THE NEW PASTIME.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11687, 21 February 1902, Page 3

THE NEW PASTIME.

EVENING RIFLE SHOOTING. Major-General C. E. Luard writes to the "Spectator" in favour of encouraging evening rifle shooting in club, halls by means of a portable riHe shooting apparatus, which he describes as follows : Two standards* are set up at the back of the stage, and tied securely to rings in the wall. They are placed 11 feet apart, and are connected by a steel-faced top rail; other rails are fastened to the standards by brackets. A set of steel plates are now placed oil one rail, and lean against another with a slight tilt, so as to cast the splashes on to the floor. A standard is placed at the firing end of the hall, and an endless cord passes round a- wheel on this over a pullev, up to one of the target standards, across the stage, and back again. A couple of pairs of " travellers " are connected by a simple twist to this cord, and a card target suspended to each. The setting, up takes about tan minutes. Then the wheel on the standard at the firing end is turned, and the targets travel down the hall, running round reels at the stage into position in front of the steel butt. Then the fun ben-ins. Brown and Jones pav down their or 3d, and have four or eisht cartridges put into their magazine rifles, ar..~l fro through the solemnity of steady aiming and" firing at stationary tarsrets. The binocular tells pretty well what has happened. but when they have finished the wheel is reversed, the targets travel back to the firing point, and the score is ascertained without any souabble as to indifferent marking. Smith and Robinson, desirous of practising rapid firing at a moving target, now follow. One of the targets appears from one screen, and travels slowly across a. space of exactly eight feet to another screen. A Challenge Star is given for the best, gross score, made in eight shots on a double run of 16 seqonds per ran. This

ponds nearly to the conditions of Lord Roberts' new prize at Bisley. It takes skilful shooting to make a good J score at one inch bulls-eyes and half-inch cartons, for artificial light, even when carei fully managed, is very different from day--1 light. The time of 16 seconds allowed for the target to travel eight feet at a range of 60 feet (an average length of hall) corresponds to the time that any object about 500 yards off, travelling at the speed of eightmiles an hour, would remain in view irom the firing point in the hall. The rifles used are either Marlin or Winchester repeaters (2-2 bore), the ammunition is nearly smokeless, the report is very light, and there is scarcely any fouling. This ammunition costs 10s per 1000. so there is a good margin for meeting expenses. The rifles cost from £2 to £3, and the portable apparatus £l2. This kind of rifle shooting is the necessary successor cf the worn-out rifle shooting at stationary targets, which has produced plenty of so-called marksmen, but no one who can hit-a moving mark.