OUR RIFLEMEN.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 82, 6 March 1909, Page 4

OUR RIFLEMEN.

ATTHETREiNIHAiVIMiETING BUSY AT BISLEY. RESULTS OF THE SECOND DAY'S SHOOTING. A TYRO WINS THE NELSON MATCH. I PER PBEBB ASSOCIATION .J Trentham, March o. Another cold night was experienced under canvas, and followed by a bright, sunny day. Competitors were early at the squadding posts awl a start was made firing before 8 o clock. During the early part of the mornj ing scarcely a breeze was experienced, the day being practically, perfect for shooting Lieut.-Col. Collins, with his long experience of the range, stated that never before had he experienced two such favourable mornings in succession for shooting. As the day wore on the breeze increased and was playful with the marksmen at the 800 yds "range. Tho Nelson match was concluded, and likewise part ot the Auckland match. The latter will be concluded on Tuesday next. The following are the prizeNELSON MATCH; 500 and 800 yds. Boys, Newton Rifles, 98, £5; Duley, Dannevirke, 97, J. Miles, Dunedin, 97, £4 each; Higgins, Timaru, 90, Sopor, Taumaranui, 90, Sergt. Lee. Oreti Rifles, 90, £3 each ; A. Guy, Kaponga, 95, .Frederick, Royal Rifles, 95," M. S. King, Linwood, 95, McLachlan, Petone, 95, £2 each. Nine marksmen succeeded in finding tho possible at the 500 yds. These were Marshall (Waikare), Rowe (a tyro from Auckland), J. J. Preston (Auckland), Duthie (Christchurch), I<\ W. Ching (Christchurch), Bigg (Christchurch), Dodds (Port Chalmers), Williams (Featherston), and Forbes (Napier). "All-buts" were registered by Lee (Oreti), Mills (Dun. edin), J. J. Moore (Timaru), Wakelin (Wellington), Wing (Rangitikei), McKenzie (Opaki), Ongley (Otago), Merrilees (Johnsonville), Boys, (tyro from Newton), Preston (Auckland), Nolan (Canterbury), Mellor (Petone), Needham (Palmerston North), Drummond (Denniston), Standish (Tarata), Sopor (Taumaranui), Boltou (Pahiatua), Duncan (Millerton). There were about lifty-nve 48's. The 800 yards stage was fired under conditions not so good as those prevailing at the 500 yards range for a brisk breeze sprang up^ and during the shooting practically" "boxed the compass." At one time it was a rear left then a front right and again direct rear. Someone on the racecourse adjacent had lighted a rubbish or grass fire and the smoke from this stung the eyes of the marksmen and dimmed the targets to some extent. As a consequence the excellent shooting up to this point markedly fell off, though there was, on the whole, fair scoring. Two possibles only were recorded, these being secured by Guy (Nelson), who, with his "sighter/' put up eleven bull's-eyes, and Wills (Southland). Neither of these two, however, came on top in the match, for Guy had only put up 45 at the previous range and Wills had but 42 to his credit. The Newton (Auckland) tyro, Boys, put up an "ail-but" at this range, as lie had done at the 500 yards stage, and his 98 aggregate was never reached in the match. Mills, of Dunedin, was runner-up with a total of 97, having come on the ground with a score of 49 to his credit in the first stage of the competition. Lee(Oreti) totalled 96, and Soner (Taumaranui) registered similar figures. There were several 48's scored at the final range, but the majority went far below that score. The 200 yards of the Auckland range was commenced this afternoon, when Shaw (Ohinemuri), and Milroy (Nelson), an ex-champion, wore the only two to reach possibles. Several "all-buts" were recorded, while 48's wore also much in evidence.