The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-13
BRITISH MARksMANsH,p.
Inc new iiiie "'' SO many on the Bulls
Eye That New Target or New svstem
of Scoring is Needed.
(From the London Standard ,

From the LONDON Standard \
The remarkable shooting which has
been seen at Bisley during the last four
days is matter of national interest and
Importance. Private. j. Muirhead of the
Third Lanark is to be congratulated on
the extraordinary performance by which
he won the Volunteer Aggregate" ma
king 2O2 points out of possible score of
POS, at ranges of 200, 500 and 600 wards.
Nevertheless, it is not the perfection with
which an exceptional man is able to use
his rifle that distinguishes the present
meeting at Bisley. 1t is the marvelously
high standard which has been main
tanned throughout by the competitors in
general that raises the records into q fac
tor that must be regarded as serious ele-
ment of fighting efficiency. The nature
Of the case may be illustrated in many
ways; perhaps in none moro effectively
than in this, that last year men who
the St. Georges competition were sure of
o place among the 100 who are allowed
to shoot for the second stage, while this
year eighty one men who made &c points
at the first stage $500 and 600 yards) will
have to compete for only sixteen places
left among the 100 who will tomorrow
enter for the final stage at 800 yards.
The highest possible scores at the first
stage of this St. Georges competition,
which could be obtained only by making
seven bulls in succession at 500 yards,
and seven in succession at 900 yards, was
seventy. The nature of the shooting of
the 100 men, of whom only eight did not
make at least 67 points, while nearly q
second hundred were only point behind
is easily to be realized. Nor was the
shooting at this particular competition
exceptional this year. The same high
average has characterized the shooting for
the Queens Prize, and generally for all
competitions. The marvellous proportion
of 'highest possible" points recorded at
every range has actually forced on the
Council of the Association the considera-
ton how, in future years, the conditions
of the competition can be made more Sc
we're; whether it will be better to reduce
the size of the bulls eye, or to place more
rigid restrictions upon the position of
marksmen in firing. That shooting is, to
some extent, especially as regards the
general average of marksmen, a progress
sive art may be admitted; but it is i'm
possible not to believe that the result on
new service weapon, the Lee-Metford, so
far as the accuracy of it's shooting is con-
cerned. There is, perhaps, one further
qualification.
Last year very grievous complaints
were put forward as to the accuracy with
which the Government ammunition had
been made up in Woolwich Arsenal.
This year it is abundantly clear from the
results secured that the makeup of the
ammunition, and the ammunition itself,
must have been perfect. At all events it
has been demonstrated that those who
can use the rife have now weapon with
which, at 500, eco and 800 yards, with
ammunition properly looked after, they
can make sure of hitting single man at
almost every shot. There is, perhaps,
one doubt yet. We have very greatly re-
duced the weight of the cartridge, partly
by securing in cordite an explosive
which enables us to use a much smaller
weight in the propelling agent than was
the case with the Martini-Henry and
black powder, but partly, also, by lessen
ing the size of the bullet. Altogether,
since the cartridge is much smaller, twice
as many can be carried We have fol-
lowed all Continental powers in the prin-
ciple of increasing the numb OF rounds
that man is able to carry by reducing
the weight of each round. The enormous
Expenditure which may take place with
magazine rifles has made this almost in
vitable. There can be no question that,
for European warfare, the advantage will
be great. Moreover, during the recent
campaign in Mashonaland the Lee-Met-
ford asserted its efficiency. The one
doubt which, sooner or later, our cam
paign against the dervishes will have to
resolve Is, whether the smaller bullet will
stop rush of fanatically courageous saw
ages. On the whole, however, if at 500,
800 or 800 yards, firing can be brought to
anything approaching the perfection
which It has this year shown at Bisley,
there is not much cause for anxiety. A
powerfully built and healthy dervish,
struck at close quarters by a small bullet
may be able to continue to close on his
enemy. He will hardly do SO if the bull
lets begin to reach him at 500 or 600
yards, and during the last 300 such a
rain of bullets as the magazine rifle is
able to deliver should check his advance.
OF course the limited number of picked
shots who appear at Bisley, do not repre-
sent the average shooting of any regular
troops as they stand in the ranks. On
the other hand, however, there is no
doubt at all that the shooting of the Brit
ish infantry as whole has very greatly
improved of late years.