RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEETING

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11625, 12 April 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEETING

BELT WON BY NELSON. OF WOODVILLE. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association opened at Wanganui on March'2l, under most favourable auspices, the day being fine and bright. After the Mayor had addressed a few words of welcome to the competitors Mr. Willis, the member for the district, expressed the hope that future gatherings of riflemen, which would be under Government control, would be as successful as those which the association, under Colonel Sommerville's guidance. had carried on. The firing was brought- to a conclusion on March 29, when aggregate scores were as under: —

Nelson (Woodville), 521—4-9—570, £33, beltand gold medal. Being the highest scorer at the range, Nelson takes Rifle Challenge Cup. .' . Wilson (Woodvillc), 532-37—569, £25 and silver star.

A. Ballinger (Wellington), 528—39—567, £15 and silver star.

W. Loveday (Woodville), 529—37—566, £10 and silver star.

King (Oamaru), 530—36—566, £8 and silver star.

Humphreys (Hastings), £5 ... ... 564Sergeant Okey (Taranaki), £5 , ... 564 G. Loveday (Woodville), £5 ~4 ... 562 Turnbull (Gore), £5 ... ... ... 560 Purnell (Wanganui), £5 '•,., 558 Donigan (Gore), £4 ... ... ... .... 556 Balfour (Napier), £2 ... 552 Thorpe (Wairoa), £4- 552 Taylor (Auckland), £4 ... ... ... 550 Pearson (Timaru), £4 ... 549 Turner (Wellington), £3 ... 549 Hawthorne (Wellington), £3 548 Cox (Auckland), £3 ..... 547 Winslade (Wanganui), £3 547

Glendow (Napier), Woollett (Dunedin), MeFarlane (Christchurch), Kemp (Christchurch), and Randall (Wellington), each 544, tied for the last prize, £3, and in the fire-off Kemp won with 18; MeFarlane and Randall 17, Glendow 16, Woollett 14. Others who fired were :—Feast (Wairarapa), 543; Marshall (Karori), 542; -Lacey, Wellington), 541; W. Ballinger (Wellington), 539; Watts (Christchurch), 539: Wain (Studholm), 537; F. Williams (Woodville), 537; Webster (Auckland), 535 Burns (Karori),- 534 Head (Wellington), 533; Trevithick (Petone), 533; Martin (Timaru), 533; Kenard (Marlon), 532; Parkes (Palmerston North), 530; Wickens (Wellington), 529; Hoffeins (Wairarapa), 529;_ T. Frazer (Kaitangata), 525; Bunting (Christchurch), 525; Ohurton (Wanganui), 525 Skinner (Auckland), 523; Needham (Palmerston North), 522; Sontag (Dunedin), 521.

Nelson made perhaps the most remarkable score ever recorded in New Zealand, of 49 out of a possible 50, at 700 yds. Beginning 11 points behind his clubmate, Wilson, who was at the head of the aggregates this mornning, he never thought he had a chance for the Belt. However, with his first five shots he brought up the bull disc, and" when those then at the top of the list had fired a similar number of shots, the aggregates were: Wilson 550, King 549, the latter having pulled a point on the former. Then came Arthur Ballinger, 548; Nelson nest with 547; and W. Loveday, fifth, 546. Nelson, however, had found the spot, and he plugged in three more bulls. Then he got an inner, and finished with a bull, making the second score ever made in New Zealand of 49 out of a possible 50 in a 10-shot match at 700 yds, and this, too, with the knowledge that he was shooting for one of the most coveted trophies in New Zealand. Being so many points bohind, he little thought, with the excellent conditions for shooting, that the others along the line were not going at top also. Ballinger finished early in the final stage, and he was then second to Nelson's 570. King, who got an outer with his third business shot, finished up with three magpies and left his aggregate 566, or four points behind Nelson and one behind Ballinger, while he tied with W. Loveday, who had made 37 against his 36. With Nelson's total at 570, Ballinger 567, Loveday' and King 566, J. G. Wilson had still four shots to go, and there was a chance that the old stager would hold his position, but he scored 3, 4, 3, 5, and lost the Belt by a point. W. Loveday and King tied for the fourth place, the former winning in the shoot off. Humphreys and Okey tied for the sixth place, the former winning. Turner and Pearson tied for the 15th place, the latter winning, and there were five tied for the 20th place, Kemp winning with 18 against McFarlane and Randall's 17, Glendow's 16 and Woollet's 14.

THE CHAMPION. Mr. W. H. Nelson is a member of the well-known firm of Nelson Brothers, Hawke's Bay. He .claims only 34 summers, but never took up shooting until 1886, when he shot at the Hawke's Bay Rifle Association Meeting, and did none too well. In 1891 he took part for the first time in the New Zealand Riflo Association's meetings, the gathering being . held at Oainaru, and there, at each of the 700 yds ranges he scored possibles—not of hits, but of misses. Latterly, however, he has improved at longdistance shooting, as his performance to-day clearly shows. Nelson has never shot previously with the first 50 for the Belt, and last vear he was among those who came out for "the nursery." On his own range and among his own club members he has had probably to shoot amongst some of the hotlent shots in the colony, and that may explain why he has not been more prominently before the public before. Yet he has several trophies to his credit, and with the incentive of the championship at his elbow he will no doubt increase their number. INelson is a most estimable man to meet, is popular on range and is a temperate man both in the use of malt and of the weed, FORMER CONTESTS. Wanganui certainly holds a reputation for close finishes for the Champion Rifle Belt. In 1899 Remington, cf Wanganui, tied for the Belt with Major Acheson, of Riverton, while Lieutenant Foster, the well-known proprietor of Foster's Hotel, was only a pomt behind. When the shooting men again came hero the range was fixed at Putiki, and King, of Oamaru, simply ran away with the Belt, and won with an advantage of 32 points over the late W. Richardson, who was one of the finest shots this colony ever saw. Next to Richardson was J. G. Wilson, of Woodville, who shot second this year, and he has so improved that undoubtedly ho may be placed on an equal footing with those in the highest standard of New Zealand shooting. McGregor, who finished next to Wilson at the last meeting, and who won the Belt in the previous year to King, is unfortunately absent.

RECEPTION TO THE RIFLE CHAMPION. Woodville, April 1. Nelson, the champion rifle shot, and other members of the Woodville Rifle Club, had an enthusiastic reception en Saturday on their return from' Wauganui. On arrival of the train, after hearty congratulations, the champion was carried shoulder high to a carnage. A procession Was then formed, consisting of the band, volunteers, mounted rifles, carriage containing the shooting men, which was drawn by a number of enthusiasts, and several-hundred people. All the streets paraded were beautifully lit up with Chinese lanterns most of the way, and flags were flying on prominent buildings. A halt was made in front of tho Borough Chambers, where congratulatory speeches were delivered by the Mayor and others. It being Saturday night, business "could only bo buspended for a short time, but the victorious riflemen will be entertained at a social on Wednesday night, ... • >