< Previous46 T H E R I F L E M A N . Si:i'THMBKR, 1917. The coefficient of tenuity, k, depends upon the tem perature and the barometric pressure; it is also affected by the amount of moisture contained in the atmosphere. The standard conditions of atmosphere are a barometric reading- of -^o inches, a temperature of 60 degrees Fahren h e i t , a n d t w o - t h i r d s s a t u r a t i o n w i t h m o i s t u r e . U n d e r these conditions a cubic foot of air weighs 534.22 grains. \\'hen the temperature and barometric reading differ from the standard conditions the value of k is greater or less than unity and its \alue must be allowed for in C. For instance, with a barometric reading of 29 inches and a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit (and assuming a two-thirds saturation of the atmosphere with moisture, ■which assumption may be made with safety in nearly all trajectory calculations) the weight of a cubic foot of air* is 527.0 grains. The value of the coefficient of tenuity is, then, 527-0 1: = 534-2 2 = 0 . 9 8 7 I he following table gives values of k for different r e a d i n g s o f t h e b a r o m e t e r a n d t h e r m o m e t e r o n t h e assumption of an atmosphere two-thirds saturated with moisture ;— T. A B L K O F f r . ' Temperature in degrees Barometric reading in inches. Fahrenheit. 28 29 30 31 30 0.993 1.028 1.064 1.099 35 0.983 I.018 1-053 1.088 40 0.973 1.007 1.042 '-077 45 0.963 0.997 I-031 1.066 50 0.953 0.987 1.021 '-055 55 0.943 0.976 i.oio '-044 no 0.933 0.966 I.000 1-033 65 0.923 0.956 0.989 . 1.022 70 0.914 0.946 0.979 1.012 75 0.904 0.937 0.969 i.coi 80 0.895 0.927 0.959 0.991 85 0.885 0.917 0.949 0.980 90 0.876 0.908 0.939 0.970 An inspection of the figures given in the table abo\e will show what are the conditions which are favourable to shooting. A low barometric reading and a high tem perature, for instance, will gi\e a value of k much lower than unitv; C is therefore increased in value and the ballistic efficiency of the bullet is improved. e are now in a position to proceed with the calcula tion of a bullet's trajectorv, and in this chapter we will perform such calculations 'without the assistance of bal listic tables but with the knowledge we have alreadv acquired in this series of articles. Let us t.ake the case of the Mark \TI. bullet, fired under standard conditions of atmosphere, and with an assumed value for the coefficient of reduction, n, of 0.67. Our data is as follows : Muzzle velocity = V= 2,440 f.s.; M eight of bullet = '«• = 0.02 5 pound; and F?mcls'iMdZ Lv James Gtaislier, F.R.S. (Tavlor Uiit [nXfc.Wion calculated using tlie data given in ® Table of the tentiity faet»r is given in "Tables for ema- rteirL fn'S?..-V'"®'" TJWMTable G), wlicib /.■ is tabulated for from 2fi to 31 inchS ''ahrcnheil, and for every inch barometric reading Diameter of bullet = d = 0.3 r incii; Coefficient of reductitm = fi = 0.67 ; Coefficient of tenuity = A" = i. ?/ ■ 0-025 C = nkd' 0.67x0.31x0.31 = 0.388 .-V well-known form of eqmition, expressing tlie relationship between the initial velocity, \, and tiie remaining velocity, v, of a body [projected over a dis tance, H, is expressed as follows:— V - — 2 r H = ? 7 - . . . ( 2 2 ) where r is the retardation suftered by the body. For the moment we may assume that the only ftictor operating against the bullet is- the retard-ation cau.sed by the resistance of the air. By formula (17) the retardation is given by r— PV c and substituting this in formula (22) we iiave :— C(\--—T -) H = . . . ( 2 3 ) 2/','/ If, then, we take arbitrary values of v for different portions of the path of the bullet, we :ire in a position to calculate the distance, H in feet, it will traverse as the velocity gradually diminishes. For instance, whilst the velocity of the bullet is decreasing from its muzzle velocity of 2,440 feet per second to a velocity of 2,400 feet per second, the mean value of p from the table of the Resistance of the Air given in Chapter \'III. is 21.63 pounds. Employing^ formula (23) and substituting known \ alues for the symbols we have :— 0.388 (5,953,600 — 5,760,000) H = ^ 1 - 2 X 21.63 X 32.19 0.388 X 193,600 I t 3 9 3 = 54 fb-et. .So that when the Mark VII. bullet has its forward velocitv reduced to 2,400 f.s. it has travelled a horizontal distance of 54 feet. Now let us repeat the calculation for the next drop of 100 f.s. in the bullet's forward velocity and calculate t h e t r a v e l o f t h e b u l l e t w h i l s t i t s v e l o c i t y f a l l s f r o m 2,400 f.s. to 2,300 f.s. The \' of formula (23) is now 2,400 f.s. and the v is 2,300 f.s. Calculating as before we have, taking 71 = 20.70 for the mean \elocity 2,350 f.s. from the table in Chapter VHI. r— 0.388 (5,760,000 — 5,290,000) H = — ^ : 2 X 20.70 X 32. rq 0.388 X 470,000 1-3.33 = 137 feet. A summary of the above calculations, and others,, carrying the range up to over r,200 yards is contained in the table which follows; the various stages of the- WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKSeptemeer, 1917. T H E R I F L E M A N . Ciilculation arc indicated by the headings of the columns. W hcrever a value of p is required wliich is not to be found directly tabulated in the table in Chapter \'III. its value may be interpolated as for \' = 2,420 and \' = 2.350 in the examples worked out or determined with the as.sist- ance of formuhe (16) and (17):— C a i . c u l a t i o x o f R a x g e o f M a r k V I I . B u i . l k t . V = 2,440 f.s. ; C = 0.388. .Mean V e l o c i t y , v e l o c i t y . p . 