RIFLE SHOOTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18803, 5 March 1923, Page 6

RIFLE SHOOTING

.MEETING AT TKriNTHAM. SATURDAY’S SHOOTING. DUNEDIN COMPETITOR’S SUCCESS. (Ptta United Puess Association i TRFNTHAM. March 3. Trent ham to-ilay was in kindly mood for (he most part, Lilt showed occasional fils of perverseness, which scnrcrl ninny marksmcii’s tempers In (lie early morning, when the shooting commenced at 300 yards in the Marlborough Match, the conditions were almost perfect. A dull sky, a steady light, with the winds at rest, gave the early men a chance, and some solid scores were rattled on. When they went ha'-k to the 500 yards, however, the snn came out and a mirage began lo play .lack o’ Lantern tricks along ihe, target from the loft flank. As mid-day approached the mirage changed its direction, entiling over from (he right, from which (nm'ipr a puify wind started to make itself .(lie elevation up to this time had been the principal trouble. Now lateral deflections had to he studied, and the marksmen found the study all engrossing, evidence of which was furnished on the score boards of the men who were veterans at the game. During the afternoon, when the 600 yards stage ot the Dominion Match (15 shots) was tired, the wind had gone to 3 o'clock (straight in from the right), the allowance varying from nil to 12 degrees. In the late afternoon a "fish-tail” developed, corning down the range from the target flanks. Thomas, an old hand from Linton, nut all his shots into the ‘'bull” at the 500 yards of the Marlborough shoot. Young Haldane got one less. A most meritorious performance was ih/t of Cadet Booker, a Blenheim lad, who got a string of nine s‘s. lie then dwelt over-long cn Use last shot, which got olf the black into the inner ring. He had made oniy a small score at 300 yards, but this "all but,” landed him a prize, with Cadet Dunc.ni, of Westport, sou of the exchunpi 'i:, v.dv. is shooting consistently here. The Bit - .lee teams' matches filled in the rest of ike afternoon, 11 entries being received, and some interesting competition was witnessed. Wanganui had evidently trained steadily for these, and left the other teams well behind. For those who study coincidences something that was witnessed on the 500 yards mound during the progress of the Marlborough Match may he quoted. One scoring hoard showed four names with scores of 45 each. Next to it was one with three 43’s, and near-by was another on which the five totals read consecutively 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. Just to test what mood the fates were in, a sixth man was impressed, and put on 43—the average of the other five scores.

