SOME OF THE TARGETS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 142, 10 March 1908, Page 4

SOME OF THE TARGETS.

A WINNER'S TARGETS. (1) 500 Yards.'

... I— r-i t Lieut. F. BoltQn,..Pahiatua M.R., 'Wellington Match—sooyds.,. 10 5h0t5—4555545545— 47; ;• ■■■ ,'j. i ■ Windage—From 2 degrees left to "dead in." ' ' •• .: : ''' (2) GOO Yards.

Lieut, F. Bolton, Pahiatua M.R., Wellington,, Match—GOOyds.', 10 5h0t5—5455554554— 47.' Windage—From 2 .degrees- left, to "dead in. : ' , ; ■ ;... ■WITH'.THE,'' RIFLE "CANTED." ' - : A. SOPER-CANTERBTJRY:, MATCH. '~ 000,^Yards—lO.^shots.- ,' :v; . '

Deflection: 5—6 —9 —l0 —6—7^—l1 —B—l2 —9 (degrees).;. >•; , • 1 Soper shoots with his.rifle canted at an angle—as his father did beforo him. ■ ; ; (2) 600 Yards.

Sergt.. D. .M'Calley," Australia, Wellington ■Match—6ooyds., 10 shots —5555555435— 1 47. M'Callev tied with Lieut. F. Bolton for tho-Wellington Match. MAQNIFiCENT SHOOTINGI . "A YOUNG SHOT." • ,

Rifleman W. F. ...VNnrbey, Duvauchollo, Canterbury- Match—9ooyds.,' 10 shots—sssss 45555—49. "./• ; Eleyatipn-nSQ..., .Windage—3. degrees . .to "dead in;" ' r, :■>:..'j.o Narbey is only''J9 . RANGE QOSS!P, It-has often'happened during the present meeting that a marksman's hit has not been recorded. ,by i. tho. marker, Tlio cause, of. this may' bo a -visionary vcrror,'. but .later, "wliqii. tlio upper portion of the target is turned down, the marker may seo .where the shot ■struck.- The complaint''by many Trentham men is .that in .these circumstances,' unless thero has'--fibbiij a' challenge!, v tlie' marksman does not receive ,;tho, :bene'fit of his unro-; corded hit. Rifleman Smith may mako five, and make a bull, but tho marker records a miss. " Itiileman Smith feelß disposed .-'to' challenge,. but, he,"does nofodo ;so, ; and later •lie" agdlii * hits the ..bull's-eyo, .-.which. is. duly recorded by the'ma'i'korV 'The target is'then turned .down for 'spotting;" .'.and'-although' the marker then notices the "first bull's-eye, lie is not flowed by the, regulations to record the hit.: The suggestion is that this lost-.hit should," be indicated, but if it is 'to be. '(disced,": and it 3 position shown on tho target, then the marksmen should pay the half-a-crowu fee. ~7-, ; : : "

■ It appears that all tho bullets in tlio cartridges used;ht Trontham are not of .the<sanie size, although the quality is all right.- The difference in' sizo, "however, has an effect which is quito understood; by experienced shots, and consequently each'man examines his - day'a,; ammunition!; With ~tho keenness 'of a' inisei; counting gold'; " This 'is' usually done'-in - strict privacy;- andVthe v bullets' are divided iuto two : parcels,- the "lean" ..to the left ..and. .tho . "fat.'.' to, , tho . right. . Somo marksmen ling themselves-.-in the belief that they are the only, "few who'arc aware of'the differencp-;in tliq size, of ~tlie amnninition, but it'appears that, when ; all is; said, and dono, tlio, matter is .no-.secret. The;difference in tlie sizes may ,he infinitesimal/ still, it -has; an effect on tho destination of the bullet, and so much has to ho. allowed for elevation. "Lean" bullets arc usually reserved for short and,"fat".. bullets, for long distances. ;

