RICOHETS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 7

RICOHETS.

(Br Echelon.) '. , ■ Bad as the weathor conditions for rifio shooting were on Saturday week last, they.were even worse on Saturday. .The wind,, of course, was the trouble—a southerly wind, with flirtatious fishtails and coquettish corkscrews, which varied, from five and nine degrees right to'two and three degrees left. According to the-'parade state, thirteen units of the Garrison corps and rule clubs woro represented on the range, but only ten score-cards have been handed in. The Hutt Valjey. men tried, their luck at the-lorig range, and emerged from the ordeal visibly shattered, and determined;, to veil the/extent of their misfortunes from the.cold stare of the public eve. "There -won't be, any scores from us,, said one of them,-in'broken tones. Much as I sympathise with them', I think, nevei-tho-less, that modesty of. this, kind should not be encouraged. . You should' "come up smiling" every, time, boys.. Nor do:I notice any scores from the • Horetaunga . Mounted Kifles.' Perohance their luck, like that of the. Hutt Valley Rifles, was also bad, and they wish to sit and mourn in the dark,- and bury their sorrow deep .in. the ■■ground.. -Of the Zealandias,. whose result also did not transpire, more anon. As might be expected, no staggering score was rattled up on Saturday. One of the best-scores of tho day was that of Gunner Watson, of the Permahents, who made 34 at 500 yds., but went hopelessly to.pieces at GOOyds.j whore ho made 20. .'" .:." j : '■■"' ONE OF THE BEST. '-

: Gunner. Watson, Permanent Force, seven.. . shots at 500 yds. • - : > ; ...' As for Gunher, Watson's companions, their, scores ranged from 23' upwards at 500 yds., and from sto 24 at.GOOyds. ' .; ~ Among the Civil Service Rifles,; Col-Sergt.' Hodges's 32 and Pto.: Evans's 30' were the best n't 500 yds.', while, at.6ooyds., O'Lcary's 32 was,, under !the circumstances, a very good shoot. Some very consistent shooting, was dbho by' the Guards; although no one went beyond 31, quite a.number were on or about that standard. ' Corp. Smart, G2 < (3l—3l—scr.), was decidedly, the best; Seal'got. a .31 at 500 yds., and so did Sefgbanjts Tinney and Sneddon; Sergt. Fellingham secured 30 at 500 yds., but Collapsed badly at the lohgbr range. Treavor, of the B Class men,, topped the score with 57 (29—28— sor.). ■ -■-..- Wollerman, of the College Rifles, who. has a good leg-in for the company's fine trophy, the "Ranfurly Cup," .was the only.sbrntch nlan oh the list on, Saturday; he came eighth with 47 (23-22-2); Sergt. J. R.'Cowles headed the list with 58 (29-24—5),- taking the officers' trophy,: while Corp. Cimiho.a point behind, 57 (31—21 —5), \ and Pte. Morris, 56 (22—2G—8),- were, awarded cash prizes. The College boys had a nice little "smoker"; on Friday evening-: last, the guest of the. evoning being_ Staff-Sergt.- ■ Major Colclough, of 'the Nelson District Staff, who not long; ago regularly invested the Wellington Drill Hall with: his once-inspiring presence, and stentorian tones. The genial Sergt.Major, known tohis admirers.as "Coke," was Moated to a most enjoyable evening among the College Rifles, and songs and other items were interspersed'with speeches. I. have to thank the company for its very kindly invitation to. be present, and had it hot been for an aching molar I would most certainly have been there. By the way, I noticed in the'eompany's orderlyroom at the Garrison Hall the other evening, a copy of a-letter which had been addressed to the men of H.M.S. Encounter in token of the j company's sympathy with the marines in the ' loss of their unfortunate shipmates in the recent Collision at Sydney. The men of ;tho Encounter were associated with tho volu?teers at the Palmerston Military Tournament; and inade many friends in tho Wellington Garrison. This spontaneous expression of sympathy on the part of one of our corps shows a. very fine spirit. - The only representative of the P. and T.s on tho range was Pre.-Cower, whose score n't 500 and GOO yards' ranges was G3 (33—30). The rest of the company hid arranged: for' some 'field tactics nt Miramnr, but it was.decided at the last moment to postpone the event. Shooting seems to have been the only sport which was not affected by. (ho weather. What terrible "frothers" these' marksmen are! By the way, I omitted to mention Sergt. Gilbert's score of the previous Saturdnv, nn omission, the cause of which—the sergeant's modesty or. my forgetfillness—is not very clear to my mind at this date. However, justice is nono tho' less sweet for being a week late. Tho P. and T.'s fired a ten-shot match jit 800 yards, and Sergt. Gilbert's score was 7 (2—2—3). It.was a very windy, fisht.iily, and trying day for everyone, it will be remembered.

