RIFLE SHOOTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 18

RIFLE SHOOTING

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION BETTER ENTRIES RECEIVED TWO-DAY FIXTURE DESIRED For the second meeting in succession the Auckland Rifle Association has been unlucky with the weather for the championship meeting. The date of the fixture was changed back from January 29 to January 1 and, judging from the increased and more representative entries from clubs outside Auckland itself, the alteration was more than justified. There appears to be a growing feeling among visiting riflemen' that a two-day meeting would find favour with those who travel a long distance to compete, and this will no doubt receive careful consideration by the association.

A service match and four btills-eye matches, including a combined five and six hundred yards, is a very heavy programme for one day and proves a severe strain on those who come from a distance. A slight increase in the number of matches fired would naturally result in an increase in the entry fees, but with more men to each target the extra cost of running the meeting would not be very great. An interested spectator on the range on Saturday was Captain W. H. Shepherd, a life member of the association, who attended his first meeting 50 years ago. In those days the Schneider rifles were used on ranges from two to six hundred yards and Captain Shepherd recalled the time when a three-day meeting was staged by the association, about 250 riflemen competing. » There were no surprises in the championship jMacings, that fine marksman, K. J. C. Kepton, regaining the title which he held in 1931. Eleven points down on the day, he finished one point ahead of it. C. Russell, J. R. Draffin and F. Bowes, who shot-off for the minor placings and finished in that order.

It is interesting to note that visiting riflemen filled 18 places in the 33 in the two championship lists. N. Graham* made a solid showing in the junior grade, winning by three points from D. J. Love, with G. Blake and L. H. Fordo well up.

The City Club fielded two strong teams for the Wtihi Rooster competition, but were no match for the Akarana team, which won comfortably. The new junior teams inarch proved very popular and attracted good entries. The individual matches were not productive of brilliant shooting considering the class represented from all parts of the province, but conditions, although appearing good for most of the time, were against the marksmen. Scores in the service match were poor and J. H. Litchfield won the 300 yards match with the best 49.

F. Bowes and B. Crocker dropped one Eoint each at the mid-distance match, i. Wilton, an ex-title-hplder, winning at 800 yards, also with one point below the possible. J. R. Draffin had the best 34 at 900 yards, but there was no match possible on the day. Litchfield was unlucky at 800 yards as he struck the worst of the conditions there) and failed when in an excellent position. Perhaps the most unlucky competitor was B. Crocker, who failed to find the target at the final range, when he required 33 to tie for the championship. W. Colquhoun, who was well fancied* for the title, lost the target for several shots at, 800 yards, but would have needed 49 at this range to tie with the winner.