ARMY RIFLE MEETING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 918, 11 March 1930, Page 11

ARMY RIFLE MEETING

SHOOTING BEGINS AT TRENTHAM MANY MARKSMEN PRESENT Press Association TRENTHAM, Today. The Army Rifle meeting opened this morning in dull but fine weather. There were 624 competitors, being 25 in advance of last year. The total strength of all ranks present is 829. Brigadier Burgess addressed the assembly, impressing upon the contestants the necessity for discipline and good conduct. Everything possible has been accomplished to ensure the comfort and good health of the youths, 40 per cent, of whom are attending the meeting for the first time. Every unit of the Territorial and Cadet Forces of New Zealand is represented, as well as the Naval and Air Forces. Shooting began at eight o’clock with the first stage of the Army Championship, comprising five practices at 300 and 600 yards deliberate, with one minute a shot and with no allowance for rifle adjustment; at 600 to 500 yards, rapid, one minute being allowed for advance and firing; at 500 to 300 yards, snapshooting, with irregular exposures for a period of three minutes; at 300 yards, rapid, with a target exposure of 40 seconds. Great keenness was manifested, particular interest being centred in the competition for previous King’s Medallists, the present holder being Sergt.Major J. Kearney, of Napier, who secured the Service Championship at the recent National Rifle Association meeting. Sergt.-Major Moore. of Wanganui, who won the Army Championship and the King’s Medal at the initial meeting in 1923. is a competitor and Captain W. Masefield, of Blenheim, who was second in the rifle championship a week ago. In the afternoon the Vickers and light automatic gun matches will be fired, the present) occasion being the first that machine-gunners have been permitted to practice range finding and firing previous to the meeting.