The herald., 1896-05-31
How 0uardsmen Can Procure
Shooting Decorations
A NEW ORDER JUST ISSUED
There Is Bound to Be Some Dissatis.
faction Over II
The Annual Target Practice Of the States
Militia-aoo Yards for Rifles, SO for
Pistols, I7S for Csrbines

Adjutant General A. w. Barrett, who
is at present In this city, has just issued
an order prescribing the manner in
which the state will award decorations
to the meritorious in the coming target
practice of the various companies Of the
national guard.
The order, in compliance with section
201S Of the Political Code, directs that
the national guard shall parade for
target practice for 1896 in June and Sep
TENDER. The parade will be by regiment
or company, and at such times Sundays
excepted) and places as the respective
brigade commanders shall direct. A
part of the order which will be objec-
tionable to the guardsmen, especially
those interested in target practice,
reads as follows:
1.-The state decorations for rifle prac-
tice for the year 1896 will be awarded
as follows: To each competitor who
shall make not less than so per cent in
each semi-annual target practice, a
bronze bar; not less than so per cent, a
silver bar, and not less than 80 per cent,
gold bari. e., each competitor must
make score of at least 30, 40 or As in
June, and also in September, to enable
him to obtain the decoration of the re-
spective class to which he shall be en-
titled"
This will compel the marksmen to
make a score of 30 in each of the two
shoots in order to get bronze bar 40
to get silver bar and As to get gold
bar, whereas, on former similar occa-
sions, If a man made score of less
than 30 in ope shoot. but made up the
deficiency In the next he would receive
either the bronze, silver or gold bar,
according to the number of points he
would score in both shots
1T is contended the new order Of things
Will work hardship on the new MEM
bers of the guard with shooting pro-
clivities. During the first few months
of the recruits time in the service he
might not be able to make the required
30 points in the first semi-annual target
practice, which is always held in June,
but by the time of the second practice
IN September, he may have made a
score that If added to the first score
would be sufficient to entitle him to a
state decoration
Inspectors Of rifle practice will have
supervision of the target practice, and
the same will, as far as practicable, be
conducted under the rules prescribed
in Blunt's Small Arms Firing regula-
tions. The distance for Springfield rifles
will be 200 yards; pistols, so yards, and
carbines, It's yards.
Members of Governor Budd's staff
and retired officers will be permitted to
report to any inspector of rife praca
tice on any day of the target practice,
IN uniform. and shoot under his aus
pices. The ammunition furnished by
the state and such reloaded Shells only
as shall contain not less than 66 grains
of powder. and bullets weighing not
less than 405 grains for Springfield rifle
or Lee rifle will be used at the target
practice. No competitor will be award
ed either medal or bar who shall have
attended less than go per cent of COM
pany drills for the year ending August
81. 1896.
1t is the desire of the commander-in-
chief to change the range for target
practice of Springfield rifle to 2OO 300
and 500 yards for 1897, and to alter the
rules and regulations N. G.. C. to con-
form to such change, and the attention
of commanding officers is called to this
fact to enable them to make the neces-
sary changes in their bulkheads to ac-
commoGate their commands to the new
requirements above mentioned. Short
ness of time necessary to make the
changes in the ranges for the present
year precludes the increasing of the dis
lance for target practice at this time
OF the pistols only Colts revolvers
will be permitted to be used in the con-
tests.