NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2445, 9 March 1909, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

TRENTHAM MEETING. [Pbebb Association.] TRENTHAM, March 8. Shooting began at Trentham at 8 o’clock this morning under favorable weather conditions, save that a leftroar wind, somewhat tricky, tended o affect the scoring. The matches •rdered for the day were the AVellmg.;on match, .500 and 600 yards, 10 Lots at each range, the 800 yards range of the Otago match, ann a couple of extra matches at the oUU xnd 1000 yards ranges. The morning squads m the chamoionslxip firing had all the best of it, .or the wind freshened up in the afternoon, and the scoring boards Loved a decided falling off in the narkmanship. ' -The shooting was good all round at the 500 yards stage of the Wellington match. Five possibles were register’d. and there were three all-bute. Milroy had bad luck at this stage, and only secured 36, thus putting' him down several points from the leading oosition he had occupied. Boys also fell off, getting only 41 out of a possible 50. No possibles were made at the 600 yards, and the Wellington match was won by Grindell, of Napier, with a total of 95 —49 at 500 yards and 46 at 600 yards. Patrick, of Auckland, and Ching made 94. The 800 yards range of the Otago match, 10 shots, was entered upon in the morning, and was continued throughout the day, those who shot earlv having a decided advantage, as indicated by the number of possibles, eight being registered, while in the afternoon the highest scores were confined to all-buts. Possibles were secured by Smith (Hastings), Shanks (Gore); Craw (Chorlton), Storky (Napier). John Preston (Auckland), HuwuiW (Nelson), and Humphreys (Hawke’s Bay). The runners-up were: Soper (Blenheim), Loveday (Ohura), Franklin (Weber), Diehl (Dannevirke), Donns (Ohura). Bulford (Karori). and McConnell (Christchurch). The following were successful in scoring 48’s: McKay (Dunedin), Beckingham (Timaru), Atkinson (Auckland). Henry (Opaki), Black (Orepuki), and Holland (Taranaki). Forty-sevens were fairly numerous. The younger shots found great difficulty in finding the bull, as the afternoon’s wind was most deceptive, and in a great .many instances it was no unusual sight to see boards with a succession of twos and threes following up fives. One interesting feature in the morning squad board with 26 consecutive bulls.

The prize winners were: Wellington Match (No. 2), 500 and GOO yards.—£s, Grindell (Napier). 95 ; £4, Ching (Wellington), 94 ; £4. Patrick (Auckland), 94 ; £3. Baltrop (Feilding). 93; £3. Dodds (Dunedin). 93; £3. Feasy (Wellington), 93 ;£2, Jones (Dunedin), 93; £2, Magee (Newton), 93. Moseler (Kaeo) and Marenzie (Eketaliuna) take £1 each with 92 and 91 respectively. Counted out: G*y, Sonntag, Welch, Hyde, Rooth, and Potter. In the tyros ten take £1 each, aud 20 take 10s each, with scores ranging from 89 to 84. •J. Milroy. of Nelson, an ex-cham-pion, who was leading on Friday, and ivho .“crackejJ up'” badly at the 500 yards range this morning, came with a rattle during the afternon, putting on a possible at SOO yards, and 47 at 6*K) yards, and he now has the splendid total of 27S to his credit.

Extra Match (No. 5), 600 yards).— Mclntosh (Opaki). Burns (Ivarori), Evans (Christchurch). Taylor (Blenheim), 34, each take £l. The remainder take 15s, 12s 6d, and/ 10s each.

Extfa Match (No. 6). 1000 yards.— £2. Fisher (Stoke), 34; 30s, Higgins (Timaru). 33: 22s 6d. Craw (Chorltmi), 32 ; and Morgan (Auckland), 32; 17s 6d. Howe (Ngataua), 31. The remainder take los, 12s 6d, and 10s.

There are 23 entries for the teams series of matches, which commence to.morrrow, and nine for the champion teams match. In the aggregates, McKay of Dunedin. is,,now Teading with 281, Rifleman A. W. Soper (Taumaranui) is runnerup with 280, Milroy (Nelson) has 278, Cliiug (Lyttelton) 278, Shaw (Auckland) 277. The others well up are: King (Linwood) 273, Winslade (Opaki) 273, and Higgins (Timaru) 272. Private McKay, of Dunedin, is leading for the Union Co.’s Cup. THE GISBORNE TEAM. [Special to ‘“Times.”] TRENTHAM. March S. The team all fired in l the Wellington match to-day, ten shots at 500 and 800 yards. The following are the scores: Rait 48, 44—92: Breingan, 41, 41—82; .McGuffie, 39, 35—74; Barney, 45. 33—78; Cannam, 40, 34—. 74: Hingston, 39. 38 —77. We have' also fired the first stage of the Otago match, ten shots at 800 and 900 yards. The scores are: Rait 42, Breingan 39, McGuffie 39, Barney 33, Cannam 46, Hingston- 38. Wo have still some hope of getting money in the above. The teams match will start, to-morrow, and we may possibly do something in some of them.