Swift Shooting.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 159, 26 November 1872, Page 7

Swift Shooting.

There was a competition at Wimbledon on the 18th July, which casts some light upon the problem of what might be done against an advancing army by British riliemen. One Gilkes,' and three others, tired the Soper rifle, for rapidity and accuracy together, against a squad using' the Snider. Lying on his back, with his knees for a rest, the accomplished Gilkes discharged no less than ninety-seven rounds in two minutes and a half, which is about two every three seconds, scoring, this ■ as swiftness notwithstanding, 13 jull's-eyes, 38 centres, and 44 outers, only uvo bullets in all missing the target. Here is a marksman who, in so brief a time, could apparently slay or wound at least fifty enelaies out of a hundred at grape-shot range, <*nd certainly no mitrailleuse could accomplish a similar result. Consider what havoc might te wrought upon a foe by a body of 500 such nen provided with the Soper or a similar piece, and hidden about in the abundant ccver of English fields ! They would sting an enemy to death with perpetual shots from iirisible muzzles ; and, except upon such places as the South Downs in England, and sone commons, nothing hostile could advance unbss in skirmishing order. Simply making a snail arithmetical sum, we calculate that the 2600 competitors for the Queen's prize coull fire with such a weapon as the Soper 175,HK) shots in three minutes. Targets, of coure, differ considerably from advancing enemes, and a great deal of that lead would be los. But war has not yet witnessed such an effect as the "scoring" part of those 175,00) bullets could .accomplish.