RIFLE SHOOTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20842, 8 April 1931, Page 13

RIFLE SHOOTING.

SOUTH AUCKLAND MEETING. MANY ERRORS IN JUDGMENT. OLIVER WINS CHAMPIONSHIP. The recent meeting of the South Auckland Rifle Association held on the Waihi range attracted a smaller attendance than usual, but the gathering was a very representative one. Three young enthusiasts from the Unutoke Club at Hokianga made tho longest trip, and their presence added to the interest of tho shooting and caused much favourable comment by the other competitors. The wind was veiy baffling right through the shoot and errors in judgment were very common. That a comparison of marksmanship cannot be made between clubs shooting on different ranges was very marked. Whereas the Auckland championship was won with an average of 47.4 per range, the winner of the South Auckland championship averaged 43.4 only, and them beat the Auckland winner and runner-up and a number of other very prominent provincial marksmen as well

This year tho championship went to 11. Oliver, of Tauranga, and his win was very popular. Tho Bay of Plenty clubs have made great progress during tho last few seasons and a victory for a marksman from that district was overdue. J. D. Clark, of Opotiki, completed "the double" for the Bay by annexing tho tyro championship. Although a nine-inch bull was used at 200 yds, only two possibles were recorded, D. Calder (Akarana) beating F. C. Hubbard (Paeroa) in the shoot-off by 15 points to 14. The veteran Akarana marksman, S. A. S. Elliott, won tho 300 yds match with 46, his card reading 4, 4, 5, 5, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5. A. G. Robertson (City) was on top at 500 yds on the count back, his score being 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5 48. On the second day light rain made tho flags very heavy and hard to read while the wind changed direction and velocity very suddenly. Visibility was excellent, but many of the early leaders failed badly under the conditions and the championship was in doubt until the last detail was halfway through its shoot. H. Oliver, of Tauranga, consolidated his position at 600 yds, with 5, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5—46, which was a sterling performance. E. J. C. Reston, Akarana, was leading at this stage by two points, but the Auckland champion was always in trouble at 700 yds, and had to be content with the position of runner-up. S. A. S. Elliott was successful in this match also with 41, finishing with a two and a three. An idea of the conditions can be gained when one man who had five bulls in, dropped 11 points with his last five shots. A coached teams' match, four men aside, was fired at 600 yds on the first day of tho meeting for the Victoria banner and resulted in a win for the Auckland City Club by a narrow margin. Two teams were entered and they compiled exactly the same total, details of the shooting being as follows:—A team: R. C. Russell 45, H. Simmonds 44, A. G. Robertson 43, A. C. Watson 40; total, 172. B team: P. J. Pring 47, C. J. M. Clark 44, H. J. Verrall 42, H. W. Verrall 39; total, 172. The Unutoke Club was permitted to select a man from an outside club to complete its four, and would have been certain to win had tho substitute shot up to the form he had been showing during the meeting. As is was, R. Buchanan equalled Pring's aggregate, these two being outstanding in the match.