Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-10

'Opy Vi clliTlcI, @op, liilee t'hii"oi Va
limitations at 500 each $50; misccl-
laneous receipts, 81.
Gen. z. c. harrington, formerly in
encouragement of rifle practice
in the Maine National Guard and
one of the recognized authori-
ties on the subject of rifle
shooting, talked interestingly with a
Journal reporter concerning the per-
Torrance on the range by the guides
at Moosehead this week and made
some comparisons concerning th'1r
work and that of the members of the
guard. General Harrington character
lied the work of the guides as being
very poor-surprisingly poor, was the
way he expressed it.
1.-The guides" said he, have the
reputation of being crack shots, but
their shooting of Tuesday afternoon at
Kineo was not such as 80 maintain this.
In the shoots of the Guard they would
be classed as poor shots and l am con-
fIdent that a team picked out of the
poorest shooting company IN the State
would defeat team composed OK the
best shots which the guides of the
State could get together by good
sized margin.
''Of course it must be remembered
that the method which the guides fol-
low i'm shooting in the woods Is dli-
fercnt from that used in training the
men of the Guard. From the time
they begin using rifle they follow the
system of snap shots. That is to say,
they pull the instant that the sight
falls upon the deer, moos" or Whatever
game animal they may be shooting at
and trust to luck to the bali hlttihs
some uortion of the animal. usuaily
this occurs and the game IS brought
down. On the part of the soldiers 'hlS
could not be, for the rifles which they
use are fitted with a trigger pun OF
some nine pounds, against three lor the
rifles of the guides. Were soldier
shooting at the range to try snap
shoot the jerk which he must give his
weapon in discharging it would send
the ball wide of the target. Conse-
ouently he has to take a careful aim
and discharge .he weapon with 4
steady trigger pull. The result is that
he IS certain that his ball Will lana
very close to the place he intends II TO.
Another thing which the members OF
tho Guard learn, which IS neglected. by
the guides, is the action of the riile UNI
der certain conditionS--what it viii 90
with this load or with thai or what
variation it will have at certain dls-
tapces. Having a knowledge OF THESE
important matters the guardsman Is
able to use his rifle to better advantage
under all conditions than is the guide.
t"E,yen In the woods 1t is not neces-
sarv for him to shift the sights for the
different distances at which he sees
game for. Ills eye being accustomei TO
measuring distances ana Knowing
what the weapon in his hand will DO,
h. instinctively ana instantly knows
inst what to do and l feel perfectly
safe in sayi1.y that the shot OF the
,.u;.rd who l.; entitled to be considered
rs such would make a hotter showing
shooting at game in the woods than
would a guide who was calieo me
shot.
eft NAV seem to some that this is
broad statment for me to make, for in
Tho woods the soldier would be using
the same kind of a rifle as ttie suioe
and to one inexperienced III such mat
tiers it would seem that TINS was " "is-
advantage. Such is not the case LOT II
| Is an old axiom among good rue shots
| that n man once a rife snot Is al
| Xavs one. BY this I meaninat man
who has studied the art Of shooting
| rife and become proficient at the range
is capable of taking any tilie and,