikato), 40, wifch 1 bulls«w«, £2 10s jR. J. King (Opaki), 40, with 1 bulls-eye, £2 10s. . glow Practice Competition, 600 yardwjvfigure target, seven rotunds, oni> ahoi each .-exposure.—Sharlandv (NeliWMbt); 32] £4; (Mlshnan (Patea), 32, £3j Carey (Batea); 31, £2. Bapid Shooting Match, 500 yards, figure target, ten rounds. —Fellows (Ramxi), 46, £4;, Facer (Port Chalmers), 44, £3 J Morgan (3rd Regiment), Russell (Pefcone), and Caldwell (Kami), each 43, £1 6b 6d each. . *Fb-PAY'S PROCEEDINGS. .-j>i '. .m . <:, Tremthaim, March 2._ The shooting started at 8 a.m., in a heavy downpour of rain. The first match'taken was the snap shooting at aOOyda. This will be followed by the moving target match, also at 300yds, and later by an attack match. Shooting has been carried on in heavy rain, and there is no sign of clearing. A MARKER INJURED. Trentham, March 2. Ounner Wiatkinfi, of the Permanent, Artillery, while marking in the trenches during the tmoving target match to-day, was struck on the shoulder, by a piece' of broken nickel from a shell, caused by a riebochet. First aid was rendered by Captain Merriles, and the man was able to walk back to his tent. Dr. Kemp was telephoned for from the city, but the man Was not seriously injured./ This is the first mishap to a marker during the existence, of |he.Association. .Jfct is stilT raining heavily. **M i. BISI<EY REPRESENTATION. (Received 2, 8.50 a.m.) j . Melbourne, March 1. A» the thousand pounds voted by the Federal Parliament towards sending a team to Bisley is insufficient to cover expenses, the Defence authorities have decided that Australia shall be represented every second year. Probably a team will be sent this year, ' ■ '