A New Self-Indicating Rifle Target.

Progress, Volume V, Issue 5, 1 March 1910, Page 154

A New Self-Indicating Rifle Target.

The New Zealand Government has realised to the full the responsibility cast upon it of strengthening the defence of the country, and every effort will be made to improve the rifle shooting of our cadets and military forces generally. There are already many well equipped rifle ranges in the country, and means will no doubt be sought of facilitating rifle practice at home and in our schools. In this connection the Bulls-eye indicating target recently invented by Mr. T. N. Fletcher appears to supply a keenly-felt deficiency. Mr. Fletcher's target can be used for indoor or outdoor practice — at a range of 15 to 25 feet — with an air rifle such as is supplied by the Birmingham Small Arms Company. The target has a number of holes of varying size at convenient distances apart, and upon a bullet entering either of these holes, a disc behind it is immediately brought into view, thus indicating the successful result of the shot. It is intended that the hole representing the largest bullseye shall be first practised upon, and each of the others in succession, until the markmen has become thoroughly skilled in the use of the weapon. The practice being confined to bullseyes, and only bullseyes, leads the marksmen to give the greatest care to sighting, and the appearance of the disc after a successful shot inspires the marksman to persevere in his efforts, and rapid progress is made. Absolute safety is ensured, as any disc, or all of them if need be, can immediately be dropped by the pulling of a cord which leads from the target to the scorer or marksman. Experts have spoken in favour of the new target, and the representative of Progress, who inspected the apparatus in Auckland last week, was most favourably impressed with its merits. Already the target is in use in Several schools and colleges, and marked improvement has been effected in the marksmanship of the boys. We understand the invention has been offered to the Defence De- | partment, by Mr. E. Brooke-Smith, of Auck- | land, the secretary of the Company which, is exploiting the -anven- \ tion.