RIFLE SHOOTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23136, 11 March 1937, Page 7

RIFLE SHOOTING

THE NATIONAL MEETING C. J. NiX WINS KING’S PRIZE MASEFIELD THE RUNNER-UP HIGH-CLASS MARKSMANSHIP (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Mar. 10. Finishing with a possible in the final match for the King’s Prize, C. J. Nix, of the Featherston Rifle Club, won at Trentham to-day the Ballinger Rifle Champion Belt, gold medal and gold shield of the National Rifle Association, £3O, and the rifle champion cup awarded for the highest individual score with the final 10 rounds at 900 yards. He received all the customary honours accorded to a King's Prizeman. After the usual trigger test he was cheered, hoisted into the historic chair, and carried shoulder high by his club mates to the Y.M.C.A.. Hall, where he wap presented with his trophies by Mrs F. Jones, wife of the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones). The runner-up for the King’s Prize was the overnight leader, W. N. Masefield (Blenheim), and H. A. Cromie (Ashburton) finished third. Fourth place in the King’s Prize was filled by D. J, Guiney (Petone), after a shootoff with H. V. Croxton (Karori). After their final 10 shots they each had an aggregate score of 510 out of a possible 550. The shoot-off comprised one compulsory sighter and five rounds, Guiney making 21 to Croxton’s 20. The conditions for the final were good. There was a dull, even light and a light breeze from the left, which was inclined to strengthen and lull, but was relatively easy to mllow. The King’s Fifty fired in two batches of 25, the last 25 first and the flist 25 last. When they took their places at the firing mounds Masefield had a one-point lead over Nix with 473. They fired on the targets in the middle of the range, and behind them were grouped a large crowd of spectators. Shooting with superb consistency and being cool and collected despite the people about him, Nix had possibles with his two sighting shots and went on. to finish with a string of bullseyes. It was realised he was up against a tough proposition in having to contend against so experienced a marksman as Masefield. As shot for shot was fired Nix gradually improved his position. Masefield appeared unable to keep in step with the wind changes, and before Nix had fired his last 10 rounds it was a foregone conclusion that he would win his first King’s Prize He finished with a grand aggregate of 522 for his championship series of matches, involving five days of strenuous shooting Masefield being unable to do better than a 516. The fact that there was nothing else better than-48 .shows the high standard of Nix’s marksmanship with his final 10 rounds. Since taking part in his first meeting in 1908, Nix has attended every national meeting held at Trentham for the past 18 years. He has never been out of the final 50, and in 1931 he was runner-up for the rifle champion belt.. Four years ago he finished third in the match for the King’s Prize, and on two occasions he has shot into fifth place. Nix, who is a sheep farmer at Tauherenikau, has done all his shooting with the Featherston Rifle Club, of which he has been champion about 15 times. In 1931 he won the Wairarapa championship, the North Island championship, and the South Island championship, and he has won the Wellington championship twice. Nix, who was a member of the New Zealand team which went to Australia in 1929, is 49 years of age. He does all his shooting with an old Martini Henry, using a cut-down barrel for his short range-matches and a full-length barrel at the long ranges. Nix has also competed with marked success in miniature rifle shooting. He has won the Wairarapa miniature championship several times, tied for the New Zealand championship on one occasion, and has frequently been well up in the Wellington championS Thirty-eight teams competed in the champion teams’ match, which was fired during the morning. The teams consisted of four men, who had to fire seven rounds at 300, 500, and 600 yards. When the marksmen left for the firing points drizzling ram was falling, and the conditions on the mounds were far from pleasant for the first men down to shoot. Later in the day the weather improved, and with an almost complete absence of wind the conditions were really perfect. Christchurch No. 2 team were winners with a score of 405 out of a possible of 420. Akarana filled second place with 404, and the Wanganui No. 2 team were third with 403. The standard of shooting was much higher than last year, when the match was won by the Wanganui No. 1 team with 384. Teams with that score this year were well out of the prize money. Results:— KING’S PRIZE MATCH

