Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-08
A Communication.
Editor Of The Kennebee Jomnat.

Editor Of He Keanebee Journal.
The decision Of the tie between the
Capital Guards and the Frontier Guards at
the State shoot last October seems to be at
tracing considerable attention among the
Rifemen of this country and England, fact
not surprising when il Is remembered that it
involves the relative merits of the Rules
adopted by the National Rife Associations of
America and England and those laid down in
Blunts Manual. The discussion ought t.
lead TO the adoption of the better rule to
govern all contests, and not as now have one
set of rules at Creedmoor, where practically
all the important rifle contests of the Nation
have been held, and another set where Capt.
Blunfs excellent work has been adopted.
John s. Shepherd, Secretary of the n. X. A..
writes to THE Rifle one of the leading
publications on rifle shooting in the L. S., as
follows: From tine article referring to the
State shoot held at Augusta, Maine, / quote
the following; THE article referred to was
published in THE Rifle" The Inspector
Of Rife Practice, after a weeks time and
mature consideration of the situation. took
what seems to be common sense view of
the matter and decided against the company
with the miss. Il. e. the Capital Guards
In 1885 the rule on ties was revised on this
point by our Association, and the rule of the
y. X. A. Of Great Britain adopted disregard
ing misses. This, claim, is the common
sense view of the matter. Many a miss par
ticularly at long range, is hit at the wrong
target. Even at 200 yards misses occur not
infrequently, sometimes from a shot on the
wrong target, or a defective cartridge, neglect
t.st l..fI .tf In d.
error in adjusting the sight, and this applies
especially to the Burlington sight. Take a
score Of four bulls and miss and think all
will admit in the case of an expert, that the
chances are ten to one that the miss occurred
from one of the above named causes. Does
it not show better shooting than score of
twenty where one shot may be bull and the
next an inner The old rule, admit, is the
fairest for buffers, but not for skilled
marksmen." To illustrate the truth Of the
statement that ''eyen at 200 yards misses oc-
cur not infreqnenty" In 1882 Maine sent a
team to Creedmoor and in the contest
for the Hilton Trophy miss
was made by one member
of the team at 200 yards claimed by MIN, at
the time, to have been caussd by defective
cartridge. and in the great international con-
test of that year, McNevin of the American
team missed at 200 yards. Then at 500 yards
misses were made by Bates of the British
team, and Alder of the American, and again
in 1888, at Wimbledon, Eng, miss was
made by Dods of the British team, at 500
yards, and by Dolan and Van Heusen of the
American team, at 600 yards. The score of
Van Heusen ilustr ates with special force the
point made by Secretary Shepherd which was
5-4-5-5-5-50 total, 30 while on the British
team Parry made at the same range 3-4-5-4-
j-3-5 total, 20, McVittie 3-3-5-4-5-+-5 total
30, and Pearse 2-5 4-4-5-5-4 total, 30. Com
pare these scores and see the application of
what Mr.. Shepherd says, viz. Il think all
will admit, in the case of an expert, that the
chances are ten to one that the miss occurred
from one of the above named causes does
it not show better shooting than a score,
where one shot may be bull and the next
an inner, as in the score of Parry. The
two great rifle associations of the world say
the score 5-4-5-,-5-j-0-2 20 is the better, while
Blunt says 3-i-5-i-5-3-5-29 is the better.
Which is right :?
1t has been suggested that the rule adopted
by the n. X. A., is well enough for skilled
marksmen with sporting rifles at long ranges
but ought not to be applied to military shoot
ing.--Is this Sounds not the soldier ex-
is he not expected to use ammunition made at
factory which every man who has had expert
ence knows has not yet reached perfection?
That furnished by the United States is prob
ably made with as much care as any in this
country, and yet it sometimes misses fire and
sometimes there isa cartridge that is defective
as to powder charge or bullet, and miss is
the result-and as to long ranges . to hun
dred yards are sometimes called long ranges,
but is it not a fact that POO yards is more diff
cult shooting than either; defective ammuni-
ton that would cause "a miss at . or hun
dred would probably do the same at 200.
Since writing the above there has been
published in "The Rifle" for February com
munication from G.. Frederick Lowe of Lon
don, England, regarding ''the match in Maine
and it comes so fully to the point in question
and sustains so squarely the claim made by
the Capital Guards that it is given in full
LoNDoN, ESGLANp, January 1888.
As regards the question as to the match in
Maine depending upon the rule possibly the
'fewest misses" or 1.-THE fewest cutters" per
NIT me TO say that the rules Of the British
National Rife Association, as to the arbitrary
settlement of ties, were first framed in 1864
and the first item in the scale of punishment
was made first "by the fewest cutters" be-
cause by reason of the outer being COM
pound article consisting of point plus hit,
total 2 marks" man has already lost a
point in consequence of his miss, which he
must have pulled up to have overtaken his
antagonist again and rs it was thought unfair to
punish man twice for the same fault, the
rule was first by 1.-THE feweSt cutters"
When the National Rifle Association first
started in 1850. they adopted the army nota-
ton then in force for the third-class target
outer l. Centre > and bull's-eye 2 points
Suppose \, b, and c to be shooting. A
makes outer. centre, and bull Il three cen
tres; and c a miss and two bulls; there
would he tie of points between them, thus
A. 3-6
Il. u
G., d J st
Then, as it was felt that some penalty ought
to be enforced for missing the tHrget, the
number of hits were added to the total OF
points and the product became marks, thus
Points. Hits. Marks.
A. 2 SO .
b. 2 2 2-6 ; 3