2 p ( j . V - — p - H . f-s. f.s. pounds. feet. 2,440 2,420 21.63 >.39,1 193.600 54 2,400 2,350 20.70 1,333 470,000 137 2,300 2,250 19.40 1,248 450,000 140 2,200 2,150 18.12 1,166 430,000 143 2,100 2,050 16.87 1,085 410,000 147 2,000 i,9.SO 15-54 1,000 390,000 151 J , 9 0 0 1,850 14-13 910 370,000 158 1,800 1,750 12.79 823 350,000 165 1,700 1,650 1 1-50 740 330,000 173 .1,600 1,550 10.28 662 310,000 182 1,500 1,450 8.91 574 290,000 196 1,400 1,3.50 7-32 471 270,000 222 1,300 1,250 5,-82 375 250,000 259 1,200 1,175 4-6I 296 1 17,500 154 1,150 1,125 3-48 224 1 12,500 195 1,100 1,075 2.59 167 107,500 250 1,050 1,025 2.01 129 102,500 308 1,000 975 1-73 III 97,500 341 950 925 1-47 95 92,500 378 900 Total H = 3,753 Therefore, whilst the velocity of the bullet drops from 2,440 f.s. to 900 f.s. the range covered is 3,753 feet, or 1,251 yards. We proceed next to calculate the Time of Flight of the bullet. This may be done piecemeal as in the case of the bullet when travelling through the bore, in Chapter III., by using formula (3), substituting X for S in the notation. Whilst the bullet's velocity drops from ^,440 f.s. to 2,400 f.s., the range X is 54 feet and the rime of Flight, T, is given by:— X r — . . . ( . 4 ) the \' in this case being the avcnujc velocity for the dis tance traver .sed. T = 54 2,420 = 0 . 0 2 2 3 s e c o n d . Re(>eating the calculation for the next decrement of 100 f.s. we have:— I '0/ = 0.0583 second ; 2,350 a n d a s u m m a r y o f t h e v a l u e s o f T c a l c u l a t e d i n t h i s m a n n e r d o w n t o 9 0 0 f . s . i s a s f o l l o w s : — C a i . c u i . a t i o x o f T i m e o f F l i g h t o f M a r k A T I . B u l l e t . A'elocity . T . f.s. l.s. second. 2,440 to 2,400 ... 0.0223 2,400 ,, 2,300 ... 0.0583 2,300 ,, 2,200 ... 0.0622 2,200 ,, 2,100 ... 0.0665 2,100 ,, 2,000 ... 0.0717 2,000 ,, 1,900 ... 0.0774 1,900 ,, 1,800 ... 0.0854 1,800 ,, 1,700 ... 0.0943 1,700 ,, 1,600 ... 0.1048 1,600 ,, 1,500 ... 0.1 174 1,500 ,, 1,400 ... 0.1352 1,400 ,, 1,300 ... 0.1644 1,300 ,, 1,200 ... 0.2072 1,200 ,, 1,150 ... 0.1312 1,150 ,, 1,100 ... o. 1733 1,100 ,, 1,050 ... 0.2326 1,050 ,, 1,000 ... 0.3004 1,000 ,, 950 ... 0.3497 950 ,, 900 ... 0.4086 Total T = 2.8629 seconds. To cover a range of 1,251 yards the bullet, there fore, takes a little over 2.86 seconds of time. ^ So far we have considered the flight of the bullet as horizontal; now, introducing the effect due to gravity we are in a position to determine the curvature of the trajec tory as measured by its maximum height. Knowing the time of flight for any distance the maximum height of the trajectory Y in feet is given by the formula :— Y = ( 2 T ) = = . . . ( 2 5 ) For example, when the bullet's velocity has diminished to 2,000 f.s., the range is 54+137+140+143 + 147 = 621 feet, and the time of flight is 0.0223+0.0583 + 0.0622 + 0.0665+0.0717 = 0.2810 second, and, therefore Y = {0.562)- = 0.32 foot. Repeating the calculation for three other points of the range we have:— Maximum Remaming T ime of Height of velocity. Range. Flight. Trajectory, f - s - f e e t . s e c o n d s . f e e t . 2,000 621 0.2810 0.32 1,600 1,268 0.6429 1.65 1,050 2,726 1.8042 13-02 900 3,753 2.8629 32-79 (To he continued.) WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK43 T H E R I F L E M A N . September, 1017. THE BURROUGHES & WATTS CHALLENGE CUP COMPETITION. To be competed for by teams of four from any Club in the United Kingdom affiliated to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs. Clubs may enter any number of teams. In addition to the Cup, which will be held by the winning club for one year, the following prizes will be added by the S.M.R.C. :— Winning Team, four silver medals and £8 Second Team, four bronze medals and £4 To e a c h o f t h e 2 Te a m s k n o c k e d o u t i n t h e S e m i - F i n a l r o u n d £ 2 To each of the 4 Teams knocked out in the previous round £l £8 £4 £4 £4 £20 CONDITIONS. Eacfi competitor must have been a bona-fide m -mber of the Club he is representing for at least two months previous to shooting in any* round. Xo competitor may shoot for more than one team throughout the Competition. The contest will be conducted as follows :—.A knock-out Com petition, competing teams being drawn in pairs, the winning teams being entitled to compete in the following round. .All byes will be cleared in the first round. The contest will take the form of post matches until the final round,. which will take place if possible shoulder to shoulder on a range to be mutually agreed upon, but under any circumstances under the supervision of the officials of the .S.M.R.C. The shooting of the whole of each team must take place on l.he same range and be completed within a period of two consecutive hours. Secretaries of teams must give their opponents at least three clear days' notice of the day, time, and place they intend shooting the match. Each team must arrange for a witness to represent them, who must attend and wdtness the shooting of their opponents. This witness will be required to sign a certificate stating that he had personally seen the whole of the coiiditions complied with. Unless this rule is strictly complied with and the witness's certificate is duly- filled in and signed, the competing team will be disqualified. Club Secretaries finding any difficulty in arranging for a witness should apply for assistance either to the S.M.R.C. or to the Secretary of the County Association in which their opponents' range is situated. Distance."—25 yards, to be measured from the edge of the firing point nearest the target. N u m b e r o f S h o t s . — 2 0 d e l i b e r a t e . Rule 19.—In deliberate competitions competitors must fire without undue delay. Five minutes is allowed for each series of 10 shots, and to exceed tlris may constitute ground for disqualifica tion. The witness must give the orders " Comn-ience " and "Cease fire." Should this time limit be exceeded, witnesses must notify same on face of target, together with any explanation considered necessary. Targets.—Two S.M.R.C. Match Targets. The S.M.R.C. .Match Target has live targets on one card, and t w o s h o t s s h o u l d b e fi r e d a t e a c h . N o h i t b e l o w t h e v a l u e o f a five will be counted. Should competitors fail to observe this con dition, and more than the specified number of shot's be placed on any target, full credit for each shot shall be given if they can be distinctly seen, subject to a penalty of one point for each shot in c.vcess. All culJ.iliontil in points will he licdiicled for each shot m excess of the required number. liilles and Sights.