AT SHORT RANGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10301, 4 November 1911, Page 6

AT SHORT RANGE.

NEWS FROM THE MOUNDS. (By APERTURE.) The feature of the third competition of the Christ-church Defence Rifle Club was tho hue shoot put up by Rifleman E. F. Sandforcl, who secured KM) from scratch, conditions being seven .shots at 800 yds, oOOyds and (ifJOyds. Considering* that tho weather conditions were adverse to good shooting, Hi item an Sandiord's pcrformauco was a dih>tinctlv brilliant one. His targets were: —At'3ooyds, 545u45G--33 ; at 500 yds. 3555555 —33 ; at <>ooyds, 5465555—34. Another good shoot was Rifleman H. Reynolds's U5. and a score of 90 and over on Saturday was good. Shooting on Thursday in line weather, i?iflem:»n Norman Wood and W. J. Henry secured 97 oa"li, Henry just missing a possiblc at ollOytls. Rifleman H. G. Ward ran Sand ford to within a point with the. aid of a ten points handicap, and but for an outer in his score at 500 yds he would liiive won. The next competition of the club will ho held on November 1(5 and IS, conditions being ten shots at 800vds and 900 yd.?. Marksmen of New Zealand have been eagerly awaiting the issue of the programme for the next championship rifle meeting at Trent-ham. There lias been considerable speculation as to what form the shooting; would take, because it was announced at the last meeting that bull's-eye shooting was to bo done away with in favour of competitions of a more military character. It must have been realised by all who attended the Trentham meeting last March that an acute crisis in th« affaire of the Dominion Rifle Association was pending consequent upon the military authorities condemning the Tho marksmen of the country wore given to understand that tho meetings at Trentham in the future would bo of an entirely military character, and this, of course, did not appeal to the hundreds of enthusiastic shots who had made rifle shooting their chief recreation for years. But things have not turned out as black as was anticipated. Tho programme for the meeting lias just been issued, and there is nothing in it to produce a grumble from even the most ardent advocate of stationary target shooting at fixed distances. Tho General Officer Commanding (Major-Ganeral Godley) has not gone to the extremes many thought he would owing to his sympathy with the ideas of the Hythe school of musketry; and his sanction has been obtained to a programme which can only be regarded as most up-to-date and progressive—one which carries out tho requirements of the Defence Department, vet retains the old features which will give plea sure and satisfaction to those who have for so many yeara looked upon rifle shooting in tho light of a pastime. Lack of space prevents me giving in full all details, hut T will give a general idea of the whole meeting and the detailed matches of the Championship, with which riflemen are more concerned.

The meeting will commence on Wednesday, February 28 and conclude on Thursday, March 8. Tho programme is divided into three sections termed "A." "33" and "C" series. The "A " series comprises service teams matches; "B" series, individual service matches; and "C" series, championship belt matches on the lines of past years. Competitors at the last meeting were informed that the service events would be an important feature of future programmes and this has turned out to be the case. Tn the service matches, which will occupy the first four days of the meeting—from Wednesday morning till Saturday evening—competitors are restricted to the use of service rifles as issued by the department. All artificial aids or appliances, such, as slings, aperture sights, etc, are strictly prohibited, and the competitions will bo conducted, under rigid military supervision.

The* " C " or final series is the fixed target shooting, otherwise the matches that have in the past been known as the bull's-eye events, with the exception that the figure targets introduced last year will be used at all distances up to and mcluVling 600 yds, the bull'seye being invisible to the firer. There are seven matches to qualify for the King's Prize, as follows: Auckland Match, 300 and 500 yds, ten shots at each distance (figure targets). Wellington Match, 500 and 800 yds, .ten shots at each (figure targets). Canterbury Match, 600 yds. ten shots (figure targets). Nelson* Match, 800 and 900 yds, ten shots at each (Bisley targets). Otago Match, 800 yds. ten shots (Bisley targets). Hawke's Bay match, 000 yds. ten shots (Bisley targets). Taranakl Match. I.oooyds, ten shots (Bisley targets). Tho ' King's Prize Match, open to the fifty highest aggregate scorers in the seven foregoing matches, distance 1000 yds. tejj shots (Bisley targets). The total "amount of prize money in the series is £IO6B. There is no prohibition of aperture sights and other paraphernalia commonly used in. these events. Two aggregates on the lines of those instituted last year are included in the series. There are the "Bisley aggregate" for loug-range shooting, and " Trentham aggregate'' for distances from 3110 yds to 600 yds. The Champion Team Match. United Service Match (Territorials v. Rifle Clubs), and Sir Ijoga.ii Campbell Shield Match have all been retained.

■lt will he seen from the list of championship matches that 200 yards has been cut out. Last year the same applied, hut at the next meeting there will be ten shots fired at figure "targets at 300 yards. To qualify for the "King's Fifty," 100 shots were fired at last meeting, and tho same number of rounds will be got off next March, the only difference in conditions being the distances. At the last meeting there were twentv shots fired each at 500. 600. 800. 900 and ]OOO yards. Next March there will be twenty shots at 500, 600, 800 and 900 yards; ten shots at 1000 yards, and ten shots, at 300 yards. Tt will thus be seen that ten shots have been cut out at 1000 yards and ten shots substituted at 300 yards. As formerly, the fifty highest aggregate scorers will fire ten additional shots at 1000 yards to decide, the championship. At 300 yards the targets to be used will be of the figure type, containing an invisible bull's-eye. the diameter of which will be 8 inches; "inner." 1.7 inches: "magpie," 26 inches. At 500 and GOO yards the same class of target will be used, tho bull's-eye being 18 inches in diameter, •'•'inner" 30 inches, "magpie" 46 inches. The Bisley target* to be used at 800, 900 and 1000 yards will be the old form, white and black bull's-eye. The "bull" will bo three feet in diameter, "inner" four and a. half feet, and " magpie "" six feet. The programme in , all respects is thoroughly ui>-to-date, and Colonel Collins, C.M.G., executive officer of the association, is to be congratulated on its preparation. He has been tho leading spirit in the rifle shooting in New Zealand for many years, and there is no doubt that the retention of the old championship series, on somewhat altered lines, has been due, to his advocacy.