THE FEDERAL RIFLE MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10084, 20 March 1896, Page 5

THE FEDERAL RIFLE MEETING.

THE SIXTH DAY.

QUEENSLAND WINS THE FEDERAL

MATCH. [BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION!.] Oamaru, Thursday. To-Day was set aside for the Federal Match.

Last night the Council was approached as to the inclusion of Wakelia, the champion, in

the team, owing to the conditions of the match providing that the position be prone. Wakelin won the belt in the firing off, and having to make a change, many New Zealanders had misgivings as to the result. Interviewed, Wakelin said he had no anxiety that he would not do well prone, aud declared he had recently practised the prone position in case he might have to fire in the match.

A telegram has been received from the Admiral in reply to the request for the loan of ammunition of Imperial make for the Federal match, regretting that the regulations prevent any of the stores being taken from Her Majesty's warships.

THE FEDERAL MATCH. At 9.45 a.m. the men formed into position, Queensland being on the two targets to the extreme left, New Zealand being separated from them by three or four targets. Then came Victoria, a similar distance away, with New South Wales firing on the two targets on the extreme right. Check-markers were placed in the butts and check-scorers at the firing points. No challenge of shots was allowed. Major Byron captained the QUeenslanders; Major Somervilfe, the New Zealauders: Lieutenant Keating, the New South Wales men; and Major Hamley, the Victorians. The weather was fine, with a leaden coloured sky, which threatened rain, but none fell. The wind was light in the morning, but changeable, coming in all directions, and at times fairly puzzling to some of the marksmen. In the afternoon, tho wind, which had been chiefly from tho north-east, chopped round to the south, and freshened as the longer ranges were being fired. At GOO yards, it was not so bad, but at 700 yards there was a large number of misses.

At 300 yards, the shooting of the teams was fairly good, except oil tlio part ot the New Zealanders, who fell off from the jump, for which VVakelin and A. Ballinger were chiefly responsible. Both the champion and ex-champion appeared to he quite out of form. When the range finished, Qucenslandei's led New South Wales by one point, while the Victorians were only seven points behind the leader; While the New Zealanders were 21 to the bad, and there was a good deal of grumbling at Wakeliu not having withdrawn from the team. At 500 yards there was an improvement in the shootiug, and the Victorians keeping well on the spot, recovered most of their lost ground, and having passed New South Wales were second, one point behind Queensland, who wound up at the range with a total of 841): Victoria, 8.19; New South Wales. 824: New Zealand, 821. Thus New Zealand hud pained two on the lending team, but fell back from Victoria, though they shot up to within three of New South Wales. _ At GOO yards New South Wales got on a fine score, and wiping off the 10 deficit at the completion of tho last range, went on with a lead of four from Queensland. Victoria began to fall back, and were 11 points behind New South Wales, seven behind Queensland, and only one point in front of the New Zealand team, which had gained 11 points on Queensland and IS on Victoria; but New South Wales had increased their

id of three from New Zealand to 12.

Going back to 700 yds, the totals wero : New South Wales 1222, Queensland 1218, Victoria 1211, and New Zealand 1210. As the New Zealanders were gradually crawling up, great interest was taken in their shooting, and the public, many of whom were present, it being the half-holiday, crowded round their firing-point. The New South Waleq men, who were the first to finish at the (100 yards section, owing to the probability of a change iti the weather, got back to the 700 yards as soon as possible, and had a little the best of the weather. Those who fired in the first squad had an advantage, as before tho second sijuad went down the wind had become very treacherous. When four men from each team had finished at 700 yards it was seen that Victoria had made a complete burst, the squad only putting on 94, while New South Wales' score was 120,