—.As laid down in Rules 63 and 68a. I'osition.—Any. Triggers.—The trigger pull must not be less than qlbs. Triggers- must be tested. Each Club must provide a qlb. certified dead-weight trigger tester for this purpose. Coaching and spotting allowed. Practice before match allowed. No blow-off shots allowed. Whilst competitors are shooting their match targets in this Competition, no other targets shall be allowed on the butt. Where not otherwise provided for, the shooting regulations of the S.M.R.C. will govern the contest. •Any protest regarding the infringement of the rules by op ponents must be received'by the Secretary of the S.M.R.C. within three days of the last day for returning targets in die respective round. Entries.—Entries must be made by Club Secretaries on or before the 1st of October, 1917, upon a special form to be obtained from t h e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e S . M . R . C . The necessary targets and witness's certificate will be sent to competing Clubs together with an envelope in which they must be returned immediately upon the conclusion of the shooting in each stage of the contest. The last day for shooting each round will be a Sunday, and targets not received by the first post the following Tuesday morning will be disqualified. Club Secretaries wishing to know their own or their opponents' scores before same are ptiblished in I he Rifi.em.an must forward a stamped addressed postcard with their targets. Entry Fee, 2s. 6d. Only Clubs who have paid their Annual Subscription to the " S.M,R,C." for I9I7 are eligible to enter. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKSei^tembeu, 1917. the rifleman. 49 MUSKETRY AND MINIATURE RIFLE CLUB SHOOTING C O - O P E R AT I V E M E T H O D O F C O A C H I N G S U G G E S T E D . {Coiifiintcd.) B y " C . \ r t o n - . " III. T h e F i r i n g P o s i t i o n s ( c o i i l i n i t c d ) . NO o!U' could fail to notice to wliat extent the importance of a good firing position was em- [ihasiscd in the preceding chapter of this series o f a r t i c l e s , w h i c h e m a n a t e f r o m t h e v o r t e x o f one of the Empire's vast training centres, wherein the young soldier of to-morrow is in the building; that the whole dissertation was devoted merely to the attitude that the lirer should adopt which would enable him to lire with deadly consistency without suffering undue fatigue. It may have been rather enigmatical to the club shot that actual aiming and firing the rifle was scarcelv touched upon in the preceding exhortation, but it may be remem bered that when I set out to seek adherents to the theory that an atmosphere of co-ordination would be beneficial to the progressive rifle club movement-I pointed out that coaching must not only be methodical and systematic, but must also begin at the very foundation of'training ; be it for any particular sport in wbicli to obtain pro ficiency, ability and skill must be the potential factors. Now when the recruit, be he the young lad garbed in the khaki jacket or the newly-joined member of a rifle club, has overcome the difliculties of attaining a good tiring position—that is, that he can bring the butt of the r i fl e i n t o h i s s h o u l d e r w i t h o n e m o v e m e n t o f t h e l e f t f o r e a r m a n d n o t l o w e r h i s s h o u l d e r d o w n t o t h e f j u t t o f the rifle ; that he can snap successively without disturbing the position of his left wrist and elbow, lowering the rifle down to the rest position each time to re-load ; and that he can also keep his face square to the target and his right eye well back from the cocking-picce of the rifle and his cheek resting against.the butt—he may be directed how he should aim and fire. I may mention here that service rifles arc issued with butts of three lengths, the normal being 13 i/i6ins., the long 13 13/1 bins., and the short 12 i3/i6ins. This variation enables a lad to select, or to have chosen for him, a rifle butt of suitable length so that he may bring his weapon snugly up into the h o l l o w o f h i s s h o u l d e r i n o n e m o v e m e n t . C l u b s e c r e t a r i e s should note this apparent little feature when about to place a club rifle at the service of a new member. Many diffi culties may be thus overcome and distressing movement such as wriggling into a position a\oided. It will be at once noticed that a lad with supple wrists and well- developed arms can handle a rifle having the normal or even the longer length of butt quite comfortably, whereas the bo}- or the man who has rarely indulged in phvsical exercises will find the shorter length of butt the more suitable. Aiming is, of course, now divided into three codes. We hare, to begin with, the seinice rifle method, where the LT and the knife-blade of the short magazine Lee- Enfield rifle are employed, but that will not interest my colleagues and habitues of the club range, it being regarded as being obsolete; the aperture and knife- blade of the Enfield rifle pattern, 1914—an apologetic approach to the ideal which we are accustomed to regard as the rifleman's method of " getting "em all in " : and finally, telescopic sight-aiming—a method which all snipers of the belligerent armies unswervinglv adhere to when accomplishing their deadly work. I shall have something to say about telescopic sight-aiming later when describing how those " dead eyes " of ours get di>\\ ii to their demoralising business, but for the present I will keep within the limit of the recruit's instruction. When aiming with the service rifle there is a tendencv to get the head too far forward, so that the recruit's lip is adjacent to the thumb of the right hand ; especialK is this noticed when the right hand is weak or the thumb not in correct position. .A. rifle which has too