< Previous20 T H E R I F L E M A N The whole question is answered by one word, ammo. Will no one ever ^ve us something that when we push it in the breach we can say, this is " it," and if 1 do all other things correct it will put them right there. The present stuff is a nightmare for anything over 25 yards. I cannot quite agree with Mr. Foster re Martini action and bolt action. Personally, I think they are perfect for the two kinds of weapons. Mr. J. Cramb has a rather good suggestion, but there is one big de fect, and it is a really serious one. The ordinary club member with a clip or magazine is a definite danger to all. Who is to see that every firer has emptied his clip or tnagazine. I have had two accidents, luckily not serious, even with the Martini action. Both shots luckily went through the roof. Does Mr. Cramb mean that we have a bolt as long as the S.M.L.E. or just a short body with corre.sponding bolt as the Martini ? as there is no doubt, that the less distance the striker pin has to travel for .22, the better the shooting. How about putting a double pressure on the tngger action, it helps to steady up with the .303. In conclusion may I quote a letter I had from a French boy now on M.T.B. " I am glad to hear the rifle club is still going strong, which I well remember was your pet diversion, and a great thing too, just at the moment, incidentally, I am a good shot, machine gun, pom pom and rifle ; after all you were the first person to teach me the basic pnnciples of shooting. I hope this is not too disjointed a letter, if so you still have a blue pencil I guess. Yo u r s t r u l y, E. W ALLIS. Hon. Sec., Weybridge Rifle Club. Wellingborough and District Rifle Club. The Editor, The Rifleman. Dear Sir, I was interested to see in the last issue of The Rifleman a letter from Mr. J. Cramb enquiring for information for the construction of Tele scopic Sights. If such information comes to hand I should be obliged if yoij would put me in touch with Mr. Cramb as I have been trying to build such an instrument without any success. I feel that a description of the Telescopic Sight together with the principles involved would make a very interesting article for The Rifleman, and I am sure that among the members of the S.M.R.C., there must be at least one who would be willing to oblige. Yo u r s f a i t h f u l l y, G. E. VELGE. Hon. Sec. fWe advocate reference to Mr. A. G. Banks' new book " Random fVritin^s " on Rifle Shooting price 7/6, by post 8/-.—Ed.] Nottingham. 4th October, 1943. The Editor, The Rifleman. T W O R A B B I T S A N D T H R E E D U C K S — N O R O O K S ! Dear Sir, I have read with great interest the articles on Sporting Experiences, and the shooting of two rabbits in one shot with a .22 Rifle. I actually got two rabbits in one shot, long before the days of H.V. ammunition, from my bedroom window. I had the good fortune in my young days to live in the depths of the country, and these par ticular rabbits were sitting up near a large warren, and the distance from my bedroon window was approximately 80 yards. I was using a B.S.A. bolt action, which in those days could be purchased for round about £3. With the same rifle I accounted for three wild duck in one shot, having stalked them on a lake near my home. Between eight and nine of these duck were on the water at the time, and from my position three of them leading were behind each other." I selected a place for a broad side shot, and to my amazement these three ducks did not rise from the lake, and were very soon dead. There was a sprinkling of snow on the ground at the time, and there was no boat to get to these duck, but being a strong swimmer and full of youthful enthusiasm to retrieve the ducks I went in after them, swam through thin ice, and finally brought them back like a good Retriever. The bullet had passed through all three ducks, which were of the tufted type. There is one shot that has always puzzled me with a .22 rifle, and that is a crow or rook on the wing. 1 must have fired hundreds of shots at these birds, hovering practically stationery over the top of the rookery, but I have never yet brought one down. If anyone can ex plain why this is I should be very interested. My theory is that the Juliets pass harmlessly through the wing feathers, or the flights, which would not worry the bird in the least, being such a small bullet. In that case there is only the body of the bird to aim at, which is a small target, but even then I should have thought it was quite possible, but of all my experiences of a .22 sporting shot this is the one shot which has always beaten me. I have noticed that a near miss at a rabbit will very frequently produce a kind of freezing effect when the rabbit will remain per fectly still, and not attempt to bolt for it It is for this reason that I prefer a bolt action rifle with magazine, because in eight cases out of ten you have a chance of a second or even third shot before the rabbits will move. I put this down to the scream of the bullet being very near to the rabbit, which causes it to freeze out of sheer, fright with a tem porary paralysis of the nerves and muscles. This is an eftect, which I have never experienced with a shot gun—in fact with any other weapon except the .22 rifle. I should be interested to hear if any other sporting Shots have had similar experiences as myself in this matter. In the meantime, I await with great interest further articles in The Rifleman on the sporting news of the .22 rifle. In my opinion there is no better sport to be had, and no better rifle for the job. Yo u r s f a i t h f u l l y. F o r M A N L O V E , A L L I O T T R I F L E C L U B , G. F . HOUFT ON, Hon. Sec. Publicity A T Y P I C A L L E T T E R A D V O C A T I N G F O R M A T I O N O F A . 2 2 R I F L E C L U B . M I N I A T U R E R A N G E R I F L E C L U B S . To t h e E d i t o r . Sir,—In this neighbourhood very little i merest is shown m small bore shooting, that is with .22 rifles, exception, of course, being taken with the Home Guard, as this forms part of their training. I am referring to the average citizen. This position is deplorable, and the writer thinks the time has now come to give this subject an airing. In my opinion every able bodied man and boy should be a member of a local small-bore rifle club, where he will learn the fine art of shooting, stimulated by competitions. In the event of our country ever being in danger again through war, a position no one desires, the skill acquired in the use of arms will be of the utmost value. In case this attitude is mis-represented let me give the following facts. . . . , In many countries rifle clubs have become part of their national system of defence. Such conditions exist in Russia, Switzerland, United States of America, as well as the Dominions of South Africa and Australia. It probably would surprise a lot of people to know that Soviet Russia in 1939 created a record by taking no fewer than five top places in the world championship for shooting. In Thatcham we have an indoor small-bore range, also two outdoors . The fellows who are keen are but a mere handful, but keep pegging away in the hope that the movement will grow. It may be of interest to mention the case of one boy, 15 years of age, who can shoot as well with a Service rifle as with a .22 small-bore rifle. Perhaps these remarks may bear fruit in Newbury and district, if so the writer would be willing to co-operate and help to get things "cracking." A study of the magazine. The Rifleman, shows that the movement is growing in most parts of the country, and it is time Newbury and district got on the map in the small-bore shooting world. Yo u r s f a i t h f u l l y, J. CRAMB. 40, Bath Road, Thatcham. October 1st, 1943. S . M . R . C . N AT I O N A L A I R R I F L E S E C T I O N PELLETS ,177 B.S.A., 1/2 500, 2/3 per 1,000 ; .22 B.S.A. 4/6 per 1,000. 2/3 per 500 ; .177 Lane's, 6d. per 200, 1/6 per 1,000. .177 Weblcy, 2/6 per 1,000. Carriage extra unless 20,000 Pellets ordered. *Ask for particulars of Secondhand Air Rifles. If none in stock at present please register my name for possible supply in future. S e n d t h e S . M . R . C . y o u r e n q u i r i e s . