RIFLE SHOOTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3137, 13 March 1909, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING.

THE TRENTHAM MEETING. CHAMPION BELT. WON BY LIEUT. DUNCAN. By Telegraph—Press Associakn. TRENTHAM, March 12. The shooting for the King's Match started at 3 o'clock. The weather was all that. could be desired. The scoring wad very close on the part of the leaders for the first five shoots, when they ran: Duncan, 471; King, Shaw and Patrick, 407; Guy and Mcorder of thu day after thi.*, a great percentage of hits being bulls. With I two m:re shots Ejona King had up ItiVfl with Duncan, who made a miss with hia sixth shot, while McConnell, Shaw and Patrick were only two points behinl, and Guy four 'points!, rvr.c.:-. v. •>§ fiii£ ib finish ! with 491, Patrick and ShBW being insxt with 4i»i" and 489, respectively, McCcnnell a; d Guy each finished with 438. With lis last shot King had ti make a buli's-eye to win. Just aa he was going to aim a bull's-eye was rung upon his target, evidently put in by another competitor, and he did not claim it, and with his shot missed the ttrget, which left the victory with 1. uncan, and placed King in the I sixth j lace. James, of Napier, won the cup for the highest score in the King's Match.

The United Service Match, Volunteers versus Rifle Clubs, (20 men aside. 210, 500 and 600 yards, seven shots at each range), was looked upon as the test of supiemacy between the Clubs and volunteers in marksmanship,and the clubs through their representatives carried oil' the hononrsof the day. 'J he shooting was even more brilliant than in the Teams Champion Match the previous day. There were eight possibles ac 200 yds, nine at 500yd3, and four at 600 yds. The match was won by the Rifle Clubs with a marein of 81 noints. W. W. Masefield, President of the Sounds Rifle Club, got on 104 out of a possi-' ble 105, establishing a record for New Zealand, if not for any other country. At the first two ranges he registered possibles, and at the final range was credited with an "all but," There were no fewer than three individual totals of 103, five of 102, three of 101, ai:d two of 100. Each rifleman averaged over 97 points, while the Volunteers averaged just under 96. Masefield, of Sounds, Henry and King, of Opaki, Mel lor, of Petone, King, of Linwood, and Drummond, of Denniston, put on a possible each at two ranges. An average of 101 A noints per man out of a possible 105 was made by four men of the Opaki Club. Their board read: —

136 134 13G 406 THE CHAMPIONSHIP. Lieut. Duncan, Millerton, Belt, Medal, Gold Badge, and £SO 491 Patrick, Auckland, Silver Star . and Badge, and £25 490 Shaw, Auckland, Silver Star and Badge, and £2O 489 Guy, Kaponga 488 McConnell, Canterbury 488 King, Linwood 487 Loveday, Ohura 485 Ching, Wellington 484 Snper, Tuamarina 483 Murphy, Newton Rifles 481 Ching, Waimea Rifles 481

200 500 600 Total Winslade 33 32 33 98 Feast 35 34 33 102 Henry 33 35 35 103 R. J. King 35 33 35 103