RIFLE SHOOTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 330, 23 January 1909, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING

> taranaki guards win suprei ■' I ■ MAOY HONORS. ' The annual match between the best feheoting units in. the No. 2 Wellington 'Battalion, held by the Wanganrii Rifles, tind the No. 4 Wellington Battalion, lield by the Taranaki Guards, took place on the local range yesterday morning, resulting in a win for the Taranaki Guards on a very close finish by 11 points. The average of both teams constituted a very creditable performance and worthy of particular notice, the winning team obtaining 85'/ a points pccnian, with a point to spare, the losers averaging 85 points per man. The Hveather conditions were what' may be termed only fair, a north wind blowing across the range, with dull sky. The ranges -were 200, 500 and 000 yds, seven shots at each, with one optional sighter at 200 and 000, and two optional at the 500 yards. Following are the respective scores:—

TARANAKI GUARDS. 200 500 600

Yds. Yds. Yds. Tl. ■Private Bruce .. 32 3+ 30 —9O Private Blanchard 31 34 30 —95 Private Hill .. 31 32 31—94 Private King .. 31 28 34 —93 Corporal Lobb .. 32 32 29 —93 Private Riddles ..30 31 30 —9l Corporal Bent ..30 29 30—33 Sergeant Olliver ..34 31 24—89 Captain Mills ..29 31 27 —B7 Col.-Sergt, Hartnell 30 31 20 —B7 Lieut. Beadle .. 30 32 25 —B7 Private Xicholls ..31 26 27 —S4 Lieut. Boon ..30 26 27 —B3 Private Rogers ..28 20 29 —B3 Private Goodacre 23 28 30—81 Sergt. Lewis .. 27 26 28 —Bl Sergt. Arnold .. 32 .31 17 —BO Private Blyde .. 28 25 25 —7B Sergt. Evans ..31 26 21 —7B Private Bocock .. 29 23 10 —62

y 599 582 530 1711 WAHGANUI RIFLES. Col.-Serg£ Harrison 33 33 29—95 Captain Scott ... 31 31 30 —B2 Pvt. G. Harrison .. 28 34 29 —9l

Lance-Corp. Purnell 30 29 29—88 ' VvLJi. Godfrey ..29 31 28 —BB . Pvt; F. Smithies ..28 32 28 —BB Pvt. Botton ...: 30 32 26 —BB Corp. A. Harrison.. 33 28 26 —B7 Sergt. Brown .. 33 29 25 —B7 Pvt. A. Smith ..29 29 28—86 Private Griffiths ..31 27 27 —BS Corp. Anderson ..31 28 26 —BS Private Hughes ... 32 30 22 —B4 Pvt. a Smith. ... 26 29 28 —B3 , Bugler Soler .. 30 26 26 —B2 Pvt. R. Smithies .. 29 25 26 —BO , Pvt. D. Druinmond 27 28 25 —BO Private Singleton.. 28 28 23 —79 Tvt. F. Scott ..20 23 23 —7B Corp. Bunting ..28 23 23—74 ' •' 695 575 530 1700 A nominated team of ten men a-side also resulted in a win for the Guards, who put up a very creditable score, averaging 81.2 per man, beating the Wanganui Rifles on the total by 31 points. On the conclusion of the match, Captain Scott, in acknowledging the win 'achieved by the Taranaki Guards, re- , fjsrred in well-chosen words to the keen interest with which such an important match as the one just concluded was looked forward to by members of his company, and although they had lost by a. small margin the competition had been most interesting, and he expressed the hope that next year, if his company had the honor of holdhg the senior position as regards shooting in the No. 2 Battalion, they might be able to turn the tables and secure a win - irom the No. 4 Battalion.

Cheers were then given for the winning corps, Captain Mills and Col.-Sergt. Hartuell. Captain Mills, on behalf of the Guards, suitably replied, and expressed the hope that next years the same corps mtijfet still hold their present proud position and then be pitted against one another for supreme honors. Captain Mils further stated that matches of thia description gave the individual members'an altogether keener interest in shooting matters and the tendency would be to improve shooting general-

ly. Cheers for the Wanganui Rifles and Captain including with the Guards' war-cry, brought the'proceedings to a close. The visitors left for home by the mid-day train.