RIFLE SHOOTING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 319, 5 October 1908, Page 9

RIFLE SHOOTING.

OPENING OF THE SEASON. MATCHES AT TRENTIIAM. For the Inst six months, peace—deep pencehas Inin upon the Trenthnm rifle range. Weeds grew in the trenches, sheep and cattle wandered disrespectfully among the mounds, and Mrs. ITogan's tea and "soft drink" canteen looked as desolate as a church on a weekday. But last Saturday afternoon, at ten minutes past three to bo precise, a rifle shot rang out, and the echoes awoke. The 1903-9 ride shooting season at Trentham had begun, to continue Saturday after Saturday, and culminate, in March, in the great annual carnival of the rifleman—teh New Zealand championship rifle meeting, when great reputations as sliootists are won, anil not infrequently lost. The weather on Saturday was dull and heavy. In the morning, with the steadily-falling rain, fell the expectations of the sliootists, many of whom had packed up, the night before, their orthoptics, wind-gauges, paint-brushes, white pencils, lamp-blaelc, and other little trifles which go to make up the motley parnphenalia of the bull's-eye marksman—a motley paraphernalia sufficient to make old "I'flthfinder" turn in his grare. About noon the rain stopped, the clouds lifted blightly, and, although tlio auspices were not favourable enough to tempt for the ladies to grace the opening day with their presence on the range, ; t sufficed for the men, and the. 1.55 volunteer special pulled out of the Government Station with 321 riflemen aboartl. There were twenty-three officers in the train, a happy augury of the new order of things. In the past, a few of the officers took a keen interest in the game, but the bulk of them seldom looked near the range. Since,' however, the control of the district rifle association passed from the men to the officers, and the responsibility of "booming" it became theirs, they have recognised that it is now their business to look after matters. This is a good thing—good for the officers, pood for the men, and above and beyond everything else, good for the sport, for bnll's-eye shooting is a national sport. The Hon. Dr. Findlay, Attorney-General, and an honorary -officer of the Civil Servico Rifles, had previously intimated his intention of going out to the range for the opening "shoot," but pressure of Par-, liamentary business prevented liini from carrying out his intention. The range was in very good order, and the field-telephonos worked very satisfactorily, a happy state of affairs with which Captain C Harcourt Turner, secretary of the Range Committee, had not a little to do Another pleasing circumstance was the _ courtesy shown by tho Railway Department in arranging for the special to stop at Defence Siding, instead of, as last year, going on to Trentham Racecourse—a concession t'6r which tho riflemen were duly grateful. A suggestion made that the shelter provided at the Sommervillc trench for the protection of tho markers frum falling bullets coming in at a high trajectory from tho 800, 900, and 1000 yards mounds bo removed, as firing from the mounds on the Sommerville has been discontinued, and tho shelter is now moro or less of a hindrance to tho markers, socms worthy of consideration by the range committee. Mrs. Hogan was again to tho fore and dispensed refreshments in her usual liberal way. The canteen was enlarged at the last big meeting. and was well patronised.

The shooting done was more or less practice work, only an odd corps here and thero getting in a trophy match. . OFFICERS' MATCH. A novel event on the range was tho Officers' Match, a teams contest, 12 a-side, the ordnance, under Major J. E. Hume, being pitted against the rille company officers, under Lieuteiv.mtColonel W. G. Duthie. This match resulted in a win for the ordnance team by a margin of fiyo points. The scores were:— MAJOR HUME'S TEAM. 200 500 yds. .yds. T!. Lieut. Skolley 29 31 GO Liout. Collins 25 29 54. Capt. Petherick 28 2G 54 .Major Hughes 22 29 51 Lieut. Roache 24 2G 50 Lieut. Brandon ... 29 20 '49 Capt. Cowles 24 24 4S Lieut. Duigan i 25 2,1 48 Lieut. Glendinning 2G 21 47 Capt. Soddon ... ... ... 28 20 4G Major Hume 23 22 45 Lieut. H. M'Kenzie 23 ,20 43 Aggregates 301- 291 595 LIEUT.-COLONEL'S DUTIiIE'S TEAM. ' 200 500 yds. yds. Tl. Lieut. Bolton • 30 30 CO Capt. MacDiarmid 31 29 00 Lieut.-Col. Duthie 29 25 54 Capt. Matheson ... 30 24 54 Capt. Hall 25 28 53 Lieut. Morton 25 28 53 Capt. Harton 25 2a 50 Lieut. Beamish 20 23 49 Lieut. Logan 10 24 40 Capt. Corrigan 20 20 I Lieut. Willis 24 15 39 Capt. Marshall ... 20 IS 3S Aggregates SOI 289 590 D BATTERY. Sweepstake Match.—Ten shots at 200 and 500 yards:— .200 500 r. n. , y<i s - E'p. Tl. Gunner Hicks 33 44 15 92 Gunner Plimmcr 43 45 0 ® Gunner Cotterill 32 39 1(1 87 King 40 40 3 S3 Gunner Marsdcn 35 34 13 £2 Gunner Perry 35 28 13 7G HUTT VALLEY RIFLES. Practice match at 200 and 500 yards. 200 500 yds. yds. Tl. Col.-Sergt. Baker 30 32 02 Pte. Routley ... 27 30 57 Pto. Turner 30 2/ 57 Corp. Domuey 20 29 55 l'te. O'Brien 23 21 44 Sorgt. Smith ; 20 1G 42 Corp. Glennio 2.5 14 39 Pto. M'ood 27 G 33 Pte. Noil 17 15 jo Pto. Ledbrook ]3 is 31 Lee.-Corp. Mitchell ... 1G '15 31 KELBURNE RIFLES. Practico match, at 200 and 500 yards. 200 500 yds. yds. Tl. Sergt. ilacauley 31 29 GO Lee.-Corp. Hart 30 29 59 Pte. Butcher 25 28 53 Corp. Taylor 26 28 54 Pte. Bird v ... 30 20 50 Pte. Pett'grew ... , ... - ... 26 1!) 45 Corp. Colley 23 20 43 Pte. Riolly 25 18 43 Pte. Bade • 29 II 40 Pte. Stidolpli 20 19 39 Pte. Hanford ' ... 19 .17 36 Pte. Bcalo 20 13 33 Company prize firing commences on Saturday nest.

