The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-10
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
wheeling vs.. Warrington, pa, Rinemen
-The FORMER Victorious.

The FORMER NhCtutAthse
Hearing that the frat long.range ride
match between our home club and the
Washington (Pa.) club was to be shot at
the new range in this city, Saturday after
noon, our reporter concluded to go and
see the shooting and take notes Of how 1t
was done, that he might enlighten the
numerous enquirers as to the moduI oPT-
andi Of this kind Of target practice.
On arriving at the range, which is on
stroble's Run, we found the club had
moved their comfortable house from the
Island to this place, and had everything
very complete for good work.
The time had arrived for commencing
the Aring for the contest, and the target
was up and all in readiness for the lead 70
be hurled at II, something near one-third
OF mile away.
Between the firing point and target,
there were three white flags stationed,
each twenty feet long. These were in
tended TO show the riilemen the direction
OF the wind, but they were not all OF one
opinion about the subject, for each flag
pointed In an opposite direction TO its
neighbor.
Seeing Prof. Dwight with coat of, and
looking as II he intended to do some good
work, we asked:
"Will that wind effect those heavy bull
lets much?" "Yes, about eighteen to TWEEN
ty-fve inches" he replied.
allow do you then keep from being blown
away from the bulls eye?" we asked. "By
the use Of the wind.gauge here, which
you see is made movable, and graduated
accurately, to the fiftieth Of an inch, and
moves across the Darrell by turning the
screw"
"How do you know when and how to
move it," we asked "That," said he,
sis a matter OF pure judgment, and Is the
main point in long range shooting, and on
the correctness Of the riheman's estima'
ton OF the effect certain wind is going
to have on the shot about to be fired,
chiefly depends his success"
els that all he has to watch2" we asked,
"0h, no; the elevations are often nearly
as troublesome, and require as careful
watching"
"What causes this changer" we in
quired.
swell, the wind also Is an important
element in this. A rear wind-that 10, q
wind blowing the same direction as the
ilightof the bullet, causes the latterto have
greater velocity, and therefore 1t strikes
the target higher. This we call tlattening
the trajectory; and in such wind We
must lower our elevations on the rear
sight. A head wind has the reverse effect,
and by offering a greater resistance TO the
flight Of the bullet causes 1t to drop lower
on the target. This We must neutrallze
by using greater elevation, which throws
our bullets higher, SO that when the wind
has had Its effect on them they will strike
the bulls eye."
We began to realize that this modern
Iiae.shooting had been brought down to a
very fine point, and that there was room
for wide range OF experience and iudg,
ment to become an expert long-range rifle
man.
The match was now to commence, and
Mr.. Coe took his seat at the telescope,
score.book in hand, and called Dwight
to the score" This was to be the first
shot, and when he took his position those
present were reminded of'the notice on
the wall, which read, mo talking after
firing commences" Crack went the rifle,
and all eyes were directed to the target,
and there saw the marker holding white
disk over the "bull." "Three o'clock
bull well in, says the scorer.
"What does three o'clock mean?" we
inquired. "That means that the bullet
struck the bulls eye Just 10 the right Of
the centre. We use the clock dial TO
designate position OF the shot. suppos-
ing the target to be like a watch face, as
held to see the time, you see figure, three
on the right side Of dialand nine on theleit,
with twelve and six top and bottom. A
shot at top OF thebull'seye is twelye O'Clock,
at the bottom ask o'clock bull. tits merely
used to describethe position OF the shot,so
we know how to calculate the one follow
ing"
Mr.. Babcock next took position, and the
white disk greeted his shot also. Eight
o'clock bull, }" says scorer.
"Who is this man wyoming to tireY'
said we.
THAT is our best off:hand shot, Mr..
Stewart" was the reply.
"He, BabcoCk, Coe and Jaeger, can hold
any four men level at 200 yards that be-
longs in this neighborhood," said our in
formant.
Mr.. Stewart was successful in getting in
on his first round.
Mr.. Jaeger, the engraver OF fine glass
ware at Messrs. Hobbs, Brockunier 4
Co.'s Glass House. was shooting also, but
not in the team. He succeeded, however,
in makingss good o score as the other two
members Of the team, having ninety-five
| - l.; o,aJtk Il, tpantty 1hnia
Hearing some remarks about fish tall
wind" we imagined what 1t meant. at
means a wind either from the rear, or
from the target, that keeps changing from
one side 10 the other. like ilsh's tail
while swimming. 1t causes considerable
trouble, as 1t may change in an instant TO
the opposite side from what you have CAL
cuIatel for on your wind gauge"
Have you any future contests with
foreign teams?" was put 10 Mr.. Dwight.
"Yes, we have sent word to the Canton
Rod and Gun Club, OF Collinsville, Conn,
and TO The New Bedford Rifle Association
Mass, and will probably shoot them
soon."
The terms OF this match were three
men in each team, twenty shots per man,
possible team count 800, possible indiyid.
ual score 100.
It will be seen that Professor Dwight
made clean score OF twenty bulls eyes,
which Is unusually. good work, although
he is generally expected to do well, on
account Of his previous record made in
August, 1878, oil thirty.nine consecutive
bulls eyes at eight, nine and ten hundred
yards, changing distances twice and max.
Ing ali bulls. This gave him the position
on the American Rifle Team, which still
holds the centennial trophy, Palma"
The position in which this shooting is
done Il rather interesting. The rules OF
the National Rifle Association require
the men to be self-reliant and allow no ar.
tifical rest to be used, but the body OF the
shooter can be used any way that Is wish
ed TO obtain rest for sighting. The gen.
eral position is lyingon the back, or slight.
ly on the right side, with feet toward the
target, and legs crossed. The muEsle
II Il. a.