RIFLE SHOOTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 772, 22 March 1910, Page 9

RIFLE SHOOTING.

THE PETONE CITJB. Tho Petono Rifle Club concluded its second aggregate competition on Saturday last, the conditions being 20 shots at 600 yds. Results:- ' A Class. COO „.. . yds. H'p. T'l. ■Kifleraan Spencer 86 1 87 luflomaji Hendurson 79 7 80 Hi enian. Clout 80 5 85 iuileratui B. .Bird 78 G 8-1 Cant. Boss 82 0 82 Kmeman C. Bird 75 5 80 Kifleman It'lachlan 73 0 73 Rifleman Knight , 63 10 73 Itifleman Ingram 69 3 72 B Class. ■ . •Rifleman M'llyride 86 0 80 Ki oman Pleming 81 1 8" itifleman Maud 77 3 SO Rifleman Allen' ' 67 10 77 Rifleman Cook 72 4 76 Rifleman Caldivell 7-1 0 74 Rifleman Ayson ....;. 71 3 74 Kitleman Coulter 61 6 67 •Legs-in for trophies. The following arc the highest scores 1,1 ™ stcon<l aggrewte;—A Class: Spencer, 3B1; Captain Ross, SU; Clout, 342; M Lachlan, 331. . B Class: Maud, "330; M J'"ide 329; Cook, 301; Coulter, 292. „ Ihe following will represent the club ma match against Upper Hutt Club nest ■Saturday :-ltoss,. M'Laohlan, Ballinqer,. C. Bird, B. Bird, Spencer, Pitcher, Henderson, Clout, and Ingrain. On April 2 a new aggregate competition competition will be commenced. NAVALS: A TEAR'S SHOOTING. I , At ™ l !P ln^r ' .on • Saturday afternoon, the Wellington Navals- concluded their series of competitions for tho company's belt,.medal, and other trophies presented by various citizens, who for years past have taken a keen interest in the welfare of, the company.. A match was fired on Saturday between the married and single .members of the. company for the Robin Shield, which was ram by the single men with'a total of 420 points, the married men scoring 372 points. A match was aJso fired against a team from tho Wellington Gas Company, and resulted in a win for the Wellington Navals by 56 points. The following are the- Tesults seven, shots at 200 and 500 yards:— . ■.' W.N.A.V. ' '■■•■■■ ■ ■ 200 ' 500 .•'■■. yds. yds. T'l. P.O. Bishop ■„...» 30 32 62 Gunner Gibbs ....... „.. 30 31 61 P.O. Calnan 30 28 58 Gunner Boon ........... ... 30 26 ■56 P.O. Williamson 29 26 55 Cunner Croxton ~ 25 28 53 !Gunuer Atkinson ......29 23 '52 Guiiner Martin : ; 25 23 48 Gunner Murphy '.. 2S ■20 48 Day. 26: 20. '46 ;. . '.-.'■■■;■ 282 257. 530 ■ Gas Company. Mr. Butler ; ......... 27 32 59 Ht. . Astin. 30 •28 58 Mr. TJnvin 25 '30 55 Jlr. Churnside..; 24 30 hi' Mr. Evenson ......'.... 23 27 50 Mr.. Street ......: 24 23 .47 Mr. Coombs ...; ..„; 21 22 43 Mr. Whincop ~, 28 17 43 Mr. Shaw .-. !'..'. 24 . 16 ■ 40 Mr. Taylor ;.....; ;..'. 20 u 3.1

'"•: •"■ " . .'. ,-'"■ 24-i 239 .483 The present season lias not been so sucicessful as last year.With .regard to attendance, but the shooting on a whole has'.'improved;.-- Ten matches were fired! for.the belt, the best eight matches to count,- tho highest aggregate scorer in these, eight.being the .winner. The conditions: for the belt'/this year included two matches under service conditions, both of lihiph had to be counted in the aggregate,, and this proved a successful innovation. Theso conditions applied to the'other'classes also. Gunaier Gibbs jwoii , ; the-championship belt and medal, I this .'being his first win. His aggregate J score- ! ..was ; , 550, .this being an improvement on last year's aggregate, which wa/> 503, scored by Gunner' Boon. The eonIditions .more.difficult this year than in ' previous .years.-.. P. 0.. Calnan was runner-up with a total of 524, Gunner Croxton third with 512, G'unn«r 1 , . Jlarton fourth with 509, and Gunner Cribb fifth with 505 points. Gunner Gibbs also wins .the first five-match aggregate in A Class, also a tlvrce "leg-in" Gunner P; Ma.rtin wins the second aggregate in A Class. Gunner Day takes the third aggregate, and Gunner Boon the fourth aggregate in A- Class. P.O. Calnan worn, the/main aggregate in B Class with a total of 524 points. Hβ also won the first five-match aggregate.in B Class—a three "leg-in" trophy. P.O. Howard w.on the second B Class aggregate with 467 points, the. second • five-march; aggregate, and a three "leg-in" trophy. 1 P.O. Bishop carried off the third aggregate with 451 'points. . In C Class Gunner Croxton won tho main aggregate with 512 points, also the second five-match aggregate, and a thTee "leg-in" trophy and special prize. Gunner Cribb .won the .second aggregate with 505 points, also the first five-match aggregate; and a three "leg-in" trophy and special.prize. Gunner Murphy won the third, aggregate with 371 points; P.O. Williamson. the fourth aggregate with 3GB points; Gumner. Miscall the fifth aggregate with 364/ points; and Gunner Miller tlid sixth aggregate with 260 points. Gunner Miller also- wins the Denniston Cup for first year's.shots,,the conditions being the highest score in.three out of tho iast five matches. Gunner Miller's score was 104, Gunner Woods bein«; second with 102.points. Gunner Miscall also wins a.special prizo. The object of the C Class special trophy was to induce the younger shots of the company to take an interest in the shooting, but there has, on' the whole, been only a poor attendance this year, as only three of these trophies lvsre allotted. An attendance of 35 is required to ensure their being presetted. The following is\. a summary of the trophy matches for the/ season :—

