Ballinger returns from world rifle shooting

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 34

Ballinger returns from world rifle shooting

“Considering the weather conditions were as good as one could wish for, it was a little disappointing that I could not improve on my total of 591,” said New Zealand’s top marksman, I. R. Ballinger, who has returned to Christchurch after competing in the world small-bore rifle shooting contest in Arizona.

Before attending the championships with his teammate, S. G. Naim, of Waikato, Ballinger had expected that the heat and hazy conditions at Arizona might have created a problem for them. However, this was not the case. Although the temperatures were in the high 90s when they first arrived, the actual

shoot was held in cloudy weather and a light wind. The Arizona winds have a tendency to increase considerably during the day and, with the lighter air, seem to have double the eflfect on the bullet than New Zealand winds, Ballinger said. Ballinger, who normally spends a good deal of time on each shot, 'fired at twice his usual rate in an attempt to finish before the wind intensified. This, he feels, could have cost him some vital points. His final tally of 591 placed him thirty-fourth in a field of 135 shooters, and Naira, who scored 590, finished thirty-sixth. LOWEST TOTAL

Unfortunately, on the sixth and final round, Ballinger recorded his lowest total (97), and although his over-all total was the same as the twentysixth place-getter he we relegated to his position on the count-back which operated on the last round. Although there were a large number of different shoots that Ballinger and Naira could have contested, they competed only in their specialist event—the English match fired from a prone position. “Because New Zealand shooters specialise in prone shooting, and because I averaged 595 in the final New Zealand selection trial held in rough conditions at Christchurch, I had hoped to perform better than I did,” Ballinger said. Once again, the Soviet Union, represented by more than 50 shooters, dominated the championship, although a South African, whose score of 598 equalled the world record, took the gold medal in the English match championship. While not wanting to commit himself too much to the future, Ballinger indicated

BALLINGER

that he was interested in representing New Zealand at the Munich Olympic Games. “But this would depend on my shooting form at the time," he added.