Drill Hall & Rifle Range.

Southern Cross, Volume 6, Issue 9, 4 June 1898, Page 5

Drill Hall & Rifle Range.

NOTES BY MAGPIE.

Yolunteers and Rifle Club members are invited to contribute to this column. Items of news, diagrams of targets, reports of matches, meetings, and all events of interest to volunteers and shooting men will be received. Address r “ Magpie, Southebn Cboss Office.

The Defence Office has issued a circular stating that the competitions for the District Medal in each Volunteer District are to take place between the present time and December 31st next. The conditions will be the same as usual, the ranges being 200 yards standing, 300 yards kneeling, and 500 yards in any military position. The new arm ordered for the colonial forces is to be the - 303 MartiniBnfield. This weapon is a single loader with Martini breech action and the Enfield barrel. It takes the same ammunition as the Lee-Metford rifle on issue to the Imperial troops, and is said to be superior thereto in one respect, inasmuch as the barrel is more durable. The Southland Fusiliers paraded on Tuesday night for instruction in company drill, there being present Capt. McKenzie, Lieuts. Hall and Hannah, and 29 men of all ranks. With the knowledge and ability this corps already possesses it should not be a hard matter for it to soon become proficient in its new drill. Recruiting is being actively carried on, five men presenting themselves for enrolment last night, among the number being one who was a member of H.M.S. Camperdown’s crew when that vessel ran into and sank the Victoria in the Mediterranean with appalling loss of life, while several others are coming forward next week. The City Guards parades are rather quiet just now, owing probably to their being rather unsettled pending annual meeting, held last night. A very enthusiastic meeting was held at Balclutha on Friday, May 27th, his Worship the Mayor in the chair, when it was decided, in compliance with the recommendation of the Commandant of the forces, to form a company of mounted rifles, to be the fourth or D company of a Mounted Rifle Battalion for tbe Otago District. A list of 63 names, being the number required, was rapidly filled up, and some 20 others signified their willingness to fill up any vacancies. Judging from the stamp of the young men present, tbe Clutha Mounted Rifles should take a good place for physique in the battalion. Captain Robin was present to assist in the formation of the corps.

It is notified in the Gazette that His Excellency the Governor has approved by his deputy of the following appointments —Otago Military District (including the sub-districts of North Otago and Southland), Lieut.-Col. William Holden Webb, N.Z.M.; Major Alfred Headland, N.Z. Volunteers, as Officer commanding the sub-district of North Otago ; and Captain John Edward Hawkins, Southland Mounted Rifle Volunteers, as officer commanding the sub-district of South Otago. Commissions to date from May 10th, 1898. The result of the volley firing for the past year throughout the colony has been published. The Wanganui Rifles came first in order of merit •with a total of 1190 . points and an average of 2167, the next being the Kaiapoi Rifles with an average of 20’69, while the Timaru Rifles were third with an average of 19'52. The following is the order of the Southland corps on the list :

Eighty-six companies, with a total of 4.002 men, fired, and the average for the whole colony was 12-21. For 1896-7 the total number who fired was 3515, the average being 11 •58. The different town corps having

now nominated their delegates to the Garrison Ball Committee, we may shortly expect to hear something definite concerning this important annual function. I have heard very little of the Navals in shooting circles lately ; they appear to be a bit * off ’ the rifle just now. In my notes of last week concerning the Gore Rifle Meeting I was unable to publish the results of the all-comers match, not having them to hand in time. The following were the results: — Seven shots at 300 yards. Prizes—los, 7s 6d, ss, 2s 6d, 2s 6d. h’cap total 1. Priv Wakelin, ICG eer 28 2. Priv Johnston, GEY 1 28 3. Mr Jas Graham 3 28 4. Capt McKay, ICG 2 27 5. Priv Brett, GKY 12 27 Seven shots at 500 yards. Prizes—los, 7s 6d, ss, 2s 6d, 2s 6d. 1. Capt MacKenzie, SF scr 31 2. Mr Kightly, SRO „ 30 3. Priv Wakelin, ICG „ 30 4. Sergt O’Toole, SP 2 30 5. Mr T H Hiddlestone 4 30 AGGREGATES. Prizes —10s, ss, 4s, 2s 6d. h’cap 300 500 tot’l 1. Priv Wakeli , ICG scr 28 30—58 2. Sergt O’Toole, SF 4 23 28—55 3. Friv Johnston, GRY 5 27 21—53 4. Mr T H Hiddlestone 9 18 26—53 CHAMPIONSHIP. Prizes —20s, 15s, 10s, 5s Seven shots at 600 yards with scratch scores at 3UO and 500 added. 1. Priv Wakelin, ICG 58 26 2. Sergt O’Toole, SF 51 26 3. Lieut Domhan, GRY 44 28 4. Mr Joe Johnston, SEC 49 22 —7l Appended are the best targets at the three ranges : 300 yatds 600 yards