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKDecember, 1943.T H E R I F L E M A N 21 Competition Notes and Comments The National Team Handicap competition has once again been won by the Liverpool City Police A team. They have been successful each year since 1940—the competition was abandoned in 1941—and they have now won the new I.C.I. Challenge Trophy for the second time. They once again made 400 x 400 in the final, and just succeeded in beating the other finalist, Rotherham A team, by one point. The full prize list is contained in this issue. * The first division of the National League, which carries with it the long range S.M.R.C. Team championship, was won by Wimbledon Park who once again proved superior to all opposition in this com petition. This is the third time in succession they have been cham pions, and the forth time in five years. Worplesdon and District A team were second in this division and were only two points behind Wimbledon Park. Both these teams had a good lead at the finish of the competition against such formidable opposition as Ham and Petersham, Addiscombe, Alexandra Palace, Ardeer Recreation and Croftfoot. The Second division of this League was won by Falkirk Lord Roberts A team, who finished the season with the second best average for the whole of the League, including the first division. This average was for completed matches and ignored the one where a card was spoilt and not counted. The final tables of all divisions are given in this issue showing the various prize winners. Full particulars including the best individual averages of each division have been forwarded to the various interested clubs. * » s S The Scottish League Shield was shot for by Scottish teams shooting i n t h e N a t i o n a l L e a g u e . T h e t r o p h y w a s a w a r d e d t o t h e t e a m having the highest average, and this was won by Falkirk Lord Roberts A team whose average was 1953.30. Kinross and Milnathort were second with 1949.70, and Portlethen A were third with 1946.20. * « * That most interesting competition, the Summer League, with its 55 divisions, and 660 teams, was on the whole a success and provided entertainment and good training for most of the participants. Shoot ing improved as the season progressed, especially in the lower divi sions, and naturally some teams, many of them new to the sport, made more rapid advancement than others. To illustrate the wide appeal these regular shoots have for riflemen, we should like to draw attention to the large number of difterent organisations who entered teams, H.M. Services, The Navy, Army and R.A.F., Civil Defence, Air Training Corps, Home Guards, Police, Regulars and Specials, Munition Works, Aircraft Works, Railways, British Legion, Schools (Boys and Girls), Woman's Home Defence, Army Cadet Force, be sides ordinary rifle clubs. The final League tables are given on another page and it will be seen that Ham and Petersham A are the first holders of the Marris Trophy so kindly presented by C. Marrisof Mapplewell. They were successful by one point from R.A.F. Halton, and two points from both Falkirk Lord Roberts and 13th Brighton B.B. (Old Boys). » * » The result of the competition for the three Engineers' League trophies, shot for concurrently with the S.M.R.C. Summer League, is given in this issue. These trophies were competed for by teams entered by Engineering firms and were awarded to the three teams in that trade who had the best averages. The No. 2 Shield was won by Daimler A team with an average of 493.27 ; Bristol Aeroplane Co., A team secured the No. 3 Shield with 492.00 ; and Atlas and Norfolk A team were awarded the Cup with an average of 489.27. * * The entry for the Junior Training Corps competition only numbered 35 teams. This competition is for teams of eight, shooting on S.M.R.C. Tin-Hat Cards at either 15, 20, or 25 yards. Most of the teams shoot at 25 yards. The competition was shot in two stages this season for the first time, the best five teams in the first stage shooting a second stage set of cards under the supervision of witnesses appointed by the S.M.R.C. The best five teams in the first stage were :— Trinity College, Glenalmond 756 ; Royal Grammar School, Guild ford 755 ; Glasgow Academy 746; Marlborough College A team 743 ; and Marlborough College B team 728. Very little alteration in posi tions occurred as the result of the final shoot and there was very little difference in the scores, Trinity College, Glenalmond, increased their score to 760 ; Royal Grammar School, Guildford, lost five points in makina 750 ; Marlborough College A team made 747 and made four points extra ; Glasgow Academy fell away slightly in making 739, and Marlborough College B team, in making 739, increased their total by eleven points. Our sincere thanks are extended to those gentlemen who witnessed the final shoots on our behalf. J. D. Nicoll, Perth ; Capt. C. N. Vokins, City of London School J.T.C., and R. A. Kelso, Glasgow, G. Pethard, M.B.E., secretary, S.M.R.C., witnessed Royal Grammar School, Guildford. * * . * The " News of the World " team championship for distances of 15, 20, or 25 yards, for teams of four, attracted a record entry of 680 teams. These were made up of 390 for the Home Guard Section and 290 from Rifle Clubs. This is an increase of just over 60 on last year's event. The first round of the Home Guard section has been shot, a n d t h e c a r d s f o r t h e s e c o n d r o u n d h a v e b e e n i s s u e d a n d m u s t b e completed by the 26th Decem.ber. For some reason, not explained in every case, a few teams failed to return their first round cards, and the competition had to proceed without them. Altogether 190 teams have had cards issued for the second round. Some good scores were returned in the first round, the best being 793 by West Hull Home Guard A team ;,790 by F Coy., 18th Essex Bn., 788 A Coy., Henley on Thames Home Guard ; and 786 by L.P.T.B. 42nd County of London Bn. A team, and No. 2 Burton and District Home Guard A team, and No. 2 6th Perthshire Bn. The 290 teams from rifle clubs shot their first set of cards and these were used in the first place to decide in which Section A or B, they should be placed. Then the draw for the first round in each section was made and the scores made in the preliminary shoot were utilized for the first round results, and these were forwarded to all teams con cerned. A few teams failed to return their cards. 140 teams were allotted to the A section and 134 were placed in B. The draw for the second round was then made, the cards prepared and dispatched to all first round winners with instructions to complete them by the 26th December . The feature of the first round was the full score of 800 by Kynoch and we congratulate this team upon their splendid shoot. The second best score in the A section was 797 by Edinburgh Citizens A team, and also Wick Old Stagers A team. City of Cardiff A team made 796, Guardbridge made 795 and B.L. Abingdon, and Ham and Petersham A, made 794 each. Amertex U.S. B team (our American friends), made 793 and thus made a good start on this side of the Atlantic. The leading score in the B section was 766, and was made by Hawker Aircraft A, Lincolnshire Road Car Employees A, London Transport Muswell Hill, and Notting Hill Police. * * * Ninety-four entries were received for the Browne Martin compe tition, one team more than last year. This event is open only to teams in the London district and is shot concurrently with the News of the World competition as far as possible. Where teams lose their match in the News of the World competition and win in the Browne Martin specially stamped cards are forwarded to them for the latter, so long as they remain in the competition. The best score in the first round was 794 by Ham and Petersham A team who won the trophy last season, they beat Walthamstow Ensign, who made the very good score of 792. Lensbury and Britannic House made 793 and Hampton Mobile Police scored 792. Addiscombe made 791. » * The competition for the Scottish Cup received 63 entries, exactly the same number as last year. The result of the first round has been forwarded to each team that competed and it will be seen that 29 teams were allotted to the A section and 31 to the B. Three teams did not return their cards. Fourteen teams are shooting in the second round of the A section and