RIFLE SHOOTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1921, Page 3

RIFLE SHOOTING.

DOMINION MEETING. YESTERDAY'S RESULTS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 7. Sunday’s weather was a thing of moods, with mist, rain and sunshine. As evening fell, heavier intermittent showers alternated with violent squalls. These continued all night, and at daybreak it seemed unlikely that shooting would be resumed. At 7.30 the wind dropped, however, and the rain lifted about 7 o’clock, and there was a promise of a Wie day. A start was made with the Wellington match, ten shots at 500 and 600 yards. The light was clear and the wind, though inclined to the fishtail vagaries, did not seem greatly to trouble the first men down at 500 yards. Before nine o’clock however, the wind increased and heavy rain squalls came on. The men ploughed on, though the targets were almost obliterated at times, till the executive decided to recall the men as soon as 'one range was completed.

About ten o’clock the rain ceased and bright sun came out. with a fresh rear breeze. The men, though soaked, elected to carry on, and fired the 600 yards’ range of the Wellington match. Most of the men suffered by the morning’s changes in the weather, and only a few Weathered the 85 mark. The official result Is not available, but the best score was a 44-46 total of 90 by H. Donald, of Opaki. Next came C. Whitman (Wellington Suburbs) 46—43—89 ; W. Mclver (Christchurch) 47—42—98; Bruce (Waipukurau) 88; Franklin (Dannevirke) 88; Roots (Hawera) 87; Govenlock (Linton) 86; Thomas (Linton) 86. The following got 85: Nielson (Napier), Carter (Petone), Guiney (Petone), Moselen (Kaeo), Crossan (Hawera), Mayhew (Linton), West (Blenheim), Kyle (Linton). The result of this shoot was that Piper loses the leading position in the belt aggregate. Carter is now ahead with 275, or nine points. The Petone Club (of which Carter is a member), also leads in the rifle club team’s championship aggregate. In the afternoon the Canterbury match, 600 yards, and the Nelson match, 800 yards, were got off. Dixon’s 48 at 600 yards, and Causley’s 49 at 800 yards, were really good under the conditions. Showers frequently swept across the range, and several men got such bad starts that they did not finish. The range service championship was completed before the cease fire sounded. Today’s prize list is:— ■Wellington Match, ten shots at 500 and 600 yards:— £s—Lieut. H. Donald (Opaki) ......... 90, £4—C. Whiteman (Wellington) 89 £4—W. Mclver (Christchurch) 89 £3—W. Bruce (Waipukurau) 88 £3—W. G. Franklin (Dannevirke) •«•••• 88 £3—D. Roots (Hawera) 87 £2—W. H. Thomas (Linton) .......... 87 £2—H. Reynolds (Christchurch) 86 £2—A. Govenlock (Linton) 86 £2—W. Moselen (Kaeo) 85 Prizes of £1 were won by thirteen scores of 84, sixteen 83’s, ten 82’s, and eleven 81’s, and seven men were counted out. Following are the principal prize winners in the Trentham aggregate (comprising* all scores at 300, 500, and 600 yards in the opening, Westland, Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury matches) : £5—J. C. Carter (Petone) 417 £4—Capt. Nleleson (Napier) 412 £4—E. A. Ballinger (Petone) 411 £3—H. Reynolds (Christchurch) ...... 410 £3—W. Moselen (Kaeo) 408 £3—A. H. Dixon (Akaroana) 404 £2—W. H. West (Blenheim) 404 £2—D. J. Guiney (Petone) 404 £2—R. Gillick (Dunedin) 403 £2—D. Roots (Hawera) 403 Canterbury Match, ten shots at 600 yards: £5—W. Smith (Wanganui) 50 £4—A. H. Dixon (Akarana) 48 £4—A. Patrick (Auckland) 47 £3—R. McLeay (Te Kuiti) 46 £3—R. ,T. King (Opaki) 46 £3—D. McLeay (Te Kuiti) '. 46 £2—Pres. H. Reynolds (Christchurch) .. 46 £2—J. C. Carter (Petone) 46 £2—A. Schumacher (Kaponga) 46 £2—E. C. Vennelk (Tewharau) 46 Scores down to 42 got £l. Following are the leading prize takers in the Nelson Match, 10 shots at 800 yards £5—F. J. Causley (Thames) 49 £4 —N. Wood (Frankton) 48 £4—Capt. A. Nielson (Napier) 48’ £3—E. E. Vennell (Tewharau) 48 £3—F. J. King (Okawa) 48 £3—L. Lewis (Suburbs) 47 £2 —J. Tewhalti (Tuhirangi) 47 £2—R. Piper (Christchurch) 47 £2—P. W. Warburton (Petone) ...... 46 £ 2—Lieut. W’. Duncan (Westport) ...... 46 Fifty scores down to 44 took £1 each. A start was made with the service championship match. In which the fifty highest aggregate men in the service series met, but owing to the weather and a failing light, the attempt was abandoned and the match will be re-started latep. The following are leading !n the belt aggregate, with forty shots still to fire at long ranges Capt. Nielson (Napier) 365, J. C. Carter (Petone) 360, E. H. Ballinger (Petone) 359, E. Vennell (Tewharau) 358, W. Moselen (Kaeo) 358, D. McLeay (Te Kuiti) 357, W. H. West (Blenheim) 356, W. G. Franklin (Dannevirke) 355, R. Piper (Christchurch) 354, A. Patrick (Auckland) 353, D. Roots {Hawera) 352, H. Reynolds (Christchurch) 352, H. V. Croxton (Karori) 352, A. H. Dixon (Akarana) 352, A. Govenlock (Linton) 351, D. J. Guiney (Petone) 351, S. J. Mayher (Linton) 3ao. There will, of course, be many changes in the position before the -King’s fifty line up for the final tussle on Friday.-.