SHOOTING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13489, 10 January 1908, Page 6

SHOOTING.

AN OFFICERS' MATCH. A team of officers from the Christchurch garrison visited Timaru ytsterday, and fired a match against a South Canterbury officers* team with whom victory rested by a substantial majority. Ths following are the scores:— XORI ri C ANTEBBURY. 500 600 "A. Captain Trekavan 21 29 Captain Fester 29 29 58 Lieutenant Andrew.-* 28 25 55 Lieutenant Moffett 15 29 44 lieutenant Hintz 25 17 42 Lieutenant Climie 25 27 52 Lieutenant Barnett 24 23 47 Captain Gundersen 29 29 58 Total 404 SOUTH CAXTEBBURY. lieutenant Holdgate 28 27 55 Captain Foden 25 24 49 Lieutenant Martin 32 29 61 Captain McXab 28 24 52 Captain Wain 33 28 61 Captain Blaksston 31 27 58 Captain Gresson 25 26 51 Lieutenant Smith 29 30 59 Total 446 TIMARU FOBT GUARDS. The company held a competition at the 700 yards for prizes presented by Mr Pearcy and the Marine Band. The weather was again unfavourable, a dull light and a varying wind making good shoot ing impossible. The following are th-e scores:— 700 Hep. Tl. Private Dunne 33 13 46 Private W. Fitzgerald 29 11 40 Private Burford 38 Private J. Moore 37 Private Rogers 27 10 37 Sergeant Foster 32 3 35 Private Grandi 30 5 35 Private Pearson 34 Private Tomliuson 21 13 34 Lieutenant Morgan 27 - 6 33 THE HAYHURST CUP. The Hayhurst Challenge Cup was fired for at the Timaru range, yesterday. The Ashburton, Studholme, and S.C. Mounted Rifles each entered a team, Geraldine failing to eend in a team this year. The result was a win for the Studholme M.R. by a majority of 56 from the ■S.C.M.R., the latter being second, with Asliburton last. A very tricky wind at 7CO yards upset the scores of some of the teams, ■who were in fair way to put up good scores. Colonfel Bond was range officer, and. everything was carried out in an excellent manner. Following are scores of each team : STUDHOLME M.R.

A team from H.M.S. Prometheus will fire a friendly match against ten men from the Timaru Rifles on Saturday next, commencing at 2 p.m. The teams will published later. BISLEY REVOLUTIONISED. An important statement has issued by: the British Army Council embodying a number of suggestions as to the arrangement of progtainma; for rifle me-tings. The document- also show.s that- the 'War Office has arrived at decisions which will revolutionise target practice :.s airang-.il by all the rifle associations. Among the objections takt-n to some oi the programmes drawn up for 1907 are the following : -The discouragement of young soldien. * I>v tlk- admission of expert shuts into comnetitions of an elementary natuie. •'"The retention of competitions having little or no military value. '"The encouragement of a styl.* of shootincr nnsnited fi> nctivt service condition* l .'' The jo.lowing proposals. ii i-arrinl t,u:, will entirely alter the character of the Bisley meeting:—

" When drawing up a programme the ' % " v!l as tlle perfection of skill with the rifle, should bo kept in view, in order that elementary compe'itions may be designed for the younger competitors, while championships are awarded for perfected skill only.' What the Ai-jiy Council means bv elementary competitions is explained in in.following: " Bull's-eye targets should, as a rule, used in elementary competition:; onlv. and for young toldiers in the lirst- three* years of their service. They may, .However, be uvid in competitions d-esigned to test the powers of rides and ammunition rather than the military ski.l of 'he tm-r." Further important statements in the War Office docunx-nt are:: " Programme should, as far r.i> possible, embrace all the elements of liiUoketiy training. "Tkjs dispropor. ionr/*.e value hitherto attached to proficiency in grouping and applying fire nuder easy conditions should be greatly reduced. The application of a group of shops to a bull's-eye when sighting shots are allowed is little more than a test of trigger prmsing; estima ion of the effect of email changes of wind by such unpractical mfthods as the observation of Hags or mirage has r.o militaiy valne. " Sighting shots should only be allowed in those rapid iire competitions, in which accuracy combined wi b a high rate of fire is the first consideration. '"lt is often imptiKibk- to hold competitions at unknown rang*-, owing to want of range accommodation. In such a ca;e. it is very desirable, that a special competi:ion in judging distance ibe held in connection with, but not necessaiily on the same day as the shooting competitions, and every means sliooM be adopted of emphasising its importance."'

500 600 7G0 Tl. Sergt. Licdeay , . 31 30 30 91 Sergt. Goldstone 33 30 25 88 Capt. Wain 33 28 24 85 S.-M. Dunbar 30 24 27 81 Pte. Hurst 29 22 24 75 Pte. Hcafey .. 27 29 19 75Corp. Roberts 29 27 19 75 Pte. Shrimpton .. . .. 25 22 19 66 I'te. Twomey 26 24 15 65 I'te. Fulton 30 15 17 62 Total . . 763 SOUTH CANTERBURY M.R. Sergt. Prrngle 32 29 28 89 Corp. Hurdlev 31 25 22 78 Bug!. £gan 25 28 18 71 Corp. Mitchell 30 24 17 71 Q.M.S. Williams .. 24 24 22 70 llagl. b'undborn 27 26 17 70 Capt. Gresson .. 25 26 17 68 Pte. Ccegrove ... . 29 23 16 68 Lieut. Smith , 29 30 7 66 Sergt. Butcher 24 17 15 56 Total 707 ASHBURTOX M.R. Chapl. Blakeston .. 31 27 25 83 Q.M.S. Ckri-rtiaq .. 23 29 23 75 Lieut. Hardie . . .. 21 27 26 74 Sergt. Buchanan .. 27 21 26 74 -Coral. Storrier 27 31 16 74 Pte. Louttit 24 16 k6 bfc Corpl. Stringfellow . 21 18 9 48 Pte. Anderson 19 15 11 45 Corpl. W«stropp .. 20 15 9 44 Pte .Thomas . 16 13 11 40 Total 1 625