MINIATURE RIFLE RANGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13352, 5 December 1906, Page 4

MINIATURE RIFLE RANGE.

Tnnoi'OH the generosity of a well-known citizen, the. Eden Cadets "ill shortly b«. the possessors of one of the finest and most up-to-date miniature rifle ranges in the colony. The gentleman in question. recognising tin- good work the boys arc doing and the difficulties under which they are labouring, offered to help them in any way he could, and a scheme was devised" to provide the boys with a. miniature rifle range, in order to give them more encouragement, and at the same time provide them with facilities to improve their shooting. . Negotiations, I understand, were then entered into to secure the old miniature rifle range, in the loft above the gunroom, alongside the Drill Hall, and various improvements were suggested, the gentleman in question agreeing to bear the necessary expense. The defence authorities immediately fell in with the proposal, and granted the use of the old rifle range, and permission to fit up a second gallery, to the right, on the north side of the gunroom. As access to the latter was made difficult, by the sloping of the roof, it was decided to put in a cross gable, and to fit this up with windows, so as to afford a better light. This alteration has been carried out. and both ranges have now been fitted up with targets, four in each. The targets in the old range are head and shoulders, and are. so arranged that they collapse when _ struck, and can be pulled up again by wires from the firing point. The targets fitted up in the other range arc the ordinary square pieces of iron, and are - fitted on to a long iron sheet. Tn.s sheet will be painted black, and will provide a fine background for the targets, which will be whitewashed. "Ringing bulls" are provided for. The range for both galleries is 25yds, and the targets are so reduced that cadets when shooting will ho firing at the same size of target as they would at Bisley at 200 yds. There being eight targets, eight cadets will be able to fire at one time, and the whole corps should thus be able to fire 10 shots each inside an hour or an hour and a-half. The corps' benefactor, 1 understand, is also providing eight rifles, and sufficient ammunition to see the cadets through for a long time to come. The total outlay will he somewhere about £50, but I am" informed that if more is required the gentleman in question will not see the boys stuck to. a pound or two. The boys are looking torward with the keenest anticipation to th« opening of the range, which ill take pitted v . jsiHil'tb'.