The leaders in the first stage (600 yards, 15 shots) of the Dominion Mutch are:—F. W. Chine- (Karori) 72, F. J. King (U-kawa) 70. W. K. Williams (Ohura), W. N. Masefield (Sounds), and W. H. West (Blenheim} 69, J. Sunnex (Fla.vbourne), A. H. Guy (Kaponga), A. Scholes (Upper Hutt), and A. Swanson (Karori) 68, L. G. Loveday (Linton), E. Haldanc (Waipukurau), W. Duncan (YVestport), D. Thompson (Napier), L. Braithwaite (Okawa), and R. C. Barkio (Auckland) 67, J. L. Turner (Wellington Suburb*), S. Waldcn (Greytown), T. Orr (Greytown), W. J. Swaysland (Napier), D. Roots (Patea), H. Simmonds (Wanganui), J. Milroy (Wnimea), C. Wliileman (Wellington Suburbs), W. M. Garth (Greymouth), and J. A. Munro (Wyndham) 66. Sixtyfives and 64's were as plentiful as blackberries amongst the scrub flanking the ranges. Witls two matches (Canterbury, 600 yards, and Marlborough, 3CO and 500 yards) completed tlie loading eight are:—Turner (Wellington) and Nielson (Napier) 141, Connor (Okawa) and Masefield (Sounds) 140, Haldano (Waipukurau) 139, Carter (Petone) and Veale (Auckland) 138, and Croxton (Karon) 137. .following are the results: — SERVICE TEAMS' MATCH, Casualty Competition, for teams of five men, tiring at collapsible targets, the team to shoot in pairs, each man being provided with six rounds of ammunition. On a man hitting a target a competitor in the other team falls out, being regarded as a casualty, The teams advance at the double for 50yds before opening fire at 200yds. The competition lends itself to the exercise of qualities of leadership by men in charge of teams, 'lhe Wanganui Rifle Club (Simmonds. Hamilton, Hudson, Hughes, and Paterson) won the match, taking £4 and the Islington Cup Kaiapoi was second, taking £2; Wellington Suburbs third, £1; Cambridge fourth, £l. MACHINE GUN RESCUE, for teams of five, firing at figure targets representing a machine gun with its crew and supports, 300yds awav. The supports appear in pairs from either flank as a gun crew put out of action, and the dull figures moving irregularly afford very unsteady marks, though, in this case a dark background lielped the riflemen to pick up the silhouettes. The match was won by the Karori ~,tlo Club (Butler, Caughley, Boon, Marshall and Croxton), taking £4 and the Dawson Shield. Wellington Suburbs was second, £2; Akarana third, £1; Kaiapoi fourth,' £l. T _,. A . . MARLBOROUGH MATCH. Ritchie (llawera), 95 points, £6; Haldane (Waipukurau), 85, £4; Veale (Akarana), 95, £3; G. Hood (Opaki), 95. £3; Mawley (Opakij, 95, £2. The following take £l:—lurner (Suburbs) 95. Payntcr (Blenheim), Masefield (Sounds), Piper (Christchurch), A. J. Green (Westport), Ravers (Wanganui), Neilson (Napier), Croxton (Karori), and Hester (Wellington Suburbs), all 94; Thomas (Linton). Keir (Ashburton), Crimp (Kiwi), Pask (Linklatcr), West. (Blenheim), Sunnex (Flaxbourne), Halmshaw (Christchurch), and Roots (Patea), all 93. SUPERIORITY OF FTRE COMPETITION, 390yds. Teams of five have eight rounds each to fire at, five figure targets, appearing unannounced. 'I ho object of the competition is to inculcate *.i spirit of economy and scotch any tendency to wasteful wihlness in shooting. Teams got credit for any ammunition unexpended after all the targets are put out of action. The Opaki Rifle Club (Hood, King, Mawley, Bolton, and M'Calmont) won the matoh, taking £4 and the Club Coffee Oup; Wanganui was second £2; Karori third, £1; Cambridge fourth,' £l. The team scoring the highest aggregate points in these three competitions becomes the champion service team for the year, carrying off the Sir John Logan Campbell Shield. "Wanganui annexted the title and the prize this time. Their team work showed the benefit of careful preparation. Following is the complete prize list in the Service Championship (fivo shots snapshooting in attack at 200yds figure targets; 10 shots rapid in 50sec at 500yds; five shots slow at 630yds.) The score in this is added to the aggregates in the four matches of the individual service series: Grand -

V. Bolton (160 and 63) was counted out. James, who Wided the aggregates yesterday crashed badly. J. Minwo, who was only two points behind him when the match started, only managed to scrape in at the bottom of the list. CToxton, Caugiiley, and Guiney were among thoio up in the aggregate, but. wbo failed- to keep up to (.he pare set by Moss, who improved from fourth position to first.

.' Aggrc- Match ApgrcSorit* £!i P ilU '- [ I rt '- £'*• C. Moss (Duncilinj ... 161 82 -S3 Series .£4 II. Boon (Karon) ... 165 ' 6 ■''- Series £2 11 Hester (Wellington ' Suburbs 15V 82 239 The ftillowincB take £1 each— ri. Bnrkk- (Tetonp) ... 155 80 23". (J. Hood ... 154 7fi 230 ]L Siinmonils (Wanganni) 1»6 "4 230 P. Ncale (Akaninu) ... 154 75 22!t .1. Brvden (Kiiinpoi) ••• 153 7H 22!l W. Duncan (Westport) 153 71 22H W. Hudson (Wnnganui) 153 US 228 W. E. Jones 153 74 227 J. Munro (Wviidhain) 165 C2 227 F. Phurlimd (Blenheim) 152 71 223