CIVIL SERVICE RIFLES. Firing for company trophies—2oo and 500 yards (loading scores only). A Class. 200 500 _ , _ , „ , yds. yds. Tl. Col.-Sergt. Hodges 23 ,'l3 G1 I cc.-Corp. Abbott 27 25 52 Corp. Joplin 21 27 - ,11 Pte. Fisher 28 22 50 Ptc. Cribb ... 25 21 19 Sergt. Butchqr 28 21 19 Pte. Low 28 18 10 B Class. Ptc. .Toplin ... 19 32 51 Pte. M'Caw 17 28 15 Pte. Overton 19 19 ,•)§ Ptc. Williams ... 2U 18 Sg Pte. Mason 21 17 ;js Bugler Alabaster 21 7 28 ENGINEERS. Practice match at 200 and 500 yartl« 200 500 .vds. yds. Tl. Sergt. H. Mitchell 25 30 55 Sapper Jioger 21 29 53 Sapper Carter 21 21 IS Q.-M.-Sergt. Picrecy 23 23 1G Sapper .1. Radelill'e 23 23 40 Sapper Swiney 27 18 45 Sapper W. JitulclilTo -2G 17 43 Sergt. Elliott 1 ... 23 18 41 Sapper Faliy 21 20 41 Sapper Marhrook 25 15 10 Sapper Collitt 19 jg ;\ij Lco.-Corp, Chapplo ... ... 19 20 39

COLLEGE RIFLES. Practice Match, at 200 and 500 yards:— 200 500 yds. yds. Tl. Pte. Gasquoine 25 22 47 I'te. Wollerman 22 20 42 Pte. M'Namara 20 15 35 Lieut. Hutohen 24 * 24 * Did not fire. KARORI RIFLE CLUB. Practice and Teams Matches.—Good shoaling by Aston (GO out of a possible 70) and France (34 at 500 yds):— PRACTICE HATCH. 200 500 yds. yds. Tl. Rifleman W. Aston 33 33 66 Rifleman W. E. Jackson 32 32 64 Rifleman A. France 29 31 63 Rifleman G. Ilalliday 32 31 G3 Rifleman G. H. Chapman 30 32 62 Rifleman W. Harris 30 31 61 Rifleman 11. Bulford 31 30 61 Rifleman A. W. Kemp 32 29 61 Rifleman •J. Rabe 31 29 60 Rifleman W. Tarr 31 27 5S Rifleman V. Moore 2S 27 55 Rifloman It. S. Wilson 30 24 54 Rifleman F. Hickson 19 23 42 Rifleman G. Brown 24 16 40 TEAMS MATCH. President Jackson's Team. Aggregates:— Jackson CI Chapman ... ... 62 Kemp 61 Rabe 60 Tarr 58 Hickson '42 Brown 40 . 387 Selector Halliday's Team. Aston ... ... ... CO France 63 Halliday ... 63' Harris ... ... ;.. 61 Bulford ; 61 .. Moore ... 55;.. Wilson 54 r 423 A majority for Halliday's loam of 30 points. The Honorary Members' Match will be fired nest Saturday. -< • ■ . POST AND TELEGRAPH RIFLES. Competition for Captain Morris's trophyseven shots and a sighter at 200, and 500 yds. Pte. Churches wins the tropliy. Highest scores:— 200;: 500 yds. "yds. H'p. Tl. Pte. T. Churches 33 1 63 Sergt. W. Gilbert 31 '31 . 0 62 Corp. Hubbard 25 =37 10 62 Pte. A. Hall 25 ... 23 M 62 Lnnce-S'gt. G. Williamson 28 33 0 61 Corp. H. Jones 28 33 . 0 61 Pte. Colman ... 22 23 18 61 Lieut. Bolton ... 80 30 0 GO Sergt. Wakelin 24 . 34 2 60

