The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-10
MILITARY MATTERS;
 GUARD OF ALABAMA
RyD. ". MciVER.


 radvancing infantryman somewhere be- l tween the head and feet at a distance of about fifty yards. For the model of 1903 bullet the point blank range was about 300 yards. Instead of the blunt end formerly used the new bullet $ very much the same as the pointed l ogival projectile fired from the sea ccas rifle except that 1t is even more point ed.
 I The forty best rife shots in tie Iowa National Guard will be called toSsther FJune 1T to 20, inclusive, for the selec- tion of the team to represent the state I in the National matches. Each mem Der of the team will be supplied with ammunition for home practice, and the | team will reassemble for team practice a few days before leaving for Camp Perry. The new Iowa camp and Iarge will be located ten miles. north of Des Moines and on the river of that name. It contains about 250 acres of which 200 acres are bottom land It is proposed to erect thirty-six target range and | about S16,000 will be spent in fitting up 1 the camp site and range.
 Indiana is working hard at rife prac- | tice. A recent order from Adj. Gen. Perry directs that company ranges | shall be established at or near each sta tion of such capacity as will practi- cally permit about the same exercises l as on state or national range, Com pany commanders are directed to make an effort to secure by yearly lease ranges of not less than 500 and if pos sible of 100 yards in length and 200 yards in width. Reports are to be made. accompanied by maps, of the | proposed range. contagious country distance from the armory. etc. After | approval all expense for construction of targets and lease of the land will be paid by the State Quartermastef l General.
 | The terms 'sharpshooter," expert marksman," etc.. which distinguish the classes of military riflemen are often puzzling to those not familiar with | rifle practice. To become a marksman l one must make 9s out of possible l 150 at 200 300 and 800 yards The sharpshooter must get 160 out of 200 | at two three, five and six hundreo yards beside doing well enough Tn | skirmish to bring his total to 22S or two-thirds of the possible score. An | expert must do all this and also score 40 out of 50 at 300 yards and 35 out Of 50 at 1000 yards. The latter distance | is more than half a mile and the pull eye looks mighty small.
 Michigan expects to whoop it up in the next national matches In no State is more interest displayed in rife prac- tice or is there more intelligent super vision or more enthusiastic co-opera- tion than in Michigan. At the nrst | national match in 1903 the Michigan | team finished last out of 15 teams. At Fort Riley they were 27 out Of 50. Ine next year they finished 23rd out Of Ss and last year with AZ contestants the | nnly distanced Michigan, the others being the service teams. This State expects to climb another notch this year.
 Canada far leads the United States | in rife work among civilians. It mas 122 military rife associations and 4e9 | civilian rifle associations. The mill | tary associations have a membership p l of 1S.0SS and the civilian 34,37O AS Canada has less than one-tenth the nonulation of the United States, if the proportion were maintained there would be 500, 900 rif1emen in this country. Tn Canada each member of civilian ciup draws 100 rounds of ammunition year ly and the government allots rine to every7four men..f nesflne ranse s ;s available a small cash allowance IS made towards the expenses Of the ciuo'
 "It has been my experience that in no field of skill or athletic competition can one so quickly lose his superior quality or grip as in rifle firing" says Mai 2. w. Torrey. who explained ane army infantry team for the last three wears in the National competitions And it has been my observation that a team in training for the national com petition can hardly afford to pass ody without training along all the lines Of the work. To practice number Of days at one kind of fire to the entire exclusion of the others, leaves the team in an unbalanced state"
 l eFAi ' r'E
 The increase in rifle shooting K manifested by the fact that work no" aro,na on in the States will add 800 tarrets to those now available. Mucf of this will be possible because oi the recent increase in the funds al