RIFLEMAN ABROAD

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 122, 19 November 1929, Page 10

RIFLEMAN ABROAD

SHOOTING AT BISLEY

CAPTAIN MASEFIELD RETURNS

THE KING'S PEIZE

An extended tour with his .303 rifle, not on the trail of big game, but to pit his skill against the crack riflemen of the Empire on the ranges of Australia and England, has just been completed by Captain W. N. Masefield, who landed from the Marama with his wife this morning. Captain Masefield is one of the best-known riflemen in the Dominion, and has figured prominently in the most important rifle" meetings over a period of some twenty years. He won the King's Belt at Trentham as1 far back as 1914, and' was successful a second time in a sensational finish in February of this year, when his remarkable consistency carried him through. His shooting at Trcntham earned him a place in the New Zealand team which participated in the Victorian Rifle Association's big meeting at the end of February. At Melbourne he was placed 37th in the King's agregate and fourth m the Symes's aggregate. The remainder of the team returned to New Zealand at the conclusion of the meeting, but Captain Masefield went to England in time for the big annual meeting at Bisley. THS BISLEY MEETING. ; The meeting commenced on Bth July ' and was -held, in exceedingly hot wea-1 tlicr. It took the New Zealander some time to get used to the conditions, and he was further inconvenienced by being obliged to shoot with the single arm sling after being accustomed to the double arm sling as used on the local ranges. It is probable that now he has mastered the English style that he will persevere with it. Apart from the uncomfortable warmth of the weather said Captain Masefield to a "Post" reporter to-day, the conditions were good, and the meeting was splendidly conducted. The competitors had gathered from all parts of the Empire, and in the course of the meeting Captain Masefield coached a Malay States team, which, under his guidance, gained second place in the Junior Kalapore Match: Mrs. Masefield was scoring for the team, but her husband remarked with a smile that she claimed no credit.for its success. One aspect of the meeting which Captain Masefield commented upon was the fact that at Bisley the entrants for the King's Prize are eliminated by a series of qualifying matches instead of all shooting right through as is done m New Zealand and Australia. He was inclined to favour the colonial method as imposing less of a strain on the riflemen. 'It is uot so bad for the English," he said, "who have the comfort that they will be able to try again next year, but for those who have travelled thousands of miles and have one chance about every ten years, it is a considerable strain." Captain Masefield started off by shooting his way into seventh place m a service match over 300, 500, and 600 yards, the rifle, being used as issued without the sling. He was fourth in the Conan Doyle Match with a score of 66 out of a possible 70 over distances of 200 and GOO yards. In the ClementiSmith Match, over 300, 500, and 600 yards, he tied for first place with a score of 99 out of 105.

Captain Masefield considered that one of his luckiest days was in the qualifier match for those not competing in the Prince of Wales's Match, which is open to holders of N.E.A. medals, It is necessary to put on a score of 33 out of a .possible of 35 over a 200 yards range, and he qualified with 33 by notching bulls with each of his last five shots. THROUGH TO FINAL STAGE. On the first day of the match for the King's Prize Captain Masefield put on 97 over the 200, 500, and GOO yards' ranges. It was necessary for those with a score of 92 to shoot off for 300 th place in order to enter the second stage, which indicates, that the New Zealander passed the first test easily enough. On the second day, with score's of 4(5 over 300 yards, finishing with five bulls, 47 over 500 yards, and 43 over 600 yards, he qualified for the King's Hundred, occupying 66th place. It was in the final stage, 15 shots at each of 900 and 1000 yards, that Masefield put up his best performance, and I in this stage there was only one score better thkn his, that of C.S*M.L, J. M. Barrett, of Liverpool, who scored 71-74 —145. Using the rifle of a fellow competitor alternatively with his. own, Captain Masefield put on 73 at 900 yards— a score which brought him into the limelight. He went down on the hill at 1000 yards, and was somewhat troubled by. gusts of wind from the back. The others were more troubled by the heat, and as they fought to hold their places slowly but surely he picked up the points. He judged the wind to a nicety, and put on bull after bull, although he dropped one point with each of his fourth and ninth shots, and two more with a "magpie" for his tenth. His total for the range was 71; and his aggregate 281, which left'! him three points behind the winner, Lieut.-Colonel Blair, of Canada. His scores for the final stage in detail were: 900 yards—4, 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5—73. 1000 yards—s, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5—71. fie put on the same score as Colonel Blair at 900 yards, and was two better than Lieut. Burke (Canada), who was second to his countryman in the shoot off. At 1000 yards he was two better than Colonel Blair but one less than Lieutenant Burke. Captain Masefield had a very high opinion of the ammunition used at Bisley. It was manufactured at the Government laboratory at the Woolwich arsenal, and was merely the ordinary issue, but was wonderfully accurate. Captain Masefield wound up ,by saying that he had had a wonderful time while he was away, and, with all the other colonials, could not speak too highly of the hospitality of the Englishmen. The North London Rifle Club, which he had eventually joined, had treated him particularly well, and had given him great assistance in his efforts to become accustomed to the English conditions. He stated that he had a splendid trip back and was in in the best of health. He expects to return to Blenheim to-morrow.