short a butt will accentuate this error, so in that case the remedv is practically simple. Straining of the muscles of the neck will ensue, causing distress and unsteadiness. The sights will also be difficult to focus correctly, as the vision becomes blurred, while perhaps the more serious mishap which will probably be experienced is, that upon each round being fired the recruit will probablv sustain a blow upon the lips or nose, which invariabh" causes gun- shyness and excessive flinching. Mv colleague of the club—which is, I trust, flourishing in the world of minia ture rifle shooting—is not affected bv jolts and jars caused by the explosion of a charge of cordite, but his recruit may later suffer, so when aiming' with the open sights of the lighter-calibred weapon the orthodox method n-Tav just as well be advised. It is merely a matter of custom. It will be perhaps difficult to comprehend why, when aiming with the aperture and knife-blade of the Enfield rifle 1914 pattern, a similar position of the head and face is advised, because the denizens of the miniature rifle range will probably insist that when the eye is close to the "pan" or aperture a much sharper definition of the blade and objective is obtained. But here again straining of the neck, unsteadiness, and jarring of the face is avoided, while I may mention that it is only when the head is at a convenient position from the action of the rifle that re loading with the butt of the rifle held firmlv into the hollow of the shoulder may be successfully accomplished. Rapid fire insists that the butt must be kept firml\' into the shoulder while rc-Ioading. There is no need for me to emphasise that rapidity, combined with accuracy, of fire i.s the futurity of all budding marksmen. It is all tffiit matters just now. I know tlWt when a lad has fired his general musketry course with the Serr ice weapon and is^ then taken through a modified course of instruction with the Service aperture sighted rifle he has to or ercome the tendency to endeavour to centre the blade of the foresight in the ring or aperture. I know that the pre dilection for centring would be avoided were it customarv to get the eye as close as possible to the aperture. But the lesser evil is chosen, as results have so far proved. An excellent method of obtaining the correct position of the head is employed thus : An instructor will tell a WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK50 T H E R I F L E M A N . Septkmher, 1917. lad to get down into the correct loading position. Having taken the prone firing position, the lad immediately charc^es the magazine of his rifle. Cautioned as to the test which is about to be applied, the pupil is then told to come up into the aiming position which he does by pushing forward the safety catch of his rifle and raising ihe^bun into the hollow of the -shoulder-employmg the left elbow as a pivot—resting the cheek against the stock and slipping the forefinger of the right hand round the trieeer The " coach " will then—insisting that there shall be no sudden movement of the head—open the breech of the rifle bv raising the bolt lever and drawing back the bolt to its full extent very slowly .Now ,1 it is possible to do this without hnclmg that the pupil s face is providing an obstruction and that there is about an inch between the rear end of the bolt and the pupil's eye the correct position of the head may be assumed to have been obtained. If otherwise, correction is necessary. It may be found practical to use either of the following to assist the lad to be really at ease : (i) Lie less obliquely and so .slightly advance the right shoulder. (21 Raising the body on the elbows and then gently retiring an inch or so from the front ol the firing point. . (s) Drawing back the chin, but witnout restraint. (4) Placing the butt slightly higher and towards the chest, the same position being maintained throughout, otherwise the result of the shooting will be erratic, i.e., if placed too high, high shots will be registered, and vice-versa. So much for aiming. The cult of the rifle may be divided into two phases, the first being practically a series of drill movements, each having a m.eans to an end, the second being a test of nerve control and determination, the former co ordinating in a marvellous degree with the latter. (To he The PsvcHOEOOic.Ai. Mo.me.xt. " The pull-off's too heavy. 1 can't get 'em oil smoothly." How often have you heard that expression? Have you ever troubled to investigate the cause of your pupil's chagrin and despair? .Sometimes the " pull-off " is at fault, I'll admit quite candidly, but generally the seat of the trouble is faulty grip and trigger pressing, and an opportunity frittered away. That opportunity was the " psychological moment." To a beginner that '■ moment " appears but once, and then all the science of trigger pressing must be exemplified, so that the point of aim may be declared later—or the shot nominated, as we say in clubdom. Hanging too long upon the aim, indecision, a momentary collapse of nerve control, arc factors ever fatal to complimentary results. .Aim must be quickened so' that the tension upon the nerves is soon relieved. Even firing may become methodical—it is imperative it should be with the service rifle. For instance, a recruit i s " c o a c h e d " i n t h i s m a n n e r : — " Butt up into the shoulder." " F i r s t p r e s s u r e t a k e n . " ( W i t h s i n g l e - p r e s s u r e r i fl e s : " ( i o o d g r i p a n d w e i g h t o f fi n g e r u p o n t h e trigger.") " Correct aim—sights—now target—and squeeze v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y." The " moment " came. " Now where was the point of aim?" That is the only method. It is not overburdened by the hyper-theorist. Its simplicity appeals to the cos mopolitan hosts now under arms, and, moreover, it is the only .system which has proved successful in the vast training areas where the war-shot " machine," geared up to a pitch of excellence, is fulfilling colossal demands. [I'ii iiifi/roiii a trench or brc<isl7;'orl;—a chapter illiistratiiig tunc the recruit is instructed to fire from this soinc\ohat, unique position—is nnavoidtihty held over Oioinet to tiick of space.] coniinucLl.) LONDON LEAGUE. T. v b l p : t o . S e p t e m b e r 2 N D , 1 9 1 7 . Uatclies Aggregate Club. Shot Wo n LostDrawn PointsScore 1. .Ale.xandra Palace ... ... 