'. V A Class. ■■■■■ Company's .belt and medal,. • Gunner Gibbs; Mr. J. Duiican's No. I , trophy, Gunner Gibbs; company's No. 1 trophy, Guimor Gibbs; Mr. E. D. Bell's No. 1 trophy, Gunner P. Martin; Lieut. M'Kellar's No. 1 trophy, Gunner Day; company's No. 1 trophy, P.O. Calnan. :■■ B Class. ■ Company's trophy, P.O. Calnan; Mr. J. Duncan's No. 2 trophy, P.O. Calnan; Hγ. Jenness's trophy, P.O. Howard; Lieut. Watson's trophy, P.O. Bishop; company's trophy, P.O. Howard; company's trophy, P.O. Howard; company's trophy, P.O. Galnan. ;■: . . C Class. Mr. Daliin's trophy, Gunner Croxton; company's trophy, Gunner Croxton; company's trophy, Gunner Croxton; E. W. Mills'e trophy, Gunner Cribb; company's trophy, Gunner Cribb; Sir. Hosie's trophy, Gunner Cribb; AVtllington Woollen Company's trophy, Gunner Murphy; Captain Summerville's trophy, P.O. Williamson; company's trophy, Gunner Miscall; Union Clothing Company's trophy, Gunner Millor; company's special trophy, Gunner Croxton; company's special trophy, Gunner Cribb; company's special trophy, Gunner Miscall; Denniston Cup, Gunner Miller. . Morris Tube Shooting: A Class. '. Aggregate company's trophy, Gunner F. Martin; legs-in company's trophy, Gunner r. Martin. , ■ B Class. Aggregate company's trophy, P.O? Calnan ; legs-in company's trophy, P.O Calnan. . • C Class.. Aggregate company's trophy, Guiinor Murphy; lcgs-m conipany's trophy, Gunner Murphy; legs-in company's trophy Gunner, Miscall. THE HISTORY OV A BELT. The Wellington. Navats' champion belt won this year by Gunner Gibbs has been competed for for twenty-eight years Captain Charles Johnston presented it for competition in 1831. Until 1893 it was fired for twice' n year; since then the competitions have been annual, the winner holding the belt for twelve months. It can never bo won outrHit but each year the winner receives a goldmedal in token of his having secured the trophy. A silver.plato bearing the name of tho successful competitors, together with the dato of his win and his Bcoro

is riveted to the belt each time it is won. As thero are now 42 plates there is very little of the leather portion of tho trophy to ba seen, and tho belt is insured for £75. It is the oldest belt in tho Wellington district, if not in the Dominion. Tho first winner was P.O. France, whose- score was 73 points. Five years later he was again successful. Seaman A. Dixon was the second successful competitor, winning the belt in August, 1881. Band-Sergeant H. Dixon had his namo inscribed on tho trophy in June, 1882, nnd, two years later, another plato bearing his namo was added. Seaman J. Jtabe, now of the Karori Kille Club, and ex-C.P.O. to the company, scored his first win in June, ISBS. 'ion years afterwards, April, 1895, Babe, who had since risen to P.O. rank, again had his name placed on the belt. Seaman C. France was tho winner in June, 1833. Seaman G. Howe, known in shooting circles as Bandsman Howe, had his name engraved on tho belt in December, 1863, anil P.O. W. T. levers won the trophy in December, 188-i. W. Harris, who was C.P.O. until three years ago, and now of tho Karori Eiile Club, carried off the honour six times. His first win was in December, 18S3, and four years later, when ho had risen to the rank of P. 0., he was again successful. Another four years elapsed (December, 1893) before he registered his third win. In the following June another plate Waring Ms name was affixed. After these two successive wins, Harris was not heard of as a champion.for nino years. He won the belt in 1903 and again in

The next winner was H. T. Williams, whose name is inscribed on the belt no fewer than tea times. He and Harris and Boon are the most successful competitors. A; AVilliams's first win was in December, 1886, and he again won twelve months later. In June, 1888, another win was; placed to ' his credit, and in December he was again successful. Two years later- (December, 1890, during which time he had risen to P. 0.) he once more gained possession o'f the belt, and, in the following June, another plate was fixed to the trophy. Ho won the belt threo times in succession, from June, 1890, to June, 1893. Five years passed, and, in the interval, Williams became C.P.0., the ISSIS win being his last. -■•-.,■ P-O. Meek had his name inscribed in 188b, C.P.O. Armstrong was winner in May, ISB7, P.O. Taylor in' June, 1889, aeaman Balcomb& in June, 1890, Seaman Stitt in December, 1891, Gunner Bulford in 1896, nnd (as P. 0.) in 1901, P.O. Fredrick in May, 1897, P.O. (now C.P 0 ) Martin in 1900, P.O. Ross in 1902 and 1901, cx-C.P.O. Harris in 1905 and 190G, Gunner H. Boon in 1907 and 1908 and 19D9, and Gunner Gibbs this year, with the largest total of any winner since the belt has been, competed for.