sixteen in the B section. These teams have until the 26th December to shoot their cards. The best scores in the A section were by Edinburgh Citizens A 796, Glasgow Police A 793, Perth City and County A 793, Portlethen A 792, and Masonic Edinburgh 792. Unfortunately for the latter they were drawn against Perth and were dismissed from the competition. The best B section scores were Largs and District B 776, 17th Plat. 3rd Dumbarton Home Guard 775, Dunfermline B 774 and Largs and District A 774. * * « The " News of the World " Individual Competition which embraces the Engli.sh, Scotch and Welsh, senior and junior championships as well as that for the veterans, has received a record of just over 2,000 entries, nearly 500 more than last year. Many of the competitors took advantage of the opportunity to have three entries each, and alto gether just over 900 individuals sent in entries. All targets have been WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK22 T H E R I F L E M A NDecember, 1943. forwarded and have to be completed by the 31st December, ' 1943. Those who score 297 or over are entitled to shoot in the second stage, which will be on Metric cards. Only one set is allowed in the second stage, so once a competitor scores 297 there is no point in trying to get a better set to send in. May we suggest that those who score less than 297 should withhold their cards and save postage. The Junior and Veterans' championships will be decided by the best scores in the first stage. * * The entry for the War-time League reached the big number of 860 teams. These were graded into 68 divisions of 12 teams in each, and 4 divisions corhposed of 11 teams, 72 divisions in all. This re quired a tremendous amount of preparation, involving as it did, 47,488 cards each of which had to be handled at least three times, in order to stamp the name of the team ; to insert respective dates for each round ; and add the divisional number. As we send out results at the end of each round this meant the preparation of many thousands of addressed envelopes before the competition commenced as there would be no time to do these at the end of each round. The compe tition was divided into two sections, each section to have alternate week-ends for each period to facilitate the scoring and issue of results. Divisions 1 to 36 completed their first round on the 5th December, and divisions 37 to 72 on the following week-end, 12th December. Our members will realise the vast amount of work entailed in keeping up to date with the large number of cards to be dealt with in this competition alone, not to mention the News of the World team, and Individual events. The Scottish Cup, the Browne-Martin, Horne Guard, Army Cadet Force, and other competitions ; Club officials can help considerably by sending their cards in early, and, if possible, not wait until the very last day. Another way they can help is to write competitors' names in block letters on the cards. Most of them do this, but there are still a few who leave it to the individual member to scribble their signatures and these take a lot of time to decipher, so please help! * » * We have received another big entry for the S.M.R.C. Home Guard (Third) Competition, run with the approval of the War Office. Up to the time of writing these notes we have received 2,461 entries of teams of ten and our staff are busily engaged in preparing and des patching the cards. This competition is shot in two stages, and the tirst stage must be completed by the 29th February after which the 25 teams with the highest scores in the first stage, will shoot another set of cards in the second stage, under witnesses appointed by the S.M.R.C. The Organizer of each team is asked to send in their cards to the S.M.R.C. as soon as they are completed and not wait until the end of February before doing so. This will save congestion and will assist the adjudicator. * * » We have much pleasure in announcing the fine entry of 165 teams for the Junior Winter competition, 11 more than last season. Teams were received from such organisations as Junior Training Corps, Air Training Corps, Army Cadet Force, Home Guards, Boy Scouts, R.N. Boys Brigade, Schools, and of course Junior members of rifle clubs. The cards are now completed and are in the process of being scored. As soon as this job is completed, the result will be forwarded t o a l l t e a m s c o n c e r n e d . * » » The latest and one of the most interesting of the competitions we are now conducting, is that for the Army Cadet Force. This we are doing at the request of the War Office, and in collaboration with iht News of the World so far we have received over 521 team entries of ten boys for the second stage. It has had to be shot in three stages. The first stage was organised in each unit for the pur pose of selecting the best ten cadets to represent the Unit in the second stage, and had to be completed by the 31st October. Each Unit was entitled to enter one team of ten for each 100 cadets or part of 100. The entry fee is 2s. 6d. per team, and each team is required to shoot its cards during the period of any one week from the date of entry, up to the 31st December. All cards in the second stage have to be r e t u r n e d t o t h e S . M . R . C . t o b e s c o r e d . T h e 2 5 b e s t t e a m s i n t h e second stage will have to shoot.another set of cards in the third stage, in the presence of special witnesses appointed by the S.M.R.C. 4! * In the Marksman Badge Tests it will be seen that we have issued a good number of Badges during the last three months, which included 18 Master shot badges and chevrons, as well as 195 A class Marksman a w a r d s . 7 2 w e r e i s s u e d f o r t h e B c l a s s a s w e l l a s 1 4 f o r t h e C c l a s s . Applications for the lov/er sections are not numerous, competitors preferring to wait until they are successful in winning A class badges. In the Junior Section 19 A class badges were won as well as five for the B class. In the Efficiency Badge'section, those shooting with aperture sights gained 97 A class awards, 65 for the B class and 25 for the C class. Juniors in this section won 32 A class badges and there were a few for the B and C classes. The open sight section is not very popular, mainly we presume, because most units are now equipped with Aperture Sighted rifles. » — B o o k R e v i e w s Random Writings on Rifle Shooting by A. G. BANKS, Lieut. R.E. (T.) B.Eng. A.M.Inst.C.E. price 7/6 by post 8/-. Jordan and Son, 116, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.2. " A.G." after his Book of the Rifle follows that successful publication with what we feel sure will be another despite the fact that on this occasion the writings are revised reprints of articles from his pen which have appeared in The Rifleman—forty-four of them— from 1933 onward. As these are mainly on the .22 calibre weapon, ammunition, targets, etc., it is a real help to us all to have in compact f o r m s u c h a m i n e o f i n f o r r fi a t i o n . The four sections of the book are in the following categories : — 1. Military and Sporting. 2. Technique of Shooting. 3. T echnical. 