8 7 o I »5 13666 o ^Edmonton ... 8 6 2o12 13699 3- H a m a n d P e t e r s h a m ... 8 6 2()12 13678 4- Cheam ... 8 5 2 II I13631 5 W i m b l e d o n P a r k . . . ... 8 53 olO13678 6.Addiscombe ... ... 8 35 o 6 13531 7- Lee ... 8 35 o 6 13517 8.Mitcham ... 8 3-5 o 613482 9- Wa l t h a m s t o w E n s i g n... 8 I 7 () 2 13395 lO. Borough of M'andsworth ... S o 8 0 13271 Scores :—7th Round. Lee (1701) heal Borough of Wandsworth (1655) by 46. Ham and Petersham (1720) beat Walthamstow Ensign (1677) by 43. Edmonton (1721) beat Cheam (1705) by 16. .Alexandra Palace (1704) beat .Addiscombe (1697) by 7. Mitcham (1605) heat Wimbledon Park (1689) • S c o r e s : — 8 t h R o u n d . Wimbledon Park (1715) beat BorougE, of Wandsworth (1640) by 75. Edmonton (1725) beat Addiscombe (1696) by 29. Ham and Petersham (1693) beat Cheam (1682) by 11. Lee (1674) beat Walthamstow Ensign (1669) by 5. Alexandra Palace (1688) beat Mitcham (1685) by 3. I f y o u h a v e a n y d i f fi c u l t y i n o b t a i n i n g T H E R I F L E M A N , A c o p y c a n b e s e n t e a c h m o n t h d i r e c t f r o m t h e o f fi c e s o f t h e S . M . R . C . P o s t f r e e 2 s . p e r a n n u m . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKSKPTI-.MHEH, 1017. T H E R I F L E M A N . 51 REGISTER OF WINNERS. Ytnr 1915 ly 16 iyi6 iyi6 igi6 iyi6 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 19:7 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 1917 Club. T r e s s , We l l i n g t o n H a r b o u r B o a r d ( N . Z . ) Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Co. Tr e s s Saints Ladies' Rifle .-^ssoc. (Hong Kong) 1 H o r s h a m I Quadring ' Barclay Perkins Cainmells Sports Club Keen Perse School, Cambridge Waring and Gillow (Lancaster) N.E.R.(Scarborough) Stoke Newington Nat. Reserve Thetford Platoon "A" Compy. 6th Norfolk G.E.R. Mechanics' Institute People's Refreshment House Association Dcrwent U.xbridge Cadet Company Saints Southport National Reserve Ruston Boiler Works, Lincoln Surrey National Reserve 5th Batt. Portslade Borough of Wandsworth Cray Works Rifle & Social Club Sale and District Penge & Anerley Nat. Vol. Res. Ladies' Rifle Assoc. tHong Kong) Leeds Squadron Legion of | Frontiersmen Kearsley M e r c h a n t Ve n t u r e r ' s Te c h n i c a l College, Bristol N o r t h a n t s V o l . R e g t . i s t B n . " A " C o y. X o . B e l l M a i a l . D a i l y E A f r t s s Medal. 664a 1 T. E. Sherwood | G R. Bradley S. Sunderland J. Douglas 3S11 { J- M- Russell 3349 T.W . Maughan 664a 275S 3704 356 717a 260a 2042a 1336a i 2203 1 4152 j 1735 3869 1222a 2134 3406 2S2ga 1916a 275S 3789 1610 3217 1650 64 2570 636 4134 3704 1271a 1034a 1046 1949 E. D. Major A. V. Kelly Mrs. Mercer Corpl. G. Elsey M. Piercey MrsGHNornian L.-Corpl. Oftord W. J. Simpson S. Pearcy G. Gluniart Pte.J.W. Palmer E.Jones T. T. V e r n o n Corpl. Ackland A. G. Brindley Pte. W . Nickson G. Clayton W. L a n e G. Burton J. Goodall J. H. Ari.ell F. N . H o r t o n L.-C. H. Bryant Copl.H Ruddock A. Healey G. L. Sledge J. M'ingrove H. J. Reily W. J. Brindley Mrs. Owen Pte. W . Clark J. Hoole Mrs.A.P .Downie Cadet Conder W. J. Simpson W. A l t o f t Mrs. F . Davies Pte. A. Holden E. R. Skiller A. F. Benjafield C.g..M.S. Hop- kin son H. Ash down Sergt. F. Purser H. H. Holley W. J. Hepden ■ J . M a r n e r j. Goodall H. Gillham F. N . N o r t o n Pte. 1-L Hussey Mrs. Carpinad R. Bertram K. A. Tayler D a i l y Te l e g r a f h Ccrliticatc. T. E . S h e r w o o d J. M. Russell T. W. M a u g h a n E. D. Major A. G. Brindley Mrs. Ralphs Pte.E.Petheram Sergt. A. Wilson W. H o l m e s Mrs. A. H. Duke Cadet Sahai C. Briggs J. Pearson P. E. Cobbing Pte.J.W. Palmer F. M o o r e T. T. V e r n o n Sergt. Browning W. J. Brindley Sgt. Blenkinsop A. Chard M'. Lane J. Stannard F. H a r v e r s o n J. C. Harland F. N . H o r t o n L.-C. H. Brvant R. Greenwood C. W . Saise D a i l y M a i l Ccriificale. H. W . Williams C. E. Prince J. Liddle A y M i l l s o m G. Spicer MissM.Loureiro PteTHForeman L.-Sgt. J. Why H. H. Booker Mrs. A. H. Duke Cadet W right R. Row H. Smith G. Glumart Pte A. Holden A. E. Tvser T. T. V e r n o n Sgt. Ins. Stevens F. J. Cash Sergt. F. Purser C. R. Staves W. J. Hepden F. J. Shirley J. Goodall E. R. Bennett F'. Gordon Sgt. F.G. Pledge A. Healey . H. A. Smart Lady's. Mrs.Peacock Mrs.Johnson T H E " F R E N C H " C H A L L E N G E C U P C O M P E T I T I O N , 1 9 1 7 . Open to all .attested members of the bth Battalion Suffolk Volunteer Regiment and Miniature Rifle Clubs in the Eye P a r l i a m e n t a r v D i v i s i o n a f fi l i a t e d t o t h e N . R . A . o r t h e s.'m.r.c. Conditions.—Teams of eight. Distance, 25 and 50 yards on outdoor ranges. 10 shots deliberate at each distance on S.M.R-C. decimal targets. Any single-loading .22 rifles, open sights, no slings. Any position. RESUL T . I . J - e i s t o n P a t r i o t i c R . C . A Te a m ( t h e C u p a n d S Medals). 25}ds. 50 yds. Total. C. Button... 94 91 J85 .—. Haddenham... 90 91 181 J. J. Levett ... 92 79171 H. .Mavston ... . ... 83 86ibg A. E. Read ... ... 89 78167 J. H arvey ... 83 82165 W . W a l k e r . . .... 8678164 J . S i m m o n s . . . ... 87 75 162 1364 8. 9- 10. 1327 1285 1272 1255 1237 1093 1027 982 767 Su No. 9 Platoon (Laxfield) 6th Suffolk V.R.. N o . 6 P l a t o o n B C o . 6 t h S u f f o l k V . R . . L e i s t o n P a t r i o t i c R . C . B T e a m Botesdale and Rickinghall R.C. ... L e i s t o n P a t r i o t i c R . C . C T e a m N o . 1 6 P l a t o o n D C o . b t h S u f f o l k V . R - V T e a m N o . 