TEST OF TESTS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 103, 5 May 1925, Page 8

TEST OF TESTS

SHOOTING IN THE RAIN

LONG-RANGE MATCHES COMMENCEP

POSSIBLES, ■ MISSES, • AN D "• 'CHALLENGES.:

(FROM Oliß SPECIAL RCPOUIBR.)

; . - . TRENTKAMr This Day. ,'V Wiseacres 'who ' have "been .'selecting "winners" of the Ballinger Belt had their ■ calculations -TbYdly upset. this" morning,'

aud when the progress report is issued this • evening . it will probably be found that there''have been, numerous changes

;";'• in"positions,,.,. Yesterday..saw. the com- ■:■■• pletion of the'short-r'ange matches, and _ .. tOrday a-.start .was made- on the.long-.>,.-range matches. . -These are the matches that find marksmen out, especially under „;..conditions which prevail,.,at ...Tr.entham ■■< '"&»» morning.:"". .Heavy rain fell unceas-"■•.'i-Tingiy.all during last night, and although ■■-■" there was-a cessation, early this morning ;„•: heavy, rain began ;to fall .again" shortly 9';o'clack.: ,- Conditions tit' '. the ■':-,' ifincres. are-Ifav.- from, ■pleasant. • • \ There ■ is a lot of water lying about," and rifle-

