NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEETING.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9366, 16 March 1896, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEETING.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TKLEGBAM.) OAMARU, March 14. The weather this morning is tine bat dull, with a light wind down the range. The Marlborough Match, ten shots ab 500 yds, was fired in almost perfect weather, the light being good, but there was a draught actoss the range just sufficient to puzzle the men in obtaining elevation. Tne shooting generally was a great improvement on yesterday, and there is littte doubt that tne Kyuocb ammunition which was used in bhe match was of better quality than that of yeaterday. In some inatawiea some of the men experienced hard luck in getting on sever.l bullseyesand then falling across bad cartridges which failed to 'reach the distance. Following is the prize list in bhe Marlborough (Kynoch) Match. 10 shots. Sergeant Major Wliyte (Oamaru), £8... 49 Corporal Meddings (Christchurch), £6 48 Corporal Jackson (Christchurch), £5 ... 47 Steadman (Whangarei). £4 ... ... 46 Petty Officer Williams (Wellington), £4 46 Corporal .Lavery (Christchurch), £3 ... 46 Harris (Little River), £3 ... ... 46 Sergeant Purnetl (Wanganui), 46; Corporal Gargets (Queensland), 46; Corporal Lyders (Dunedin), 45; Private Mathieson (Sydney), 45; Smith (Taeruru), 45; Strachau (Alexandra), 45; £2 each. Benton (Featherston), Gray (Marton), Todd (Victoria), Corporal Bradley (Queensland), McKay (Christchurch), 45; Mc-D-iruiid (Oamaru), J. Loveday (Woodville), Cameron Wmslaid (Wanganui), Brydone (Duuedin), A. Baliing.r (Wellington), Randall (Melbourne), Sergeant vVebster (Melbourne), Lieutenant Koss (Napier), Corporal Grant (Queensland), Serueaut Moody (Queensland), Lieutenant Kirk (Petone), Rooilliard (Kaiapoi), 44; Woolley (Dunedin), Robinson (Upper Hutt), 43, each £1. Counted out, Macdonald, Chicken, Hicks, W. H. Ballinger, Oates, Armstrong, Grant, Craw, Smith, McGregor, Head, Fraser, Piatt, Captain Chalmers. Ab the conclusion of the Marlborough match, a test was made with three different ammunitions, viz., Victorian manufactured, that 'manufactured ab Auckland in 1895, aud that used yesterday. The range wa. 600 yds, four men, five shots each. The result was—Victorian 85, 1895 manufaclute 56, yesterday'- ammuuition 60. At noon the wind veered to the south and blew rather fresh, coming almost straight down the range. The Ladies' Match was fired with similar ammunition to that used yesterday, and fair a.erage shooting was made considering the wind. The following are tbe leading piizetakers in the Ladies' Match, ten shots, kneeling, sitting or standing, nob counting for the Belt. Trevethick, Petone, £8 ... ... 47 Todd, Victoria, £6 ... ... 46 Captain White, Victoria, £5 ... 46 Lieutenant Rous, Napier, £4 ... 44 Little, Oamaru, £4 ... ... 44 Johnston, Queensland, £3 ... ... 44 Rule, Oamaru, £3 ... ... ... 44 Hawker (Victoria), 44 ; Manning (Christ, church), 44 ;Guy (Waimate), 44 ; Steadman, (Whangarei) 43 ; Grant (Queensland), Doughty (Auckland), 43, £2 each. Hall (Wellington), Speight (Dunedin), Young (Victoria), Mclvor (Kaikoura), 43 each ; Every (Oamaru), Moodie (Queensland), King (Oamaru), Volunteerßalliuger (Wellington), Shelton (Bluff), Volunteer Vernon (Sydney), Wilson (Woodville), Sergeant Humphreys (Hastings), Captain Smith (Dunedin), Taylor (Pahiatua), Nimmo (Oamaru), Spiers (Oamaru), Kemphall (Dunedin), Lester (Christchurch), Tomkm (Christchurch), Dempster (Dunedin), each 42, £1 each. Counted oub — Volunteer McDonald (Victoria), and Lieutenant Jack (Dunedin).

