RIFLE SHOOTING

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 148, 10 March 1923, Page 17

RIFLE SHOOTING

Mr. Ernest H. Robinson in “The! Field” has been relating some yery .in-s teresting details of tho last international matches held at Milan. Here are some items that will interest local shootists: — p ; . ■»

“The firing point of the Milan range, like those of most Continental is covered in with a substantal ,XQQA» To each target is allotted a booth; something like a sheep pen in any. or our local markets. In this pen ;is ..a table on which are mattress covered with some rather shiny sacking material and a small pillow. The pillow may bo used for the elbow, or for the knee in the kneeling position. For- - -thei kneeling position half of the table-is turned back, disclosing another ' .and lower table. For standing this second table is also turned back, and tho thankful shooter finds himself on solid earth at last. The tables are placed in a straight line with the targets, and. are very uncomfortable to use by those who slioot prone in the spreadrout, fortv-five degrees position. “On the Milan range there are sixty*: seven targets, ’lhe noise of sixty-sevem rifles all being fired more or less ■ to-., gether, and the chatter of well over,.*: thousand excited shooters all under one' roof was, on occasions, terrific. 6 s!

“The United States team camq;pro„vided with rifles specially made for the; match by their Ordnance Board. Thev were the Springfield action fitted ; wjtfi a very heavy barrel and stocked,,.-,m what may bo called a “semi-Schutzen’’ ■ style. The ammunition had the bISQ grain streamline bullet which has done; much good work in the States. Every-; one of the team used a hooded ring foresight like those made familiar in this country bv the miniature expert, and a very' well made and solidly constructed peep-hole backsight placed at the rear of the action in very much the same position as that in which, we fix our U.S.A, sights for Bisley shoot* nig. • . “The Italian, in all his target shooting, uses open sights. He makes-'al-lowanco for wind and sighting differences in a lateral direction, by screw--nig his foresight to one side or the other with a small wrench which- ha carries in his shooting ease. |~He tyould get on fine with Trentham fishtails.— “Aperture.] Differences in elevation between standard and reduced charge ammunition is compensated for by usiiif£ a different backsight, there heing no means for fine elevation adjustment on their rifle. One man I saw had about fifteen different backsights in his bag. “Ten days spent on the range at Milan convinced me that though tare gets and firing points and methods' and rifles may differ widely, tho rifle-shot all over the world is at heart the same. He is a good fellow and keen, and lio is ready with three or four old and well-worn, but perfectly good, excuses for every shot that did nob score full marks.”