Volunteering.

Otago Witness, Issue 1342, 18 August 1877, Page 17

Volunteering.

ADyiCE TO A. YOUNG MARKSMAN.

ilf you cannot shoot as well in -a match as in -practice, yon have no rigHt to call yourself a markßman,or to count on yourself a3 a rifleman in the field ■ for there is nothing at a rifle-match half so disturbing to the nervea'aa "buc^ fever", in the. fjeld;,, .Therefore, f let; me advise you on your, .conduct during, matches and before ,themi v ... . In the first place you should > avoid spirituous- liquors, and cigars, or tobacco in any form. "They -tend- -to Bhake your nerves and' impair your- eyesight. You should live generously biit temperately, 1 as regards eating and drinking, and take as jniuch. out-door exercise as possible. The better your healjth, and the. nearer, you "are to what athletics call "condition," the, cooler will be your head, the steadier your nerves. . Abstinence from sensual indulgence of all kinds -is. especially advisable, for some time before and during a match, as few things are more fatal to nerve and vision than dissipation. 'Late hours and ga3-lighted' theatres are very injurious to the eyesight. . In short, to "be able to retain a cool, clear head, and make good shooting at a match, a man must lead "a sober' and virtuous life. If he cannot dp this, he had , better drop match qhooting, for he will never make a 1 reliable shot. This feature of the modern rifle movement is really one of its beat points, inasmuch as its practice tends directly to draw young men away from bad habits and towards good ones, mental and physical. On the morning of a match it is well to take a hearty breakfast. Of course, you should go to bed early and get a good night's rest before it. If you are in several matches during the day, a heavy dinner is not to be advised, and beer, wine, or spirits, will ruin your shooting for the afternoon. It is equally bad, however, to take no sustenance at midday. The sinking feeling of the stomach at that hour will' cause a tremor of the muscles and nerves unless food be taken,' whereas a light lunch will make you as steady as ever. So much for the physical conditions.

Mentally, my advice is to keep cool, think only of keeping the head of the bull's-eye, and of shooting your best. Never ask after other men's Bcores, and don't be disheartened .if you make an inner, • an" outer, or a : miss. Keep on

shooting, but take your time, and' retmember that other people's nerves may i fail them as well a3 yours. . Carry your \ gun as little as you possibly can, and rest your arms. Enter early; > and get your score tickets, (find the target you . are assigned to, and study the ground, of that, and go nowhere else. Don't bother your head about .what is going on at, .other targets. Get a camp stool and sit' down, - if- you can,-- till your turn comes. When your name ja called, go to your post with your^ rifle .'and'theexact number 'of cartridges required. Always take your sighting shots, if any are allowed. If you doubt your nerves or the elevation of your sight, take -the first shot kneeling, or lying down ; the second standing. Correct your elevation if you find your- j self going high or low. I would advise wiping between the shots, if it be allowed. Speak little, and only on business, to the scorer. Watch the target as if you were at practice, but it is not wise to alter an elevation after you have once begun to fire scoring shots. , You ought to know •your rifle before you enter, and have the exact elevation marked on the 'scale of the peep sight. A hundred yards is the same distance on any regular range, and one sight ought to be, sufficient at such a short distance as is used in off-hand matches. If you find yourself shooting high, or low, it is probably due to your own excitement, for I have observed that most people are much quicker to learn points about the adjustment of- Bights to suit light, shade, and wind, than they are 1 to 1 acquire steadiness of aim and proper trigger pull. Do not endeavour to calculate from shot to "shot, as you proceed with your score, what the aggregate will be. Dp your best at every shot, and lot the aggregate take care of itself.

Finally, if you do poorly in one match^ you may do better in the next. Stick to one rifle, shoot nothing else. Do not be led into changing rifles or.trying experiments during a match. Copy your score cards into your score book, invariably, with the proper remarks, and treat the match' as a practice, in all respects.— Co?. ' Gildersleeve. " <\\ .' '