RIFLE SHOOTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 35, 6 March 1909, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING.

. TUB TKEXTIIAM MIiEI'LNU. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Trentham, Last Xight. Another coJd night wes Uuder canvas, to be- followed by a bright sunny day. Competitors were early at the .squadding posts and a start was Snade with the firing before 8 o'clock. During the early part of the mornbg ►scarcely a breuze was experienced, being practically perfect for >hootiug. CoJ. Collins, with his long experience of the range, stated that ho never before experienced.- two such favorable mornings 111 sueeesskm for shooting. As the day : ware oai a breeze sprung up, and was playful with the marksmen at the 800 yds •range. The Nelson Match was concluded, and •likewise part of the Auckland Match. The latter will be concluded on Tuesday next.

PRIZE LIST. NELSON MATCH, 500 yds and 800 yds. Roys (Newton Rifles), £o .. .. 98 Duley {Daanevirke), £4 .. ..97 %). Mills (Dmiedin), £i .. ..07 Higgins (Tirnaru), £3 .. ..90 Soper (Taumarunui), JE3 .. .. 90 fcwrgt. Lee (Oreti Rifleo), Jlo 90 A. Uuy (Kaponga), £3 .. ..95 Frederick (Royal Sides), £2 .. 93 M. S. lving (Linwood), £2 .. .. 93 McLachlau (Petone), £2 .. ..95 ♦ .Sixty tatae £1 each, while 12 were vouated out.

'Dusiuuai was commenced with the ■Nelson match, sUoyds and 800 yds. ttc-ii s>.iots. There was a slight haze from the grass fires ill the neighborhood, but the men did not complain of any defective light. The 500 yds range is easiest of all ranges for marksmen under conditions such as prevailed to-day, for the bulls-eye is Targer in proportion to the distance than any shorter or longer range. JTine morkmen succeeded in finding the "bull." These were Marshall (Waikare), Rowe (a tyro from Auckland), J. J. Preston (Auckland), Duthie (Christthufcli), F. W. Ching (Christchurch), Bigg (Cliristchurch), Dodde ((Port Chalmers), Williams (Fcatherfeton), and Forbes- (Xapier). "All butV were registered by Lee (Oreti). Mills '(Dunedia), J. J. Moore (Tirnaru), Wakclin (Wellington), Wing (Rangitikei), McK*!nzio (O.paki), Ongley (Otago), •Merrilees (Johnsonville), Boys (a tyro, Newton), 'Preston (Auckland), Nolan '(Canterbury), Mellor (Petone), Xeedham (Palmejrston Nort'h), Drummond (Denniston), Standifih (Tarata), Jarvis (Taradale), Person (Tirnaru), Soper ((Taumarunui), Bolton (Pahiatua), and Duncan (Millerton). There were 55 48's. The 800 yds stag© was fired under conditions not so good as those prevailing at the 500 yds range, for (a brisk breeze sprang up, and kiuring the eEooting practically jboxed the compass. At one time it was a. tear leTt, and then a front right, and again a direct rear. Someone on the racecourse adjacent bad lighted a rubbish or grass fire, and the smoke from it stung tie eyes of the marksmen and dimmed the targets to some extent. As a. consequence tie excellent shooting up to this point markedly fell off, .though {here was on the whole fair Iscoring. Two possibles only were recorded. these being secured by Guy (of Nelson), who, with his "sigliter," put up eleven buflaeyes, and Wills (Southland). Neither of these two, however, came on (top in the match, for Gu.v had only put up 4s> at tfce previous range, and Wills had but 43 to his credit. The Xevton "(Auckland) tyro Boys put up an "all tut" at this range, as he had done at the o00yd« stage, and his 08 aggregate nvas never reached in the match. Mills KDunedin) was runnerup, with a total of 97, having come on the ground with a score of 49 to his credit in the first s{a»e o! the competition. Lee (Oreti) totalled 98 (47 at 800 yds), and Soper ■(Taumarunui) registered similar figures. TBSre were several 48's scored at t!he final range, but the majority went far below that score. • The 200 yds range of the Auckland (Match commenced this afternoon, when Shaw (Ohinemuri) and Milroy (Nelson) were the only two reaching possibles. Several "all buts" were recorded, while 48'e were also much in evidence. TYROS' NELSON HATCH. 200 500 800 Tl. Jjoveday • - .. 31 33 32 9G G. Loveday .. .. 33 32 31 9G Morten .. ... 33 '29 31 93 F. Moore .. .. 27 30 28—85 C. Williams •. .. 27 21 23—71 JMnman .. .. 28 14 14—56 Carrington .. .. 20 17 29 76 A. McKee .. .. 25 23 31 79 Dons 23 23 31-79 G. McKee .. .. 29 20 27—SI The following take£l each:—Sutherland (Geraldinc). Por'teoiis(Cavcrsliam), Campbell (Oreti), Baker (City Rifles), [McDonald (Permanent Artillery), Prei(ton (Auckland). NELSON No. 3 MATCH, 500 a",id 800 yds. 500 800 Tl. Boys « 4»- 9 ? Sorenson 47 95 White 4 ', 4 i -9 ' Murphy ' Wallis' ?' ip— 93 J. J. Preston .. ■ • 50 43—93 E. Watson 45 47 DJ. Preston 45 47—92 W. Moore 44 47-91 Bhaw 45 46 —91 Anderson 47 44—91 Saunders .■ 42 49—91 Patrick 44 46—90 G. liovedav 44 4C—9O S. Rowe 50 40-90

