RIFLE SHOOTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21743, 7 March 1934, Page 14

RIFLE SHOOTING

'CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING PROSPECTS. OF AUCKLANDERS The Now Zcalaud championship rifle shooting meeting, which opens at Trentna.B thin morning, will create more interest loc ally than for some years past owng to the number of city and country riflemen who are competing, berrjcis matches will occupy 1 the i first par;; of the day and the Auckland contingent in expected to do well, as with verv j.ew exceptions the recognised ieaderii,in this type of marksmanship havi» all j;one South. Akarana will have two sterling shots in Dcvore and Wakefield to loskl its -team,' and the former only needs average luck to be very close to the championship. With Jenkinson, who fihot so well last year, and Reston, tlie club has a, solid team. » City hus some fine talent to draw on. Sirnmonds has shown great form in practice znd, if lie reproduces this today, will be well up in the final, Clark 18 viuy solid and is capable'of brilliant shooting under service conditions. With a .return to his best form he will be hard to b;at. Bowes, Spry, Russell and Kelly are all capable of high-class shooting And, provided the selector is lucky, enough to enter the best four, the team should have a good chance of winning, - •• ■' The opening match in the bullsoyo Bhoo/ing vi.ll be shot this afternoon and will serve .as a useful preliminary to tne Ixijlt matches, which commence tomorrow, 1 jtick plays a bigger part in rifle shooting than in most sports, especially at Trentham, where the variable v'i'nd presents the greatest diinciiilties when the weather is tricky Keen judgment and bold alterations are essential, una lack of knowledge is the downfall of most .of the tyro competitors. Ijtie Wollington men, who practise (ill. tJldi range,' have a over outsiders, but several of the Auckland contingent are sure to be prominent.

Sinnnonds has the best credentials find en For.ii should be capable of reaching otii* of the leading positions in the chain piionsliip. Wakefield is a young «hot .who did oxceptionally well at lientham last year, and, provided conditions are reasonable, ho will give a good account of himself again this week. Lack of experience onlv may beat Bowes, who will also appreciate easy gondii ions. Dcvore and Reston are experienced shots who can shoot in any weather, while Kelly is another who to well. Both Oliver and Kiddij,, of laurilnga, havo been showing good form, and several other country numbers will show up in the B grade list.