CHRISTCHURCH VOLUNTEER RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13332, 26 January 1909, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH VOLUNTEER RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

SENIOR SHIELD CHAMPIONSHIP. Redcliffs rifle range was almost at its wont on Saturday, when the final match for the Senior Shield -was fired between tho Linwood K.fies and Canterbury Engineers. The afternoon was one of the hottest this season, and ihe heat was accompanied by a iobblv nor'wester, which not only upset tho calculations of the competitors in the matter of windage, but brought up a nasty mirage. Both corps had mustered their best teams, two members of the Linwood Rifles showing their fine spirit by travelling all the way from Banks' Peninsula as well a* losing the days i_rass-seedin_-to .ako part in tho match. As a result of the two previouo matches Linwood started the final with a lead of 13 points on th_ «__.■_ the scores standing:—Linwood Kifles 1580, Canterbury Engineers 1667. Both sides wero confident of victory, and when the first two men. _ad fired in each team it looked as though the Engineers were justified in t_eir hopes, as they had reduced their or., onents' lead to 5 points, but from thence onward tho Linwood steadily forged ahead, eventually beating their opponents by 28 on the range. The best score we* put up by McConuel (Engineers), whose hits read—5555135—32. tho only other notable score being Private Jackson (Linwood). who put up 31. made up of 4553515. At 900 yards the conditions were almost similar to the 800 except that the li_:ht had deadened. Most of the .men went to piet.es badly, but King (Linwood) man ___d to get 32, made up of 5135553. The next beat were Steadman and Evans, of the Engineers. who put up 31 and 3. respectively. It wis j arranged, in order to allow the two Linwood men who came in from the Peninsula to get away io their train, that the first two men on each side who finished at 900 yards should proceed at once to 1000 yards to fire. This was done, tlie scores being:—Linwood—Jackson 3, Cooper 13: Engineers—McConnel 26. McKenzie 23. At the close of the 900 yvds the Linwood had sti'.l further increased their lead, and notwithstanding the loss of tho two men already fired at 1000 yards, had a lead of 32 points, and eight men on each side to fire. At 1003 yards Lieutenant Timbrcil (Linwoodl was the only man who seemed able to hang at all to the target, getting 28. made up of 6553253. At this range the Engineers beat the Linwood by 5 points, but the aggregate result of points for the Shield were: — Linwood Rifles .. .. 2239 Engineers .. .. .. 2179 The range was in charge of Captain F .C. B. liishop, who was assisted by Lieutenant Sandfnrd. Following are Saturday's scores: —

Linwood Rifles. 800 900 iooa yd*, yds. yds. TI. Lieutenant Tirabrell ..25 27 28 60 Sergeant Cook .. 2:« 2G 20 75 Sergeant Johnstone ..27 27 21 75 Captain Kin. .. 2- 3_ 19 73 Private Cooper ..27 23 13 63 Lieutenant Gee ..22 21 22 65 Private Ga_loa_di .. 17 21 21 62 Bugler Tinibrcll ..12 19 23 54 Pr.vote Williamson -.21 19 11 54 Private Jackson .. 31 17 3 51 232 240 1S7 659 Engineers. Corporal McConnel ..32 29 26 87 Q.LI.S. Li_-htfoot .. 26 21 19 66 Scrgjant-Ma.or Evans ..21 30 12 63 Mapper Sieadraan .. 17 31 1. 62 Sapper McKenzie ..24 1. 23 61 Sapper Smith ..10 21 23 60 Sergeant Barnes -.13 22 19 54 Sergeant Hai_ ..24 15 15 54 .Sergeant Clark ..10 22 21 53 Sapper Jordan ..21 11 20 62 204 " 216 13_ 612