The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-11
ENGLISH TEST OF SMALL BORE.
Its Accuracy Little If Any Greater
Than That of the "GRSpipe."
From Shooting and Fishing

Than That of the "GnSpipe."
From Shooting and Fishing.
In our impression of last week we print
ed summary of several of the impor-
tant matches at the great English rifle
meeting at Bsley, England particular
reference being made to the Queens prize
match, This great match has three
stages; the first calls for seven shots each
at 200, 500 and 600 yards, possible 1O5. The
second Stage calls for ten shots at 500
yards and fifteen at 600 yards, possible 125.
or a grand total at both stages of 230.
Besides the first and second stages is a
final stage, eligible to those who have
found place in the first and second
stage, 100 in number. This final stage
calls for ten shots each at 800, 800 and 1000
yards
Those familiar with rifle shooting may
understand the skill necessary to find
place among the prize winners in this
match. An English rfieman is justly
proud to find a place in the first and sec
ond stages, and is regarded as a hero If
he can hold that place in the final stage.
We know of no severer test of rifle marks
manship in the world than to excel in this
match. The prizes are rich and the hon
ors great for success and consequently
the superior marksmen of Great Britain
and her dependencies struggle for suprem-
acy In this match there are over 600
prizes
American riheHlen may judge of the i'm
portance of this match when we state
that this year there We're ], 1873 entries and
In the first stage there were fired in the
match and sighting shots 41,592 shots; in
the second state, $500 shots; in the third
stage $500 shots, total in the Queen .
match of 1882 shots, The winner of the
first place was Lieut.. Yates, and he won
@ gold medal a gold badge and 81, $50 His
score at the first stage was 90 out of a
possible 105; second stage, 119 out of a
possible 1875; third stage, 116 out of a pos
sible $50; grand total, S27 out of a possible
$780,
The council Of the National rifle .associa
ton, in view of the supposed increased ac-
curacy at long ranges of the new small
bore English national military rifle, ex-
tended the range in the final stage of the
Queens match to include 1000 yards. Those
who are studying the work of the new
| small-bores at various ranges will scan
closely the work done at Bisley, particn-
larly al 800 and 1000 yards. Lieut. Yates,
the winner scored 80 out of a possible SO
at 800 yards and 80 out of 50 at 1000 yards
He missed the target four times al these
two ranges, and Sergeant Handford, the
| second man, who led b. two points at the
close of the 500 yards shooting missed the
target at the last two ranges six times. 1t
is interesting also to study the scores of
the prize winners at 800 and 1000 yards. Out
of a possible so. but one contestant scored
as high as Al, and one only scored 49, three
scored So, and the remainder below that
At 800 yards one man scored 43, one AZ,
three Al, one 40, and the remainder below
that.
Pondering over these figures, which we
regard as the best test of the new small
bore rifle and smoleless powder that has
yet been made anywhere in the world we
assume that the rifles and ammunition shot
al Bisley fairly represent the highest de-
velopment of these types of arms and am
munition. Viewed from the points of
range and accuracy alone 1t seems to us
that by diminished recoil and reduction of
fouling a little greater accuracy is secured
up to 800 yards, but beyond that the gain
is little of nothing over the old rifles OF
larger bore and with black powder. We are
mindful of the advantages of the new mu-
nitions and can foresee that they have
come to stay. On the whole a gain is Sc
cured by the new small-bore rifle and
smokeless powder, but at the same time
we think the Bisey meeting has shown
| that the hysterical claim Of greatly in
! creased accurate range secured by the
new rifle and ammunition is not realized.