VOLUNTEERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8446, 23 July 1888, Page 6

VOLUNTEERS.

THE ASSOCIATION CHALLENGE CUP.

The City Rifles added another win to their credit on Saturday last, when they succeeded, after a very keen contest, in winning the Association Challenge Cnp by four points, the respective scores being—City .Rifles (Color-Sergeant Davis’ team), 357, (Captain Collins' team), 355 ; Guards, 353 ; Newtown Rifles, 30G. This handsome trophy now becomes the property of the City Rifles, the same team having won it twice in succession, the scores on last occasion being City Rifles (Davis’ team), 365, (Captain Collins’ team), 302 ; Guards, 341; Newtown, 314 ; Navals, 306, The Cup was presented to the Wellington Rifle Association by the New Zealand Clothing Company in January last, to bo competed for by teams of five men from any corps in the district by quarterly competition ; ranges 200, 300, and 500 yards ; 7 shots at each range ; Wimbledon targets and scoring. The cup has only been fired for three times, being won on the first occasion by the Newtown Rifles with a score of 359, and on the two subsequent occasions by the City Rifl-.s as stated above, The shooting of the winning teams on each occasion has been most excellent, the average being over 71 points a man. The win is a m'sst popular one, and we are only reechoing the general opiniou of the ’Volunteers when we say that the City Rifles fully deserve their victory, which they have gained by their assiduous and constant practice at the butts. The weather onSatur day was all that could be desired, there just being sufficient wind to carry the smoke clear of the firing ground. The contest really lay between the City Rifles and Guards, the finish of which was most exciting, and though Davis’ team was 15 points ahead when the last man of each team lay down to fire, the Guardsman gradually but surely lessened the difference between the two teams, as he finally totted up 24 points to his opponent’s 13, the Rifle team thus winning by 4 points. Captain Collins’team was considered out of the running, as they were 23 points behind when they started at 500, tad the interest was therefore centred in the two other teams, but the remarkably good shooting of tho captain’s team at the 500 brought his men welltnthcfront, and had not the last shot being scored as a miss the team would have won, their close running with the other teams not being known till the totals were made up. The fine score of 30 points a man at 200 by tho Guards team deserves special mention, as we feel sure that such an incident as each man of a team making the same score has not occurred before, while the total score at the range has never been equalled to our knowledge. The following are the results of each team : City Rifles (Color-Sergeant Davis’ team). —McGregor, 79 ; Wilson, 72; Davis, 71; Jackson, 68; Cato, 67. Total, 357 points. City Rifles (Captain Colins’ team). — Moore, 79; Guise, 75; Luke, 72 ; Madely, 70 ; Collins, 69. Total, 355 points. Guaeds, — Hale, 78 ; W. Ballinger, 77 ; A. Ballinger, 74 ; Russell, 71 ; Aamodt, 63. Total, 353 points. Newtown. —France, 76 ; Elliott, 73; J. Ballinger, 58 ; Hutchins, 63; Oakley, 46. Total, 306 points.