OVERSEAS CLUB.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13091, 3 June 1913, Page 5

OVERSEAS CLUB.

"RIFLE SHOOTING AGGREGATES.

The Rifle Club has finished a short but successful season, and it would appear that this* addition to Gisborne's sporting institutions is now well established. The formation of the club was greatly hampered by the difficulty of obtaining a suitable range, but mainly through the kindness of Mr J. C. Field in allowing the club to shoot over the range on his property, and Major Evans in granting the use of the targets already built there, the trouble was overcome. The scores show a very .satisfactory state of affairs, and from appearances* the club is able to put a really first-rate team in the field. '

"the championship honors are annexed by D. Rait, who has been scoring verv consistently right athrough the -jeaspu. He is closely followed by G. Parker, who has evidently been taking to heart the lessons he received at his college training. Parker is quite a young shootist, ahd gives every promise of becoming one- _ of the Dominion's best marksmen. Dixon ig another good shot who should dp well in the future. '

The leading figures in the B grade point to, a batch of promotions next season. During the later stages the coirtest for supremacy was very keen, and the final figures, which reveal a difference of only 22 points between the firs, five men over a whole season's shooting, show that there is little to choose between any of ythem ; in fact had a few of the absentees been able to fill in their engagements, several of the others lin this grade should have been, well in the running. Pickford and Armstrong, of the C grade, had a. very keen fight for supremacy, and again the difference of five points on the season's shoot is very trifling.

In referring to the weekly shooting reports which have come to liaud, the allhround improvement in the figures from time to time leave no room for doubt that with practice — and consistent practice is necessary to make a rifle shot — tho club will be able to look forward to a very enthusiastic season when shooting starts again in October. It must be remembered that the men were for the most part strangers to one another ; in fact the majority are quite new to Gisborne, and comprise snots from all over the Dominion, as well as Australia, Africa, and the Homeland, and this gave the .handicapper (Rait) no end of trouble. He had no previous; experience to work upon, and the fewpractices prior to tho aggregate competition were, to him, very inadequate, grounds to work upon. He, however, performed a very onerous duty with the greatest of credit, and to the satisfaction of the whole club; in fact, so well did he justify his position that df critics there were none. The percentages for the season are based on the shooting, together with the handicaps, and) whilst there was no handicap in tli4 A grade, the B and C men received the benefits of points, although, with the leading shots these were trifling, and probably did not make a great deal of difference .with the final records. It must, however, be noted that amongst the higher scores, Faulk-, ner, of the B, grade, and Armstrong, of the C grade, are tlie only men whose figures stand upon merit alone. The aggregates, with percentages, are shown herewith: — •

GRAND AGGREGATE. ■,„_. Second Easter Per cent-, Round. Monday. Total, age. Rait ... 303 168 031 29.5 Parker ... 353 171 524 29.1 Lawrie ... 351 168 519 28.5 Dixon ... 362 — 362 30.1 Pickford 299 < 144 443 24.6 Armstrong 306 132 < 438 24.3 Beere ... 275 114 389 21.6 Cave . ... 189 122 311 22.2 Cuff ... 169 109 278 19:8 StagpoolC 325 174 499 27.6 Johnstone 344 152 496 27.5 Gardiner 326 165 491 27.2 Snelgar 320 165 485 26.9 Faulkner 321 156 477 26.3 Holmes 322 129 451 25.0 Hale ... 270 149 419 26.1 Magnusson 152 159 311 25.9 Burne ... 137 105 302 25.1 McL'gtllln 136 160 290 24.1 Donald 191 - — 101 23.8