RIFLE & RANGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17178, 23 October 1923, Page 4

RIFLE & RANGE.

WITH THE .303—8 Y

“TRIGGER.”

COMING MEETINGS. November 24—Territorial and Cadet Meeting at Redcliffs. January 1 and 2—Canterbury Championship at Redcliffs. March IS and following days—New ■•Sv Zealand Championship at Trentliani. April 19 and following days—South Island Championships at Blenheim. PROSPECTS FOR THE 1923-24 SEASON. The present season has opened and gives promise of being quite the best sine© the war. All clubs throughout Canterbury have large increases in their membership which, possibly, is largely due to the increased number of clubs interested in the miniature rifle sport. The miniature rifle clubs are going to be a splendid nursery for the 3. and the Canterbury Rifle Association proposes to circularise all the miniature rifle clubs in Canterbury on the subject of forming defence rifle clubs. Locally, the Railway Reserve are the first to form up and have already sent in their application to the Defence Department. The different provincial associations are drawing up t-heir programmes for the coming prize gatherings. Tho National Rifle Association of New Zealand has met in Wellington, and drawn up a comprehensive programme. Tho meeting will commence on March IS, some four days after the army meeting. The programme provides for three grades:— A. those who have won more than £2 at a N.R.A. or D.R.A. ing within the last four years, or who have been in the final 50,. or anyone who desires to be classed 'A ; B includes all the remaining entries except tyros; and tyros according to the old rule| The main prize list in matches 1 tij 8 is: A grade—One at £5. one at £4. one at £3. two at £2 and twenty-three at £1 I» grade—one at £2. lour at £1 and ten at 10s ; tyros—five nt £1 and ten at ]os. The King’s prize lis: is one at £3O. one at £ls, one ;;t £lO. dPe at £7. six at £3. and twenty-eight at £l. The Trentham ttgerlegate at 300, 500 and 600ydscarries £'J6; arid the Bisley aggregate at 800 and f. OOOvdfi has a prize list of £SO. The Dominion match of fifteen shots at (v>Ovds and ten shots at 1000yds lias a li.-t of £B3. while the Imperial aggregate carries £7B. The. programme can be termed an excellent one, and should attract a much larger entry than was the case last year when tho Wellington district wua the main suppoit.

CLUB NOTES. The Christchurch W.M.C Defence Rifle Club fired its first competition last week at Redcliffs. There was a good attendance of members and keen shooting took place. The winner turned up in last year’s club champion, H. Dockery. Some thirty-five members took part if the first competition held by the Christchurch D.R. Club. Some good scores were put on during the after* noon, notably a possible at 500yds by 11. Harries and two 33’s at each range hr It. Piper. The winner of the competition was A. Beer, a new member last year, who, with a handicap of 8, together with a 32 at 300yds and a 29 at 500yds totalled 69. The runner-up, v* bo was shooting for the first season with a 3.0.3 was H. Judkins, a youth

of only sixteen years: He put up the creditable score of 31 at 300yds, and 29 at 500yds, and with a handicap of 8 was only one behind the winner. The second competition will be held at Tai Tapu next- Saturday at 800yds and 900yds. The Rangiora D.R. Club has every promise of a most successful season. A large number of territorials have joined up this season, and a total of 70 members, of whom 45 are active, speaks well for the future prosperity of the club. I am in receipt of the season's programme from the Ka-iapoi Club, which provides for eighteen competitions. Next Saturday the First Belt competition will lie held under service conditions, and will bo followed a fortnight later with the second handicap Cup shoot. The Ashburton Defence Rifle Club opened its season on Saturday with a trv out match at 300 and 500yds. ten shots at each distance. The following was the result: —

The final service match of the Christchurch Defence Club held over from last season, was fired recently at Redcliffs. The match was to decide the winner of the club's service championship, the winner to hold the Sir John Cracroft Wilson Cup. The conditions were five shots grouping at 100yds. and ten shots application at 200vds. Some high scoring was put up owing possibly to the • splendid conditions ruling. Scores were as follows: —

in services matches, both in club and at prize meetings. He was successful in the service aggregate at the last Canterbury meeting.

The Sumner-Redcliffs D.R. Club has had a welcome increase in membership, several members of both seaside miniature clubs joining up. There was a good muster at Redcliffs on the opening day and some 'splendid j>ractice was put in. BISLEY RECORDS. The recent meeting of the N.R.A., England, provides some satisfaction in regards to rifle shooting regaining its pre-war popularity. The increase of entries for the last three years is almost conclusive proof. In 1921 there were 037 competitors, in 1922 787. and this year 850. Every effott is being made to secure a record for 3 924. The comparative ease with which expert riflemen compiled highest possible scores at Bisley recently, had led the Shooting Committee to consider the advisability of reducing the dimensions of the bullseye and of the other scoring rings, in order to make shooting more difficult in so far as it relates to scoring. At the last meeting an extraordinary number of highest possible ” scores were recorded. and there were ties in nearly every big event, including the King’s Prize Shoot. These changes will be announced almost immediately, because rifle shooting all over the country is governed by Bisley targets and conditions The proposals before the Bisley Committee are that the 200 yards bulls-eyo should be reduced from lOin to Sin, the 300 yards bullseye from lOin to Sin. and tho bulls-eyo for the 500 and 600 yards from 20in to 16in. The other rings would, of course, be reduced in proportion. The inner, ring, it is suggested, should be reduced from 36in to 30in, and the magpie from 48in to 4oin. An alternative proposal is that the 300 yards “bull”' should be reduced by one inch only, and that the reduction for the longer ranges—soo : and 600 yards— should be from 20in to 18in. The black aiming mark w ill not be altered, and the alteration in the ! buils-eye will be in what is known as 1 the counting ring or “ invisible bull.” There is little doubt that these dimen- ! sior.s will be adopted finally by the N.R.A. Council.

800 500 yds yds Tl. I>. Y. Keir . ' , • ** «. Cromie - ** 88 D. Clement* . - • 4 > II. Cromle . - - *0 4t 84 Storrier . . - 33 45 73 H. Nickalls - - .• 98 *]; ;• F. Porter . . - . S3 8S /4 T. M'Kay . . . • 98 8< ‘J J. Clayton ... So

100 *200 Total A are. yds yds Ag?r. F. A. Judkins . 163 .25 47 235 5. O. Hay . . .150 25 43 — 233 6. Nelson . . 162 20 47 +'2'3 G. E. Buri'ord . .152 20 83 — 210 The winner has had a lot of success