4434365—28. Priv. Wakelin

4543565—31. Capt. MacKenzie

600 vards

4534435—28 Lieut. Domigan

The Riversdale Rifles held their usual parade at 9.30 a.m. on the Queen’s Birthday. There was a very fair muster considering the inclemency of the weather, and Lieut. Kelly was in command. The men were marched out opposite the N.Z. Agricultural Co’s, office, where the usual feu de joie was fired, and three hearty cheers were given for the Queen. The company was then put through some extending movements by Lieut. Kelly, after which they were dismissed, and a shooting match, in which some 14 competitors took part, was gone on with. The day was anything but pleasant for shooting, cold rain showers falling at short intervals during the afternoon ; consequently the scores put up were hardly up to the average. The ammunition used (Auckland 18951 proved very defective. Appended is a list of the prize winners:—

A grand ball was held in the drill hall in the evening, in which some 46 couples took part. The shooting prizes, competed for during the past season, were displayed on the stage during the evening, and were presented to the winners by Mrs Donald. The corps gave something like £25 in prizes during the last season, besides a silver cup presented by Mr B. Hallenstein, an aneroid barometer presented by Messrs Hallenstein Bros., and a an opera

I glass presented bv Sergt. McDougall. Aghooting match between teams of seven men from the City Guards ' and Fusiliers was bred on the Grasmere range on Wednesday afternoon, I the conditions being 10 shots at 200 yards. The weather was cold, with a dull right wind blowing, and the shooting, though not brilliant, was ( almost up to the average. The Guards’ team was the hottest they have put on the range for a long time, and they won after «ome very close shooting by 8 points. It is the intention of these two corps to have competitions round all the ranges, and should they prove as enjoyable as this match we may expect to see the goodfellowship which prevails between them considerably deepened. The highest scorers were Captain McKenzie and Sergt. Wills for the Fusiliers and Guards respectively, and I append diagrams of their targets. At the conclusion of the match Lieutenant McKenzie called for cheers for the Fusiliers, who, led by Capt McKenzie, who expressed his good wishes for future meetings, returned the compliment. Following are the individual scores • Gity Guards. Fusiliers. Sergt. Wills .. 40 Capt. McKenzie.. 40 Priv. Wakelin.. 38 Lee Corp Johnston 38 Sergt Murphy... 37 Sergt L. Lennie .. 36 Corpl Lee .. 35 Sergt O’Toole .. 35 Lieut McKenzie 33 Sergt T. Leonie .. 32 Priv Glennie .. 33 Priv Brown .. 31 Priv Robinson.. 32 Corpl Boyce .. 28

248 Capt. McKenzie

240 Sergt. Wills

3344554444 —40 5444534344—40

On Wednesday afternoon twelve members of the Southland Rifle Club took part in the match, 10 shots at 700 yards, for a trophy given by the club. The scoring was exceptionally low, caused principally by a strong wind of variable force from the right. The trophy was won by Mr A. R. Wills from scratch, with 31, with Mr John Johnston (4) 31, second, and Mr E. Huffadine (4) 27, third. The failing ligfht spoiled the chances of those who fired in the last squads. The club’s next fixture has not yet been determined.

Position Corps No. fired Average 18th Bluff Navals 30 14 30 26th Gore Rifles 33 13 90 34th Riverton Rifles 31 12-95 35th S’land M. Rifles 51 12-81 49th G BRtery 35 11-40 51 et Riversdale Rifles 37 1818 59th City Guards 67 10.67

H’cap 500 600 T’l Sergt. M.’Maith. ser. 27 26--53 Priv. M Stevenson 6 25 19--50 Priv. J. M’Math 22 11--46 Col-Sergt. Currie scr. 19 23--42 Priv. Slocombe 6 23 11--40 Priv. Stark 8 15 14--37 Sergt. Wood Priv. L. Heenan scr. 23 12--35 6 16 12--34 Priv. J. Stevenson scr. 26 6--32 Priv, W. Earle 8 19 2--29