RIFLE SHOOTING

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 89, 24 March 1931, Page 3

RIFLE SHOOTING

TRENTHAM MEETING TRENTHAM, March 23. _ Heavy rain which set in early thia afternoon interrupted the national line championships at Trentham and caused a postponement of the shooting for the day. When tbe marksmen quitted the rain-soaked mounds four matches in the belt series, three short-range matches and one longrange match had been fired. With the, completion of these W. Mclvor (Pe'tone) is still leading for the King's Prize with a score of 279 out of a possible 300. C. J. Nix (Featherston) is in second place with 278, third position being occupied by W. N. Masefield (Marlborough,)., with 276. From a marksman's point of view the conditions ! could not have been worse when the competitors went down at the mouncs in the early morning. The weather was line but threatening, with a strong fish-tail wind winding in and; out down the range. Shotting was not by any means easy, eyen for skilled shots, and some of the scores of the less experienced in elevation and wind adjustment fell to nieces. In tbe afternoon the wind increased in velocity to almost gale farce, and was accompanied by heavy rain. The last of tho short-range matches in the belt series, the Canterbury Match, 10 rounds at QOO yards, was completed half-way through the morning, the winner being C. J. Nix (Featherston), with a possible. Second and third places were filled by W. H. West (Blenheim) and E. A. Ballinger (Petone) respectively, each having a score of 47. The B grade was won by W. Oakley (Christchurch) with 46, and the tyro grade by J. McKenzie (Opaki) with 44. The Trentham Aggregate, awarded for the highest aggregate scores in the short-range matches, was won by Mclvor with 192 out of a possible 200. The runner-up was Nix with 190, and third place was taken by C. Pickering (Opaki) with 186. After firing in the • Canterbury Match the competitors moved back for the first long-range match in the belt series, the Taranaki Match, 10 rounds at 800 and 9,00 yards. This was won by V- E- Donald (Opaki) with 92. Masefield was second with 91, and H. V. Croxton (Karori) third with BS. The winner in the B grade was R. I. Wells (Paeroa) with 87, and first money in the tyro grade went to I. A. Coleman (Karori) with 78. A shoot-off will be necessary to decide the winner of the Australian Aggregate, awarded for the highest aggregate scores in the Marlborough, Wellington and Taranaki matches. Croxton and Mclvor both have scores of 233, and third place in the aggregate was secured by Masefield. The following marksmen are in the lead for tho King's Prize: W. Mclvor (Petone) 279 C. J. Nix (Featherston) 278 W. N. Masefield (Marlborough) 277 H. V. Croxton (Karori) 274 B A. Ballinger (Petone) .. .. 273 R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 272 W. 11. West (Blenheim) 268

F. \y. ChinK (Karori) 268 V. Donald (Opaki) 268 H Simirionds (Auckland) .. .. 267 H. Prankland (Karori) 267 R. I. Wells (Paeroa) 265 H W. Feast (Gr'eytown) 265 F. R. Truman (Ashlmrt.on) .... 265 Q. Ching (Karori) 265 H. Boon (Karori) 265 A.C.Edmonds (Alfredton) .... 264 F. S. Hood (Featherstonj .... 264 A R. Barker (Ronga) 264 E. T. Haldane (Waipukurau) .. 264