The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-27
CREEDMOOR.
Rifle Matches Vest erday by the Twelfth
Regiment Officers Rifle Association
and by Company A, Twenty-third

Rife Matches Vest eriay by the Twelfth
Regiment Officers Rifle Association
and by Company A, Twenty-third
Regiment.
That the National Guard OF our state are taking
the greatest interest rife practice may be seen
from the daily increasing attendance of officers
and men at Creedmoor. There Is hardly day
that passes without witnessing at least one or
two spirited contests for badges and prizes OF diff
ferent kinds. And the honorary and profitable
wards for the successful competitors are
being constantly multiplied, as well as the
number of associations, which are banding them
selves together Tor mutual instruction In the art
and science OF ballistics; and, while q goodly
number OF asplrants, either through want OF time
or lack Of the requisite knowledge in the higher
mathematics, may be unable to become what is
termed crack shots, there are many officers and
men III the National Guard OF this State whose IN
sport will enable them TO course the whole study
OF musKetry, from the FIRST principles OF aiming
sary to determine tne velocity and the trajectory
OF rifle ball and to master knowledge of the
physical laws which govern its flight.
Unless the shooter knows something OF gun
merry ne will find it difficult to comprehend
the theory OF the flight Of proiectiles; he will
not readily understand that three forces act
ing in different directions lend their aid TO form
the rajectory-namely, the propulsve force of
the powder, the force OF gravitatlon and that OF
some knowledge OF the properties OF lines and
angles 1t will be difficult to learn the difference
between the line OF sight, the axis OF the bore and
the elevation OF this axis above u given hOri-
Zontal plane. Only q man who has some idea OF
geometry can readily appreciate what is meant by
point blank range; to many men 1t would be
riddle to inform them tuat point blank means the
spot where the prOjectile cuts Tor second time
the line carried out indefinitely by the prolonga-
tiOn OF the axis of the bore.
For these and other reasons majority Of the
militia officers who are devoted to the study OF
musketry have expressed on several occasions.
their sense OF the great need which exists for the
establishment OF formal school OF musketry by
the State. They do not think tnat q costly affair
should be expected but believe that reasonable
appropriation ought to be made by the Legislature
for the appointment and pay of small select
star OF officers and non-cOmmissioned officers
perhaps hall a dozen or persons altOge tner-whOse
duty 1t would be to instruct the state militia in
the science and practice OF small arm gunnery.
The British volunteers, to which service our State
appointed from the regular army to each corps.
The advantages derived by the volunteers from the
instruction and example OF these veteran trainers
are very great. The School OF Musketry
at Hythe turns out annually large number OF
commissioned and non-cOmmissloned graduates
to the army, and the regiments OF the regular
service in turn furnish instructors for the voun-
teers. The National Guard OF New York find the
want OF some such institution as that above ndl-
Gated but many OF the officers believe that II the
1t would take measures at once to fill this gap in
the State military organization.
Yesterday afternoon the Twelfth Regiment Ma
tional Guard Officers Rifle Association shot u
match at Creedmoor for the Boylan gold badge.
The contest was with regulation breecn- loading
being fired at each range. The result will be seen
below