New Zealand Rifle Association

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 6505, 14 March 1896, Page 4

New Zealand Rifle Association

JOTTINGS. The murmurs of discontent with the ammunition which went round after the completion of the second stage of the Nelson Match yesterday afternoon developed into a roar of indignation at the conclusion of the match. That tl.e complaint was justified the result certainly showed. Last year the winning score was 93 and only one score of 82 won a prize, while 87, yesterday's best total, was good enough to earn only the 18th prize of LI. Yesterday 87 took the first prize and as low as 77 got into the prize list. This falling off, it must be noted, cannot be charged against the men, for not only are the pick of New Zealand's shots here, but they are supplemented by a contingent of Australia's best men, and it may be said that yesterday's indifferent shooting was made by the best lot of marksmen ever seen on a range in New Zealand. There was nothing in the climate conditions to account for the wretched shooting, and as to the. range the one opinion expressed is of complete satisfaction. Had the collapse occurred amongst young shots it might have been attributed to the range, but- nearly all the marksmen of special note and experience went down, some of them, including the champion (W. H. Ballinger), Wakelyn and Kirk, very badly, while Richardson, who was third last year, and such reliable marksmen as Doughty, Boss, Chnrton, King, and a host of others failed to get into the prize list. All these marskmen conld not have fallen without a distinct cause.

Head, who had 65 on at the first two ranges, made only 12 at 600 yards, while Rule with 64 on could not get more than 13. But many good men did not reach even these small totals, B's and 9's being common, while a " possible *' of misses was recorded.

There was a general feeling of disgust last night, and many of the competitors talked of packing up and going home ; but new hopes were created by a knowledge that vigorous action was being taken to obtain a supply of better ammunition. In this matter Major Sommerville had the hearty co-operation of the Hon. W. Hall-Jones, who promptly telegraphed to the Defence Minister. General regret was expressed on all hands that a meeting which promised to be a brillant one should be ruined by the bad ammunition. Complain's as to the quality of the ammunition supplied by the Auckland Company have been general throughout the colony for some time past; but the ammunition supplied for the meeting, which was said to be of specially good quality, is worse than anything previously turned out.

Everyone is sorry to see a colonial industry suffering under such a condemnation, but the company have few sympathisers, nearly agreeing that the blow is none too severe for the insult offered to men who have travelled Ion? distances at considerable expense in order to try their skill as marksmen. The competitor who lost a railway pass at the Rifle Meeting can obtain it by applying to the secretary. One of the markers at the range yesterday states that oat of about 90 shots fired at his target he had about 40 only to register. The misses were of all sorts, over the target, right and left, and short, and while in his opinion a fair proportion were due to indifferent marksmanship, the majority were, he believed, from defective ammunition. Seveial cartridges at the 600 range were too spent even for a ricochet and striking the bauk just dented the clay and dropped into the trench. Samples of the powder in the Whitney cartridges were displayed yesterday beside Yictonan and Imperial ammunition and the difference was apparent even unto the uninitiated. The latter was clean whereas the Whitney was dusty and " dead." One marker, of a nautical turn of mind, pacing the quarter-deck below his target, cocked his eye aloft as shot afcer shot whistled past, and remarked to his neighbor, " Mine's all safe yet, there's nothing shot away 'ere yet." In the matter of a social, many of the visitors express a strong predeliction for something in the shape of a '' hop." Picnics and speeches are '* off." Unless fresh ammunition is procurable for the Belt matches a number of competitors, including the visiting Australians, will probably withdraw from the shooting. No less than seven Oamaru competitors figure in the prize-list of the Nelson Match. They " bagged " Lll out of L7O apportioned for the match. More than one indignation meeting was held during last evening, apropos of the ammunition. Champion Ballinger was prominent among the discontents. Several cartridges were weighed and found not to vary, and the opinion arrived at was that the powder was at least from five to six years old and weak. The reference of the Hon. Hall-Jones as to the necessity for completing the defence system of the colony is understood to mean that the Government are importing from the Home Country officers skilled in the latest improvements of the torpedo arm of the service. It has long been felt that the instructors should be changed periodically so as to be fully up-to-date.

The probabilities are that in the near future the Rifle Clubs of the colony will be enrolled as members of the Defence Force. Some of the men feel keenly their exclusion from participating in the Federal Rifle Match.

Mr G. Humphries represents the Press Association at the meeting. Among marksmen "General George" is known as the New Zealand war correspondent. The Local Committee of the Rifle Association declined to entertaiu the idea of a Sunday picnic and proposed that the visitors be entertained at a social. The Association's Council adopted the suggestion, and the entertainment- will probably come off at the Theatre Royal, on Wednesday night. The sum of LSO has been voted for the purpose as a Government subsidy. The change made by the Committee has been received with general approval by those most directly interested.