ROD AND GUN Stalkers’ Shooting Tournament Growing In Popularity

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31633, 20 March 1968, Page 6

ROD AND GUN Stalkers’ Shooting Tournament Growing In Popularity

(Specially written for “TM Press’' by JAMES SIERS.)

The recent annual shooting championships held by the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association at Upper Hutt, showed clearly the drive and enthusiasm behind the organisation.

The association now has a greater membership than the National Rifle Association, and the entries for-the shoot this year indicate that before long it may become more popular than the N.R.A. Queen's Prize shoot at Trentham. No doubt the fact that deerstalkers may now take part in Olympic events has encouraged range shooting, although the original intention was not to develop stalkers into competitive shooters, but to make them more proficient marksmen in the field. To this end, the deerstalkers’ shoot is a series of events designed to test the shooter in a number of situations. There are off-hand shoots (standing with no rest for the rifle); kneeling, sitting and prone over a rest, but no sling. The principal event is the

' running deer competition, the target of a deer moving ; across a limited open space J and offering the competitor 1 only a brief opportunity to , get his shot away. The target I moves at 21 miles an hour and is roughly the size of a red deer. The shooter is placed on the mark at 100 yards, and points are awarded on his accuracy in hitting as close as possible to what is judged the most vital area. As an added incentive to good shooting the trophies include expensive sporting rifles. Sporting Rifles Each year, the assembly of fine sporting rifles brought to the championships, grows more impressive. Where once upon a time the rule was an old cut-down .303 and iron sights, now it is more likely to be either an expensive high-velocity rifle produced by one of the better known Arms, or even a custom-made piece and instead of the open sights, it is likely to have an expensive telescopic sight. The range that the shoot is held on is likely to have undergone some changes. This is one of the more remarkable

aspects of the deerstalkers* competitive shooting, the construction of a number of Olympic standard range facilities throughout the country. At present there are four of these: in Wellington, Upper Hutt, Manawatu and Horowhenua. New Plymouth is currently building one and North Canterbury and Otago are likely to improve theirs. The point to note about this is that the association gets no subsidies for any of this type of work, even though it falls into a legitimate recreation and also trains men in valuable defence roles.

The encouragement of range shooting for deerstalkers is worth while in that it teaches youngsters a basic proficiency and encourages some of the older, more experienced members to spend time on the range where their knowledge is passed on. It is also a good reference point for the various types of equipment which is constantly being produced.

A large number of competitors taking part in this year's national, for example, brought ammunition which they had loaded themselves. The fact that the champion-

ships are held in February means that not only is the weather likely to be good, but also that any practice for the championship, will also pay off for the “roar” which followa in March-April.

The photograph ahowa shooters on the mark for the off-hand event at thia year’a national championahipa.