WELLINGTON GUARDS. A and B Class Handicap series for trophies presented by Capt. J. Dntliie, junr., Capt. Harcourt, Lieut. W. Smith, and others. This competition runs till the end of tho month. Some very good shooting was done. A Class. ; 200 500 ~ ' ■ yds. vds. H'p. Tl. Pte. Wilson 20 32 3 61 Pte. Neal 30 .SO 4' .64 Pte. Dowman ... 29 28 7 64 Pte. P. Turney 32 "28 3 63 Sergt. Turney 32 28 0 60 Corp. Barnes rf.. 30 2!) 0 59 Corp. Fellingham ... ... 31 23 4 58 Corp. Smart 2G 29 ,0 55 Pte. M'Whirter 26 21 .7 54 Pte. Anmodt 27 21 2 53 Sergt. Sneddon 27 23 ' 3 53 B Class. 200 500 yds. yds. H'p. Tl. Pto. Casserley 31 27 ff 53 L.-Corp. H. Smith ... ... 23 23 10 56 Pte.. Ellis 26 ' 25 i 55 Pte. Paterson 2G, 25 2 53 Pte. Bailey 21 21 11 53 Pte. Pine 30 12 8 50 Corp. Barnes 24 24 0 48 Pte. Hutton 22 12 12 48 Pte. Noblo 21 8 12 41 HIGHLAND RIFLES. Company teams' match. Col.-Sergt. M'Donald and Sergt. Gardiner each put on 33 at 500 yds. Shooting was not very good, on account of members having to use new barrels. The highest scorer in each team was awarded a trophy. Tho teams tied. No.' 1 TEAM. • .200 500 yds. .yds. TI. Col.-Sergt. M'Donald ... ... 27 33 GO Sergt. Slnrsden ... 28 31 59 Pie. Eves ■... 28 29 57 bergt. M'Millan 2D 25 54 Corp. Dobsoil 25 23 48 Pte. Ingram ... ' "... 23 12 35 Pto. Lamb 21 13 34 Pte. lteid ■ 14 9 23 Aggregates ... ... ... 195 175 370 No. 2 TEAM. Captain. M'Diarmid 31 29 ' 60 Sorgt. Gardiner 23 33 56 Lieut. Morton 25 23 53 Sergt. M'Ardlo 27 23 50 Pto. Corbett 23 22 4j Pte. St. Clair 21 22 43 Pte. Thompson 18 22 40 Pto. Blair 12 23 Aggregates 179 191 370 . 011 Saturday next the company will start its competitions for the company challenge belt and other trophies. The belt will be decided on tho highest aggregate fciv tho first twelve shoots of tno season. Other trophies of value to bo shot for aro the Baltantyno Shield, presented bv Messrs Ballantyne and Co., of Timaru, and an aggregate trophy, presented by tho company's late shooting secretary, Mr. W. M'lver, now a member of the Victoria Rifles, Auckland. Tho Ballantyne Shield will not be competed for until the Now Year, and will be deoidod 011 tho highest aggregate of eight shoots, handicaps, as in tho belt conditions, not to count. In order to encourage our "B". class men, Captain M'Diarmid has kindly offered to present them with a challenge cup. This is a very handsome trophy, and will be fired for under the same conditions as the company challongo belt. A largo number of trophies' havo been allotted to tho winners of the monthly competitions, and tho commit tea feel confident that with tho encouragement given a very solid toam will be built up and a very successful season carried through.

,CITf RIFLES. • First competition for captain's trophy. 20U 500 ~ . , . yds. yds. Hp. ti: Sorgt. Lang 33 32 : 0 fis Pte. Wiren 31 33 0 G-l } e ' ,m IVOU 29 31 0 63 Pte. lurncr 29 31 0 CO Col.-Sergt Davis 27 30 3 GO Ptc. Winss 2G 30 4 GO Pte. Knnkin 29 27 4 60 Baker 28.' 29 I GO Bugler Tarr 27 28 5 GO Corp. Jackson 30 -.-29 0 59 Sergt. Homer 29 ~..28. 0 -57 Pto. A. J. Jackson 30 -27 0 57 Pte. Stnmgemuir 24 20 13 57 Pte; llichard ... ... ... 27 29 • 0 5G Pte. Robertson 18 24 '0 " 5G Corp. Chandler ... '... 25 21 • 1-1 : 55 Pto. Edwards 22 21 ' G 55 Pte. Newberry .;. ... 16 25 12 ' 55 Bugler Rollands ... ... 24 .17 u!. - k Pte. Ritchie 27 26 1 54 Pte. Jackson, senr 20 30 0 50 ! ZEALANDIA RIFLES. Competition for company belt, Mrs. Fairbairns's and Mr. M'Glashan's trophies:— 200 . 500. LI D 1, y( £ 3' cls - H'p. Tl. Ptc. Bellamore 29 27 5 01 m* u'" 0 - - B 21 15 59 Ptc. M. Hiiro 18 24 37. 59 Lco.-Corp. Elsloy 20 27 in' b Pte. Rogers 12 29 lfi : 57 Carpi. Barcham 25 2fi 4 kc Pte., Hunt 2G 23 6 55 Ptc. Dalton 27 IS Jfl ■ 55 Sergt. Hugo 24 29 0 53 Pte. How-berry 19 27 7 m Ptc. Ilailwooii 17 . is 17. 5g Pte. Hobson IS 12 ]8 49 Pte. White IS H 17 Pte. Ilelliwell 12 1G IS 4G Sergt. Fruiuli ... 21 17 7 45 I'te. Greeuslado 23 12 10 is S'H.vth 18 10 10 . ■ 38 Pte. Walker 11 0 15 2G Drummer Barchara ... 6 0 17 2G Corp. Edwarda ... 11 5 j 23

PARADE STATE. " The parade state was as follows:— *'i' D Battery, 12; Engineers, 17; Electric Light Company, 6; City Rifles, 34; Guards, 30; Kelbuiine Rifles, 11; Civil Service Rifles, 21; Post and Telegraph Rifles, 50; College Rifles, 15; Zealandia Rifles, 32; Highland Rifles, 26; Hutt Valley Rifles, 23; Karori Rifle Club, 21; Officers, 23; total, 324. PETONE CLUB. . The Tetone Rifle Club opened the season on Saturday with a match between teams selected by the secretary and treasurer, the former winning by 12 points. Despite threatening weather conditions there was a fair muster, and the shooting, for the start of the season, was about the average. Appended are result:— SECRETARY'S. TEAM. 200 500 i yds. yds. Tl. J. Carter 46 45 91 11. Hawthorn ... 46 48 94 W. Thomas 39 47 8B J. Wood ... .; 45 40 85 H. Trevcthick ...'. ... ... 40 34 74 A. Henderson -'... 37 41 78 W. Maud ... ... 34 31 05 G. Auger ... ° 30 30 GO E. Johnson 36 33 G9 702 ■ TREASURER'S TEAM. 203 500 ,J * yds. yds. Tl. J. Roberts 43 48 91 —. Mcllor 39 - 43 S2 B. Bird' 44 33 • 77 A. Baliinger 44 '44 88 -. Guy ... ... 41 43 84 J. Clark ... 37 42 ■79 S. Knight ... ... 38 33 71 —, Faulknor ' ... 25 37 62 ; Caldwell ... .;. 29 27 50 690 The most noteworthy score of the day was H. Hawthorn's 4S' out of" 50 at 500 yds. • MORRIS TUBE. The Wellington Engineers completed tlieii 1 Morris tube season on Friday evening with a match against a team representing the "Wags' Club," the Engineers winning bv 40 points. On completion of the match, Lieut. Gibbs thanked the visitors for their attendance, after which song and story, interspersed with light refreshments, completed an instructive and enjoyable evening. Engineers.—Sergt. Horner, 33; Sergt. Mit- : cliell, 32; Lieut. Gibbs, 3J; Sapper Swiney, 31; Sapper Radclilfe, 31; Sergt. Elliott, 27; Sapper Forbes, 27; Sapper Marbrook, 27; Sapper Corlet, 2G; Sapper' Long, 21; Sapper Fahv, 22; total, 311. Wags.—Rifleman Gilbert, 34; Rifleman L. Forgie. 29; Rifleman Rosewarne. 28; Rifleman J, Chappie. 27; Rifleman Curtis, 25; Rifleman Goscomb, 25; Rifleman N. Forgie, 23; Rifleman Coombs, 20; Rifleman Shannon, 20; Rifleman Tango, 20; Rifleman D. Chappie, 20; total, 271.