The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-13


..sH0f .GuN AND RHLH EHooTiNG AM0sO |
us-A XIV PoiNTs OK THIsS MAITERs.
There has been considerable interest main. |
tained In this city, during the last two
Year., in rifle shooting Ia IL various forms,
Including long, mid and short range. Most
people 10 this vicinity do not know what |
modern rifle shooting 10, and how the
march Of general improvement has trans.
FORMED the Old.iaShi0ned long squirrel
rife ola few years ago, into an Instrument
Of hne and accurate workmanship, capa.
BILE oil far greater power and range than
wAs considered possible, until recently.
To the popular mind, when rifle or
target shooting Is mentioned, there appears
vision oith6 old rickelty family ninsket,
OF squirrel rifle, which was Impressed en-
the mind In youth, As the typical repre-.
sentltion oil rifles In general.
II Is our purpose to dlSpal this Idea by
giving brief description Of the modern
target or match rife. These arnSaFe man.
ulaCt1red In this country, that Is, the mod.
ern breech loading match rifle, and none
Of any other country are equal 10 them
for power aud accuracy. This % no mere
assertion, but the result Of repeated trials
during our International contests, In which
representative teams from other countries
have competed with our own. The teams,
consisting oil eight men, were selected by
4 series Of competitions among all the
ritemen oil their respective countries, the
highest scores electlng the men who made
them.
These contests commenced In 1875 by
an American team Of eight gentlemen Of
New York going 10 Europe and competing
with the English, Irish and Scotch teams,
defeating them all. The three last named
teams all used muxzle leaders, while The
Americans used Sharp and Remington
bTeGch leaders, and the shooting was all At
eight, nipO and ten hundred yards.
In 1870 a grand international prize Of
thiry.aYe hundred dollars value, WIS given
by the Centennial Commissioner for
competition among teams from all coun.
tries. This grand contest was entered
Into by teams Of eight men from England,
Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Canada,
besides the American team. OF these
teams all used the rifles made In their ma.
tive country, and the Americans used the
only bfeeCh.loaderS, In this contest,
which was At the long ranges before men.
TONED, each man firing fifteen shots at
each distance, the American team was
victorious.
This team came to win, and were ON the
range at CreedmOor Tor some three weeks
before tho match, practicing every day.
But In spite OF all this the American team
beat them worse than ever The result
OF this was that no foreign country has
since dared 10 come before the targets
with the Americans, and in 1873 the
American team-ni which Prof. Dwight,
Of this city, was the only member west Of
New York City-was compelled TO shoot
o "walk.oyer" match at Creedmuor for the
premium Of the Centennial trophy, with
no other competing teams appearing
against them.
In New York and Boston the best men
are interested In rifle practice. It isM
popular as pigeon shooting, and is less
expensive.
In 1877 England, Ireland and Scotland
combined all their best riflemen In one
splendid team, Captalned by that great
English sportsman, Sir Henry Haliord,
and among the members Of the team were
the Hgby's who are the leading Irish rifle
makers and whose rifles the team mostly
used, aud the veteran J. K. Miner, who
in the contest at Creedmoor astonished
the world by making u clean score OF fl.
teen consecutive bullEeYes at one thous.
and yards.
Such men as Hon. n. T. Stanton, mem.
Der Of the New York Stock Exchange, and
Gen. Jos. r, Hawley, Governor Of Con.
necticut; Gen.G. i. Mcclellan, after whom
a range in New Jersey has been named,
are only few Of the prominent men who
uphold and indulge in modern rifle shoot.
ing.
The rifle as now made Is divided into
three classes, viz: Short range, which Ia 40
cAlibre, (of, forty hundredlhs Of an inch
In diameter oil bore aud uses bullet OF
same diameter, one inch long, patched
with paper, and weighing about two hun.
dred and sixty.fveg grains. The barrel OF
this rifle Is from % to 90 inches long, and
the entire rifle must weigh less than ten
pounds, This arm is Tor use at 200 aud
800 yards.
The mid.nnge rife is the same caIibre
aud weight, and differs only in generally
having thirty.two inch barrel, and using
more powder and larger bullet,
This rifle Is intended 10 shoot accurately
at from three to five hundred yards,
The long.range rifle is made either A or
10 cnllbTe, and is for use ut eight to thjr-
teen hundred yards, It weighs about ten
pounds, has thirtY.two 10 thirty.RiS inch
barrel, and throws bullet nearly two
inches long, with an initial velocity OF
about fifteen bundled feet per second,
This gun uses from one hundred to one
hundred and twenty grains Of powder lin
weight, and the bullets weigh FIVE hun.
bred and fifty grains, or about one and
One-touth ounces.
These rifles are all provided with care.
fully graduated sights, which are so ar.
ranged that they may be adjusted either
literally or perpendicularly,tO within one.
hundredth Of an Inch, rs each one ia grad.
uated and divided for this purpose, The
front sight, called the wind gauge" con.
tains a minute spirit level, which throws
the bubble, when in the centre, so II can
be plainly seen while aiming. This ia
necessary to insure the rifle being ALWAYS
held upright while firing, US the least liz.
pling will throw the bullet TO one side.
There has been new Rifle Club started
Ntty kuB past MEEK, Anu
some fifteen members are now ON the M
They have In course Of erection good
shooting house on the lower point Of the
Island, and will have practice and contests
every Saturday afternoon, beginning with
next Saturday.
As it's popular and pleasant recrea.
ton we hope to see this club increase its
numbers rapidly, and to see our LAWYERS
and merchants try their skill before the
iron target. ANY one feeling an interest
or wishing to witness the shooting viii be
welcomed by the club, and ample facili.
ties offered by the members for beginners
to practice. The club Is indebted 10
Sheriff Jingle for the use OF their range.
and thus call 1t the Tingl0 Range. A
large iron target and solid butts behind
prevent any injury being done by the bul.
lets. The new club will be called the
Wheeling Rifle Club.
REYNOLDS RErRED.-Leonard REYNOLDS
who. was arrested Thursday by OiFicers
Davis and St. Myers on charge Of steal.
Ing a set Of harness on Monday last from
IL. -