RIFLE SHOOTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20991, 30 September 1931, Page 15

RIFLE SHOOTING.

OPENING OF THE SEASON. INTERNATIONAL TEAMS' MATCH. The two local rifle clubs opened the season with teams' matches at the short and middle-distance ranges, Akarana winning the former and City the latter. Although conditions were not perfect, especially last week-end. some fine scores were made and the shooting will provide excellent practice for the club championship series, which commences next Saturday. A. Sommerville, City, registered top score at 2CO and 500 yards, with 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4—48, and 5, 5, 5, 5, 5. 4, 4, 5, 4, 5—47. He has previously shot well at these ranges and, being an improving shot, will make his presence felt this season. D. Caider, Akarana, made 94 with 5, 4, 5. 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5—48, and 5, 4, 5, 4, 5. 4. 5. 5. 4, 5—46. while two other Akarana members in E. Starkev and J. Draffin were' only a point behind him. The lastnamed was unfortunate in finishing with a three at each range, which spoiled a particularly fine aggregate. It is worthy of note that three of"the four top men have been shooting with the miniature club during the winter months. Great interest centred in the meeting of a team or 10, representing the United States, with a British team on the Bisley range in July last. Some idea of the task of the respective selectors can be gathered from the fact that Great Britain had the members of over 20C0 clubs to select from, while the Americans had carried out, a series of trial matches over the whole of their country for eight months prior to the departure of the team. The conditions were 20 shots 3t 5U vnrds and a similar number at IC-O yards, gred in series of 10. the possible individual score being 400. Great Britain won by a grand aggregate of 3927 to 3925. British representatives scored six possibles to the Americans' one, while the three top men, one being a visitor, dropped only three points each. It is proposed to make the match an annual one, a. move which won Id further stimulate the already amazing progress small-bore shooting is making in both countries.