NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 23

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

THE ANNUAL COMPETITIONS. OamatsU, March 13.

One hundred and eighty-six entries have been i received for the Rifle Association meeting, I which is some 20 odd in advance of the total • for the last meeting, bub of the total number I aboub & score have only entered for the one : match. The mal.ch for the ladieg is looked ,' forward to wibh considerable interest, end it is i expected that 13 v»i'l bike pirt. • A case of r.aamuuifcion which was reported to 1 have been Btoleo h&fi turned up safely, having been stored eeparateli by the Railway depart- ', menb for the protection of the public, as it wad marked " phot and shell." - Twentj-five targets will be u&id and the marking will be undertaken by msrabcrs of the Permanent Artillery from Lytfcelton pikl Duueiliti, whose services have been gcsercu'ly place.i plithi* disposal of tbe association by th» Dofence department. The uoly persons in c%mp sru trie Peraaanpn'i Force, hut 30 tents have b?e:j siecttd for the use of competitors during the weeti; g, and catering srrangeaienba for all competitors have been completed. j Major Sommerville, as utual, will have general charge of tbe arrangements ; Msjor Headland will represent the Defecc-a depari"- ' mtn'b ; and Major dllics (V/ellingroa) wll have charge of the council tent, insisted by , Messrs T. Davis, XJ. Fox, and G. Bnggot, bfs ] former associates. Captain Lomax will tor the ] tenth year act as range officer, i The officer iv chsrgs ot the Telegraph de- ■ parttnent has arranged for a bicycle service irom the range to town for th<3 carr age of telegrams, and there ir. bub little doubt that the service will be as successful as that when tbe Federal rifle bhooting meeting was held liere in 1896. ; All that is wanted to ensure the success of tho ■ . 1898 meeting is line weather, and ab present the ! elements ar& none too piomising. To-day was ; i fine, bub the appearances arc that rain is hang- I > ing about. The first 6 hob will nob bs fired before 10 to-morrow. i March H j Tbe annual meeting of the New Zealand j Rifl^ Association was optntd to-day under [ moet favourable conditions, both as regards j weather and arrangements. The men lefb ! lorni af; 8 30 a.m., and at 9.30 wera rquadded. ] Very little time was lost in getting lihe com- i I petitci's to the fhiog yoirt, and ab 10 o'clock i ; r.he first shot was got off i>y ex-<hampion W. < 1 11. Ballinger, who registered an inner. TLe i wind was in the early parb of the day blowing j fresh from the rear, but as the day wore on it j - gradually drew round to the east and came I across the range from the lefb. As usual at these gatherings the proceedings are not of 1 interest to ordinary spsctstors, End cor.se- ! quently there -were not hi any of the public on ■ the ground during the <*ay ; bub on Thursday, when the match for ladies is to be decided, ib ; is expected there will be a good attendance, j One matter which caused a gO3d deal of ; interest was as to how the colonial ammu- i nition would turn out. That of the Dz- . cetnber, 1897, manufacture was used, and at the j 200 yards re»ge of the Nelson M^tch, where . the men had to kupe), there was not much 'grumbling, though several of the competitors admitted it was nob of •<* cla?s to bo used in . competitions of this character. The chief cause > of cDmplainb was that cartridges mie-fired. ■ However, as the men rebired to the longer i ranges there were continued complaints of the | irregularity of the amrcunitioß, and at the ', conclusioTi of the r.,%ic'a the tourjoil met *o con- , Mdcv the ad-.isfcbiliiy cf continuing with the New • Zealand manuf scoured ammunition, acd it tf'as unanimously decided to discard it, and use that "i of the Victorian manufacture in the Belt i Matches. Ib was intended to proceed this afternoon with the Hawke's Bay Mateh — the ; lir»t counting for the Bait, — but as the Vie- ! torian ammumtion was nob on the range, a j ladies' fljetc'i was shoS off wiih otilonial ammu- ! uitipu, and bo-motrcw :i starb will be made wibh j tbe Belt matches. i Major Sommerville has received the followiDgtelegram frem the Hon. T. Thompson, Minister | for Defence :—": — " I regret that departmental ' basinesfc of an important uature alone prevents j me from being present at tha opening to-day. ' Best wishes For good weather and a successful j meeting." Duriug the afternoon Colonel Pole Pentou, commandant of the forces, who had just anived from Chriscchurch, visited the ! range, and he will be present during tbe ! remainder of the meeting. The Permanenb I Artillery are acting «s markers, and to their ! credit ib must be said they carried oub the j duties most successfully, and almosb every ■ challenge was in thair favour. i The weather, which during the past two or three da,7« has been threatening, appears to ' have settled, and a fins week is expected, in j which case the shoobing should easily finish by Saburday afbernoon. j To-morrow the Hawke's B.\y Match, 500 acd ! 600 yards, 10 shois, will be taken first, and is J is pspected that long-rings sbcoting will be j indulged in all day. ' In tha Nelson Match the highest scorers ab | the ranges wers as follows : 200 yds (kneeling) — White (Oamaru), Barraelough (Oamaru), \ Rutherford (Kaitangata), M'Diarmid (Oamaru), ! Winslade (Thames), Kruse (Wangauui), G Fraser (Kaitangata), 32 ; 500yds— Drew (Wanganui), Chaltner (Duuedin), Hastie (Oamaru), • Purnell (Wauganui), Boyce (InvercargiU), ! WinElade (Thames;, Rule (OAmiru), 33 ; ' 600 yds — Simpson (Kaiapoi) 31-, King (Oamaru) 32, Montgomery (Invercargill) 31, Jones (Oiruaru) 31. Following is the day's prize list : — Nelson Match, 200 yds sCoyds, and 600 yd s; seven shots. Match not counting for the i Belt. Volunteer Hastie, Oamaru, £7 „ 92' Gunner Winslade, Thames, £t> 93 j Volunteer Jones, Oamaiu. £5 90 Volunteer A. Ballinger, Wellington, £i ... 90 ! Volunteer Drew, Wanganui, £1 S9 \ Mr Speight, Dunedin, £3 , 8S ' Sergeant Allporb, Nelson, j£3 SS 1 Captain Williams, Napier, £2 S8 ! Mr J. Every, Oamaru, £2 88 ', Bandmaster King, Oamaru, £2 , S7 I Mr R. Rule, Oamaru, £-2 , &7 1 Volunteer M'Gregor, Oamaru, S7 ; Mr T. Fraser, i Kaitangita, 87 ; Volunteer Lov?, Wellington, 87 ; Volunteer Hale, Wellington, 8(j ; Corporal Simpson, Kaiapoi, 85; Mr W Montgomeiy, Southland, 85; Mr J, ltoss, Napier, 85; 0.P.0. Woollett, Dunedin, S5 ; Volunteer Hicbardson, Dunedin, 85 ; Volunteer Bariaclough, Oamaru, Si ; Mr W, Bandell, Petone, 84; Volunteer Harding, Blenheim, 84 ; Captain Chalmer, Duuedin, SI ; Sergeant Purnell, Wauganui, 84 ; Mr W. 11. Bal- , linger. Petone, 83; Mr E. Wilniott, Queenstown, I S3 ; Mr J. Harford, Mavton, S.i; Mr A J". Cameron, Mastertou, S3 ; Lieutenant lJomiaan, G'ora, S'A ; Mr J Wilson, Pfitone, S3; Mr F. lnfepen, Woodville, 82 ; Voluuteor Benilev, Christchurch, 82 ; Volunteer Person, Tiniaru, 82 ; each counted out. I Seigeant Irvine, W.iimea, last jear won tliis inaxch with a score of 'Jj. Ladies' Match. Ten ihots (kiiesiiiiff) at £00yJs. Volimteor Love, Wclliujjtou, £7 ... i'< ' Mr A. Giaoe. Petono, £0 ... ... ... 43 I Sergeant Allport, Nol-on, £'o ... .„ ... 44 CJorporal SimpM)u, K<>.iAp~>i, £4 ... ... ... <M Sei-,joaut MTtirlauc, Ohristchurcb, sgj ■.< 43 .

