Rifle Shooting SERVICES COMPETE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29130, 16 February 1960, Page 22

Rifle Shooting SERVICES COMPETE

Opening Day At Trentham

I New Zeaiana Press

WELLINGTON, February 15. Trentham maintained its tradition for trickiness for the opening of the annual combined services shoot today. The wind on the range was completely inconsistent as servicemen fired on newly-designed targets for the first time in competition. The targets, designed to portray actual combat images, range from a sft representation of a man to a simulated machine-gun nest, with the vital parts scored as bulls. Originating in the United States, the idea is being generally adopted by Commonwealth forces as a means of increasing the accuracy of ordinary soldiers. It is claimed that the ordinary rifleman’s accuracy is Increased by as much as 12 per cent., using these targets. The new targets are standard at the Bisley combined services shoot in the United Kingdom. On the first day only the medium and light machine-gun and individual and team revolver events were shot. The first stage of the main event—the Queen’s Medal awarded to one person from each service and the services’ champion belt—will be held tomorrow when servicemen shoot for the Navy Cup.

Today’s results were:— Match 1 (medium machine-gun trophy).—Army Troops. 146 points. 1; Ist Canterbury Regiment, 102 points. 2; Ist Hawke’s Bay Regiment, 96 points, 3. Match 2 (light machine-gun trophy).—Central Military District (Corporal B. A. Buckingham and Craftman E. V. Thompson), 106 points, 1; Navy (Lieutenant G. A. Tuson and Chief Petty Officer R. Cook), 95 points. 2; Central Military District (Staff Sergeant W. R. Watson and Sergeant D. E. Whiteman), 94 points, 3.

Match 3 (revolver teams’ cup).— Army A 1, Navy B 2. Match 4 (revolver cup for Individual marksman). —Lance-Corporal R. A. Weston (Army), 79 points, £1 10s; Major A. C. Weddell (Army), 78 points, £1; Chief Petty Officer R. Cook (Navy), 77 points, 15s.