DEFENCE MATTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 52, 2 March 1908, Page 2

DEFENCE MATTERS.

o N.Z. RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP. RECORD ENTRIES. RADICAL ALTERATIONS NEXT YEAR. Next Thursday, at Trantham, will be commenced the annual meeting of the New Zealand Defence Forces Rifle Association, when the championship nf Tae colony for 1908 will bo determined. Some 450 entries have been received already, and it is anticipated that late and post entries will bring the total to close on 500. THE OPENING DAY. Tho meeting will begin on the morning of Thursday, sth March. The men will parade at 9 a.m., and by 10 a.m. shooting should bo in full progress. The opening event will bo tb ) two matches for volunteers and rifle clubs members respectively, which will not be counted for the championship competition. This will give all competitors a good chance to "get their eyes in," and the change is likely to prove popular. Last year, all the firing from the time of the first shot was reckoned in for the championship. The opening match, of the meeting will be at 200, 600, and 800 yards, and it is hoped to fire the first two ranges by dinner time. The first range of tho Auckland Match will be taken when the initial ma-tchs are finished, and on Friday it will be concluded. Then tho 600 yards range of the Otiigo Match -will be gone> on with, , followed by a Rapid Firing Match (No. 8). Saturday will be r< comparatively easy day. The Otago Match will be finished in the morning (800 yards) ; the Nelson Match will be started ; and another Rapid Firing Match will be got off in tho afternoon. On. Monday morning tho Nelson Match will be finished, on 'the long range ; the Wellington Match will be fired at 500 •and 600 yards; and the first range of the Canterbury Match will be got off — a heavy day's work." On Tuesday morning the Canterbury Match will be finished, at 1000 yards, and the Snap-shooting and Extra Matches will be fired. The afternoon will bo available for the teams matches (Nos. 15 to 19). On the morning of Wednesday the champion, company teams' match will be fired at 200, 500, and 600 yards, and the afternoon will -be marked by the final stage of the individual championsliip contests. This will consist of ten shots per man at 1000 yards — five shots iese than last year's total — and only the fifty highest scorers in the aggregate of the five championship matches will be eligible for the final match. A special train will be run out from Wellington to give the public a chance, to s&e .the deciding event. Such is tho order of events drawn up by Colonol Collins, and unless the weather proves unkind the programme shpald work out as arranged, and the meeting be got through in a week from its commencement. THE DISTRICT ENTRIES. Up to the present time, the entries from tho various refence districts stand as foll*vs : — Auckland 35, Otago 50, Canterbury 60, Nelson, Westland and Marlborough 20, Wanganui and New Plymouth 50, Napier 30, Wellington and sub-districts 200. This gives a total of 445 to date. Arr.uigements have been made for the Auckland men to travel down by tho Main Trunk line, and a satisfactory result of this is to' be seen in the increased entry evoked this year, from the northern district. SHOOTING AND MARKING , ARRANGEMENTS. Captain Forster, of Christchurch, is now on the range at Trentham, .superintending the official preparations for the meeting, and d large detachment, of the Permanent Forces went out this morning to pitch the camp. They will remain in camp to do the marking, and judging by the satisfaction given by the Permanent men in the past competitions are likely to welcome '.he decision to have this year's marking done entirely by the Permanent fprces. Two ranges will be kept constantly manned with markers during shooting hours, and in addition there will be a sufficient number of markers available to keep the practice targets and running-man range always ready for marksmen. Long-distance firing on the Seddon range- may be indulged in each day, for there will always ba at least one spare target available for marksmen not otherv/ise engaged. ■Most of the range officers this year have filled similar posts at previous championship meetings, so everything should go smoothly on tho range. "WIND POINTERS." Sparring for wind i 3 a common resource of pugilists in a difficulty, and the practice is quito proper there; but the marksman who wastes time, so that the wind may moderate, or increase to an expected speed, is not popular. No one recognises this moro than the association executive does, and a determined endeavour will be inado to circumvent tho practice this year. It will be introduced in the first two matches, and it will consist in making each competitor fire by himself, on one target, and get his shots off in a given time. Ample lime is to be given for legitimate marksmanship. Tho allowances are to be as follows :—: — Seven Shot Matches. 200 yards or 500 yards, eight minutes, 600 yards, nine minuteu. 800 yards or 900 yards, ten minutes. 1000 yards, twelve minutes. Ten Shot Matches 500 or 600 yards, twelve minutes. 800 or 900 yards, fourteen minutes. 1000 yards, fifteen minutes. REDUCED AREAS ON TARGETS. Tho reduced measurements of bullY eyes, etc., which aw in vogue at Bisley, will bo introduced for the tirsfr limo at New Zealand championship meetings on thin occasion. This change has been mado because of the improved quality of the shooting. Once (years agp) there was a foot of bull's-eyo at the 200 yards range, but it came down successively to eight and sevon inches diameter, and theTe is now a further reduction. At 200 yards the areas of tho present bull's-eye looks large, but this is due to tho fact that six incheu of tho "inner" area is of the Hivmo colour «s the bull'»-eyo. A> thin whito line, invisible to the marksman from tho firing mounds, divide*) the bull'seye from tho outside black. Tho amended measurements am: IJnU's-oyc, nix inches; inner, fifteen inchos : lnngpic, twenty-four iiu-hoa ; outer, remainder of target. For this your the (argots remain squaro, but- thore is ii probability that in future tboy will havo rounded corners, Ihiia* making f wilier rmluclion in tho Mcoiinir urcu. HANUE IMPROVEMENTS. Kiifh of Uie diroo ranges in to bo manned with 26 targets for actual competitions, but tlicro will bo three exf.ra targets kept for oinorßoncies and practice on ciiuli l'lingu. All' tho long grass has been cut, from tho rnngOi mid a new tofieMhmrnl booth erected. 'Jlio men's diiiinu-room has been nowly floored, and also lined LhiougliouL lulh tungucd and grooved boards, mid the improved conditions Unit have cluiraeteviucd tlio camp life duiing rccciiL yujiM seam likely to bo uguin noticeable. Tim nioctiuK, n« uxiiiil, will be undpr control of Colonol Collins, «s executive officer and camp j commandant. M>.j"j: Hughes will have

