Arizona republican., 1907-02-14
TERMS OF THE SHOOT
AT CAMP PfRRY
Conditions Decided Upon For the An
nuaI Target Meeting fsext August


Correspondence of The Republican,
The decision of the national board for
the promotion of rifle practice to hold
the next annual matches on the Ohio
state range. at Camp Perry, on Lake
Erie, has met with substantially
Unanimous approval. The matches Will
begin. probably. on August 10. All
matches will be shot with Krag rifles,
and the board ruled that any machine
made ammunition manufactured in this
country will be admissible under GER
tain conditions.
There was considerable discussion OF
the place of holding the matches, but
no difference of opinion. The board
held that as far as possible the matches
should be shot at different parts of the
country where suitable ranges could be
procured. At least forty-five targets
should be available at each range, and
the Ohio range will have fifty. General
Crithfield assured the board the con-
tracts had all been let and the range
would be completed by May l. The
question of whether the matches OF
the national rifle association should
precede or follow the national match
shot under the auspices of the national
board, has been a subject of discussion
among rifemen since the last match at
Sea Girt. There has been some COM
plant from team captains that when
the national rifle association matches
come first they must enter them or
their teams do not get practice. AT the
same time ii is realized that If the ma
tionaI rifle association matches are
| shot last the attendance would not be
nearly so good. 1t was therefore de-
cided that the National Rifle as
ISOLATION matches. should come
first but that during the two
4 days Immediately preceding the national
matches the range should be open TO
I preliminary.. team practice by teams
entered for ting national match. Team
captains will notify the executive off,
Ger at what ranges and times they de-
sire TO practice and arrangements will
be made accordingly. The matches OF,
| the Ohio state rifle association viii
be held about the same time.
/ The decision that the Krag shall be
used instead of the new Springfield
will interest the entire national guard.
Everyone believes that the national
guard and the army should be armed
with the same weapons as far as pos
sible. but il, the absence Of legislation
I 1t was thought out Of the question TO
arm the militia in time for adequate
practice with the new Springfield.
/ Consequently. IL that weapon had been
adopted it might have been charged
| that certain states which are equip
ping themselves with it, had been IN
duly favored. The army is using 1t
/ but II has demonstrated that il can
also shoot the Krag with accuracy. 1t
was therefore thought best to use the
/ Krag in the matches this year.
! The ruling to admit ammunition Of
private manufacture will be very
pleasing to most marksmen as ii viii
give them a choice hitherto prohibited.
I The board has always held that so
/ far as ammunition and weapons are
concerned, service conditions should
prevail. but as the government is pur-
chasing some ammunition from priv
ate manufacturers in the United
States which will be used in target
practice; as in time Of war. this am
munition would be very extensively
used by our troops, it should be adj
mitted in the national matches. Ma
turally the teams wish to use in prac-
tice the ammunition they will shoot in
the matches and the fact that govern
ment ammunition exclusively was used
in these matches prevented them from
buying much for outside practice; at
the same time as any ammunition was
admitted to nearly every match, some
OF the marksmen were using different
makes OF ammunition at different
times TO the confusion OF many. FL
nally the board thought that manu-
facturers who prepared the necessary
machinery, to furnish ammunition in
time Of war should be encouraged by
being given something of a market in
time of peace. Those desiring to shoot
private ammunition in the national
matches will therefore notify the war
department prior to March Is. specify
ing the make and the number Of
rounds wanted for preliminary prac-
tice. which will be issued and charged
against the states appropriation. The
state team will then shoot the same
kind of ammunition in the national
matches. the ammunition being issued
by the ordnance department at the
firing point to the competitor. Am
Imunition for preliminary practice and
for use in the matches will be pur-
chased at the same time by the ord
nance under proper conditions and in
spection. No hand-leaded ammuni-
ton of any kind can be used in the
National Matches, but machine
loaded ammunition of the Frank
ford Arms company, the Win
chester Repeating Arms company
the Union Metallic Cartridge company.
the Peters Cartridge company and the
L. S. Cartridge company may be used
if bought by the United States. these
being all the malufa ctUrers who make
80 caliber cartridges for the Krag.
The order of firing in the matches
was changed so that hereafter the
skirmish run will come first instead of
last. II will be followed by the rapid
fire and then the SLOW fire Under this
arrangement it is expected that all
chance of improper marking or shoot
ing on the wrong target will be elm
mated. The number of competitors
will also be reduced as many will
doubtless fall out after the skirmish
run.
The question Of prizes will be left in
the hands OF the committee on prizes,