RIFLE SHOOTING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 2 March 1912, Page 2

RIFLE SHOOTING.

DOMINION MEETING AT TIiENTHAM. (United Press Association.) TRENTHAM, Friday. The .Trentham rifle camp presented -an animated appearance this morning, when the competitors mustered at the squading posts for individual service matches, to hear the announcement which it had been understood Colonel Collins, chief executive officer, was to make. Among the 325 competitors were ex-champions J. Hyde, 11. J. King, W. S. King. Roots, Milray, Ross, Duncan all J, llalliday : also Riflemen James, champion of "Wairarapa ; Moss, champion of Southland ; as well as most of the prominent shots in Auckland. Wellington. Canterbury and Qtago. Of the champions who have won laurels at Trerltham range only Ballinger. Ching, and Irvine were absent. Colonel Collins, in an address to the men, referred to causes of dissatisfaction among the shooters at- the small attendance. This, he explained, was due to the establishment of the Territorial forces, and matters being in the transition stage, All things considered, the attendance was good, ■ being 325. Their rifles having had.:,to-be withdrawn from the Territorials,'there had been but small opportunity for practice. The meeting really commenced only to-day. the previous two days being devoted to practice matches, and it showed that a keen interest was taken in them when Great improvement has been made with there were 700 entries in those events. Great improvement has been made with regard to the service matches, and the men vvould lmow the,.result- of their shots as fired. He thought there would be no trouble in securing an alteration in the constitution of the Association in the direction of allowing competitors to have a voice in the election of the executive. Arrangements were being made to lurther encourage rifle clubs. Although the prize list bad .been reduced on account of the reduced attendance, the amount was a higher rate than previously. He- (believed this meeting would be the forerunner of great meetings, and he expected at the next meeting to secure 1000 entries. The men theij marched in a heavy rain shower to the. Collins and Sommerville ranges. At the former «iap-ehootirig at 300 yards was taken, Tialf the men taking part in that, while the other half went, on with the loop-hole cover mat-ch at 500 yards. In the snap-shooting match the men had to tire at a khaki figure target representing a man s head and shoulders exposed for four seconds, seven times. All innovation was made, every shot being spotted, or the exact position of it , shown. The improvement turned what has formerly been something of a. farce, into earnest shooting and made the men take far greater pleasure in their ta-sk>. Eight of the men got all their hits on tht> target. May hew (!' eliding) and Floyd- (Tauranga) each getting six bullseyes. Twenty-three got six hits, and a- large number got five hits. This is a great advance on former years. The loop-hole cover match at 500 yaro.s presented great difficulties to those men who fired in the first batch. The figure was of a light colour which, hardly showed at all against some patches of clay on the hill. A steady warm rain, created a nasty haze, and at times utterly obscured the "target. As a result the scores were uniformly bad, but those who fired later 011 did much better. McCalmont (Opaki) getting 9 hits, and Melville (Waikato; and W. S. King (Opaki) 8 hits. The rapid shooting match, in which the competitors tired ten rounds at a 6 feet by 6 feet figure targets at SCO yards, produced excellent results. The last match of the day was a slow practice competition at. 600 yards. This, like the others, was a disappearing target, but thq men were allowed lots of time to aim. ... . T'o-morrow the individual service series will be completed. The following were the principal pri/.i winners : Snap-shooting, 300 yards, 7 shote:. M'ayhow fFeildhig) afid /Floyd (Tauranga) each 35, with 6 bullseyos, £3 10s each ; " Evans (Wellington Suburbs) 35, with 4 bullseyes. £2. Principal winners loopholes coyer match: McCalnjont (Opaki)- 45, with 1 bulleeye, £2 10s ; R. J.' King (Opaki), 40, with 1 bullseye, £2 10s. Slow practice competition,' (SJX) yards, figure target, 7 rounds, 1 shot-each exposure: Sharland (Nelson) 32, £4; Gilshnan (Patea) 32, £3 ; Carey (Patea) 31, : £2.

llap id-shooting match, 500 yards; figure target-, ten .rounds : Fellows (Karori) 46, £4; Facer (Port Chalmers) 44, Morgan (3rd Regime;nt), Jvussell eone), CaJdwell (Karori) 43 each, £1 6s 6d each. ,