4. Discursive. Shooting over ranges up to 300 yards with the .22 rifle is a feature fully dealt with. There is only one small technical error and that is on pages 9 and 13! The .22 bullet is referred to as 45 grain, it should be 40 grain. We warmly recommend this book as a first rate shooting prize, just as we did the author's Book of the Rifle. T H E H I S T O R Y O F T H E N A T I O N A L R I F L E A S S O C I A T I O N . Just before the outbreak of the first World War the National Rifle Association issued an official history of its first fifty years of activities—from 1859 to 1909. The authors were Mr. A. P. Humphrey M.'V.O., and Lt. Colonel the Hon. T. F. Fremantle, "V.D., (now Col. the Lord Cottesloe, and for many years Chairman of the Council of the N.R.A.). The volume is most interesting, not to say fascinating, and is a very complete account of service-rifle and full-bore marks manship in this country during the years covered. How the Association came to be formed, why Queen Victoria gave her great prize of £250 to the best shot in her Volunteers, the coming of the first badges, are all dealt with and then follows the circumstan tial story of the yearly progress during thirty years at Wimbledon, and twenty at Bisley. The winnners of all the chief prizes, year after year, are told in the narrative with any particular details of their shooting But for the war (1914) there is no doubt the work would quickly have been out of print ; but the Association and all the riflemen were busy with other affairs and no one had time to boost it or even sell it. There has been a slow, but constant demand for the book, all these years, and there are a few copies still to be obtained by those interested, at 5s. each, from the Secretary, N.R.A., Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey. Possibly, when this war is over, a second volume will be published bringing the history up to date. If this can be done the fact will be announced in good time and advanced subscriptions or at least ad vanced orders will be requested. SOLDIERS ALSO ASKED, Edited by THE RADIO PADRE (THE REV. RONALD SELBY WRIGHT, C.F.) Here is a selectioa from the questions asked by soldiers—and by others—at the present time ; " Why does God allow war ?"; " Thou Shalt not kill "How then can a soldier be a Christian?";" What is the Christian answer to fatalism ?"; " How can a Christian love his enemies ?" etc., etc. Among those who venture to suggest answers are ; the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Dean of St. Paul's, the Bishop of Durham, Professor John Baillie, Professor A. E. Taylor, Dr. Edwyn Bevan, the Head Masters of Harrow and Rugby, and Principal D. S. Cairns. The editor is well known as the " Radio Padre," whose talks in the Forces Programmes have been very successful. Several years ago he edited two volumes of questions asked by boys, entitled Asking Them Questions. Before he became Senior Chaplain to the Edinburgh Garrison, he was formerly Chaplain to the 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion, The Royal Scots,^ and the 4th (Border) Battalion, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, and then Senior Chaplain of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. (O.xford University Press, Amen House, Warwick Square, London, S.C.4. Price 4/6 net.). WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKDecember, 1943. T H E R I F L E M A N 23 The S.M,R.C. Junior Training Corps .22 Rifle Match, 1943 There were 34 teams of eight entered for the match this year, two less than in the entry of the year 1942. For the first time the match was shot in two stages, the leading five teams in the first stage qualifying to shoot in the second stage in the presence of witnesses appointed by the S.M.R.C. Our thanks to those witnesses. Whilst no record scores were closely approached on this occasion, it gives great satisfaction to observe that the general average standard of shooting is higher throughout the results, with one e.xception. Another satisfactory feature has been the maintenance of high grade scores under the attention of a special witness being present in the final stage. No remarkable falling off of scores occurred. In fact, the team representing Trinity College, Glenalmond, improved on their first stage scores by 4 points, to win with the excellent score of 760 x 800. Thus from fourth place last year they advanced to first place this year. Our warm congratulations to them. Other teams that improved their scores in the second stage were Marlborough College A and B ; the former scoring 4 points and the latter 11 points extra to obtain third and fourth places respectively, with totals of 747 and 739. Their A team was third last year with 713 and B eight with 687! Despite shooting 5 points fewer in the second stage than the first, their excellent score of 750 gained second place for the previous year's winners, the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. Thus they kept second place in the final as in the first stage. Thus are to be congratulated. In the 1942 match Glasgow Academy shared 18th place with a score of 654, but this year they have shown great improve ment to score 746 in the first stage and to share fourth place in the final with the score of 739. Such an advance means most persevering effort. Sebright School won the medals for under 100 personnel and were best in that category.- The only individual t^o make a possible score of 100 in the final stage was G. D. G. Griffiths of Glenalmond who has our warm congratulations. We give below the full results of both the first and final stages :— Teams of eight, 10 shots each competitor at S.M.R.C. 5-bull Tin-Hat "rds. Government issued rifles, any metallic sights, slings allowed, no rests allowed. In FINAL ST .^GE. 1 Trinity College, Glenalmond (8 gold centre medals) G . D . G . G r i f T i t h s . . . 1 0 0 A . G . S . M c C a l l u m C.D.Marshall ... 96 R.F .Stephen A. J. Gamble ... 96 C. A. M. Smith J . M . M u r r a y B i s s e t . . . 9 5 D . M . K i r k w o o d Witness J. D. Nicoll, Esq., Perth. 2. Royal Grammar School, Guildford (8 silver medals) S e t . R . A . L e v e r m o r c . . . 9 9 S g t . G . E . B o x . . . C a d e t J . P . H a c k . . . 9 6 C p l . B . A . Y o u n g Sgt. P. H. Lowings ... 95 L/Cpl. A. N. Dalman Cadet J. R. G. Huddle 95 Cadet H. G. Hibbert Witness G. Pethard, Esq.. M.B.E., Secretary, S.M.R.C. 95 95 94 89 760 94 92 90 750 Marlborough College A team J. .A. W oodhouse .!. 99 I. G. Mackrell ... J . P . G o o d a c r e . . . . . . 9 5 M . C . B o s t o c k . . . J. H. Ridpath 94 J. B. H. Gable ... M . D . W e l s h 9 3 M . R . F r a * i c i s . . . Witness :—Capt. C. N. Vokins, City of London School J.T.C. Glasgow Academy G. J. Burnett 96 W . D . A l e x a n d e r . . . 9 4 J. M. McLellan 94 D . P . W a l k e r 9 3 Witness :—R. A. Kelso, Esq., Glasgow. Marlborough College B team W . T . P a r k s 9 5 R. G. Piatt 95 S . E . N i e m c y e r . . . 9 4 W . F . K e y 9 2 R. M. Smellie A. J. R. Bruce P. J . C r a i g G. M. Barrie D . H . T a y l o r . . . A. C. Duncan ... R. A. G. Longfield W. R . C . M o o r e Witness :—Capt. C. N. Vokins. City of London School J.T.C. S C O R E S F I R S T S T A G E 1. Trinity College, Glenalmond A 2. Royal Grammar School, Guildford ... 3 . G l a s g o w A c a d e m y . . . 4. Marlborough College A 5 . M a r l b o r o u g h C o l l e g e B . . . 6. Sedbergh School 7. Trinity College, Glenalmond, B 8. Haileybury and I.S.C 9 . W i n c h e s t e r C o l l e g e A 10. Winchester College B 11. R.N. College, Dartnjouth 12. Repton School A 13. University College School (20 yards) Dcnstone College City of London School Hurstpierpoint Dulwich College Rossall School Wellington College A Wellington College B Wellington School, Somerset Epsom College Eton College Loretto School Merchiston Castle School Wellingborough School Tr e n t C o l l e g e Repton School B ^Sebright School (8 silver medals) A l l h a l l o w s S c h o o l Ampleforth College Magdalen College School Hereford Cathedral School J.T.C. (20 yards) Emanuel School * Eight silver medals awarded to the School contingents whose strength is under 100. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 93 92 92 89 747 93 92 89 739 91 91 91 90 739 ... »756 ... 755 ... 746 ... 743 ... 728 ... 724 ... 720 ... 714 ... 706 ... 703 ... 697 ... 684 ... 678 ... 678 ... 677 ... 676 ... 674 ... 669 ... 664 ... 664 ... 652 ... 649 ... 642 ... 641 ... 639 ... 622 ... 621 ... 604 ... 599 ... 592 ... 580 ... 569 ... 568 ... 509 with the best score of those The Browne Martin Challenge Cup Competition Teams of four, 20 shots each competitor—10 each at two cards at 25 yards unless otherwise stated. FIRST ROUND Ham and Petersham A 794 bm! Walthamstow Ensjgn 792. Lensbury and Britannic House 793 iral Metro. Police C Division 777. Hampton Mobile PoUce 792 beat V Division Metro. Police 784. Addiscombe 791 beat Alexandra Palace B 776. Alexandra Palace A 790 Twickenham B 775. Hamiltons B 790 beat City of London Police B 776 Twickenham A 790 beat Hendon and Cricklewood A 789. Hamiltons A 789 beat WcmWcy A 761. City of London Police A 787 bmt Natural History Museum 772. Wallington British Legion 785 beat B.T.H. (London) 782. ' West Ham and District A 785 beat A.S.C. (N.S.) A 782. Heston and Hounslow A 783 beat West Ham and District B 773. 