RIFLE SHOOTING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 133, 3 December 1906, Page 2

RIFLE SHOOTING.

SATURDAY'S DOINGS AT'TRENTHAM There was a big muster of marksmen-, ■ at Trentham last Saturday afternoon, thov occasion being- tho first of the three competitions to be fired monthly by teams often (representing the several companies of the Wellington Garrison) to decide possession of the senior and junior shields provided by the Wellington Volunteer ..Rifle Association. There were five '■teams entered for the senior shield competition and eight for the junior. Although the weather conditions were decidedly tricky there was some very fair shooting done, and the struggle between the three leading teams (Post and Telegraph Rifles, W^pigton Guards and Wellington Highlanders) was keen and close throughout the three ranges. The final score established a> slight lead for the P. and T.s — a. result upon which they deserve to be congratulated, for the improved markmanibip that achieved it is unquestionably the fruit of persistent and painstaking practice daring the current and past seasons. The Highland Rifles, another corps whose shooting has been on an up-grade in recent years, finished close up to the crack Guardsmen, ■whose* doings of late have been just a trifle below par. The beet individual score of the day was got by a Highlander — Private M'Lean — who put on 91 in a possible 105. In the junior competition the Engineers established a good lead from their nearest opponents*. The Heretaunga. Mounted Rides, which corps filled lowest place in last year'e shooting for the shield, moved up a couple of places on Saturday, an, improvement which entitles them to congratulation. Saturday's shooting was done at 200, 600 and 600 yards. There was a rather dull light, with a wind that cavorted from two degrees left to five or six degrees right, and occasionally blew gustily towards the targets with a "dead in" tendency. At 200 yds tho necessary allowances were more easily estimated, and some of the competitors made within a point or two of the possible, but when the back country was reached the falling away in averages was very noticeable. 'l"ne range officers for the day wore Captain Turner and Lieutenant. Hutchen, of the College Rifles, and patronage was lent to the occasion by Lkut.-Colonel Collins (the chief of the Range Committee), Officer Commanding the Wellington Rifle Battalion. - Two of the companies not participating in the shield competition (D Battery and tho Karori Rifle Club) fired competitions at 900 and 1000 yards. Here the wind made accurate [shooting highly scientific, for tho necessary allowances ranged from dead-in to ten right, with very occasional left gusts. There were a couple of good range scores made by Riflemen Halliday and Randell, but the two-range totals in all instances ranged from only fair to most deplorable. Tho necessity for mending th* telephones, to which attention was drawn in last Monday's Evening Post, had been attended to in part, and on the Sonuneryille and Collins ranges the machines acted admirably. That on the Seddon range; however, was still afflicted with "contact in earth" or some other mysterious ailment. Detailsof the day's shooting aro appended: — SENIOR SHIELD.

The College Rifle 6 and Kelburne Rifles also competed. HIGHLAND RIFLES. The No. 2 competition of the Wellington Highland Rifles was fired on Saturday for trophies presented by the Rev. Major Shirer (chaplain of the company), Captain Macintosh, and Lieut. M'Diarmid. LanceCorporal Marsden won the first prize, with an aggregate of 172 points (including 21 points handicap); Private M'lver 170 points (including 9 points handicap) gained second prize ; and third prize went to Sergeant Gardiner, 162 points (including 22- points handicap). Following are details, of Saturday's shooting : —

The above scores off tho rifle count for the company's championship bolt.

PETONE RIFLE CLUB. • The Petone Rifle Club fired, at Waiwetu, seven shots at 200, 500 and 600 yards, for trophies presented to A class by Messis. Hunt and O. Daley, and to B." class by Messrs. A. Coke, G. A. Chapman, and W. H. Cook. B. O. Bartlett (a B cla.Js man) was tho highest scorer with 92. The following were the highest scores in each class: —

i'UBX AUD TKLJJORAPII BlFbUiB. (No. 2 Courpjiny.) 200 500 600 Tl. Private Gillies ... 30 27 22 —79 Lieutenant Huitou ... 26 25 22 —73 l'rlvnto D. Smith ... 28 19 23 —70 Jftirato Go* „.- 30 22 18..r%^0

