RIFLE SHOOTING

Southland Times, Issue 23141, 6 March 1937, Page 11

RIFLE SHOOTING

NATIONAL MEETING OPENS INCREASE IN ENTRIES (United Press Association) TRENTHAM, March 5. Most of the Dominion’s leading marksmen are competing at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, which opened at Trentham today in fine weather with an attendance of 290 competitors, which represents an increase of between 40 and 50 on last year. The entry for this year’s fixture is by far the best the association has had since the pre-depression days.

Three ranges of the opening match over short distances were fired in the morning, and in the afternoon a start was made with the championship belt series of matches. Several ex-champions are competing and W. N. Masefield, last year’s belt winner, is defending his title. Australia is represented at the meeting by C. A. Wohlers, of the Wangaratta Club, Victoria. Wohlers, who is visiting New Zealand on holiday, has competed at national meetings in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, and last year finished in fifteenth place in the match for the Victorian King’s Prize. He took part in the Wairarapa meeting at Papawai this week, when he filled a place among the first half-dozen in the Wairarapa championship. Veteran of Forty Meetings The veteran of the meeting is F. E. Humphreys, of the Okawa Club, Hastings, who attended his first national meeting half a century ago. Since his initial appearance at the New Zealand championship, meeting in 1887 he has taken part in over 40 national championship meetings. In 1887 the meeting was held at Hillsborough, Christchurch, and in those days the shooting was done with Sneider breech-loading rifles. Humphreys, who is now in his 75th year, finished third in the Kings Prize in 1897, sixth in 1901, and for several years was seldom out of a place in the King’s Fifty. Before leaving for the firing points for the day’s shooting the competitors were addressed by the president of the association (Captain A. F. Ritchie Crawford, of Invercargill). The increase in the entries, he said, augured well for the success of the association. The question of carrying on the meeting had, at times, given the executive a great deal of concern, but with the presence of many young rifle shots, and some of the older men back at Trentham once again after an absence of several years, the future of the association seemed assured. The association, added Dr Crawford, had at last achieved what it had been striving for for a number of yea l-5 ) an “ it was now the sole controlling body of rifle shooting so far as rifle clubs were concerned. One thing they still had to keep hammering away for was the restoration of railway warrants for competitors attending the national meeting. People in the middle districts were not involved in nearly the same expense as those from further afield, such as the far north and south. Restoration of Grant He would also like to see the full pre-depression grant to the association restored or, if that were not possible, then half of it. He would also like to see more encouragement given to rifle shooting among territorial volunteers, for at present much valuable material was wasted. The volunteer force was the nursery for rifle shooting and the resumption of the old army rifle meeting would give an incentive to the rifle shooting movement. The shooting began with the opening match, seven rounds at 300, 500 and 600 yards. At the first range conditions were relatively easy, although the light was at times troublesome, and the last men to shoot had to contend with a slight drift which needed careful watching. Conditions were more difficult at 500 and 600 yards, a tricky fish-tail breeze blowing down the range. The winner of the match was H. R. Hunt (Suburbs), who finished with 104 out of a possible 105. He dropped his one point with his fifth shot at 300 yards. Under the conditions prevailing his was a fine exhibition of marksmanship. No one else returned better than 102, five finishing with this figure. On the count back H. Koppert (Oamaru) took second prize.

Championship Belt Series

The first match in the championship belt series, the Canterbury Match, ten rounds at 300 and 500 yards, was fired in the afternoon. Although at times the wind was fairly choppy, there were long intervals when it blew from one direction and for the greater part of the afternoon it was easy to read. The light was inclined to be changeable during the afternoon, but towards the end of the day it became clearer and sighting caused marksmen little trouble. High scoring was a feature of the match, three finishing with the loss of one point only. The count back favoured F. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) who took first prize. Second prize was won by F. Hickenbotham (Christchurch) and M. Jones (Wanganui) had to be content with third place. All had possibles at the 500 yards range. Aiming Mark Larger At 300 yards the tin hat aiming mark has been increased from 12 to 14 inches, and at 500 and 600 yards from 24 to 28 inches. But then from the mounds, through an aperture sight this change is hardly noticeable and it had no influence of any consequence on the scoring in today’s matches over the short ranges. To conform to the standard adopted at Bisley for the first time last year, the size of the bull’s-eye at 800 and 900 yards has been reduced from 36 inches to 30 inches and the possible effects of this alteration when riflemen move back to the long ranges is the subject of much discussion among competitors. The results were:— OPENING MATCH (seven rounds at 300, 500 and 600 yards). £5.—H. R. Hunt (Suburbs), 104. £4.—H. Koppert (Oamaru), 102. £3 each.—C. A. Wohlers (Wangaratta, Australia), 102; T. M. Goodall (Suburbs), 102. £2 each.—C. Whiteman (Old Navals), 102; R. Congreve (Old Navals), 102; W. Oakley (Christchurch), 101; J. C. Ashman (Petone), 101. Thirty-four took £1 each and 14 10/-. The B grade match was won by T. Smith (Culverden) with 100. He received £3. J. R. Keoghan (Westport) and N. Manssen (Nelson), who also made 100, received £2 each. CANTERBURY MATCH. (Ten rounds at 300 and 500 yards). £5.—R. N. McVicar (Waipukurau), 99. £4.—H. F. Hickenbotham (Christchurch), 99. £3 each.—M. Jones (Wanganui), 99; J. Christian (Wanganui), 98. £2 each.—H. King (Opaki), 98; P. Berry (Tararua), 98; T. H. Proffit (Napier), 97; J. C. Feast (Greytown), 97. Thirty-four took £1 each and 14 10/— each. The B grade match, for which the

first prize was £3, was won by W. Manssen (Nelson) with 97. H. Brehant (Okawa) and F. H. Ashton (Whangarei), each 97, took £2 each.