11th Bn. Middlesex H.G. A 783 beat K.L.G. Sports and Social B 762. B L. Harrow, 782 beat Weald B 665. Heston and Hounslow B 781 beat Alexandra Palace C 778. Hnni .and Pctershiini, B 730 beat Metro. Special Constabulary B 763. L T R C Baker Street, A 778 beat 8th Plat. 60lh Surrey H.G. C 737. Metro Snecial Constabulary A 778 heat Hawker (Kingston) 767. Metro' Police 3 Division B 777 beat Examination Hall C (20 yards) 594. Me ho pXe J Division A 776 beat West Ham and District C 775. Hen™on'^nrcricklew-ood B 774 h™, Notting ^Hll Police C 731. 7^ T rs Snnrtq and Social A 771 beat A.S.C. (N.S.) B 769. Borough if Heston and Isleworih Electricity Dept A 770 ienf Nortels A (20 yards),759 . Hacknev Trolley Bus 769 heat Barnet District Gas and Water Co. A (20 yards) 680. Croydon A District VVardens (15 yds.) 767 beat 10th Plat. C Coy. 2nd (S.R.) Bn. B 703. Hawker Aircraft A 766 beat Notiing Hill Police B 743. Netting Hill Police A 766 beat Harrow Road Police A 750. L.T.R.C., Baker Street, B 764 beat G.E.C., Wembley, H.G. A 751. nth Mitlrllesex Bn. H.G. B 764 beat Hawker Aircrait B 721. B (Barnes) Coy^ 27ih County of London Bn. 763, iv.o., E.M.I. Sports and Social did n o t r e t u r n c a r d s . „ ^ Maiden 762 beat Watney Combe Reid & Co. 756. Metro Snecial Constabulary C 761, w.o., Southern Railway did not return cards. HamphrafPolice 760 16th Plat D Coy. 41st (L.P.T.B.) Bn. A 1S6. 6"h MiSilesex Bn. H.G. 760 heat 8th Plat. 60th Surrey H.G. E 730. D PI™ C Coy. 6lh Bn. London H.G. A 759 heat 1st American Sqd. H. G. (20 yds.) Borough of Heston and Isleworth Electricity Dept. B 754 beat City of London W. A.P.C. A.I.d! ^Unit, Kidbrooke; (20 yds.) 750 w.o., L Coy. 40th London Bn. H.G. did not 81h p'at'Tot'h'surrey H.G. A 750 iv.o., 10th Plat C Coy. 2nd (S.R.) Bn. A did not City'^of'Lon'don^V.A.P.C. C 744 heat Coal Commission B 429. 10th Plat C Coy. 3rd (S.R.) Bn. C 744 ir.o., Barnet District Gas and Water 'Co. C. d i d n o t r e t u r n c a r d s . „ , „ . . . G E C Wembley H.G. B 742 beat Coal Commission A 60a. Wembiey B 741 beat Examination Hall A (20 yes ) 651. D Plat C Coy. 6th Bii. London B 722 beat Sth Plat. 60th Surrey H.G. B 566. Nortels 1) (20 yds.) 722 beat Barnet District Gas and Water Co. B (20 yards) 621. llth Bn. Middlesex H.G. C 714 ir.o., K.L.G. Sports and Social C did not return 8lh Pkit^eoth Surrey H.G. D 691 bent Harrow Road Police B 669. Weald A 671 beat Examination Hall B (20 yds.) 628. I WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK24 December, 1943. Alternative Position Shooting By Frank Parsons, Jr. (Reprinted from The American Rifleman.) Frank Parsons, Jr., author of the following treatise on " Position Shooting " is well qualified. While a student at The George Washington University he proved the mainstay of a team winning three successive national championships, 1926-28. In 1930 he was a member of the American team entered in the International Matches at Antwerp, Belgium, the team that brought back to America the Free Rifle Champion ship. Coaching the G. W. rifle team since that time, his charges have established one of the finest records of any collegiate team. T H E P R O N E P O S I T I O N . Essentially, the coach's function is to short-cut the work of the shooter. In other words, to correct mistakes and point out why they are mistakes, to illustrate what is correct and why it is correct. All these points, right or wrong, would undoubtedly be discovered in time by the experimentive shooter who tries to iron out his position, but each error which the coach corrects will permit work on smoothing out points further along the line toward top scores. The human body having the variations it does makes necessary slight alterations in different positions from one shooter to the next. For example, the fellow with very stocky thighs may have difficulty in sitting on the same part of the foot in the kneeling position as the slim man can do. Generally speaking though, any normal, healthy person can be made into a good rifle shot. A good rifle shot, by the way, is not born that way. He may be bom with slightly faster reflexes and better co-ordination and grown up with norrnal eyesight and a body which is not too much overweight, all of which helps. But so long as a fellow will follow instructions avoid making the same mistake twice, he can be a rifle shot and a good one. How good depends on him and his desire, because work is the only answer. I, too, have heard " Well, so-and- so is a bom shot" and I'm sorry if I've spoiled someone's alibi, but these are the cold facts. It is anybody's guess whether more shooters in this country are interested in prone only or three position shooting. It is my guess that three position shooting attracts the majority. I know it is the type of shooting which has continued to fascinate me. Right now might be a good time to point out that the good three position shooter does not have to be tops in any one position. Talk about taking the pressure off, how is it to realize that Mulligan can beat you prone, Flannigan can beat you kneeling and Harrigan can teat you standing, but when the scores are all added up, you can do a little silent chuckling. The mental assurance you get from knowing you have three sound positions is a fine thing and will hurt your shooting not at all. Also, a point worth mentioning is the fact'that three position shooting puts the burden of proof more on the shooter and his ability rather than on the gun and its ability. In other words, the expensive gun, while desirable, is nowhere near the vital factor it is in prone shooting. The three position shooter should be in as good physical condition as possible. Oim of the attractions of rifle shooting is the fact that no strenuous conditioning or exercising is necessary. However, the person who realizes, and capitalizes on, the advisability of having his body m good condition, has the advantage. It is hard to over estimate the desirability of a strong pair of legs in standing and kneeling shooting and there is nothing better than plenty of good brisk walking to acquire them. In addition, there are three simple e,\ercises we use at George Washington which may be worth mentioning. I believe they should form part of everyone's morning routine, but they have shown to particular advantage in conditioning the shooter. Number 1. Stretch out on the floor, face down, keeping the body in a straight line and rigid, with only the toes and the palms of the hands touching the floor and the arms straight. Slowly let the body down to the floor, still perfectly straight, until the chest touches the floor. Then slowly push the body off the floor, still as straight as possible, until the arms are again extended. These " push-ups " are excellent for the development of the arms and chest. Number 2. Lie on your back on the floor with the arms over your head so a straight line can be drawn from fingers to feet. Bring the body up to a sitting position and the arms over head and down until the fingers touch the toes, keeping the legs straight. Then slowly go back to original position. This is a general stretching exercise, par ticularly good for the stomach. Number 3. Stand erect, with hands on hips. Keeping the feet together, bend the knees until you are sitting on your heels. Then straighten the knees and come to an erect position again. This is beneficial to all leg muscles. Do each of these twenty times daily and you will notice a marked improvement in your general condition.. The average person cannot do twenty of these the first time they try. If you want to play a game with yourself, start on the first of the month and do one. On the second do two of each until you have reached twenty and then continue to do twenty from then on. Easy does it and remember, don't overdo it. Twenty of each is plenty. It's the regularity that counts. . It is also the attention to small detail that makes a rifle shot. I have missed many a meal because I would have had to eat just before a match. About the worst thing you can have in your stomach just prior to shooting is a hot, solid food and next, a hot liquid. Either will start the old digestive system working which means the heart works harder pumping blood and some of us wonder why we have an excessive heart-beat about the time we want to shoot. It might be well to point out the effect of coffee on the