1 P l a t o o n b t h . S u f f o l k V . R N o . 1 6 P l a t o o n D C o . b t h . S u f f o l k V . R B T e a m No. 7 Platoon B Co. 6th Suffolk V.R. .. Did not Return T argets. N o . 1 3 P l a t o o n b t h S u f f o l k \ ' . R . No. i; Platoon D Co. bth Suffolk V.R. No. 15 Platoon D Co. bth .Suffolk V.R ' No. 2" Platoon Co. bth Suffolk V.R. Leiston Troop Boy Scouts R.C. .\ Team. Leiston Troop Boy Scouts R.C. B Team. No. 5 Platoon B Co. bth Suffolk V.R. Horham and Hovne .Section No. 14 Platoon B Co. bth f f o i k y j i . . , ■ . . Did not Shoot. N o . 8 P l a t o o n B C o . b t h S u f f o l k V . R . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK52 T H E R I F L E M A N . yi:pTKMRr;u, 1017. M I N I A T U R E R I F L E S H O O T I N G I N A U S T R A L I A . f It is very interesting- to note that a new Central Miniature Rifle Range has recentl}- been built by the Australian Defence Department in Brisbane, Queens land. This range cost ^^2,650 to build and equip and is used by 14 Miniature Rifle Clubs, with a total membership of 583, as well as bv Senior Cadets. I he range provides' accommodation for 24 ordinar\- targets, and in addition i s fi t t e d w i t h e l e c t r i c a l l y c o n trolled shafts for moving targets, and Solano target apparatus; it is in regular use on four nights and on Saturday after noons. Much benefit is expected from this range in the way of training young shots to become expert with the miniature rifle before attempting to use the Service rifle when they join the Citizen Forces, and miniature rifle clubs in the neighbourhood of Bris bane are to be congratulated u p o n t h e f a c i l i t i e s f o r r i fl e practice which are of fered them. I t w i l l p r o b a b l y b e r e m e m bered bv many riflemen that Australia entered a team in iqio for the International Competition for the Sir V I K W O F C K . V T K . t L M I . \ I . \ T f R K U I F L K K . V. N ' G K , K K l S J i . t X K . VIEW OF T .VliOKTS. T h o m a s D e w a r C h a l l e n g e Tr o p h v. O n t h a t o c c a s i o n t l i e m a j o r i t y o f t h e 3 0 m e m b e r s o f t h e t e a m w e r e d r a w n f r o m c l u b s i n \ ' i c t o r i a and South Australia, but with the ad\antagc of the additional facilities which are now being offered to clubs in Queensland this colony will, we hope, be able to assist in the formatitm o f a t e a m w h e n t h e S o c i e t y i s i n - a p o s i t i o n t o a r r a n g - e f u r t h e r I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o m p e t i t i o n s f o r t h e t r o p h y a f t e r t h e war. .■\t present, of course, the o f fi c i a l s o f t h e r i fl e c l u b s i n Australia arc mainly concerned w i t h t h e p r e l i m i n a r } - c o a c h i n g and training of men in the rudiments of shooting so as to e n a b l e t h e m t o p a s s o n a s quicklv as possible to the .Ser- \-ice weapon after joining the h'orces, and they are no doubt rendering as good service in t h i s d i r e c t i o n a s t h e i r b r o t h e r s in the United Kingdom. P O S T F R E E O r d e r s f o r " T h e R i fl e m a n " i n q u a n t i t i e s o f m o r e t h a n t w o d o z e n c o p i e s w i l l b e s e n t P o s t F r e e . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKS e p h t j i b e . . , 1 ! J 1 7 . T H E R I F L E M A N . T H E . 2 2 A S A S P O R T I N G R I F L E . B v " . \ k i : k i . m , \ n - , " M l s k e t k v G i - i - k e r . IT is a relief sometimes to get away from target prac tice and use the rille for shooting something more interesting tiian a piece of cardboard or canvas. Happy is the man who possesses the siiooting rights of a piece of groiiiid well stocked with game or rabbits, or can get permission to shoot those beionging to some- cne else. The writer's experience is th:it such permission t:d<es some getting, but is worth much trouble to obttiin. Next to deer sttilking, ]5rob:ibly there is no more fascinating sport than rabbit stalking. .Some sportsmen —in fact, most of them in England—go after rabbits with a gun and ferrets ; but to the keen rille shot the ftict of using ;i rifle is the mtiin thing about the sport, ;md the best form of it is to go out by oneself, .armed with nothing but a rifle and one's own wit and cunning to pit against the infinitely finer senses of the wil\- bunny. .Vccording to the catalogues, the .22 long rille cartridge is " good for small game up to 200 yards." Ihis is rather a stretch of the imagination of anyone but a cartridge manufacturer, but certainly no man ever lived who could make sure of a rabbit at 200 yards. The r.abbit is a beast which requires considerable study in order to understand his constitution and habits. To start with, his hardihood and tenacity of life are such that, unless hit in the right place, it is almost impossible to " stop " him, except by so smashing him up that he is u n fi t f o r t h e t a b l e a f t e r w a r d s ; a n d i t s h o u l d b e r e m e m bered that the first tenet of the sportsman is that game must be killed, and not maimed aitd allowed to get away. Nothing is more distressing than to see a rabbit or any a n i m a l h i t i n t h e h i n d q u a r t e r s o r o t h e r n o n - v i t a l spot crawling away out of reach. For this reason in the running deer shoot at Bisley points are deducted for a hit outside the vital area. To be effectually stopped, a rabbit must be hit cither in the brain or through the foreshoulder or heart. The target in the first case is no larger than an inch bull, and in the latter perhaps an inch tind a half. .