SEVENTEEN SOUTHLAND COMPETITORS SCORES IN YESTERDAY’S MATCHES (Special to The Times) TRENTHAM, March 5. The Dominion rifle championship opened at Trentham this morning in fine weather. Seventeen Southlanders are present. Seven of them competed at the Wairarapa meeting on Wednesday with a fair amount of success. In the championship aggregate at Wairarapa the Southland scores were (possible 205): J. Munro 195, S. L. Wall 189, A. R. Wills 188, A. A. Ford 187, W. McChesney 182, J. Clark 180, J. Burnett 179. A. C. Wohlers, of Victoria, made 195. This morning at Trentham in the opening match the Southlanders shot well. The Southland scores were: Ford 99, Wills 98, L. Henderson 98, Murray 97, McChesney 97, Munro 97, R. Henderson 96, Tansley 96, Macwilliams 96, Wilson 95, Clarke 94, Crawford 92, Broomfield 92, Wall 90. In the afternoon the first match for the championship was taken. The Southland scores were: Murray 96, Macwilliams 95, Tansley 95, Munro 95, Wall 94, McChesney 93, Wills 92, Ford 92, R. Henderson 90, L. Henderson 90, Crawford 90, Broomfield 89, Clark 86, Wilson 84. In the opening match Ford, Wills and L. Henderson got into the prize list. The service matches will be fired in the morning.

BOXING PALMER TO MEET DE GANS A great boxing programme has been arranged by the Southland Boxing Association for Monday week. One of the preliminaries will be a bout between Dick Baker, the most promising Southland amateur, who has been training under Ambrose Palmer, and Colin Craib, of Timaru. Craib defeated Baker last season and the latter is keen to reverse that decision. Jack Reidy is matched against one of the cleverest boxers in New Zealand, Stan Jenkin, of Oamaru, who is making his debut as a professional. He is fast and snappy and a pretty boxer. He is destined to go a long way in the boxing world. The big fight, between Ambrose Palmer and Roy de Gans, should attract much attention. Palmer is at the top of his form and will be showing the public just what he is capable of. This man, who was wanted- by Australian promoters at any cost, is matched in Invercargill and every boxing enthusiast should take the opportunity of seeing him in action. But he is not likely to have the fight all his own way as de Gans is an experienced campaigner and will extend Palmer. De Gans is in strict training and in his work-outs has been pleasing his supporters. FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION KNOCKED OUT (Received March 5, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 5. Ginger Foran, of Liverpool, knocked out Johnny McGrory, the British and Empire featherweight champion, in the seventh round of a 12-round bout at Liverpool. McGrory was sent to hospital with a fractured jaw.

ROWING PROTEST AGAINST ACTION OF UMPIRE (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, March 5. At a meeting of the Otago Rowing Association the representative of the Port Chalmers Club presented . the club’s view of the championship eights held at Akaroa last Saturday in connection with the complaint lodged by the club over the starter’s action in railing off the race. Several members expressed dissatisfaction with the apparently inconsistent rulings of the umpire in view of the fact that in some of the other races which were concluded the water had been in a worse condition than that in which file championship eights had been first rowed. It was decided to forward a protest to the New Zealand Rowing Council against the umpire’s action in calling off the race. OTAGO EIGHT-OARED CREW ANNOUNCED (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, March 5. The following have been selected to represent Otago in the inter-provin-cial eight-oared championship race at Wellington on March 27:—Wallis (stroke), Solomon, Clark, Johnson, Verngreen, Ritchie, Rae, Thorn and Underwood (cox). BOWLS TEAMS FOR TODAY NORTHEND At Northend.—Wren. Arthur, Shand, Reid; O'Brien, Dr Barclay, Leek, D. J. Wesney; Thomas, Hynes, Greer, Watson; Mullen, Webb, T. D. Pearce, Steans. At Waihopai.—Hannan, Johnstone, Stocker, O'Toole; Hunt, Bath, McMullan, Swift; Millar, Wlldey, Daubney, Randle; Whitaker, Fraser, McEachran, Snow. SOUTHLAND v. Georgetown No. 1 at Southland. —J. Fraser, Ross, Walker, Parker; P. J. Brass, Robertson, R. Fraser, Israel; Findlay, Castle, Holliman, Fowler; Woollett, Stewart, Porter, Reid; McKay, Jacobs, McAlpine, Graham, v. Georgetown No. 2:—Thompson, Cooper, W. Clark, Holmes; Crawford, Kelman. Smith, Dykes; Irving, B. Ayllng, C. Brass, Stewart; Benzie, A. Ayllng, Forbes, Donaldson; Fredric, Darroch, Lumsden, A. Clark. TENNIS MOANA TEAM The Moana C grade team for today is as follows.—Misses Smith, Frobarth and Mowatt, Mrs Stoneman; Peters, Mullen, Dunne, Butler.