shooter. In 1928 I made exhaustive tests in collaboration with the Psychology Department at George Washington University. Doses of caffein were taken in pill form of from one-half to four grains, shooting ten shot prone groups before and after taking, with variable waiting periods before shooting. The tests cqnclusively proved that caffein will increase the size of your groups. A heavy dose of three grains increased the group size 60 per cent after a thirty minute wait. And now for the positions. There are two reasons for devoting less space to prone shooting and more to kneeling and standing. Complete instructions on the prone position have been published many times, hence we shall discuss this position more from the viewpoint of bringing out points which are so often over looked. Secondly, the three position shooter should do his practising on the theory that the weakest link (or position) should be strengthened. This will automatically mean that four or five times the work must be devoted to the kneeling and standing, and instructions on these two positions will be dealt with accordingly. The pictures throughout this article are of Dana Wallace, a member of the 1936, '37 and '38 George Washington University teams. He was captain of the National Champion 1938 team and was honoured b y b e i n g s e l e c t e d o n t h e s e c o n d A l l - A m e r i c a n t e a m i n 1 9 3 6 and won his Golden Bullet on the All-American team in 1937 and 1938. He is now assistant coach at George Washington University. He is of average size and build and his positions are well nigh faultless. In assuming the prone position, the left elbow is the first part of the body which should be placed in its proper position on the ground or shooting mat. (All instruction in this article will be made with the assumption that the shooter is right-handed.) The sling of the rifle should be adjusted well up on the arm before getting down in position, so that when the shooter does get down, the left elbow of the average person will be at an angle about like that in the photograph. The left hand should be all the way out to the front sling swivel and well under the forearm of the stock, so that the weight of the rifle is on the palm of the hand and not on the fingers. The hand should be entirely relaxed. It is surprising how many shooters unconsciously grip the stock with the fingers of the left'hand. If the left arm is too short and you have no adjustable sling swivel to bring up to where the left hand should be to obtain the proper angle, fasten a block of wood or rubber on the forearm of the stock so that the crotch of the hand will rest against it and permit the hand to be relaxed. (American sling used.) Place the left elbow as far under the rifle to the right as possible so that when you come down on the right elbow, the left elbow will be WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKDecember, 1943. T H E R I F L E M A N 25 almost exactly under the barrel of the rifle. In placing the right elbow the shooter should have the feeling that he has reached out to place it rather than that he is propping himself up with it. As for the angle of the body, I suppose thirty degrees from the line of fire would be about perfect—until you get in a match where the firing litie is a little crowded and you will make the angle ess, and like it. Seriously, if you can get used to assuming an angle somewhat closer to the line of fire with the legs spread on y fifteen or eighteen inehes apart, there will be times when you will be bothered less and the other shooters will like you more. Once you get used to it, you will find that the position provides no disadvantages at all. Before you fire a single shot, put the rifle to yo4£.f your eyes shut and your head in sighting position. eyes and look through the sights. If the gun is not proPer y^ move your whole body until it is Tlien be sure not to change the body or the left elbow until you have fio'shed finng- mcnts from right to left may be made by moving the "gh e bow forward slightly, while moving it backward, of course, tvill move the rifle f^rom left to right. This trick of getting into position wuh your eyes shu is not necessary, of course, for the experienced shot who realizes tne necessity of assuming the same ideptical Dosition which requires no muscular energy to push the rifle from one ^Te lo tlTXrlnstead of adjusting the position ; in other words, if you have your position in the groove. The right hand should grip the stock of the rifle firmly but without so great a pressure as to strain the muscles of the hand. There is no one exact point on your forefinger which should '?f. trigger for the squeeze, I squeeze the trigger with the middle of the second joint of the forefinger for two reasons : fast, because I htue fingers which are longer than normal and second, because I "n get greater leverage or pressure control, which seems desirable to me. The fact that many of the finest shots squeeze with the tip end to the middle of the first joint bears out the fact that it is not what part of the finger is used in squeezing but whether you squeeze or not. We have probablv all heard of the well known " follow-through " in one sport or another, whether it was golf, tennis or swinging a baseball bat Don't kid yourself that there is not a follow-through, maybe not as noticeable, but just as important, in rifle shooting as in any other sport. Good shooters do it unconsciously. The inex perienced shooter should keep himself conscious of following through on each shot until it has become second nature to continue to squeeze for that split second or so after the shot is fired. It will help you to fix your call of the shot, in other words, mentally to deterrnine where the shot has gone, which is so necessary to becoming a good rifle shot. Always remember that in the prone position every muscle in the body must be completely relaxed. If any muscle in your body is being exerted to remain in position, then the position is not correct and should be changed. The accompanying photographs of Wallace illustrate a prone position which is completely relaxed and which are well worth studying and comparing with the points mentioned above. Be sure to remem ber the extreme importance of being able to duplicate your position the next time you shoot. It is well worth while to mark the notch on the sling which provides the best angle of the arm for you and to try to remeniber exactly how your face fits on the stock so that it also can be duplicated. Note the complete relaxation of Wallace's position. On com- narison with later pictures, the area inside the right-angle lines (tlie Sppe^part of the body) on page 24 will be found to be remarkably- like the kneeling position. There is just one more little tip that each of us should Pas'?o"'" hat and that was mentioned earlier m this article. The good rifle shot is not born that way. Fig. I. Fig. 2. TH E STA N D IN G POS IT ION. " Well let's go out and separate the men from the boys." To an experienced shot this has been for years the signal to go out and shoot standing. To the inexperienced it is probably a comical remark, but if we stop and think about the thought behind its origin, it means simply that the dirterence between a good man and a poor or lair one shooting standing is sufficiently greater than in other positions to justify the comment. For example, a good man may top a fair one prone by one or two points and kneeling by three or four points, but Landing the good man may end up hve to ten points better than the fair one It Lrely follows that the standing position is the one which can show the greatest improvement with intelligent practice. There is no doubt that most three posUion matches are won or lost in the standing position. An outstandmg example of this which occurred in an intercollegiate match was the one m whwh one man fired a score of 100 prone, 100 kneeling, and 82 standing for a total of 282. His score was badly beaten by the man who shot 99 prone, 97 kneeling and 89 standing for a 285 total. Note that the man who fired the ■'85 did not shoot an outstanding score in any position, but his total won the match. I also know that he spent his practice time balancing his scores or, in other words, strengthening his