RIFLE SHOOTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 54, 6 March 1939, Page 3

RIFLE SHOOTING

SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING DAY AT TRENTHAM. [ Per Press Association. I TRENTHAM, March 3. By far the best entry since predepression days has been received for this year's meeting of the National Rifle Association, which opened at Trentham in fine weather this morning. There are 278 competitors taking part in the meeting and, in addition to these, close on another 56 marksmen have entered for the service matches only to be fired tomorrow. Last year the entries totalled 273, but the position is actually better than the comparison of figure., would indicate, for on that occasion the competitors included the team of South African riflemen and visitors from England.

Competitors assembled at the squadding posts at 8.30 a.m. and, before leaving for the firing points, were addressed by the president of the Association, Captain A. F. Crawford (Invercargill).

Most of the belt winners in recent years are attending the meeting. Two women are also competing, Mrs. T. Hill (Auckland City), and Mrs. J. B. Doak (Invercargill). Mrs. Hill has competed at several national meetings during the past few years, but this is the first occasion there has been more than one woman competitor.

Experienced marksmen had little fault to find with weather conditions. The light was good and though a fishtail breeze was disconcerting at times, there were, for the greater part of the day, just enough changes in the wind to make the shooting interesting. The morning was occupied in firing three range-opening matches of seven rounds at 300, 500 and 600 yards. This match, which does not count for the championship belt, was won by a B grade marksman, T. Quinn (Kiwi), who scored 104 out of a possible 105. The one point he lost was with his third shot at 300 yards. A start was made in the afternoon with the championship series of

matches, shooting taking place in the Canterbury match of ten rounds at 300 and 500 yards. First place in this match was tilled by A. V. Barrow (Cheltenham), witn 98. Possibles were common at 500 yards, but A. R Symons (Ashburton) was the only marksman to have the full score at the 300 yards range. Owing to an error in the range computation of the Auckland team.-: score in the district teams’ maten fired yesterday, Auckland was credited with ten points to which it was not entitled. The result of this adjustment is that Canterbury ana Auckland exchange positons. Canterbury take second place and Auckland third. The cards as returned from the range showed that. Auckland had a score of 1816, but the mistake was subsequently discovered when a detailed check was made by the statistical staff. The Canterbury score was 1811 and the corrected Auckland score is 1806.

WIN FOR T. GOODHALL

VICTORY BY TWO POINTS [Per Press Association.l WELLINGTON, March 5. The service championship was won at the national rifle meeting at Trentham yesterday by T. Goodall, of the Suburbs Rifle Club, with an aggregate score of 268 out of a possible of 300. He becomes the holder of the Ross Carbine Champion Belt ana received the gold medal of the National Rifle Association. Second place in the championship was filled by A. G. Devore, of the Auckland City Club, who was service champion ten years ago. His score was 266. Third highest score was obtained by J. R. Keoghan (Westport), with 260. Keen interest was taken in the service shooting, which occupied the whole of the day. There were 317 competitor; for, in addition to the marksmen competing for the championship belt, 39 riflemen entered for the service matches only. These included marksmen from the permanent military forces, the territorial units, t.nd the Royal Naval

Volunteer Reserve. Conditions were good, and marksmen with long experience of Trentham could not recall when service matches had been fired under more favourable circumstances. At the 300 yards, Goodall had a useful lead, but at the conclusion of shooting at 500 yards, Devore was only one point behind him. They occupied portions at the head of the fifty with 225 and 224, respectively. Goodall registered 43 with his final ten rounds to Devore’s 42, thus winning the championship by a margin of two points. Goodall has been shooting at Trentham since 1909. Though he has been in the final for the championship belt on numerous occasions, he has been in the service belt final only twice before. Goodall is probably better known to the general public as a musician, having been champion cornet, player of New Zealand several times between 1912 and 1928. For many years he was conductor of the Wellington Tramways Band. Twenty-five teams competed in the champion service teams match, which was fired concurrently with the service matches. First place was obtained by the Auckland City A team.