RIFLE SHOOTING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 4 March 1912, Page 2

RIFLE SHOOTING.

DOMINION MEETING AT THENTHAM.

(United Press Association.)

TRENTHAM, Sunday. Yesterday was the worst day encountered on the Trentham range for years. Shortly after daybreak rain started, and by the time the fall-in was sounded at 8 o'clock it had settled into 4i .steady downpour. The first matches taken were the snapshooting at 300 yards, and the moving target at 300 years. Again the hits were spotted, and tiie conditions, while servu'e so far a-s rifles and targets were concerned. were nearly assimilated to standing target ones. The heavy downpour did not appear to damp the ardour, of the competitors, but many of them, who looked with contempt upon this portion of the programme, did not- do justice to it in their shooting. In snapshooting although no sighters were allowed, many of the men got on to the target at once, spotters showing quite a large percentage of hits. Law (Dannevirke) .made no mistake; ho struck the bull with each .shot, getting the possible. Mawley (Opaki) and Simmonds (Blenheim) each made 22, and there were four 21's, .amongst them Captain King, the Soutli Island champion. In the moving target mqtch, which was taken at the same time, the competitors ha*.! to fire at a head and shoulders target, which was exposed seven times for four seconds, each exposure being made at a different, part- of the butts, and each hit counted four points. As showing the merit of the shooting there were nine possibles. but Purnell. son oi Major Purjiell. the champion of 1888, and -Ylayhcw (Feilding) got first places owing to the greater number of, bullseyes. During the' firing of this match. (.Junr. Watkins. D.N.Z.A., one of the markers, was injured. A low shot struck the mdu'nd, and either a. stone or the nickel case of the bullet struck his shoulder, inflicting a painful wound. First aid was rendered by Merrillees, one of the competitors,- and a doctor wag at once telephoned for. in the unavoidable absence of Dr. Purdie, who makes a- daily,.visit to the camp. Watkins was after wards removed to the barracks for further examination. He is a man about 6ft. 3in., and as there is no head cover to acconv, mod ate them the tall markers are aK ways placed in the Collins butt. Ihe bjitt had been overhauled, by the P.ubfib Works Department just • before. '..the meeting, and the point at which the- accident took place was a. foot above the regulation height. An official board of inquiry took evidence, and 9ts report was forwarded to head-quarters. In the afternoon an attack mateh,\ vvEich compi'ises an attack on a position at 400. 300 and 200 yards, and observation of fire was commenced. There was still a- steady downpour, which had continued without, intermission from the morning. ...... Ru§sell (Petone) did exceedingly well here. All his shots hit the figure, and 7 of the 9 were bullseyes. .•This easily -gave• him first place. Bowleyn - (Chorlton) came next- with 8 hits, and there were four with 7 hits. The shooting all z-ound, considering the conditions,nvas very good. ■:While.;,the attack match was being fired an extra, ihatclx ~was started at 1000 yards. Despite' the heavy rain there was" a fair entry, the ' best, score being put" tip by" Htlnt (Wellington] 32. The shooting ,all round was .lA'Wy *• The sf?ttrm ccmtinued ..diirmgCihe night, intermittent gusts of 'wind-'4rrv.ing-. the heavy rain hard against the tents.. Although there was a certain,.amount .of • discomfort it was not until 8 o'clock 'this morning that any of the canvas Structures were demolished. An extra- heavygust struck the camp, and in a minute -o-i ' two Colonel Collins' headquarters quee pn the ground, whn«c in another corner three or four tents collapsed, as did. the large, press marquee. . and tile Karon Rifle Club's marquee:;Captain Sim die quickly had a- squad ofpermanent artillerymen at work, and the marquees were re-erected. To-morrow morning the belt series, in which the Ballinger challenge belt forms' the principal trophy, will be commenced.. . The first event will be the Auckland • match at 300 and 400 yards, the Welling- - toil match .at 500 and 600 yards be--ing fired in the afternoon. ,The following are the leading prize-. J' winriers in matches, on ; - day:— •< rr\ ■ - Snap-shooting, 5 rounds: Law CD ann virke) £4vS5; .Mawley (O.paki) .£3, -22>% f? Simmoiids'(Wa'itohi) £2, £2. - . Moving target, 300 yards, 7 -shots,: head and shoulders target : Purnelt nui) and Mayhew (Feilding),.£3-10s -i£ach, 28, with 5 bullseyes each ;Morgatn' (Auck- . land), Halliday (KarorO. Regiment), 'Drumnioixd WfWfeSfeO'rt), £1 4s each, 82, - with 4 bulleeyfes • each. Attack match, 400, 300, and 200 yards. .3. shots : Russell (Petone) £4, 45, with 7 bullseyes; 'Bowley n (Chorlton) £3, 40, with 4 bullseyes; Randall (Linton), £2, 35. with 5 bullseyes. The following" aire the (ten ileading scores for the service aggregates :—Russell (Petonij), 207. 1; Simmonds (Blenheim) 196, 2; A. H. Guy (Kaponga) 177, 3- Mayhew (Feilding). 176, 4; Mem-, lees. 176, 5; Masefield (Sounds) 173, 6: T F. James, 168, 7;. R. Duthie, 167, 8;. R". J. King. 166, 9 ; H. R- King. 164. 10. The running man competition will nut be completed till Wednesday. THE BISLEY MEETING. MELBOURNE. Saturday. As the £IOOO voted bv the Federal Parliament towards sending a team to Bieley is insufficient to cover the expenses the Defence authorities have dtcided that Australia shall be represented every second year. Probably a team will be sent this year.