Ballinger Rifle Belt, N.R.A. Gold Medal and Gold Shield, Rifle Challenge Cup, arid £3O.—C. J. Nix (Featherston) 50, 522. N.R.A. Silver Star and Shield and £ls.—W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) 43. 516. ' I ' ■ N.R.A. Silver Star and Badge and £lO.—H. A. Crombie (Ashburton) 48, 513. N.R.A. Silver Star and Badge and £B—D. J. Guiney (Petone) 45, 510. £5 Each.—H. V. Croxton (Karon) 47, 510: F. J. Soler (Wanganui) 45, 508. £3 Each.—R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 48, 507: E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) 47, 506. £2 Each.—J. R. Hunt (Suburbs) 47, 504; J. M’Kelvie (Karori) 45, 503; R F. Wakefield (Akarana) 47, 502; D. S, M’Kenzie (Opaki) 47, 502. £1 Each.—F. H. Sharland (Nelson) 46, 50,2; F. T. White (Okawa) 45, 502; H. K. Smith (Opaki) 44, 502; S. H. Haraldsen (Napier) 43, 502; A. H. O’Donnell (Petone) 42, 502; R. Congreve (Old Navals) 47, 501; F. J. Jeune (Gisborne) 45, 501; H. Harries (Christchurch) 46. 500; J. I. King (Karori) 44, 500; J. Tansley (Invercargill) 44. 500; L. H. Profltt (Napier) 43, 500; D. E. Wilton (Whangarei) 45, 499; H. L. Mason (Christchurch) 43, 499; S. Tumsden (Levin) 46, 498; C. A. Zohlers (Wangaratta, Australia) 46. 498; J. C. Feest (Greymouth) 44, 498; J. Sim (Okawa) 44, 498; H. King (Opaki) 40. 493; P. B. Goldfinch (Karori) 45, 497; J. A. Munro (Mataura) 43, 497: A. R. Symons (Okawa) 48. 496; F. Bolton (Opaki) 46. 496; H. C. Percy (Alfredton) 46, 496; R, Ellis (Takapau) 43, 496; L. Fetlingham (Suburbs) 45, 495; F N. M'Vicar (Wanganui) 44, 495; M. Jones (Wanganui) 44, 495; E. M. Castles Waikopiro) 40. 495; A. J. Brown (Hautere) 43. 494: J. E. Farley (Wanganui) 43, 494; J. F. Fletcher (Dannevirke) 42. 494; N. Perkins (Westport) 42. 493; F. Hickenbotham (Christchurch) 42. 493; E. T. Haldane (Waipukurau) 42, 493: F. H. James (Napier) 43. 492; W. Oakley (Christchurch) 44, 492: D. F. Keir (Christchurch) 39. 490: C. Whiteman (Old Navals) 37. 489. CHAMPION TEAMS’ MATCH Teams of four men. seven rounds each at 300 500 and 600 yards. District Challenge Shield and four miniature cups and £l2.—Christchurch No. 2 (D. F. Keir. W. Oakley, F. Hiscock, E. R. Truman) 405. „ £B—Akarana (D. R. Draffon. E. J. C. Beston. R. F. Wakefield, S. A. S. Elliott) 404. M . £6—Wanganui No. 2 (R. Shaw. J. Chriastian. P. C. Hamilton, J. PaterS ° £5-^Auckland City No. 1 (C. J. M. Clark, A. W. Harris. S. C. Parkinson, F Bowes) 402. £4 —Invercargill City Guards (W M’Chesney. J. Tansley. W. J. Murray B. Broomfield) 400. RIFLE CLUB CHAMPION TEAM MATCH All scores in Belt matches except final 10 shots. Petone Rifle Club.

CHAMPION AGGREGATE SHIELD AND FOUR MINIATURE SILVER CUPS Opaki No. 1 fH. King. H. H. Hawley. H K. Smith. D. S. M‘Kenzie) 1808.