RIFLE AND RANGE

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20454, 6 November 1934, Page 11

RIFLE AND RANGE

WITH THE .303 :: B;

“TRIGGER.”

FIXTURES. November 10—Christchurch Defence Rifle Club's practice shoot ■at Tui Tapu. November 10—Timaru Defence Rifle dull's first championship competiDecember 26—Canterbury Rifle Association’s • annual championships, at Redcliffs. December 27-27—North Island championships, at Wanganui. The Best Blag. There Is going to be no excus’e for reverting to this most important question of the choice of the uag for wind judging. Major Mardcastle laid down conclusively tuat wind blowing near the lner is of more importance, as regards deviation, than that blowing near the target. In a recent article in the ” 7s.it.A. journal,” Mr G. R. King put the reasons in simple form. Briefly, If a sideways motion is given to a bullet at the start of its flight, that sideways motion will continue through the whole of the flight. Thus, if it gets a ten-miie-un-hour velocity in the ni'fit half of the range it will continue to move sideways at ten xniless an hour, even if it enters a d’ead calm area halfway up the range. Supposing, for the sake of argument, the oulleL took an hour to travel from the muzzle to the mark, the muzzle would have to be pointed to a spot ten miles into tlie wind to get a hit. If tlte bullet starts off in a dead calm and enters a ten-mile-an-hour wind halfway along the range, then there would be only half the time for the wind to act. The muzzle would have to be pointed only five miles into the wind to get a hit. Two things only are of importance. One is the sideways velocity given to the bullet by this wind, the other is the time in which this sideways velocity is acting. Those who were shooting on the Century Butt at Bisley on a recent morning had a most practical lesson on tlie best flag.” The flags near the targets were streaming out from left to right. At 500 yards they seemvd to indicate at least three minutes left. But those who were shooting under the hedge quickly found out, if they did not suspect it before, that those flags w*cre liars. A liar. also, was the mirage, if that part of it near the targets was in focus. To go by the mirage near the target would have meant, again, about three minutes’ left allowance. The flags near the firing point were lazy and seemed to show little or nothing; but by focusing on the mirage near the firing point a wind of two minutes right could be seen, and this was the

wind which had to be allowed . for. Sometimes the allowance was zero, and occasionally one, or perhaps two left was called for. Mostly, though, despite the almost constant indication of a freshish left wind near the target, a right allowance was necessary. Y’ery soon the lazy flags near this firing point were found to be giving a fairly true indication of what was happening, which was most useful when the sun went in and mirage disappeared. The Proof. Here, then, was the ** proof of tlie pudding.” There wer*e two mirage movements —that is, two wind movements. That near the target appeared to be much stronger than that near the firing point; but the bullet was being- controlled by the near wind, and even when it appeared to die right down the full allowance indicated by the far flags was not wanted. -Now for some deductions from known and observed facts:— 1. Wind charts, diagrams of flags, tables of allowances and all the o.ther paraphernalia intended to assist the beginner in judging the wind are based on the sppposition that the wind lias a constant velocity throughout the whole flight of the bullet—it seldom lias! 2. The longer time the wind has to act thto further it will blow tlie bullet. 3. If there is a calm near the firing point and a wind near the target, less allowance will be needed than that shown in wind tables. It may be that a lot less is required. 4. If there is a wind at the firing point and a calm near the target, less allowance will be necessary than is shown on the charts, but it will not be much Hess. 5. If two winds are blowing, the important one—the only one to be considered—is that near the firer. Jottings. Several good scores were registered at Redcliffs last Saturday. H. Barker (Sydenham) scored a fine possible of 35 for seven shots at 500 yards. H. Mason (Christchurch) put up a good shoot for 34 at the same range, his card reading 5554555; total 34. The annual meteting *of the Canterbury Rifle Association will be held next week. The principal business will be the drawing up of the programme for the annual championship meeting. ! J. Willocks. winner of the Christchurch Defence Riflie Club’s first three--1 range competition, put up a good shoot .with 96 off the rifle and, with his lian- | dicap, totalled 201.