For some unaccountable reason the Press agent did not forward the scores in the Volunteer and Rifle matches, fired on Thursday. We take the particulars from the Wellington paper*:— IVOLUXTEER IIX'fCH, seven shots at 200, 600 and 800 yards. Cergt.-Major A. Hyde (II.B.), £3 .. 03 Corp. Munro (Jlurihiku), £4 .. OS 6ergt. Tinner (W'gton Guards),£3 "03 Lieut. Skelley (D Battery), £3-.. 07 Pvte. Sorcuson (Newton), £2' .. 07 fPvte. Faton (Dannevirkej, £2 .. 00 Rifleman Maingay (I'iako). ill .. 08 Pvte. Johnson (Dunedin), £2 .. 90 • TCVEOS—The following tyros took f£l each:— Corp. AVcloforJ S.) .. 92 Corp. Matthcwsou (Cliristehurcli).. 02 Pvte. Baker (Wellington Riilce) .. 01 Lieut. Hood (Mastarton) .. .. 9i Pvte. Cannafr (Uisborae) .. .. 90 (Corporal Moore (Xo. 1, O.R.\ .1 .. Oft Pvte. Frederick (Royal Rifles) .. 00 Corp. Kells (Paiinerston) .. -.»3 Sergt. Dalziell (Palinerstou) .. DO RIFLE CLUB MATCH, seven shots at 200, 000, and 80 yards. C. 11. Speck (StraTjorJT), £5 .. 102 G l)ick (RiversJale), £4 .. .. 97 C. Whiteinan (Upper Hutt), £3 .. 37 K. Willoughby (Gladstone), £3 .. D» 11. ,f. Bulford (Karori), £2 .. .. 9o L. Lovectay (Ohura), £2 .. ..98 ('!. ioveday (Ohura), £2 .. .. •"> JY. H. Henry (Otaki), £2 •• •• Ba TYKOS.—The following tyroe were awarded £1 each: — Mcintosh -(Opfaki) .. • • 90 Maisey (Karori) .. F. G. Wilton (Alfreitonj .. .. 83 Holland (Nelson) .. •• •• 89 jD. W. Maclagan (KapoTiga) .. w

v Rifleman Speck, of tlic Stratford Rifle Club, and lato of the Huiroa Club, who csfablistied a DomiiiwSu record in the Rifle Club match. is a well-known figure ht Trentham. He Jtas attended regularly for the past scvpifo? eight years. In 1904 l'ne went to BUley. a*ad although not. a member of the team wliicli won the Kolnpore Cup that year, he was attached to the team, through tlic courtesy of Colonel Collins, who was hi charge. He shot into the second sta«c of the King's Match at Bisley. Shooting at the Taranaki championship meeting last wee's, Speck finished third for Itlie aggregate, but, he has not been fo.l oW ing up the district Shoots to any extent Speck is thirty-six years of age. Up to Speck's last shoot (states the Times)' young C. Whiteman, of the Lprier Hutt Rifle Club, was leading for the Kill© Chil) Match, with 9T—one point below th© highest volunteer ficorc-ajid It looked very much like a win lor Kpeck fired his last, shot, but the young marksman from the Valley was just as mleased as the otter onlookers when Speck got a "bull" for his challenge although it meant the loss to him of the match. Speck only got off the bnlteoyo fcee times in his twmty-onc "fines' (shots, and these hits were all at 600 yds, iwhich, for Speck, was the hardest shoot K>f the day. . I The volunteers looked like eeeunn Ithe Carbine Cup, hut Speck's last shot bave the rifle club men priority by tne •substantial..tfiargin of 4 points (says our Wellington contemporary). It was a. test of volunteer v. rifleman, and the (volunteers were not defeated easilyiThey had the lead rigfht up to the contusion of Ehfc day, when, m racing partowee, "the rlflo- elufo forged to the tfrtmE and won comfortably. SpecK rt.ake* the wh'cb goes to -the liifihwl scorer in match 13 ami \the events gat off <*n Thursday. Tt was i WO n last'"Tear bv Lieutenant King, ot iflft rifitwood Rifles, with an aggrega.e <o(9*.