RIFLE SHOOTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1937, Page 11

RIFLE SHOOTING.

PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. i J. R. DRAFFIX CHAMPION. The sixty-third annual meeting of the Auckland provincial rifle championships was held last Saturday after having been postponed on Anniversary Day. Conditions on Saturday proved ideal for shooting, and a strong south-west wind gave rise to some keen shooting at the longer ranges. A small shower in the morning gave those shooting at the time a little difficulty. Entries - were good in spite of the postponement, although D. Wilton, of the \y hangarei Rifle Club, last year's championship winner, and F. Bowes, of the Auckland City Club, both likely to have made a good showing at the meeting, found it impossible to remain in Auckland for the Saturday's shoot, while a number of country riflemen were put off coming to Auckland and attending on account of the heavy rain on Friday. From the number of entries the meeting was Quite as successful as that of 1936. \ isiting riflemen were fairly successful in collecting their share of the prizemoney. However, at the longer ranges the local riflemen came to the lore, as many of the country clubs do not possess a long range, and with a heavy wind blowing found it more than tricky at times. It is on account of so few country clubs having a long range of their own that the long ranges are included in the provincial J programme, so that these riflemen may have some practice before going to Treutham. It was unfortunate tliat the Wanjranui Club was unable~ to send a team to defend J the historic "Waihi Rooster" which they won last year, as it fell easily to the hands of the Akarana Club A team, comprising Riflemen .T. R. Draflin 70, G. J. C. Reston 68, W. Colqulioun 67. R. F. Wakefield 62 — making a total of 267 points, giving them a lead of eight points over the runners-up, < the Aucklaud City Club B team. The Auckland championship was won by : J. R. Draffin, of the Akarana Club. This is his first winnirg success in Auckland ' championship, although he has been well up iu past years. Striking the shower in • the morning at 300 yds he was counted out in the first match, but he came to light 1 with two possibles at 500 yds and 600 yds respectively, and this gave him a lead for the rest of the shoot. He finished with a total of ISO points. W. Colquhoun. an Akarana rifleman, finished with a very creditable shoot, and one point behind Draffin. Colqulioun won the Auckland championship in 1934. H. Simmonds, of the City Rifle Club, also finished with the same score as Colquhoun —179. but was beaten by Colquhoun in a shoot-off for the runner-up trophy. Simmonds won the championship in 1935 with a phenomenal shoot—he was the winner of every A grade match. The bigucst surprise cf the day. however, was Mrs. Ted Hill winning the tyro championship from a strong field of tyro?. Mrs. Hill's shooting has improved out of all sight this year, and she is to be congratulated on putting up such a fine performance, her score beinu 174. H. W. Rollett, of the Matamata Rifle Club, was the runner-up with a score of 172. At SOOyds H. Simmonds and Mrs. Ted Hill finished with the same score, necessitating a shoot-off for the trophy, and acain Mrs. Hill put on a possible, thus winning the trophy. The president of the association. Captain A. Simmonds, in presenting the prizes, mentioned that the meeting had been successful in spite of the postponement, and that the association was not cuttinc down the prize list, but was paying out on the same prize list as last year. The Auckland meeting, which was for many years very poorly attended, is now looked upon as a very popular meetin;: for visiting riflemen, and is attracting bigger entries every year.