ZUALANDIA RIFLES. 200 500 600 Tl. Lancc-Coip. Barchnni 28 30 1 26 — 84 Lieutenant Page ... 26 22 26 —73 tfevgeaut Frtmdi ... 27 2.5 17 —67 Privato Eggteetone ... 26 20 20 — '66 ■Sergeant ticliulenburg 18 22 23 — 63 Sergeant IJugo ... 27 18 16 —61 C.-Sargt. Budk«nb«rg 26 18 16 —60 Corporal BeHamore ... 20 17 20 — 57 Privato Ctopshftv ... 15 19 17 —51 Sergeant Astill ... 19 13 12 —44 Grand total 626

JUNIOR SHIELD. \ WEI<LINGTON ENGINEERS. " 200 500 600 Tl. Sapper Mitchell ... 29 28 28 —85 Sergeant Gibbs ... 28 23 23 —74 Sapper Double ... 30 24 20 —74 Sapper Voseollor ... 25 18 25 —68 Seigt. -Major Homer ... 27 26 15 —68 Corporal Piercey ... 25 22 20 —67 Sapper Elvines ... 23 27 17 —67 Sapper Leonard ... 21 26 18 —65 Q.M.S. Mndelay ... 32 21 10 — 63 Sapper Sims 14 15 15 —44 Grand totel 675

J. nil; xjjuvj. Sergeant Carter Captain Hobbs Sergeant Baker Corporal Hollard Lieutenant Hollard ... Corporal Frampton ... Sergeant Good Private Jackson Private Knight, Lance-Corp. Smith ... 200 500 600 Tl. 26 31 27 — 84 29 30 25 — 84 34 29 20 — 83 30 28 21 — 79 32 18 26 — 76 27 26 19 — 72 22 23 23 —68 21 19 26 —66 23 14 17 —54 23 9 10 —42 Grand total 708

\JXJI A A\AA' AJ-UtO. 200 500 600 Tl. Private Jackson, junr. 3i 25 27 —83 Private Feasey ... 26 27 27 —80 Private Brcker • ... 31 30 18 —79 Private A. J. Jackson 28 24 26 — 78 Private Pitcher ... 28 26 24 —78 Pvt. Jackson, senr ... 3? 23 22 —76 Private Calnon ... '31 23 16 —70 Col.-Sergt. Davis ... 25 23 20 —68 Corporal Chandler ... 17 24 22 —63 Privato M'Whirter ... 19 17 "16 — 52 Grand total 727

200 500 600 Tl. Private S. F. M'Lean 31 33 27 —91 Ccl.-Sergt. M'Donald 25 24 31 —80 Private Pate 29 28 22 ~ 79 Lance.-Corp. iXlarsden 23 27 25 — 75 Private M'lwr ... 29 24 21 —74 Sergeant Gardiner ... 30 24 20 —74 Corporal Conibear ... 30 28 15 —73 Lance-Sergt. Kninard 19 27 18 — 64 Sergeant MT&llan ... 28 22 11 —61 Lieutenant M'Diannid 1 23 15 21 —59 Grand-total 730'

WELLINGTON GUARDS. (No. 1 Company). 200 500 600. Tl. Private C. Guy ... 30 26 26 —82 Sorgefint Tiiiney ... 30 20 24 —82 Private Smart . ... 28 29 24 — 81 Sergeant JJolland '. ... 30 Z8 23 —81 Private Richards ' ... 31 27 23 — 81 Lieutenant Smitlx ... 30 24 24 —78 Private Gallichan ... 28 24 21 —73 Lance-Corp. Sneddon- 27 28 17 —72 Private Aamodt ... 31 20 14 —65 Private Dowman ... 23 18 23 —64 Grand total 759

POST AND TELEGTtAPS RIFLES. (No. 1 Team.) 200 500 600 Tl. Private Jones ... 29 27 21 — 77 Private Smith ...^ 33 26 26 — 85 Private Williamson.-... 34 26 23 —83 Col.-Sergt. Roach© ... 24 24 20 —68 Lieut. Collins ... 26 28 21 — 75 Private Bolton ... 24 27 23 —74 Sergeant Wakelin ... 29 26 26 —81 Corporal Churches ... 27 25 18 — 70 Private' JFLachlan ... 30 20 28 —78 Corporal Withers . ... 23 30 19 —72 Grand Total 763