] Mr W. Randell. IMone, £2 43 Sergeant Purnell, Wangauui, £.1 4.1 Sipper Leslie, Uliristchuich, XC... 'J2 Mr W. Nelson, Wootlville, .£J 42 Sergeant Sommerville, Wangamii, 42 ; Volunteer M'Diarmid. Oamaru, 41 ; Sergeant Irvine, Waimea, 42 ; Mr VV. Ballinger. Petone, 41 ; Sergeant Orr, Auckland, 41 ; Mr J. B.urstow, Carter- | ton, 41; Seigeant Grimily, Thames, 41 : Golour- ' sergeant Stephen, Timaiu, 41; Trooper Thorpe, , Wairoa, 41; Mr W Oiaigie. lnveroargill, 41; i Volunteer Hania, Christchurch, 41; Bandmaster 1 Kin" O.imiru, 40; Volunteer Pearson, Timarn, i 40; Lieutenant Dodds, Po'-t Chalmeis 40. Mr J. ■ Aimbtrona, Dunedin, 40; Captain Gates, Cartel- ' ton, 40 ; Vo un'eer Trebilcock, Chri&tchuich, 40 ; i Mr C. Reynolds. Cartdrtor-, 40 : Sereeaot Krir-f\ { WAn»auui, 4'J ; Volunteer Jiitcbiu, Uhristchutch, i 40 ; Volunteer ll.i'e, Wellingion, 40 ; Mr R. L. ! Kule, O-untru, 40 ; .Sti^eint .Stewart, Dunedin, 40 : Volunteer M'Cfregoi, Oimaiu, 40. Counted oub : Sergeant Shanks, Gore.