THE VOLUNTEERS.

Evening Post, Volume XL, Issue 149, 22 December 1890, Page 4

THE VOLUNTEERS.

♦ On Saturday laat another round of team matohes, under the anspioes of the Shooting Union, took place. Tho weather was not good. In the Senior Championship oonteat the City Rifles, who fired against the Artillery, defeated the latter by 148 points. Bombardier Ho wo was the biffheatacprer with 66, Corporal Harris being next with 63. Tho match took place at Evans' Bay, where the •wind wai moot treacherous, with a bad light and frequent shower* of rain. The Guards journeyed to tho Taita to meet the Heretannga Mounted Infantry, whom they defeated by 200 points. With a strong wind and oonitant rain to contend against the shooting was not up to the average. Private Bunting, however, pat on 57, while the highest gcoror on his opponents' side was 37. Owing to the rain and light the conditions of tho matah wore altered from ten rounds at 500 and 600 yards to seven at eaoh range. The following are the score lists for the Scniob Championship. city bi?lib v. d battlrt. City Rifles. D Battery. Tl. Tl. Corpl. Harris ... 63 Bom. Howe ... 66 Corpl. Guise ... 62 Sergt. Knohen ... 5G Corpl. Jackson ... 60 Sergt. Jeffries ...53 Pvt. M'Gregor ... 50 Gun. Wilson ... 52 Prt. Elliot ... 57 Sergt. Petheriok 46 Sergt. Madelay ... 54 Gun. Kincr ... 38 Sergt. M'Bean ... 53 Sergt. Robinson... 30 Capt. Collins ... 45 Sergt. Costley ... 29 Pvt. Luke 44 Corpl. Carter ... 24 Col.-Sergt. Davis 44 Gun. M'Kenzie... 9 541 403 OUABDS T. HIBXTA.UNOA M.I. Guards Heretaunga. Tl. Tl. Pvt. Bunting ... 57 Pvt. Menzies ... 37 Pvt. W. Ballinger 45 Pvt. Fox 34 Sergt. Biohards 45 Pvt Pringle ... 33 Col.-Sergt. Hale 41 Pvt. Welch ... 32 Pvt. Patterson ... 44 Lieut. Pringle* ... 26 Pvt. Henry ... 41 Pvt. Cudby ... 20 Pvt, A. Ballinger 41 Pvt. looker ... 20 Sergt. Baoon ... 38 Capt. Loveday* 13 Pvt. Scott ... 33 Pvt. Staples ... 8 Pvt. Aamodt ...22 One man absent — 423 223 •Retired at SX) yards. The oontest for the Junior Championship between the City Rifles and Guards was one of the most exciting and keenly contested matohes that has taken place for some time. From the first it was anticipated that the oontest wonld be a very close one, and considerable interest was centred in the result. Both teams oomprised several excellent shots and it was hard to say with whom victory would rest. Henn, of the City Rifles, was absent, and Wise, the emergenoy man, took his place. Otherwise, the teams were as published. In the morning four of eaoh team fired, the City Rifles securing a laad of 15. Taking the total of eaoh team at 200 yards, the Guards at the finish stood 379 as against their opponents' 373, thus having a lead of six points at the first range. When the sixth man on each side had finished at the last range the City Rifles were leading by two points. The next two men to fire reduced it to one point (City Rifles, 574; Guards, 573), and the next man increased the lead to ten points, the ninth man reduoing it to six points, the respective scores beingCity Rifles, 635; Guards, 629. There was only ons man now in eaoh team to fire, and the exoitemnnb was most intense. Wiae, the City Rifles man, maintained the lead till the seventh shot, when he missed, and the aoores then stood 653 eaoh. In his next shot Wise scored an onter against his opponent's inner ; the next shot of eaoh was an inner, and Wise, who was the first to fire, finished up with a bull's-eye, the soore then standingCity Rifles, 664; Gnards, 661. All now depended on the last shot of the Guardsman, who required a magpie to tie, an inner to win. He suooeeded in scoring the latter, and thus scoured the victory for his team by one point. Where all shot so well, it wonld be invidious to individualise, but speoial mention mnst be made of the cool manner in which Volunteer Wise (a very young shot) fired, under oiroumatanaes whioh would have been most trying to an experienced shootist. Tho following is the score list. Conditions, 10 shots at 200 and 300 yards, 4x4 target, Snider rifle, and Auokland ammunition :— Guards t. City Ritlis. quabds. 200 300 Tl. Sergeant Stephens 39 36 —75 Private Caton 37 35-72 Private Calton 41 30 — 71 Private flodber 41 30 — 71 Private Duncan 38 32 — 70 Captain Mackintosh ... 39 30 —69 Private Patterson 40 22—62 Lieutenant Boyle 33 28 —61 Private O'Sullivan 36 24 - 60 Private O'Flaherty 35 19-51 Grand total 665 OITT BULBS. Private Elliot 37 36 — 73 Private Herd 37 3-1 - 71 Private G. Fearn, sen. ... 37 33 —70 Private Boddington ... 40 30 —70 Private Wise 39 29 — 68 Sergeant Roberts 39 28 —67 Corporal Rankin 39 27 —66 Private Cato 37 26-63 Private Aydon 33 28-61 Private Curry 35 20 —55 Grand total 664 Majority for Guards, 1 point. The other match, T> Battery v. Wellington Rifles, resulted in a victory for thelattor, as only five men of the former put in an appeara»oe, tho aoorea of the Rifles at the first range being snffioient to soore a win. The matoh under the oircumstanoes was not fired out. The Championship points are to date as follows :— Senior— Guards, 3; City Rifles, 3 ; Wellington Navals, 1 ; Petone Navala, 1. Junior- City Rifles, 2; Guards, 2; Wellington Navala, 2; Wellington Rifles, 1; D Battery, 1. The annual shooting fete of the Petone Naval Artillery, whioh takes plaae on Boxing Day, promises to be a very snooessful affair. The Shooting Committee and the offioers are gathering together a good lot of prizes for the members to oompete for. There will probably be two or three matohes during the day, and prizes will be given for eaoh match for all olassea, and also aggregate prises.