A Class. 200 500 600 Tl. A Ballinger* ... 29 32 28 —89 J. Roberts* 30 32 26 — 88 W. Pringlo 31 32 25 — 88 W H. Thomas ... 29 30 28 —87 G. Hawthorn . „. 31 31 25 —87 W. Ballinger ... 31 32 21 —84 0. Trevethick ... 27 29 25 —81 B Class. 200 500 600 Hdp. Tl B. 0. Bortlett* ... 31 31 30 sc —92 C. Morris* ... 25 31 23 6— 85 F. J. Rowden*... 23 25 22 15 —85 W. Edlin ... 28 31 25 sc — 84 W. H. Cook ... 29 27 18 10 —84 E. Johnson ... 20 25 24 14 —83 H. Trevethick ... 29 24 21 7— 81 G. A. Jenness ... 27 23 22 9— 81 W. Maud ... 22 21 22 16 — 81 G. Pringle ... 26 26 26 2— 80 * Secure "legs-in."

U UAll£il\l a A &}ven-sh.ots per range match was firec at 900 and 1000 yarde by D Battery, Resuhs : — 900 1000 Tl. Q.M.B. King 22 16 —3£ Driver Baker 22 8 — 3C Bombardier Wickens ... 18 11 —1i Gunner Plimmer ... 21 6 — 22 r t

~- Junior Class. The- juniors fired at Polhill Gully, but tho competition was not finished owing- to 1 several junior 'shots being detailed for shield scoring duties at Trentham. Private Tate ... 29 28 be — 57 Private T. Jaffray .A 27 29 sc —56 Private Boyd \24 22 ec — 46 Private H. Caldwell... \26 19 sc —45 Private Farqukar ... 1 19 17 sc —36 Private Scott ... '21 13 sc —34

Senior Class. 200 500 Hdp. Tl Pvt. S. F. M*Lean ... 31 33 so —6' Corp. W. Conibear... 30 28 5— 61 Sergt. J. Gardiner ... 30 24 8— 65 Sergt. D. M'Millan... 28 22 10 —6( Lanc-Sergt. Barnard... 19 27 12 —S< Lance-Corp. Marsden 23 27 7— 5' Private W. M'lver ... 29 24 bo —5c Col.-Sergt. M'Donald 25 24 ec —4£ Lieut. MocDiarmid ... 23 15 oc —3£

HERETAUNGA MOUNTED RIFLES. 200 500 600 Tl. Private Millett ... 20 25 22-^- 67 Private Tracy ... 26 22 18 —66 Sergeant Dement ... 18 22 14 —54 Sergeant M'Oarrison 24 16 14 —54 Sergeant Fitchett ... 19 16 18 —53 Private Harrington ... 19 5 24—48 Captain Samuels ... 18 7 23 —48 Q.M.S. Brandon ... 17 20 4— 41 Privato Dixon ... 16 15 9— 40 Private Mason ... 15 2 2— 19 Grand total 490

WELLINGTON GUARDS. (No. 2 Company.) 200 500«600 Tl. Private B. D. Smith... 27 30 21 — 78 Privates. Guy ... 25 18 28 — 71 Private Fellin'gham ... 22 19 24 —65 Private Tinney ... 21 22 18 — 61 Private Wood ... 17 22 19 —58 Private Granger ... 26 23 6— 55 Private Hamilton ... 22 19 13 — 54 Private Newton ... 20 18 15 —53 Private. Paterson ... 14 19 19 —52 Col.-Sergt. Bould „. 22 23 3— 48 Grand total 595

Private White Sergeant Milne • Corporal Eagles Private M'Curdy ' Private Harrbs ,-Corporul Clouston 25 23 24 16 23 24 18 23 20 19 15 15 16 — 64 22 — 62 13 — 60 17 — 58 11 — 50 8 — 38 Grand total ... 624