This aiternoon the Defence Department, Wellington, wired thab a large quantity of Victorian ammunition was iv acock and available for the meeting. Major Sommervile replied, asking thab 20,000 rounds be sent, to arrive ou Monday nighb, which with some 4COO already here will be sufficient to complete ihe meeting. It will not, However, arrive till Tuesday afternoon. Ib is nob finally decided what ammunition will be used on Monday, bnb probably ib will be the same as yesterday, and if possible the Association will confine the distances nob to exceeding 500 yds. At 3 o'clock the men began the Auckland Match, ten shots at 300 yds. By this time bhe wind had fallen, and a bright sun in the rear rendered everything favourable for good shooting, and so tnere was. The following are prizetakets :— Auckland Match, 300 yards; ten shots ; counting for the Belt. E. Wilmott (Queeusbown), £8 .-, 46 Sbeadman (Wangarei), £6 ... ... 45 Sergeanb Dempster (Duuedin), £5 ... 45 Sergeant Doughty (Auckland), £4 ... 45 Volunteer Turner (Wellington), £4 ... 44 Rule (Oamaru), £3 ... ... ... 44 Wilkie (Upper Hutt), £3 ... ... 44 Captain Atkinson (Hawera), £2 ._. 43 McGregor (Oamaru), £2 ... ... 43 France (Karori), £2... ... ... 43 Bombardier Howe (Wellington), £2 ... 43 Volunteer Todd (Victoria), £2 ... 43 A. Youug (Sydney), £2 43 Corporal Bradley (Queensland), Volunteer Walker (Melbourne), Captain Smith (Dunedin), Volunteer W. B. Scott (Christchurch), Captain Smith (lnvercargill), Sontag (Dunedin), Trevethic (Petone), Alien (Dunedin), Gunner Taylor (Auckland), 42; Corporal Allporb (Nelson), Colour-Sergeant Robson (Napier), Volunteer Prott (Sydney), Volunteer Le Maitre (Sydney), Captain Creagb (Oamaru), Staff-Sergeant Webster (Victoria), Burns (Karori), Lieuteuant Kirk (Petone), Little (Oamaru), Sergeanb Kruse (Wanganui), Has tie (Oamaru), 41 each, took £1 each. Counted out — Major Acheson (Riverton), Sergeant Hawker (Victoria). Volunteer Todd of Victoria and Captain Trevethic (Captain of the Petone Rifle Club, Wellington), being the highest aggregate scorers in the Ladies' and Auckland matches with scores of 89, tied for the carbine cup and fired off, five shots at 300 yds, Todd winning with 21 points against 18. The visitor from the sister colony was warmly congratulated on winning the cup, which he holds for one year. March 15. The ammunition used yesterday afternoon at the short distances was nob similar to thab used on the opening day, but was 1895 Auckland manufacture, which at firsb was intended to be fired ab the meeting, but ultimately.discarded in favourof the Whitney special manufacture of February, 1896, and which created such a bowl of indignation on Friday. Yesterday's ammunition appears to have given general satisfaction, —at all events complaints were reduced to a minimum, and fairly good shooting made all the i afternoon. [ On the conclnsion of the Auckland match the first range of the Oamaru match, 300, 500 and 700 yards, seven shots, counting for the belt, was fired. Again some excellent scores were made, those registering over 30 were G. Loveday (Woodville), Wilkie (Upper Hutt), 33; P. Young (Victoria), Forsyth (Riverton), Spiers (Oamaru), Puraell (Wanganui), McHattie (North Wairkrapa), 32; Woolett (Dunedin), Garget (Queensland), Prott (Sydney), Smith (Dunedin) Bradley (Queensland), 31. Ib is understood that the Sydney steamer will be detained at Lytteiton until Saturday night, for the convenience of the Australians taking part in the Federal match.

At a meeting of the Council last night it was decided to allow the Australians to compete for the money prizes in the final stags of the championship, but they will not be allowed to win the belt or medals, which are confined strictly to New Zealander*. The question of allowing Volunteers who have entered as Rifle Clnb men to fire as members of the latter in the Teams Match was discussed at some length, several opposing it, but as the rules rather clashed on the matter it was decided to allow Volunteers who had entered as Rifle Club men to fire for their Clnb ab this meeting. For bhe Champion Teams Match sixteen teams are entered, including three from Queensland and one from Victoria. (FROM OCR OWS CORRESPOND*NT.) OAMARU, March 15. The match for the opening yeaterday was the Marlborough, which ia fired with Kynoch ammunition, ab 500 yds. Tbe Canterbury reps were fairly lucky here and the shooting all round was far better than on the previous day. Corporal Meddings, Christcbureh Guards, gob seoond plaoe with 48, and but for carelessness in not plumbing fata rifls for bit Moond thot should have

been the winner. Lavery of the Reserves put up 46, Jackson 47, Getting 47, McKay 45, and Robilliard just scraping into the prizs list with 44. Among those who did not appear in the prize iist were —Scott 41, Anderson 38, McFarlane 38, Wakelin 37, Wardle 37. The next match was tbe Ladies' Match, not counting for the belt. Among the Canterbury men, Manning was top scorer with 44, Guy 44. Lester 42, Tonkin 42, McKay 41, Banks 41, Scott 40, Jackson 37, Cameron 41, Robertson 33, Fox 33, Treleaven 38, McFarlane 35. The 300 yards of the Oimaru Match was next taken. As this was the second match counting for aggregate, the interest developed. Scott got on 27, Wakelin 29, Lavery 28, Anderson 25, MoFarlane 27, Cameron 29, Hanson 27, Banks 25, Parker 28, McKay 21, were the principal scorers among the Canterbury men. The question of aggregates is attracting greater attention than u.ual on account of the Champion Teams Match, in which the aggregates are taken. The Christchurch Reserves have entered two teams, No. 1 consisting of Wakslin, Scott, McKay, McFarlane, and Banks; No. 2, Lavery, Cameron, Ritchie, Gundersen, and Tonkin. The ammuuition used to-day was far better, and there were no complaints.