New Zealand 140, ami Queensland 140. Thus Queensland had raised her total to 13(14, and New Zealand shot up even with New .South Wales with 1330. victoria was hopelessly in the roar with 1303. The next four men of the leading team scored I'M, while New Zealand gained two points on them, and was second, twelve Ijoints behind, and thirteen points ahead o[ Njw South Wales, and 31 of Victoria. The totals at this time were: Queensland 1485, New Zealand 1473, New South Wales 1400, and Victoria 14-h?. There were now two men of each team to tire 10 shots to complete the match, and notwithstanding that New Zealand was still 12 points to the bad there were not a few who thought it within the bounds of possibility that New Zealand might yet win. Doughty and Ross were the two New Zealanders who were to pull the colony through if possible, but it was not to he, as in Wiukerford ami Mcl'herso.i, the last two of the Queeuslande;'s, they 'net decidedly more than their match. The New South Wales men were the first to finish with the grand total of 1312, and it could he seen they had no chance, and so it was with New Zealand, as while Doughty was only getting on poor hits, and Ross was mission, the twa Queenslanders were shootihg on in grand style, and finished up with 34 and 33 respectively. Thus Queensland wouud up with 1354, and won the match. Owing to the wretched scores of the two New Zealanders the colony narrowly escaped even the honour of second place, as Koss missed five of his shots, and it was only with his eighth shot, which was an outer, that he put the issue beyond doubt, and then got a bull. The last two Queenslanders scored 09 to the New Zealanders' 4G. Victoria got 68 ami Now South Wales HO. The Victorian team, whhieh had promised so well eearly in the match, broke down badly at the long ranges, and finished a bail last. To Corporal Bradley, of the winning team, belongs the credit oi putting on the magnificent score of 179 points out of a possible '200, which must be pretty near a record for the distances. Lieutenant-Commander Kirk, of the New Zealand team, was the next highest, with 163, and Major Hutchison, of Queensland, was third with IG2. At the conclusion of tho match, Major Somervillo warmly congratulated the Queensland men on their well-earned victory, and called for three cheers, which were heartily responded to. Major Byron, replying, testified to the excellent arrangements for the match, and tho fairness with which they were carried out. There were no complajnts about the ammunition, and in fact the excellent shooting was proof positive that it was of excellent quality. The following is the result of the Federal Match, 300, 300, COO, and 700 yards, ton shots at each; open to teams of ten men nominated respectively by tho Rifle Associations of New bouth Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, West Australia, ' Tasmania, and New Zealand, bona lido members of the dofenco force and sworn in under the Defence Act of the colony to which they belong; three teams to shoot or no match. Prizes: Intercolonial Challenge Cup presented in 1887 by John McGregor to bo 1 held for one year by the winning colony, awl a gold medal presented by the Federal Councils of the Rillo Associations of Australasia to the captain and each member of the winning team, the Cup to be held from year to year by tho captain; also a silver cup presented by the New Zealand Government. Queensland team - 300 boo ono 7110 yds yds yds yds Tls Corporal Bradley .. „ 43 47 45 44 179 Hutchinson .. _ .. 42 44 40 HO 162 Vol. Manual 42 42 40 3(1 100 Lieut. McPlierson .. .. 12 4') 41 35 158 Corporal Oargelt .. _ 42 44 2!) 33 148 Sergeant Moodie .. .. 41 4'l 37 23 147 Volunteer llamley .. .. 41 40 30 2!) US Corporal Winterford .. 41 3!) 33 34 147 Colour-Sorgiiant Grant .. 30 41 41 3D 151 Volunteer Crease .. .. 39 39 31! 38 160 Totals .. .. M 412 423 3.8 338 1554 New Zealand Team— Sgt. Wak«lln, Christ.-hnrch 33 44 211 39 145 Bora. Howe, Wellington .. 40 47 34 34 155 Lieut,-Com. Kirk, Potone.. 3D 43 43 33 103 Corp. Williams, Wellington 43 43 44 28 158 Corp. Simpson, Kaiapol .. 41 39 33 33 150 Lieut. Doilils, l't. Chalmers 89 42 47 2!) 157 Lieut. Jack, Dunedln ... 41 41 43 33 158 Sergt, Doughty, Auckland 40 43 38 27 148 Lieut Ross,"Napier .. .. 39 43 41 19 145 Vol. A.Ballinger, Wellington 30 49 34 34 144 Totals 391 430 389 309 1519 New South Wales TeamLieutenant Keating.. •• 40 41 40 33 164 ' Captain Cork 43 45 42 30 180 Sub-Lieutenant Stephens.. 30 40 40 37 150 Corporal McCallcy .. •• 44 41 40 23 158 Bombardier Ki'-rnan .. 38 38 30 -3 135 Volunteer Prott .. .. 43 39 40 27 Ijo Volunteer Mathelson .. 38 44 44 34 10) Volunteer Hicks ~ .. 42 44 40 21 150 Volunteer Vernon .. « 41 42 3.) 28 147 Volunteer Lara litre.. - 43 89 28 29 <189 Totals . - - 411 413 393 210 1612 Victorian Team- „„ Volunteer Young ~ - 44 48 40 27 159 Volunteer Walker » .. 43 42 43 24 15Captain White ~ -434228 19 32 Sergeant Hawker .. .. 43 17 87 3- 159 Volunteer Todd .. .. 41 48 37 .4 148 Volunteer MaeDonald .. 41 47 41 31 16) •• : S s s a ttKSw,-: :8 588.8. Totals „ m .. 405 434 372 879 1199

The previous winners of the Intercolonial Challenge Cup are

ISBB (February), New South Wales ... 1423 1888 (December), Tasmania ]' 87 1889, Victoria - ••• M--1890, Lapsed ' 1891, South Australia J"™ 1892, Victoria ™ 1893, Victoria ... ... , 1894, Victoria J"™ 1895, Queeoland In 1893 the conditions wore altered, ana the number of shots reduced.

NURSERY MATCH. At five p.m. the Nursery match was fired, 50 competitors taking part. Little or no interest was taken in the match, and at.its conclusion the men returned to town. The prize list of the Nursery Match, 10 shots, 500 yards, is as follows Smith, Oamaru, £7 Corporal All port, Nelson, £6 4/ McHattie, Wairarapa, £4 ... 47 Major Byron, Queensland, £4 ™ Corporal Rowel I, Nelson, £4 Volunteer Shanks, Core, £2 Gunner Henderson, Thames, £2 4")

Seymour, Woodville; McDiarmid, Oamaru; Sergeant Shanks, Gore; G. Loveday, Woodville; Jonston. Southland; Colour-Sergeant Robson, Napier; Volunteer Fox, Christchurch, 44. Moore, I'etone ; Fraser, Wyndham j Haste, Oamaru, 43. Probert, Oamaru; Lieutenant Stoneham, Dunedin; Willouah!>y, Petono; Wells, Southland; Morrison, Marton ; Dobyn, Port Victoria, 42; Reding, Hawera; Leslie, Oamaru; Home, Woodville ; Buny, Petone, 41. Gray, Marton, 40 —£1 each. , Counted out: Fredk. Wardle, McHutchison, Allen, Webster, Depelichet. The Teams' Match and the Bronze Medal Match are to be fired in the morning, and the remaining matches in the afternoon. This is the first year in which the Champion Belt has been won by a Canterbury marksman.