-Ml the remainder of the body should be regarded as non-existent, for a hit will have no effect beyond sending the quarry down the nearest hole before he can be got at. Thus very accurate shooting is necessary, and it is s e l d o m t h a t t h e h u n t e r i s j u s t i fi e d i n t a k i n g a s h o t at more than 50 yards. Up to 25 yards the- head should be aimed at, and beyond that the foreshoulder. Now the " smashing power " of the .22 long rifle is not great, nor is its trajectory very flat; but in the hands of a good shot possessed of good judgment it is sufficient. Probably the best cartridge for the purpose is the .297/.250 centre fire, and the .300 Rook is also good ; but both these cartridges damage the game more than is necessary if the correct spot is hit. With the .22 the best sight elevation to adopt is 5 0 y a r d s . A n a p e r t u r e b a c k s i g h t w i t h f a i r l y l a r g e aperture and blade foresight with ivorv or white paint tip are, in the writer's opinion, the best combination. M'ith 50 yards' elevation the rise of the bullet at 30 yards is about an inch, and this allowance must be made in aiming at the shorter range. The most important part of the sport, given good shooting, is the stalking. In some country where rabbits abound one can sit , or lie behind a bush and wait for t h e m t o c o m e o u t ; b u t o n m o o r l a n d , w h e r e t h e r a b b i t s live not in holes, but in " runs " in the undergrowth, and are much scarcer, it is necessary to " stalk," and a very diilicidt job it is. One must go out either in the early morning just after dusk—the best time—or late evening, before sunset. In the morning the rabbits are generally busy feeding, and in the e\ening thev may often be caught sunning themsehes on a fine day before going in for the night. .V rabbit can see a man approaching hundreds of yards away if he walks upright, and on a still day the noise he makes is quite sufficient to drive the rabbits away b e f o r e h e s e e s t h e m . T h e b e s t t i m e i s d u r i n g f a i r l y w i n d v b u t fi n e w e a t h e r . I n a w i n d t h e s t a l k e r c a n make a little noise without being heard, and rabbits will stand quite a considerable noise without moving away so long as thev do not see him. Immediately they spot the hunter off they go, but generally stop, sit up, and listen before going out of sight. The stalker's only chance, then, is to " freeze ''—keep perfectly still for s e v e r a l m i n u t e s . I f t h e r e i s n o m o v e m e n t , t h e r a b b i t will often start feeding again, and then the stalker can stealthilv resume his business of getting closer, bending close to the ground, keeping behind bushes or grass, until close enough for a shot. But it takes a great deal of practice to do successfully. Probably there is no better training in the world for a scout than rabbit stalking. It takes very highly-trained eyes to pick out the rabbit from its surroundings at any distance until it moves, and then it is usually too late 1 Of course, the best form of .22 ammunition to use is that with hollow-pointed bullets. It is at present for bidden, under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, to sell hollow-pointed ammunition ; but a good substitute may be made by drilling the bullets of the ordinary ammuni tion with a small metal drill, forming a hole about 3/T6in. deep in the nose. If carefully done, this does not affect the accuracy in the least, and the results are excellent. In conclusion, a word of warning to those who have not pre\ iousl>' had to do with game shooting. Remember t h a t t h e e x e m p t i o n f r o m t h e n e c e s s i t y t o b u y a g u n licence enjoyed by members of clubs affiliated to the Society applies only to rifles used for target shooting on club ranges. To use a firearm for any purpose in any other place, one must buy a gun licence, price los., at the Post Office. O f c o u r s e t h i s l i c e n c e d o e s n o t e n t i t l e o n e t o s h o o t , game, in the legal sense of the word—^a game licence, price p^3 3s., is required for that. But rabbits are nor classed as game, and may be shot wathout a game- licence ; but not without a gun licence. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKr>4 T H E R I F L E M A N . Sfjptember, 1017. N O T E S A N D C O M M E N T S . I liE attention of Club .Secretaries is drawn to the autumn competitions advertised on payes 48 and 55, entries for which close on September 30th and October ist. For the B.S..\. Competition last year no less than 395 teams •entered, but it is hoped that with the sub.sec|uent increase in the Volunteer movement a still ]ar<fer entry will be received this ye«ir. 'I'liE Burrouj^hes and Watts Competition is a new one, and will be shot under different conditions to any of our cxistinjj competitions. As the teams are only to be com posed of four men, clubs which have lost the services of a larjce number of their regular rillemen will probably be able to raise a team for this event where thev are unable to enter for competitions requiring- six or eight men per team. .As the conditions also allow clubs to enter any n u m b e r o f teams, Secre t a r i e s s h o u l d , w h e r e v e r p r a c ticable, take ad vantage of this clause and give a s m a n y a s possible of their members an op- p<3rtunity of tak ing part in a competition. * * * ■ A s w i l l b e s e e n f r o m p a g e 5 6 , the Special Con s t a b u l a r y I n t e r - Divisional Riiie League has re sulted in the • " S " D i v i s i o n winning the Northern and t h e " R " D i v i sion the .South e r n S e c t i o n s r e spectively. The s h o o t b e t w e e n t h e s e t w o D i v i s i o n s f o r t h e A l a r k s C h a l lenge Shield and silver and bronze medals will take place x5n the range of the Ham and Petersham Rifle Club on the afternoon of Saturday, September 29th. * * * ° 0 . \ t h e s a m e d a y i t h a s a l s o b e e n a r r a n g e d f o r t h e winners of the London League Competition to shoot against a team raised from the other clubs comprising the League. This team will be composed of the six rifle men who have made the highest averages throughout the CoiTipetition for not less than fixe shoots. To provide an attraction for visitors on this occasion a sweepstake shoot through the ranges, open to all comers, will take place. * * * W j . ; o ff e r o u