charge of uho range officers, Captain Turner will take charge- of tho statistical work, Captain Forster will be jcamp adjutant, and Captain Mabin will superintend the commissariat department. THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT. The Championship Belt to be fired for is the ono* 1 that has been in oiso by this association and its predecessors since. 1875. It was won outright by Rifleman Arthur Balliiiger last year, and has been presented by him to the association. An inscription on tho belt will denote this fact. Tho presence on. the bolt of some thirty silver name platns, whilo adding greatly to its value, had placed tho association in a quandary as to how further names could be added, but thu difficulty has been surmounted by a decision to have all future winners' names engraved on separate plates which will be Jiingcd on to those already in position, and in such a way that each may bo -read without trouble. Thus the belt will do duty for at least another thirty years. IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS. Next year there will be important innovations made. at the championship meeting, to give some effect to the recent decision of the British Army Council that more matches approaching to actual service conditions are to be put on the Bisley championship programme. New Zealand has always been guided to a large extent by Bisley practice, and it is the intention of the New Zealand Council of Defence to have more service matches included in next year's programme than there are in the present one. There is no intention to do away with shooting at the fixed targets, but with a view to facilitating the holding of more service matches the Seddon Range (now used wholly for long-range shooting) will have mounds formed at various distances, and other steps take-n to make it useful for matches such as those which the council have in contemplation. The change, like all changes, is arousing somo tinfavburable comment amongst those who are used to the old conditions and satisfied with then) , but it will probably work out that the best shots under present conditions will be the best shots under the new ones. Such, at least, has been the experience in regard to changes made in the past.