RIFLE AND RANGE

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20649, 25 June 1935, Page 13

RIFLE AND RANGE

WITH THE .303

By

“ TRIGGER.”

FIXTURES. June 24 to July 6—Palma Cup competition. July 13—Canterbury championships, at Christchurch. July 18—Empire B.S.A. Cup match. August 3—South Island championships, at Timaru. IJ $5 and Temperament. Once in a while we run across a fellow who takes to a gun as a setter takes to water. Several names will readily come to mind of men who seemed to shoot well from the very first; who “ just skipped ” their novitate, that trying period of months wherein most beginners analyse, perspire, give up, and then start over again, and wonder if the thing ever can be mastered, writes the well-known Canadian marksman, L*. E. Eubanks. But natural ability is comparatively rare. It can be found in all sports, and shooting is no exception. Jack Dempsey is a natural tighter, and Willie Hoppe is a natural billiards player; yet both these men have been defeated by contender! who were not so blessed by nature, proving that sometimes perspiration is as effective as inspiration, and that determination and earnest hard work can make up for lack of the best start. Shooting Is deeply concerned with temperament. In nine cases out of ten there must be certain temperamental adjustments and readjustments before the sportsman ever becomes really expert with his weapon. These adjustments may be the result of careful study and experiment, or they may seem to have come of their own accord, by constant practice. But they evolved somehow. My point vis this: the fact that the average man can become a good shot by practice is virtually unguided, without system—“ instinctive,” we might say—shows that shooting can be classed as “ natural ” —a thing which the human mind and hand find agreeable and feasible. Since unscientific application can achieve the results it does, then we have every reason to expect excellent results from study and practice of the right kind. Therefore, if you are not a ” natural ” shooter, take heart, for there is every argument (theoretical and practical) to prove the art highly cultivable. Temperament is defeating many shooters*—or rather, failure to adapt th*. temperament to the sport. If A can hold a gun just as correctly and firmly as B. has eyes just as good, and works under the same outside conditions, yet never shoots as accurately, what is wrong? The difference is inside. Temperament is working against A. With all the physical conditions the same for both, the difference in their results must be from mental causes. I can speak from much experience on this subject. For a long time I was the man A. I had a very poor temperament for shooting: I could not be deliberate to save my life. I was the same way in plaving billiards; and in both sports I had to discipline myself to overcome the disposition to go off “ half-cocked.” Even in tennis I used to be half-way on the receipt before the service was ever went over. In all the sports I have tried I have had that handicap to deal j . with, but I have become a fair performer in each of them; and this proves that we can if we will. On the other hand, there is the phlegmatic person, who always seems lukewarm, too little interested, always just a little slow. Tn both cases adaptability has to be cultivated; a high degree of success is impossible without' it. Unless you are one of those rare exceptions spoken of in the first para- j graph, you have certain temperamental | defects as concerns shooting. You be- | long to one class or the other—you are | too fast or too slow. Of course, this is t always measurable in degree. Your overspsed and anxiety rnay not be extreme, or you may not be very slow: j but whv not correct even the slight i defect? *lt will make a great more difference in your performance than you mav have believed Analyse yourself, proceeding on the foundational fact that shooting is mostly a mental matter. Anyone with hands ' and eves can manipulate a gun after-a . little ‘practice; the fellows who graduate are the ones who naturally have the mental Qualifications, or acquire them. Not that it is a matter of superior intellect or scholastie education: hut a peculiar poise, a balance between overhaste and delay, 'a. well-measured deliberation. a concentration that is effective without being tense; care without anxiety. . . The most subtle defect of disposition an-ong shooters is what I call the selftemrerament. Overhaste or slowness is vastly corrected, compared to this deeper trouble, for the latter’s relation to shooting may never be suspected by the shooter himself. It works insidiously; undoes him while it flatters him. Too much self—that is it, plainly stated. It is the temperament of some persons to put too much self into everything they do. A young friend of mine who nas been target-shooting for several years, witnont much improvement, reeentlv unburdened himself to me. “Whv can’t T be like other fellows?” he lamented. “ I fry hard, hut somehow I can’t take hold of the game the way other men do.” Having known him for a long time, and watched him in other activities as well as shooting. I understood the reason. The boy Is shackled with a certain

