RIFLE SHOOTING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21977, 29 December 1936, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING

—+— NOTES AND COMMENTS [By BULLSEYE] Fixtures January 2—Sydenham Defence Club's third competition (300 and 500 yards), at Redcliffs. January 9—Christchurch Defence Club's third three-range competition at Redcliffs. January 9—Timaru Defence Club's championship competition. February 27—Canterbury Rifle Association's Jack Shield competition. March 5-10—National Rifle Association's annual prize meeting at Trentham. Canterbury Championship Meeting The weather was ideal for the fifteenth annual championship meeting of the Canterbury Rifle Association at Redcliffs on Boxing Day. Well over 80 marksmen competed, representing clubs in Canterbury, South Canterbury, West Coast, North Canterbury, and Otago, and the shooting was of an exceptionally high standard throughout. The meeting was undoubtedly the most successful for several years. W. E. Jones (Timaru), who won the title in 1935, again won the championship after a shoot-off with D. F. Keir (Christchurch). The conditions of the shoot-off were one compulsory sighter and five shots at 500 yards. The score cards read: — Jones. 5—55455. total 24; Keir, 4—54454, total 22. The Canterbury match, the opening match of the meeting at 300 yards, produced some good shooting. F. Bryden (Kaiapoi), with a total of 49 (one off the possible), won the event on the count back from T. Smith (Culverden).

The conditions of the service match fired at 300 yards were:—Practice 1: Two compulsory sighters and five rounds lapid, time 25 seconds. Practice 2: Snap-shoot-ing, seven exposures of three seconds each. Scoring: Inner ring 5 points, remainder of target 4 points. W. Hamilton (Culverden) won this match with a total of 51 out of a possible total of 60. The South Canterbury Match (500 yards)—V. Tims, of the Sydenham Defence Club, after scoring nine consecutive bullseyes, scored an "inner" for his final shot, missing the possible by one point only, and winning the match with the fine total of 49, His score card read: 5555555554, total 49. No fewer than 12 other marksmen scored the good total of 48 at this range. Other good cards were: H. Barker (Sydenham). 4—5555555544; D. F. Keir (Christchurch), 4—5555545455; R. Bowie (Kiwi, Dunedin), 4—5445555555; F. Hiscock (Christchurch), 33—4555555554; R. Doak (Ashburton), 5554555455: J. R. Keoghlan (Westport). 44—5554554555, The Peninsula match was fired in two stages, the conditions being two optional sighters and seven shots at 500 and 600 yards. H. Smith (Culverden) and G. Crimp (Christchurch) both scored possibles at 500 yards. F, Htscock (Christchurch), who won the match, scored 34 at 500 yards and 32 at 600 yards. A failing light was making conditions harder for the North Canterbury match; at 600 vards. the final match of the meeting. W. E. Jones (Timaru), the winner of the championship belt and Heaton Rhodes Cup, with a total of 47, won the match on the count back from R. H. Neill and D. F. Keir (Christchurch).

Jottings The two finalists in the 1936 Canterbury championship, D. F. Keir (Christchurch) and W. E. Jones (Timaru), are both previous winners of the championship belt. Keir won the title in 1928, 1929, and 1932; Jones won the title in 1935. Previous winners of the Canterbury title are:—l 922, L. Pimm (Christchurch); 1923, G. L. Evans (Christchurch); 1924, H. Cromie (Ashburton); 1925, W. Wilson (Railway); 1926, V. Tims (Railway); 1927, A. Halmshaw (Christchurch); 1928, D. F. Keir (Ashburton); 1929, D. F. Keir (Ashburton); 1930. C. Blackwood (Timaru): 1931, H. Reynolds (Christchurch); 1932, D F Keir (Ashburton); 1933. A. Barker (Sydenham); 1934, H. Harries (Christchurch); 1935, W. E. Jones (Timaru). The detailed shooting of W. E. Jones in the belt series is as follows:— Canterbury match 46, South Canterbury match 48, Peninsula match 66, North Canterbury match 47—total 207 out of a possible total of 220 . , -r, , In the absence of Major J. P. Oakes, V.D., president, of the Canterbury Rifle Association, the prizes and trophies were presented by the deputy-president (Mr W. S. Wharton).