NATIONAL RIFLE TESTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 583, 8 February 1929, Page 13

NATIONAL RIFLE TESTS

SHOOTING AT TRENTHAM FINAL STAGES TO-MORROW Press Association TRENTHAM, To-day. Riflemen were early astir this morning at Trentham, and at daylight enthusiasts were practising at the butts set aside for that purpose. Firing in tho opening match at 300yds commenced at 8 o’clock on the Collins and Somerville ranges. Dull weather with a light south wind prevailed, conditions being conducive to good shooting. Those who went to the mounds first had the worst of the light, but the ranges were free from mirage. With the object of reducing the time of the opening match a nine-minute limit Was placed on the marksmen, but having the opposite effect, an appreciable delay was apparent between the sighting and the business shots. An extra* sigh ter was claimed and allowed. The programme has been altered, and the first stage of the Dominion Match was fired yesterday and will be completed this afternoon. Also the first leg of the Marlborough Belt series. Last year the Marlborough was won by Mclver (Petone) scoring 96 (possible 100) at ranges 300 and 500yds. Saturday will be occupied with the final stage of the Marlborough, Auckland and Canterbury Matches. Good progress is being made, and provided the weather holds, shooting will be concluded according to programme. The health of the men is good in comparison with last year, when a large number were on the sick list. As only stages of the matches are being fired tho prize lists will probably be late.

The prize-list is as follows: SERVICE SERIES Rapid Shooting, 300yds, 10 allots, exposure, 35sec.—Boon (Karori), 43, £4; C. J. Milton Clark (City and Suburbs), 42, £3; F. \V. Me Vi car (Waipukurau), 3S, £2. The following take £1 each: A. G. Devore (Akarana), Max Hugo (Old Navals), J. E. Thomson (Permanent Staff), J. H. Kearney (Permanent Staff), 38; L. Hill (Opaki), H. V. Croxton (Karori), J. A. Munro (Matauta), C. Whiteman (Upper Hutt), A. Taylor (Featherston), 37; IJ. Buschl (Sydenham), 36. Thirty-seven divide £lB 10s. Snapshooting, 300yds. 10 rounds each practice.—G. Devore, S 5, £4: Soler, 82, £3; F. Clark (Ashburton), 82, £2. The following take £1 each: F. Kershaw (Petone), L. G. Benton (Featherston), SO; T. Goodall (Suburbs), Milton Clark, H. Hunt (Suburbs), 76; H. P. Chapman (Wairoa), Boon, 74; J. Canty (Taranaki), 73; F. Ching (Karori), Thomson 72. Thirty-seven divide £3S 10s. Fifty with scores ranging from ISS to 117 will fire for the service championship on the final day of the meeting. The winner takes the carbine belt. Champion Teams Match, aggregate in service series.—Karori (Croxton 165, Boon 157, Ching 159, Caldwell 118, Marshall 9S), with a total of 697, secures the Sir Logan Campbell Cup and £B. Waikato Regiment, 638, Like £5; Napier, 596, £3; City and Suburbs, 593, £2; AkTarana, 588, £2. Wanganui won in 1928 with 563. The Islington Cup, which is awarded for the highest aggregate score in the tile competition, was won by the Karori team with 145 points, Petone B with 130 being second and Akarana and Hamilton, 125, third. Tile Competition, 200yds. 25sec each practice.—Croxton (Karori), 45, Milton Clark (Auckland), 45, £3 10s each; Capt. Canty (Taranaki), Devore (Akarana), W. E. Jones (Timaru), -10, £1 6s each. Forty-three divide £26. The event was won last meeting by W. Duncan (Westport). Moving Target. Invisible bull, 200yds.— Colonel Smith (Dunedin), 27, £4; W. H. Thomas (Linton), 26, £3; C. J. Franklin. 24, £2. The following take £1 each: H. Crombie (Ashburton), C. Arnold (New Plymouth), F. Ching (Karori), R. Nicli.ol (Petone), 24; W. Johnston (Featherston), J. Hunter (Petone), H. Hunter (Suburbs), 23; H. Croxton. C. Brett (Hamilton), Devore, 22. Thirty-seven divide £lB 10s. Last year's winner was Devore with 26. Slight rain fell this evening and the weather is overcast. The opening match, not counting for the belt, will be fired to-morrow morning, and also the second stage of the Dominion Match and the first stage of the Marlborough Match, the latter being the first of the be’t series.