weakest position. I believe that the average shooter should out of ten practice scores shoot one string prone, three strings kneeling and six strings standing. This is based on the assumption that the shooter thoioughly understands the basic principle of each position. In other words, he has them m Lgroove so that he can return to the same exact position at any ime. This ratio of strings to be fired in the diflferent positions should be altered back and forth until all three positions are in balance. It is of course, the coach's job to see that you understmid these basic principles of each position, most particularly so that when some WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKT H E R I F L E M A N December, 1943. STANDING POSITION Springfield rear sight with windage and elevation adjustments is basically the same as all adjustable sights. MOVE REAR SIGHT TO RIGHT TO CORRECT THIS SHOT ^ MOVE REAR SIGHT IN , Y O U W A N T T O M O V E Y L I N E O F Note relation of line of si Pictured above -Springfield CHART SUPPLIED BY Th WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKDecember, 1943. T H E R I F L E M A N SIGHT ADJUSTNENT -OWER REAR SiGHT TO CORRECT THIS SHOT. S A M E D I R E C T I O N OUR HITS. ■ ^th SIGHT J jht to path of bullet, rifle with high sight leaf \r\ 5tarvdir\g. carry a mental picture of the rectangle you think you can hit. PJPYHIiWr 194; WnuJNAL'RlFLC A3SP^S^ ) E N . R .A. O F A ME RI CA. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK28 T H E R I F L E M A N December, 1943. difficulty does arise you will be able to recognize it and know what should be done to correct the trouble. Many times in the prone and kneeling position a lack of stability can be corrected solely by the sling, which is seldom used in the standing position and will be discussed later. Therefore, with fewer mechanical factors to depend upon, the coach must make doubly sure that you understand these basic principles a n d t h e r e a s o n s f o r t h e m . You have already noticed from the photograph that we are dealing principally with the off-arm or military position which is in more general use in this country. We shall also try to point out the principal points in the hip-rest position. I have no quarrel with those who believe in the use of a sling of any type in the standing position. I have seen a number of men shoot beautiful scores using the sling. Frankly, I have always believed that they could do just as well or better without it. Occasionally, we have men report for practice at George Washington University who state that they have had considerable experience in shooting and have used t h e s l i n g i n t h e s t a n d i n g p o s i t i o n . O u r s t o c k a n s w e r i s " S h o w u s . " If the man in question can shoot scores necessary to place him on the team, we let him alone, and if he cannot, we ask him to try our way of doing it. Briefly stated, the basic factor of off-arm shooting is the elimination of every.unnecessary expenditure of energy and we believe that this conflicts with the use of the sling. In assuming the standing position, please note that every instructive point is directed toward a natural easy stance. After stepping up to the firing line, place your feet a comfortable distance apart. I would interpret this to mean around ten to a maximum of fifteen inches for a very tall man. Remember it is just as bad to have the feet spread too far apart and create a strain as it is to have them not far enough apart a n d l a c k s t a b i l i t y. R e m e m b e r t h a t y o u a r e a c t u a l l y s t a n d i n g o n a platform which in size is as wide as the distance from your toe to your heel and as long as the distance from your left foot to your right foot. After getting your feet comfortably placed, put the rifle up in aiming. p o s i t i o n a n d s e e w h e r e i t p o i n t s n a t u r a l l y. I f t h e s i g h t s a r e n o t properly aligned on the target, move the feet until you are naturally aiming at the target. Be sure to remember that you will get the best results if, from that time until your score is completed, you do not move your feet. The exact placing of the two feet will vary slightly from one shooter to the next. The average position will have the right foot advanced up to about one inch over the left foot in relation to the line of fire. In holding the rifle with the left hand (again assuming a right- handed shooter) remember that the fingers of the left hand might as well not be there for all the useful purpose they serve. Those who press on the barrel or stock with the fingers of the left hand are actually harming their shooting, since it means just one more tension in the body. It might be well to mention in passing that you should be careful not to use too heavy a rifle unless you are exceptionally strong. We use several makes and types of rifles at George Washington, but since Wallace shoots a standard weight model 52, the illustration gives an excellent opportunity to discuss the proper place for the hands to be. We have found it best to hold the rifle very slightly to the rear h e a v y. A s y o u w i l l s e e i n t h e i l l u s t r a t i o n , t h i s p e r m i t s a f o r e a r m of the exact point of balance, thereby making the rifle slightly muzzle, which is almost exactly perpendicular and which is ideal. You will note from the illustration that Wallace is cradling the rifle in the crotch between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. Alrnost without e.xception we have found this to be superior to resting the stock in the palm of the left hand, since there is then no tension on the ligaments in the left wrist. Both photographs demon strate the proper position for the left elbow just as in the prone and kneeling positions. The elbow should be as nearly as possible under the barrel of the rifle and certainly should not be allowed to creep out to the left. Using this position the left shoulder will do 90 per cent of the work, relieving both the elbow and the wrist of practically all strain. In placing the butt of the stock to the shoulder the same point which was mentioned in connection with the kneeling position applies to an even greater degree. That is the necessity of carrying the butt plate of the rifle considerably higher in the right shoulder in order to make it unnecessary to strain the neck forward and down to be able to look through the sights. In placing the butt of the stock into the shoulder, carry the rifle to an angle of about 45 degrees between vertical and horizontal, then allow the rifle to sink down until it has come to sighting position. This will overcome the trouble known as body sink and if properly done will eliminate the feeling that the barrel of the rifle must be pushed up an inch or two in order to remain on the sighting target. Note from Figure 1 that Wallace's shoulders appear to be thrown backwards a matter of about six inches from directly over his hips. This is a very simple and yet very important item. First, be sure stand with the weight evenly distributed on two feet. Then, as t rifle barrel comes down into sighting position, allow the hips to si forward slightly. This will automatically cause the shoulders to mo backward and with it the rifle and the centre of weight will ino backward toward the centre of the body, which makes much eas the job of holding up the rifle. So many men put up a rifle as thou they were out in the woods taking a pot shot at a running rabbit. Tl standing shooting is a very careful deliberate game and every sm item which contributes toward lengthening the period of stea holding should be observed. M a n y c o a c h e s a d v o c a t e t h e u s e o f t h e r i g h t h a n d a n d a r m help hold up the rifle by carrying the elbow at a very high angle. I not subscribe to this theory, believing as I do that the left arm prope trained and used as shown is capable of holding up the rifle and tl the right hand (other than the use of the trigger finger) should sei the sole function of exerting a slight pull back into the shoulder. You will note in Figure 2 that Wallace comes very close to shooti o v e r h i s l e f t s h o u l d e r. T h i s m e a n s t h a t t h e r i fl e m u s t b e c a r r i across the chest as close as it