The "Cities" did fairly well, considering, although the. 600 yards range cut them about rather badly. At 500 yards, 32 -points each were secured by Ptes. Hannan and Dodd; 31 by Ptes. Price and A. J.- Jackson, and 30 bv Ptcs. Eeasey, Nicass, and Wcstwood. At GOO yards the best was Given, tine of tho scratch men; who only made 24 at COO ynrdß. ' Lieut, Chappie headed the Engineers with

58 (30-28-0), followed by the othertwo'sofatch men, Sergt.-Major Homer and Sapper Rogers, with 50 and 55 respectively. The best range scores were 32 at 500 yards, by Rogers, and 29 (it the longer ranger by Homer. With one long-range, match, at 800 and- 000 yards, to -go, tho. position of the company aggregates to date is as follows:— ' 1. Sapper Rogers ... ' '... ... ' ... 391 : : 2. Scrgt. Mitchell ... ... ■ ...'/... .388 3. Corp. Rndclilfo ...... „. 349 i. Sergt. Barker ...' ... ... ... 345 •■ 5. Lieut. Chappie ...... .;. • ...;;3i5 •■ The Karori riflemen engaged the targets, at 200 and GOO yards on Saturday,\and put', up some very • good shooting, under the ' circumstances. The best effort was a 3-i at 200 yards by Rifleman Harris. Riflemen consider the 200 yards range to be, in some respects, one of the most difficult to do at all well at. '( SIS- BULLS AND AN INNER,,"' .

■ Rifleman Harris, Karori Rifle Club, seven.-' shots at 200 yards. . • Good shooting at 200 yards was also done by Rabe, Burns, Tarr (33 each), M'Laren and G. P. Brown (32 each), andLewer, 31.'; At 000 yards, the quality of the shooting became much' inferior, 2D (Rifleman Lewer) being the best,; end 3—but let Us pass on to the'next business. Mr. Owen Daley has kindly presented the club with a couple-of handsome trophies-ra:silver-jug, and a clock—for. competition. The,jug is to be awarded to tho best aggregate scorer in' all matches-at 200, 500, and 600 yards,: and-the clock, for the highest score at all ranges,, as from Saturday, January 9. At the end of the second Berics of- matches, tho various aggregatecompetitions stood thus:—. •-.:■• -•;.', Kolaporo aggregate and: Johnstone Cup:— ■• Rifleman J. Burns ..." ... ... „. 331 Rifleman J. Rabe ... ... ... ; ... -327 Rifleman.C. Hodder .... ... ... v.." 325 Rifleman W. Harris ... . .....:... ■:■: ... -323 Rifleman W. Judd .... ....:... .... 323 Rifleman G. Halliday - ...• >...'...-:321-i Club championship:— /.. . ' i'' v;.'. Rifleman. A. France...: ~.;... '-•;..: 337 ' Rifleman G. Halliday•". ....... : „. 334-- , Rifleman W. Harris .'„ -' .... .... ■'-'~'; 333- ■. Rifleman;C..Hodder'... '. ... .:.':. '...i.330 : Long rangei aggregate .(800, ; | ; 900,-''and *ioi yards):—. •■ , Rifleman,G. Halliday .'. ... ... '■'. ......liigRifleman A. France'... ' : ... ; "".... ....:13D-, Adding the scores of last Saturday, the; asjgre gates are:— •>.- -■ . -•,..',.. .■'..■ i:-.: ■ .. Kolapore .and Johnstone' Cup:— ■''■■■' ;"■;. •••"_■..• Rifleman' J. 'Burns ,".'..'.'.'=•''■.:.'".'". - : ";..; : "" v:'.'."'"S9l "r ■Rifleman -. J. Rabe ... v ~v ...' '„•. 3gs'\ -Rifleman W. Harris.... ; ... "'....' •"..'...352;'' Rifleman C. Hodder ..." ■.'.;. : ..;. ..; • 381'. . .Handicap aggregate:—";.';•:. ..""■;;'..,-j '■'';'■. ~7i ; . Rifleman. V., Moore'..'..'"'. .... ... '.".„.-.356--'"' Rifleman Wi Maisey... ;,-.-..- .... ...... 352 Rifleman. G. Chapman . : - ;...' : ..."'-. .\,. " 380 '-'''■■ /Rifleman A.' W. : Kemp".' ...;",.'.';..'■'';;.-;.; .'379."- : .-; -Club championship:— :.;..•:.':.-. .' i ( ' . -Rifleman. W. Harris Uv ? '■"'... '■ '.:. ';.;392' : ' Rifleman G. ; Halliday :-:'!.;'. -...,'...:.391"-.' Rifleman A; France „.-•-, ....'-,..'- ..]'■• 3SO Rifleman J.'Rabe ...-' .„ ~..-:-.].' 38" : ' RifltmanC. Hodder ..;-■.;'......-■ ... ... 3SGy The Zoalandia;Rifles, jjnder. .Capt. Corri?im,' went into camp at the range on Saturday with the, object of. completing, their service class firing and doing- some field .work. ■■' They.ari expected to return this-morning. Ardent shootists who wish to spend Ahnivcri sary Day on the Trentham, range at their favonrito sport will please note that ;they; 'may travel to.Trentham : that. day by a train will'-. loaves Wellington at 9.9■'a.m., and return bv' a tram leaving Trenthahi at 4.1S pim. ''On'thefollowing day (Saturday), 'the'' ordinary - train' outwards will be'scheduled, but on the-retiirn journey the .train will leave •■Trentham ten kin--, utos earlier than usual—lnstead ,of;Gp:in,!'the : time of departure .will bo 5.50 .p'.in'V ■ i .' ;i ■