RIFLE SHOOTING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18832, 21 March 1931, Page 19 (Supplement)

RIFLE SHOOTING.

OPENING OF TRENTHAM MEETING. SERVICE MATCHES FIRED. By Telegraph—Press Association TRENTHAM, March 20. Most of the leading marksmen of the Dominion, including nine previous winners of the Championship Belt, are competing at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, which opened at Trentham this morning. From the marksmen’s point of view conditions were perfect, and consequently conducive to high scoring. Compulsory Service matches were fired in the morning, and a start was made with the B series of matches in the afternoon. These do not count for the Belt, but give competitors a try out over the championship ranges. With 150 competitors taking part, the original programme based on an entry of 200 riflemen had to be slightly revised, and a small but unavoidable reduction was made in the prize money. In view of the country’s economic deficiency, and the fact that the Government has withdrawn its customary grant of £IOOO, as well as the usual concession of free railway warrants for competitors the attendance is considered satisfactory.

Before competitors went to the firing points, they were squadded and addressed by the chairman of the Executive Committee, Captain H. Marshall. In extending them a hearty welcome, he said it would have been impossible to have held the meeting had it not been for the generous help given to the Association by the Defence Department, which had provided the statisticial staff as well as range officers. In Service matches in the past, it has been the general experience among competitors that they suffer from eye muscle strain, through holding the rifle at the aim while waiting for the targets to go up. To obviate this, an innovation was introduced, and a flag was waved from the centre of the trench five seconds before the targets appeared. Captain W. N. Masefield (Marlborough), S. O. Hay (Sydenham), and H. Judkins (Auckland), each with 134 out of a possible 200, were leaders in the Service Forty. Comprising the 40 highest aggregate scorers eligible to fire in a match for the Service championship. The Rapid shooting match, which called for seven rounds application and ten rounds rapid, was won by H. Boon (Karori), with a score of 70. D. F. Keir (Ashburton), and R. Porter (Karori) were in second and third places respectively. A Snapshooting compeition, ten rounds at 300 yards, was won by S. O. Hay (Sydenham), with 43. J. Paterson (Wanganui) was second and H. K. Smith (Opaki) third. The file competition and moving target practice was won by H. Judkins (Auckland), with 40, out of a possible 55. W. N. Masefield (Marlborough) was second and S. O. Hay (Sydenham) third.

The Karori No. 1 team won the Champion Service Team Match. The afternoon was occupied in firing the first practice in the B Series, the King and Henry Matches, which called for seven rounds at 300, 500 and 600 yards. The winner of the A grade was A. R. Barker (Ronga), with 103 out of 105. W. H. Ballinger (Petone), who had the same score, but lost on a count back, took second place. W. N. Masefield with 102 was third. The winner in the B Grade was E. C. Russell (Nelson), with 101, and the Tyro Grade was won by H. G. Byres (Linton), with 95.