;In>ll nihk'o a first, shot,''^yjiicli' is Vc'allc-d ,a sighter.'"; It does fibi'.count in the score, antl is allowed merely to indicate..to,-tlie'-.shooter, the con-' dition of things. In many, cases the.!sighter is a hull ,or an inner. > Somotimes .it is a miss. 1 Tho. contention .by' marksmen is that they should- havo tho .option of taking .'tlio benefit of tho'first. shot. This procedure is adoptee! in somo '-of'/tho .Dominion sriflo ccntrosi and :k gaidjtp efl'&t,.a; great-saving of time,"in. addi,tioil'"toallowing' marksmen full benefit',;of their skill, .

.Marksnlcri generally endorso.'tlio. opinions expressed in yesterday's Dominion by Riflemen A. Ballinger 1 (champion), - Sbrgt." D. M'Calley (Australian champion), G.. Hydo" (ex-champion),, and - others,., that; moro ; flags aro required for the ranges, especially'at. the longer distances. It has lieen noticed frequently that tho-flags'on-either flank of tlio range have been blowing in towards each other. This does ndt affect tho shooting of thoso on tho sido lines, - but thoso squads .who aro placed in tho ccuitro of the field aro under,'a considerable.disiKlvantago. This would not bo such a! serious matter if all tho squads could take;their-turn in tho centre, but thero aro far too; many men for this pro-' coduro to bo arranged. Tho fact : is,.however, that the, samo -squads havo been placed repeatedly on. tlio- contres. of tho ranges, and fmvo been unduly, handicapped'. It is - stated that there \vcro originally, moro ;flngs used at the Trcntliam . but tho, system was vetoed by Generiil lialmigtoii',! lato commandant of :tho New; Zealand:.forces, who s>w ' ithat it ; savourcd toe ■ much liko.. advertising tho'business. ,• i-, ;

A suggestion., has' been mado. by sovera.l marksmon that-tlio targets'should bo raifiod about a foot for tJio long distance) evonts. A casual glanoo over tho butts yesterday -showed that a lafge liumbor of shots hail 'struck 'tlio mounds;-and it js surmised that thoro is not enough-of.ail interval to allow shooters to pick up tho bottom of tlio target from tho ground lino.

■In reply to a statement. which 'has been circulated regarding dissatisfaction in tho ranks of the Permanent Artillerymen assist, ing .it tho Trfintham 'meeting,- especially with rogard to timo allowed for meals, wo aro askod to state that 011 the day in question markers in the Sommerrille trenches

wore dismissed at 12.20 p.m., mid given until 2 p.m. ]n the Seddon trenchcs tlio men wore dismissed at 1.45 p.m., returning at 3.15 p.m., aniplo time in both cases for lunch.

Sergfc. D. M'Calley, tho well-known rifle shot, who has 'attended rifle meetings nearly all over tlio world, lias not yet visited meetings at India, or Africa. He, therefore, intends to attend the African meeting in April next, and then tho meeting in India. ,

Yesterday was the heaviest so far experienced, at the meeting. In addition to tho ordinary programmo gono through, tho continuous match, which is an extra match, was commenced. During tho'• whole day 4100 shots woro fired bv 500 men." 1,1

During .- yesterday's shooting there were 200 challenges, , of which 21 wero sustained. 'Financial result—£22 Js. 6d. The total challenges to date are now GS4, of which 65,' or 9 por 00nt.,. wore sustained. The Association,' therefore, receives £77.

The "Running-Man" had run till ho positively could not run any. moro, and yestordny afternoon,, when half-way across his allotted course, ho.stopped for' a breather, and invited tile marksman, who at that particular moment was concentrating his fire somewhero in the region of tho " man's liver,, tfl do his worst. It "was. tlio, marksman's opportunity. Ho souinted ferociously along his rifle-barrel, ana fired, once, twice, thrico— and missed! The "running-man,".tho cloud of. witnesses aver,, gavo an ecstatic wrigglo, and ran in to his rotreatr—unscathed., ,