men waiting their turn.at;the-mound are finding. it, very wet. underfoot. Gum-

„bqots ,and. umbrellas are being used by a .. good number, but even so, : it is difficult '-to-find anythiuglike-a comfortable-posi-tion. Those-on the mounds also have . difficulties with which to contend, and, !.';.. *.^, 1' .^!'' i, tV'r, difficulties are more'"real, as i .fhe!'N.'R.A'.' meeting'is'reaching" that critical stage when pcor .shooting. costs :».,inaa .his chance ;.of winning the historic Ballinger'Belt.-Riflemen who went down first thing'this morning were trou--,bled r by deceptive light and difficulty in '■•"gauging-elevation,- and there was also a i,; ir .drii tin°-,Mfc ali<? ri Sht ■ wind, which - .caused a shot:to.'gb astrayVoccasiorially. ..„ ...-fAC next do'wn,found,an improvement in !!.: ..j-he light, as : the rsky • became- clearer,- but those conditions' prevailed'for- a short" !:'-time only, anil late shooters'over the *"'VBOO yafds"rarigs"hlid 'tlie" riiitv t6",eontL'nd. ..,..V.ith.. ilg>Vil?-..,.,.0nt1ie whole, it was 3 bad day for 'marksmen. ' Performances . of Bolt match leaders are being" closely . . .watched at present. Although some of the leaders did .moderately well-.-this .inorning^sufficien'tly weirtb'k'eep'lnioek-:" ""; ing at (he 'door-^there were bth'efs- who : could do little, and after to-day's shooting it is very probable that'old names will disappear from the fifty; and new ones come into the picture. 1 . . .. •''-.'. > ; This, .morning the Otago,Match: (ten , shots at each, 800 and 900 yards)' isbeing" fired on the. Collins and Seddoir ranges, ■ and ah early visit to the ranges'showed „ that the shootingVwent from brilliant to' moderate, from moderate to indifferent, and from indifferent to very poor; It was not only the. tyros who found the long ranges and the bad weather condi- ■,. tions too much for thorn. : Seasoned '. .-marksmen, who havo earned a high repu- :•-■ tation in the world of shooting,' "crashV ed ■just.asirigloriously'as.soih'e of the „. '.'JT 08-' . . Misses were of frequont occur«nce, and so wore challenges. ."Ranee -■-. .-o™y-e.i:"-W.as_a.irequent. l call,...and-.then the message wns-sent through the wires r :.:lo^ he.ii':irkers: "Examine No.-,so and .so. Almost, invariably the reply came back. . -No, so and so, dear, target," ; and the challenger .had to separate him- ' ■ seir from half-a-crown; After" all. what" „,. js ha.lf-a-crown when the Belt' is ■ at stake'? No matter what the conditions „:' "le > V lere aro always some riflemen who , 'defy the wrath' of .the gods'.and' triumph .. ,pver , the ,clemcnfs., ..Three possibles were reported from the Seddon range - tins morning, -and-there - were -several forty-nines over 800.yards. Of course ' • luck played an important part, and much ■ rr depended on..the time, of; a-rifleman's ,:■: visit.to, the mound. : Between 8.30 and 9 o clock shooting conditions were quite •>-. lair, but-.-betweeu--9- o'clock- and 10 o dock,, when, the.,rcmaininglsFofs' were' '{'Sf:^: BPP yards, they/were quite -■i.i.-fu- .AiV L loufe'liL:'d'sappointed-at the turn : -'tho ; 'wifttheFhas' takeii, riflemen 'are. not ■ -n'. they",'arc accepting the' \ii- ; EV?-.1^ 0",- 1". tlio.true sporting spirit If it , : i:,i'.ain Sj ,it .rains, and.-that is' ail-about it. ;;:: ';•,; JMPossißiiE to;; cabby on. ' ; .:,.«.At lQ;30-o'clock this.morning the rain . ijcrensed to such an extent that it be- ,. came.jmpossibb to, carry on with: the' -and the second-distance of the -yPtago^M^ch (900 yards) was' Shandon* -■ed after the first few marksmen had ;"S t t Qr er -80<? *?**> were some good totals including possibles by W. t" xt-es A" £ Remvick ' and.F. C. Hone of New-Plymouth.- -At the end of y& terday s hoot H fi]]ed t]] J posU,on..iit.ffche.-Kui g" s ; Fifty." ' J c Carter of Linton, A. G. Devore, of At "FTl^ M<NeiU ' of Wain*. F. Clark of Ashburton, D.. Rait, of GisborneTati 49 t]' lAshburto^ each scored ■>i''-l)'Vr A ''f -Wer ° SoVeral 48's- deluding - ' P',, J- Anierson, of Kaituna, who still holds pnde of placo ,„ the Fifty. W a-i.IJ]aer,.who : was .seventh on the hit yesterday,-secured ai 46, and H 1 feJ ; r i«nk, ninth..„„ the, list, deceived" U^ same,total.- E. Ballinger, ll vttone t»:*ho, v »s.S&tth on thc Dli s V ycsteVdav' '■:!'33*^l bV ny> 'doine-'/)0' tcU:«- » ?f' i^'j'ding two misses. W N wHI, 4 f ' t *l™ n ™™SK finished U p If f 45-.j..^0.-'ilret] "i ram, and h'L 7 Clalons°.ftlU- tffies for ' four was 'n •■?■ J;,Guln^' f^" Pelone, who added/IK ?" 1• °" the- ljst -vest"-da i> el?V l:Anan.'pn tho ;lißi, .F. J goler of . had to bo 'satisfied wi ), 1 -■%>*£4^ °y -.^ <* Oreytown was alM> in the lower thirtirs W Tf> his. position with a. 46, and H. HD ' --aid, .who was second, also,got 46 Heavy rain continued-after lflnehedn and it was lound impossible to carry on ■with the shooting. ' The meeting" cannot iiow, close Thursday afternoon at the eacliest,-..and,:it ,is possible that if lurlher bad weather comes along there .well be further extension. ■ '■;'■-■ THE KING'S FIFTY. At the end of the 800 yards in the Otago Matcn, the leading positions in the Amg s Fifty- were as follow:— IX .I. Anderson (Kaituna) 37^ . J.-C. Carter (Linton) "...,- •"■''■'■"'-'"■ v,f, ' 11 II." Donald (Opaki)-". .V"":" V.: 3^° 11. Hunt (Suburbs) ........ .] 353 AY. H. Ballinger (I'etone .;... Z62 ■H. L. .Frank IN.Z.V.S.) .....'.. 361 •H. K. Hiilmshaw (Christchurehj . 3fii \V. N. 'Mase'field (Marlborougb) ..'. 360 .....', t:;'.T.:E«slpn (Akarana) ; 350 ', 1) M'Kenzie(Opaki) ' 35Q -,' • I-*- ■.'&'• "Keir (Ashburton) , ."..'...„ /' 350 f;>. -F,;.C. Hogg (New Plymouth) ....;.. 360 •,/3?,..T. Guiney.(Petone) 359 f.<C. Wbiteman (Bppcr Hutt)- ...... 358 1..-;. J.JZ.. Harris (Linltwater) - ;,..... 358 •'■'-'.r>V.' G."Pcv6Ve"(-flkaranii)' ....:'.".;'.-;; • 358 >-.''-'ljS.-MtX.-ibh^p.Vnnpvirke) •.'.;.■.:,'.■ ■ 357 •?'Ti. R6gii!Vf fiilcn)-"'i.„:.?.. ...'.:::u..:.:.' 357 .■" ;jIC: EoVetl fKenVvJck!''- :;;i^'v,';-;..;;';:'■ 35fi, ~1«. p. Tinup (Kaiapoij ; ■ „.......;.,;;..; -356^ ,; £T-' .Tro.triiaa.-':(GTeytfrwn)" ■'.',':, ■'«■■■-." .'.^ ■■. i 356