ON SERVICE SHOOTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 761, 9 March 1910, Page 8

ON SERVICE SHOOTING.

'» YESTERDAY'S MATCHES. -• Say. the ".Musketry." Regulations-Chap ' fer. ' VIII, page .145—ontlie" subject of »rmy rifle competitions:—" .i. 1 "All rifle . bnqotuigs; .or competitions, towards which assistance'is given directly or indirectly from'- public funds, will be conducted .in' ?cc'ordajice, with the spirit, and/training methods' of these regulations. A rifle meeting should be'- ; so orgainised as to mould and 'develop mili-. tiiry. opinions in regard to the methods, of suited to/modern ;'re-: quirements.' V' J'. '. .' The .attainment, of a good average standard, of proficiency'by; a.large "men. is infinitelyimpre" important than phenomenal .skill-'.diavel-'. oped by. 'a. feu' .champions' in; exoess-bf any previously«:recorded by competitors" who confine' their: practice; to one'-form of shooting.V .Jlt is by. the stand-. ard<-of -'skilly in• displayed '.b'y ; ; the younger -competitors, as a : whole, and-' the proficiency/of; five .; leaders i! in five directions, ; that-, the success,of a rifle.' " meeting shouldilier-' judged. V;.i: .>Te'am'; competitions at'- unknown: ranges;;.are ithe most practical af/all-'forms.'.ofiishopting,'.' but", may lead .to waste,iof■ ammunition: iunless mistakes!! in fire , direction'- are'; noted anid /penalised' before.' fire' is opened/ , Bull's-eye targets / should, • 'rule/ be.'. . used . in. elementary- c6mpetiti6ns'''bnly,i for.'young . sqldiers ;.in -the-, firstyear.; .of. , service,' but individual .competitions"vatlong range, when /.conducted,; as' sight-, ing competitions at "several'.-.'ranges,. .fire being limited to. about '-three .'"shots at eachrange, affords "a satisfactory /trial of the' ability, .of. officers and. non-com-missioned-officers ,to - estimate the .' influence of the atmosphere,' and callrfor a thorough .knowledge .'of :th'e,.rifls.-.' Consideration of-scoring "should ;not be;; alloived; tb -' influence' unduly; .'the . design: of - 'targets'; service" visibility ! . is" "th?: first ■ consideration, figures or, bands are -prfr ferable- to discs.- .-Scoring-, rings .-should be invisible and neutral colours should be adopted. . . , ■ Programmes should embrace, as far. as. possible,' allments of : musketry training ; specialising in any one-kind of -shootingy should be discouraged. - . V ; . The value, of ; steady, : accurate shooting should ■ be 1 kept in -view.as'the foundation 'of .skill' with-the'rifie;" but the paramount importance of 'time In milita'l7.'shooting .must-, not b'e ; overlooked ' iii ' formulating 'conditions . for- ,r a championship. In'slow shooting the best military 'shot is".-probably''the'-man''who,' ip/.',skirmishing,-first applies an' effectve shot- to "a" 'service target at' uiaknown range; in rapid-.firiiig,'however, :the-;sight-. ing to ' be used would, very,., often ' be given-:to v tlie. sbldier- on service,; and- a hig|i.:rate of fire, combined;,with reason-: able-' acciiracy,v : would be expected ' from luin." ■- • . - :