r c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o t h e E d m o n t o n R i l l e C l u b , w i n n e r s o f t h e . S . M . R . C . Te a m C h a m p i o n s h i p . L A X C . X S T K R H I F L K C L U J 3 . Tiiis competition throughout proved most interesting, and the winners have shot vcr}- consistently. I heir final shoot was one <jf the most extraordinary on record, as although each competitor had to shoot three targets with a possible score <T 300, the difference between the six scores made was only one point, hor consistency we think this must be an absolutely record performance. * * * Is reply to our invitation in the July issue for expressions <)[ opinion as to aperture sights being allowed in A'ohm- teer Regiment competitions, w-e have received a few answers strongly urging that these sights should be adopted. AVe are making arrangements for an adequate supply of aperture sights, and hope in the course of the next month to be in a position to supply these imme- diatelx- upon receipt of order. .As .soon as a number of t h e A ' o l u n t e e r units have pro- V i d c d t h e m - s e l v c s w i t h r i fl e s so fitted, we in tend to institute new competi tion to be shot u n d e r t h e a p e r ture sight condi tions. * ^ A A ' k a r e n o w i n a p o s i t i o n t o s u p p l y c l u b s with "Imp" t a r g e t s s i m i l a r to those used for the " Imp " Tar get Competition w h i c h w a s s h o t in 1913. .A large n u m b e r o f C l u b S e c r e t a r i e s h a v e expressed a wish f o r a n o t h e r novelty target, and we should strongly recommend clubs to order a few of these as an experiment. The price is is. 9d. per 100 for the large size, and is. 6d. per 100 for the small. * * * Tiiic advisability of all clubs becoming insured against fire and burglary risks has often been pointed out, and further proof of this has recently been experienced. The St. Mark's (Clerkenwell) RiHe Club were a short time ago the victims of a burglary, and their claim under the policy issued to them by the Alliance Assurance Company, through the S.Al.R.C., was settled in full within fifteen days of being made. The Secretary of the Society will be pleased at any time to obtain quotations for premiums in connection with the.se insurances. * * * AVk have pleasure in reproducing a photograph of the WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKSlil'TliMHI-.K, 1917. T H E R I F L E M A N . 55 t e a m o f t h e L a n c a s t e r R i l l e C k i b , t ! i e w i n n e r s f o r t h e second vear in succession of the Hibbert Trophy Com- > p e t i t i o n . I n t h i s \ e a r ' s fi n a l L a n c a s t e r b e a t ( l a r s t o n b y se\cn points, their remarkably fine score of 594 being m a d e u p a s f o l l o w s : — R . R o w, 1 0 0 ; J . . A t h e r t o n , 9 9 ; S. S. Wilson, 99: L. Harrison, 9c): L. Wilkins, 1)9; .and F. G. Phliegcr, 98. T V * * I . v c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e t e s t s o f t h e A ' o l u n t e e r s ' M i n i a t u r e C o u r s e o f M u s k e t r y, S e r g t . F. K n i g h t , a m e m b e r o f No. 7 Platoon, " B " Co., ist Berkshire \'.R., recently made a possible in each of the eight tests, in each case the fi\e shots being in an inch group. It will be remembered that Sergt. Knight won the first prize in the A'olunteer^ Section of the Dominion Competition recentlv run bv the S.M.R.C. ■ Jf ^ .Axothku \ery fine set of targets w;is recently shot by the Granville Canadian Rifle Club team in ci post match against Truro A'olunteers, under \'olunteer conditions at 25 yards, on the S.M.R.C. target with ain. bull and carton ring. The Gran\ille Canadian team scored 992. I out of a possible 1,000, against their opponents' 978, .At the time of going- to press we find th;it it will again be nccess;iry to incre.a.se the price of all t:irgets, owing to the present extremely heavy cost of production. Full particulars will be given in the October issue, but the achance will probabl\- be a.n all-round one of about 20 p e r c e n t . B.S.A, COMPETITION FOR VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS, 1917. To be competed for by any unit of AT)lunteer Regiments atnliated to the Central Association of A'okmteef Regiments, or to the Society of Aliniature Rifle Clubs. For the following Prizes, the whole of which have heen kindly presented by the Biumixgh.vm Sm.vll Ar.ms CoMP.txv, Ltd. : — 1 s t . S i x S i l v e r A l e d a l s a n d £ 1 ' 2 . 2 n d . S i x B r o n z e A l e d a l s a n d £ 6 . To each of the Teams knocked out in the Semi-Final, £3. A Souvenir will also he presented to the Competitor in each of the first eight teams who has the best average- f o r a t l e a s t t h r e e h e a t s . Open to teams of six from any Company or smaller unit of A'olunteer Regiments as outlined above. Companies or smaller units may enter any number of teams. FiilJ particultirs of the conditions, <ind cntrii forms, can he ohtaincd from the Secrctarij of the S.M.R.C. E n t r i e s c l o s e 3 0 t h S e p t e m b e r . , E n t r y F e e , 2 6 p e r T e a m . O B R O W N E M A R T I N C H A L L E N G E C U P COMPETITION, 1917. ^ To be competed for by Rifle Clubs affiliated to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs having their ranges within- 1 5 m i l e s o f t h e G e n e r a l P o s t O f fi c e . Open to one team of eight from any club affiliated to the S.M.R.C. having its range within the above area. In addition to the Cup, which will be held for one year, a Silver Medal will be awarded to each member of the winning team, and a Bronze Aledal to each member of the second team. A Souvenir will also be presented tj the- competitor in each of the first eight teams who has the best average for at least three heats. Full particulars of the conditions, and entrij forms, can be obtained from the Secretary of the S.M.R.C. E n t r i e s c l o s e 1 s t O c t o b e r . \ E n t r y F e e 2 / 6 . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >