THE VOLUNTEERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 770, 3 December 1886, Page 20

THE VOLUNTEERS.

TRIAL OF AUCKLAND AMMUNITION.

An official trial of Auckland-made ammunition, as against the English Snider ammunition, was held here last Friday. We are indebted to Lieutenant - Colonel Bailey, President of the Council of Military Education, for the following particulars : First trial, for accuracy; 20 rounds of each description of ammuaition, fired from a Snider rifle by Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey, in back position. (The wind was fresh and gusty from the right rear.) Distance, 500 yards—Absolute mean deviation of 20 shots from point of mean impact: English, 27*15 inches ; Auckland, 27*25 inches. Second trial, for rapidity. Ten rounds of each description of ammunition, fired from a Snider rifle, standing position, against time. Wind fresh and gusty from right rear. Distance, 200 yards. ResultScore. Time. Auckland ... 25 points. lmin 18sec» English 25 points. lmin 30sec. Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey did the firing, and Captain Coleman acted as timekeeper. There were also present on the range Lieutenant A. P. Douglas, R.M., and Captain Valentine, Gore Rifles. We are indebted to Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey for the following account of the official trial of Auckland and English ammunition made on Tuesday : —First trial: Accuracy—10 rounds of each description of ammunition were fired by two selected shots of the Wellington Volunteers. The rifles were loaded for the firers by Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey and Captain Coleman, the men thus not knowing which description of ammunition they were firing. Distance, 500yds. The following scores were obtained : English. Auckland. Volunteer Oakley, Newtown Rifles ... ... 25 26 Volunteer Ballinger, Wellington Guards ... 22 20 Second trial: Rapidity—3o rounds of each description of ammunition were fired in three stages as follow:—10 rounds (Auckland), firer, Lieutenunt-Colonel Bailey—time, lmin lOsec; 10 rounds (Auckland), firer, Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey—time, lmin Bsec ; 10 rounds (Auckland), Hrer, Volunteer Oakley—time, lmin 9seo; total points, (Auckland), 63. Tea rounds (English), firer, Volunteer Oakley—time, lmin Bsec; 10 rounds (English), firer, Volunteer Oakley—time, lmin ssec ; 10 rounds (English), firer, Volunteer Ballinger—time, lmin 2sec ; total (English), 54. There was no difficulty in extraction of any of the empty cases when firing either for rapidity or accuracy.

A Government inspection parade of the city corps took place yesterday week at 6.30 p.m. Considering the early hour at which the parade was held, the attendance of all the corps (except the Wellington Rifles and Newtown Rifles) was exceptionally good, the attendance on parade being 360 all ranks. Major Loveday was in command of the Rifle Battalion, Colonel Butts being in command of the whole. The men were exercised for over an hour by Colonel Butts in the various battalion movements which are likely to be performed at the annual inspection, after which they were marched back to Mount Cook and dismissed. The Major Commanding has made arrangements for a parade for Wednesday next to practice the four-deep attack formation, which the Commander of the Forces requires to be done at his inspection. Colonel Sir George Whitmore and Colonel Baillie were present at the parade on Thursday as onlookers, both of whom expressed themselves as pleased with the steady manner in which most of the companies moved. Major Pirie, late of the Guernsey Militia, has been appointed Musketry Instructor for the Province of Auckland. Major Pirie has passed the Hythe School of Musketry. The Government parade of Volunteers last night week was a very successful one. A large number of men fell in at 6.30 at Mount Cook Barracks and proceeded to the Basin Reserve, where they were inspected by Lieutenant - Colonel Butts. There was a large number of spectators at the parade. The Nayal Artillery held their usual weekly drill at the Volunteer Drillshed last evening week. Present on parade 26, of all ranks, under Captain Duncan. They were exercised in gun drill by Lieutenant Rislop, and in the four-deep attack formation by Captain Duncan. The rifle range presented quite a busy appearance on Saturday afternoon when the third competition for Hobson and Son’s trophy by the City Rifles took place, the winner on this occasion being Private Arthur Guise. The former winners were (Ist) Private Cato, (2nd) Private Cauty. Including the member of the Naval Artillery, who were engaged firing for battery prizes, there were over 50 competitors on the ground, beside a number of spectators. The light was somewhat against good shooting, but notwithstanding, Guise, a secondclass shot, succeeded in putting on a most creditable score of 83, Private Valentine (another second-class shot) being second with 75. Unfortunately Guise’s first shot at 500yds struck the timber on which the target stands, and, sounding like a hit, was challenged by him, but on examination it was found to be as stated above, and three points were accordingly deducted from hia

total score. The conditions were 200, 300, and 500yds, Wimbledon targets, seven shots at each range, any position. The following are all the scores made over 40 : Private A. Guise, 89 ; Private Valentine, 75 (ammunition prize); Sergeant Burton, 70 (ammunition prize) ; Sergeant Mcßean, 68 ; Captain Collins, 67 ; Private Harder, 66; Private F. Moore, 65; Private G. Harris, 64; Private -Luke, 63; Sergeant Roberts, 62 ; Private Cato, 60; Corpora 1 Jackson, 58 ; Corporal Hansen, 57 ; Color-Sergeant Davis, 55; Sergeant Madeley, 54; Private Wilßon, 53; Private Rankin, 52; Private Arnold, 52. Private Robinson, 45; Corporal A. Moore, 45; Private Priest, 45; Private Smith, 43. A match also, took place on Saturday between the sergeants of the D Battery, N.Z. Regiment of Artillery, and the Bergeants of the City Rifles, resulting in a win for the former by 25 points. The Blenheim Rifles have invited the City Rifles to take part in a rifle match on the 11th December, in which the Nelson and Wanganui City Rifles will also take part. Eight men aside, to fire on their own ranges. Hythe position and targets. It has been definitely decided that Sir George Whitmore’s annual inspection takes place”on Saturday, 11th proximo. It is most likely that the Wairarapa Volunteers will be asked to parade at the same time and place, and should this be the case there will be a very large turn out of Volunteers. A rifle match between the City Rifles and Featheraton Rifles took place on Tuesday at the Polhill Gully rifle range, resulting in an easy victory for the country corps by 62 points. There is not the slightest doubt that the defeat of the local corps was due to the fact that the townsmen do all their practice early in the morning and afternoon, and are thus placed at a great disadvantage when firing in the middle of th« day with a bright sun, such as there was on Tuesday. It is a strange coincidence that the aggregate score made by the men on Saturday last who composed the city team was the same as that made by the victors yesterday, the conditions being the same both days— Ranges, 200, 300, and 500 yards; 7 shots each, Wimbledon targets. Appended are the scores : Featherston Rifles Lieutenant Smith, 74 ; Volunteer Whiteman, 72; Volunteer Tocher, 70; Sergeant Benton, 67; ColorSergeant Hodder, 67 ; Captain Donald, 65 ;. Lieutenant Benton, 60 ; Volunteer Monckton, 54; Sergeant Fry, 47. City Rifles— Sergeant Madely, 71 ; Volunteer Luke, 65; Sergeant Burton, 60 ; Color-Sergeant Davis, 58; Volunteer Harper, 54 ; Volunteer Cato, 54 ; Captain Collins, 53 ; Corporal Jaekson, 50; VolunteerGnise, 49.