can be without actually touching it ai t h e r e f o r e , h a v i n g t h e v i b r a t i o n f r o m t h e h e a r t b e a t i m p a r t e d t o I rifle. In resting the cheek against the stock find the comfortable pi; I for it and then memorise it so that each time you shoot the face v be placed in the same exact position. As you look through the n sight be sure that you are looking through the exact centre of it ce 1 time until it becomes entirely automatic. By carefully following these instructions I believe that any norr person can assume a highly satisfactory standing position, and no\ am going to discuss a number of points, some physical and so psychological, which I believe will help in making you a better stand shot. The exercises which we discussed in the first article of this sei are more beneficial to good shooting in the standing position th either prone or kneeling. The matter of breathing is importa After taking one or two reasonably deep breaths, inhale a norr \ breath as the rifle is put up in the air and then start to exh slowly as the rifle barrel is brought down to position. Ne attempt to hold the rifle in aiming position when it becomes necessi i to take another breath. This being the case, the man in very gc j condition can hold the rifle for not over thirty to forty seconds ai ! therefore, every possible second of it should be utilized. Take o i about two seconds to bring the rifle barrel down with an even mot and imnmliately be ready to start sighting. Remember that the n I has not yet come along who can hold the rifle barrel absolutely s i in this position or long enough to get off" a deliberate squeeze. The i f o r e t h e p r o p e r m e t h o d i s t o c o n t r o l t h e m o v e m e n t o f t h e b a r r e l the proper way. Permit the rifle to move from side to side slo' but spend all possible effort and training toward eliminating vertical movement of the barrel. Proper conditioning and pro ' practice make it possible to reduce the vertical movement of barrel to the point where the widest shot will certainly not go out the nine ring and remember I mean only vertically. Then with rifle barrel moving slowly from side to side, it is possible to sque I off the shots as the sights move into the ten ring of the target. have, I believe, an interesting way of handling this at George Washi : t o n U n i v e r s i t y. E a c h m a n c a r r i e s a m e n t a l p i c t u r e o f t h e r e c t a r which he believes he can hit. For example, if a man believes that 1 can or should put every shot within the eight ring vertically then , horizontal lines of the rectangle are the eight ring at 12 o'clock : the eight ring at 6 o'clock. Then if he permits his rifle barrel to sw i from seven ring to seven ring, the vertical lines of the triangle i automatically the seven ring at 3 o'clock and the seven ring I 9 o ' c l o c k . T h i s b e c o m e s s i m p l y a l i t t l e m e n t a l p i c t u r e w h i c h r e m i him that he is not shooting at the ten ring every time but attempt to put every shot in the rectangle which he has mentally drawn [ himself. We all know that no one can hit the ten ring every t 1 shooting in this position. Therefore, why complicate the task ! attempting to do so ? A man whose mental rectangle is the r i r i n g f o r v e r t i c a l ' d i s p e r s i o n a n d t h e e i g h t r i n g f o r h o r i z o i j dispersion and then can make good on this rectangle such Wallace does, for example, can consistently shoot around 1 90 mark and occasionally much better, simply based on the kiw a v e r a g e s . I t m a k e s n o d i ff e r e n c e w h a t s i z e o r s h a p e r e c t a n g l e draw so long as you attempt to stay within it and then reduce the i of it with particular emphasis on vertical dispersion as you sf I i m p r o v e m e n t . W h e n s i g h t i n g , t h e h o r i z o n t a l m o v e m e n t o f t h e barrel should and can be very slow so that the trigger let-off car I definitely in the form of a somewhat fast squeeze as the sights m 1 into the centre of the target. Years ago, I developed the invari: habit of letting off the trigger as the gun moved in from the left-h WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKDecember, 1943.T H E R I F L E M A N 29 1 side of the target. This is not at all to be confused with a snap- shooter. Once in a blue moon a man comes along who can snap shoot and do a good job of it. We average mortals, however, find that when we try snap-shooting we are almost certain to let at least one or two wide ones go out of every string of ten shots. Remember that it is these wide ones which wreck the score even though the rest of the shots are very good. I would much rather see a man shoot an 85 standing with five 9's and five 8's than I would to shoot the same score with five lO's and five 7's. Don't feel that you must shoot every time you put the gun up. ] It is much better to take the gun down and rest for five seconds and I put it up and go to work again sighting rather than to stretch the period ; of time you can properly hold the steady position simply to get the | shot off. It is this habit which has. caused many of the wide shots. Remember that the thinner the shoulder pad on the shooting coat i the farther into the body the rifle may be held, and, therefore, the easier the job of holding it up. If possible, do all your shooting in a | pair of fairly stiff shoes. When resting between shots in the standing position, rest with your elbow on your hip and the gun held in the i left hand across the body with the right hand free. It requires many less pounds of kinetic energy than to hold on to the rifle with both hands and drop it down at arm's length. For sighting equipment I believe that an extension rear sight which brings the rear aperture back almost to the eye and, therefore, eliminates outside light pd an aperture front sight which permits a rim of white around the sighting bull of about one-third to one-half of its diameter is the best com bination. ■ The hip-rest or Rifle Club position differs almost solely in the fact that the left elbow is rested on the left hip and then the rifle is supported by the thumb under the trigger guard and the fingers straight out and under the forearm of the stock. Practically every other point mentioned in this article applies almost equally to the two positions. I do not mean that one can practice the military position consistently and then expect to change right over and shoot scores of vvhich one would be ultimately capable. Each requires its own type of practice. ; {For R.C. position see centre page illiistratioris.) - | Remember the mark of the smart person is the refusal to make the same mistake twice and remember that intelligent practice is learning ; the proper routine for rules which soon become automatic. [Kneeling and Sitting positions will follow in the March I issue.—Ed.] I.C.I. INDUSTRIAL RIFLE LEAGUE TROPHY. Competition for this challenge trophy will be restricted to Groups associated with industrial concerns. It Is hoped that keen competition will result, and that the trophy will not only stimulate enthusiasm for small-bore shooting but also encourage the formation of new Groups in Industrial Works where this sport has not previously been fostered. . > Presented by Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd.. to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, the Council of which on behalf of the Society's membership and the affiliated units which form It hereby tender grateful thanks.—29th October. 1943. PERTH CITY AND COUNTY S.B.R.C. JUNIOR TEAM. The Trophies are (/eft to right) ; Ballingall Vase, won by P. Lumsden at Dundee Open Meeting ; Little Trophy, Dundee junior Championship, won by P. Lumsden. Mrs. E. B. Caird Challenge Trophy. S.M.R.C. Junior Summer Championship (Major Section). (Record entry of 228 teams.) The Team is (/eft to right) P. Lumsden, J. Littlejohn, Miss Hilda Millar, Miss Madge Millar. Since this photo was taken, as reported in this issue this team has also won the Colonel Mitchell Charity Cup for the S.M.R.C. Junior Winter (Major Section) Championship for which there was an entry of 165 teams. Photo by " The Perthshire Advertiser.' WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >