NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6115, 23 March 1898, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

♦ ' 'ANNUAL MEETING. THE CHAMPIONSHIP. ; / ..(Noytli ( togo Times.) The wind having abated towards five o'clock the shooting for the championship began shortly "afterwards. Interest centred about the targets where M'Gregor, Ross and Robinson were firing. All three missed their first sighters. M'Gregor also missed his. second sighter, but the others g#, O^teifSj, which they promptly discarded. 'Robinson was the first to 'finish. He put on a poor score, 13, with six misses. It'wa's clear he could not be higher than third place, which he secured iby one point . from Captain Rutherford, who .has shot steadily throughout ..,,the. meeting. The contest was now between Ross and M'Gregor. The local shot found the target after his two sighters, 'and made two outers as Ross made .a magpie and a miss. Ross put on' another outer.arid an inner, .but M'Gi'egor landed a pretty bull and an inner, arid thus obtained a clear, lead of eight points, with six shots to go. It was thought now a safe win. 'for M'Gregor. Ross put on an outer, a mis§>' and a magpie, while M'Gregor" • followed" with three misses clean over the top, arid": the championship' hung in the balance.' M'Gregor had now only a lead of three points, and three . .shots ■to gd. This lead : was Swiped Out r by' Ross's magpie.: Ross finished with' 'two outers, • and finished the range witli a score of ■ twenty-one^ and a grand aggregate of 506. It whs thought that M'Greg'pr had lb_t the target altogether. His ecorO was 502 at his fourth shot, and he had had three misses. He found the target again with an outer, and with another outer he tied Ross's score. To.win.the belt he had only to hit the target with his last shot. . The '• spectsttprs were ori tip-toe of expectancy. But JJl'Gfegor was deliberate arid cool. At lft3t he let gOj arid as an outer was recorded a cHeer went up to'honour his victory., M'Gregor just Avon by his last shot. He . was rushed with congratula 7 tions,. for : his win was very popular. Richardson, who was fifth in the meeting, made five outers and five misses, and dropped out of the prize : list 'altogether He only made 10. Harding put on 16^ and fell from fourth to seventh place, and Rutherford and Lester climbed into fourth : and , fifth places from sixth and eighth respectively. Steadraan also dropped out of the first ten. The scoring.,- -as will be seen, of the leading aggregates was altogether somewhat poor. CHAMPION MATCH; open to 50 highest nggregates in Belt matches ; 700 yd s; ten shots. : ■' Previous 700 • •■'.••..'.:. ■• i •• score, yds. . Tl. Private J.Jin M'Gregor, Queen's

Bandmaster King was eleventh..! wjth: a score of, 486. .W. Hastie ; and.!oW..- ; ' Whyte, Tboth of Oamaru, followed together 10 points', away, Captain Nimmo Had an aggregate of 472. B. L. Rule 459, Sergeant Little 456, and Colour-Sergeant Smith 444. The winner of the Belt last y ear — Private A. Ballinger, of- the Wellington City Guard — secured an aggregate this year of 461. He won the Belt last year with 528. Corporal Simpson; of Kaiapoi, was ninth for the Belt last year, and is eighth-in ; the aggregates of 1898. None of the other placed men last year are among the first ten this year. "... . ■ '

■Hifles, Ottmari), champion ' • •'. belt, cold medal and £30 .... 489 . 19 508 James Buss, Wood ville Bifle Club, silTer star and £20 485 21 506' T. S. Kobinson, Christchurch Honorary Reserves, silver star and £15 4aß 13 501 Captain Butherfoid, Kaitangita, silver star and £10 471 29 500 Sapper Lester, Ctiris.tch.urch Engineers, silver star and £8 ... 467 28 495 Corporal M'Kay, Ohriatehurch Honorary Reserves, -M t ... 469 22 491 R. Harding, Blenheim Kifle Club, ... „ ' ... 474 16 490 Corporal >Mmpsou,Kaiapoi Bifles, £4 466 23 489 Private Pearson, Timaru Port Guards, £4 ... 463 26 489 •W. H. Montgomery, Invercargill •' • '.:. ■'- Bifle Club, £4 ... ... ■ ... 464 • ,22 r 486 ;