kind cf fear—fear that he will hot play up to his opinion of himself. He isn t exactly egotistic, tout self-conscious; he thinks too much about himself, and exaggerates the importance of criticism. We cannot give a sport, or any other effort, the best kind of concentration when we are listening to the comments of bystanders and wondering what the effect will be if we miss or hit, lose or win. Our mind must be exclusively on the work if we are to do oUr best. Theoretically, you may be a faultless performer—may understand shooting much better than your opponent—but, with your thought divided while his is entirely on the work, you will usually lose. Snap out of it —to use a popular expression. You are all . wrong in thinking that you are the centre of attention and criticism; others are not half as much concerned with your appearance or the success or failure of your efforts as you think. It will help you to get the correct perspective if you, mentally, exchange places with another. Imagine him making some mistake that you particularly dread making. How would It affect you? You Probably wouldn’t give it a second thought, for mistakes are common; we all make them. Get away from self by being interested in what you do. Shoot for some team, where you will learn that results and co-operative effort count more than the individual. Too much subjective thinking (about oneself) develops the very qualities you would shun, gives you an unnatural bearing, and may even vring 111-health; I but objective thought (that which la directed to achievement, to the happiness ot others) is wholesome, healthful and constructive—it really gets you somewhere. Jottings. Last week's surprise was the defeat of the champion team, United (a4B) by Returned Soldiers. It was United s lowest total for two seasons. Nevertheless, Returned Soldiers are to be congratulated on form. Early in their match with Christchurch Cashmere appeared to have no chance of winning, but Christchurch fell away badly in the latter stages, enabling Cashmere to win by two points. Christchurch started with three possibles to their opponents' three 68’s. New Brighton (Sol) have shown wonderful improvement in the last two matches. They were unlucky to be defeated by Lyttelton. Sydenham are shooting much better. Last week they defeated Ford Motors by fifteen points. W. Tritt. W. R. Barrett and D. McDonald registered possibles. Six teams in the senior competition are now separated by only half a point. The winner is hard to pick. k 55 Several of the junior teams are shooting well. Marist Old Boys (552) and Cashmere (550) won both last week’s matches with senior totals. :: 55 55 With the defeat of Marist Old Boys in the President’s grade. Ward’s Ladies are now one and a half points in the lead. This team is shooting rigjit up to form, its record to date being six matches and six wins. The New Brighton Ladies’ Miniature Rifle Club held its weekly competition last Saturday. Scores: Mrs Bishop 06. Mrs Caldwell 70, Mrs Duncan 68, Mrs McClelland 66, Mrs Moses 68, Mrs Nicholls 67, Mrs Ragg 67. Mrs Caldwell gained a point for the senior pendant and Miss Rondell gained a point for the tyro button. :*: 55 Ward’s Ladies fired a club competition last Saturday. Scores: Miss Dick G 9, Miss L. Smith 68, Miss Best 68, Mrs A. 11. L. Smith 68, Mrs Harper 68, Mrs K Smith 68, Mrs Valentine 67, Mrs Corkin 67, Mrs MoKeever 66, Mrs Nuttall 66. Miss Dick gained a point for the senior liutton and MLss-M. Fleming gained a point for the junior^button. The following are the leading scores in the Svdenham Club’s championship competitions: Senior championship aggregate C. Jessop 34 7, W. Tritt 34 7, W. R. Barrett 346, H. Harries 345, H. Barker 345, A. Barker 346, D. McDonald 345 Junior championship—H. Bridgewater 342, R. Marris 341, J. Craig 330, E. Dowling 336. H. Bleasdale ZZo, A. Wright 335, This Week’s Watches. The following is the draw for this week’s tournament matches: Seniors —Cashmere v. New Brighton, Christchurch Working Men’s Club v. Returned Soldiers, Sumner, v. Christchurch, Ford Motors v. \Liuted, Sydenham v. Lyttelron. Juniors—Sydenham v. Lyttelton, Christchurch v. Railway, Cashmere v. , Christchurch Working Men’s Club, ! Heathcote v. United, City v. Marist 0.8. Presidents —Dominion Motors v. j Celtic Ladies, Marist Old Boys v. I Cashmere, Railway v. City, Lhrist--1 church Gas Company v. New Brighton . Ladies, Christchurch v. Ward s Ladies. ; | All of the foregoing matches will be - ! fired on the range of the first-mentioned i | team in each case.