RIFLE SHOOTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 342, 1 May 1928, Page 11

RIFLE SHOOTING

NOTES AND COMMENTS (By “CORDITE.') The Auckland rifle clubs have nowcompleted the season's programme, and will not resume their activities until October next. The past year must be regarded ns an excellent one as the actual shooting attendance has been high all through, a significant feature being the regularity and enthusiasm of the juniors. Everything points to a decided revival of the sport, but it must be regarded as something more than a sport. The late war found the Dominion short of expert musketry instructors and. with the introduction of more service shooting in the programme, the clubs should be able to provide a body of men fit in all respects to train recruits in the use of the rifle at a moment's notice. The military authorities in Auckland are alive to this fact, and are giving whole-hearted assistance in the work, but the apathy of the general public is pronounced. The average rifleman is far from wealthy, but while thousands of popnds are subscribed yearly to athletic sports, few are far-sighted or generous enough j to offer assistance to these sportsmen ] who would be invaluable should a re- j petition of 1914 occur. The City Club had a day out at 800 yards last Saturday, the shooting of both seniors and juniors being particularly good. Omitting the score of a youngster, who had difficulty in finding the target, no less than 101 "bulls" were registered out of 140 shots, the club winding up with the remarkable average of 46—57 out of 50 per man. The highest score was 48, which makes the average even more astonishing. The club awards the championship to the highest aggregate of the best two scores obtained at each set of ranges for the season, and A. T. Patrick put the finishing touches on a highly successful year by winning with 545 out of 600. In the early part of the season he was shooting well, but doing nothing- sensational. As one of the club’s representatives at Trentham in March he distinguished himself by

winning the E» grade championship, and from then on he has never looked back. At Easter he won the South Auckland Championship, and has been shooting brilliantly since, finally winning by six points from H .1. Verrall. with R. C. Russell another three points away, and the rest of the club strung out. For solid consistency he would take a lot of beating on present form, and his win was most popular. H. W. Verrall made no competition of the junior championship, his longrange work reminding one of his father’s fine shooting. In another sea-

son or two lie should -take some beating among the “heads.” Another young shot worthy of mention is L. S. Cradock. a promoted junior who after shooting very moderately at the beginning of the season, came away with a rush and finished fourth in the A grade. He also looks a certainty to win honours in open competition with a little more experience. The Akarana Clulgs records are not yet available as the method of computing the aggregates a little more involved than that of the City Club.