Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-08
AFTER DRYDEN TROPHY
District RifIemen Practicing
Hard at Sea Girt.
MAI. ROBBINS IN CHARGE
Low Score by Second Regiment
Team.
IT WAS MERELY A SCRUB
Capt. Ferree Of This City Arrives
to Shoot in Many Indi-
vidual Matches.
E WAS MERELY A SCRUB
in Correspondent.

Special From a Stan Correspondent
RIFLE RANGE, Sea Girt. n. J.. sep
tember S--The expert rifemen from the
District Of Columbia representing the
national capital in the shooting tourna-
ment here are apparently keeping very
quiet, but in their unostentatious way are
practicing hard for the Dryden match. the
principal event of the meeting, scheduled
for Friday.
The Dryden" Is to Sea Girt what the
national team match was to Camp Perry.
Ohio. last month. The District guards
men, under the captaincy of Maj. Rob-
bins. are devoting every available mo-
ment to practice. shooting In continuous
individual contests for that purpose
A scratch team from the I'd Regiment,
principally for practice, entered the Cruik-
shank trophy match today, and. as ex-
pected did not make particularly start
ling record At the close of the first stage
the I'd Regiment team finished tenth, there
being twelve competitors.
The Marine Corps took the lead at the
start and maintained it. Incidentally the
Marine Corps at present looks to be the
probable winner of the Dryden match.
Capt. Ferree on Deck.
Capt Sheridan Ferree of the District of
entered in a large number of the indi-
vidual matches.
Rules Govern the Shooting.
All entries in the individual squadded
matches are made ten minutes before the
opening of the match All civilians, as
well as members of the army. navy, Ma
rine Corps and National Guard, are eligi-
BILE to compete in all individual matches.
open to everybody. provided they shoot
with the arm called for in the conditions OF
the match Competitors and others con-
nected with the tournament were busy the
day before the tournament opened making
| themselves familiar with the regulations
and conditions governing the matches as
plea of ignorance is not entertained. The
competitions are conducted under rules
provided by the War Department and they
are strictly adhered to. Membersof the New
Jersey National Guard are having their
scores made on souvenir tickets counted
for record, except at 800 and 1.O00 yards.
The money prizes in individual. continu-
Gus and aggregate matches will not be
paid until ten days after the close Of the
meeting.
The state of New Jersey. through the
quartermaster generals department, sup
piled tents cots, blankets and camp stools
to the District of Columbia contestants. as
we'll as 20 all the visiting riiemen. The
District boys secured blank acquisitions
for these Immediately on arrival from the
post quartermaster. and they were filled in
short order, to the satisfaction Of every
body.
Points About Target Work.
The points about rifle shooting gained
at the annual tournaments similar to the
present Sea Girt gathering are conceded
to be disseminated better in the National
Guard than in the regular army because
the National Guardsmen a general
proposition live for number of years in
the same locality, while in the army most
of the soldiers leave after one enlistment
In most of the states the members OF
the National Guard obligate themselves
to follow the necessary practice with the
rifle, pistol and revolver, and generally
practice at least two half days week. 1t
is recognized that 1t is an easy matter to
overdo the practice thus getting the
nerves in bad shape for the large tourna-
ments. The average shot has to become
accustomed to the recoil of the weapon
and it's elevation. and training must be
also had with the muscles so as TO be
steady in holding the weapon in various
positions and swapping 1t, taking care
each time the trigger Is pulled to see that
an accurate aim is taken and that the
front sight does not move away from the
bull S-eye.
The training in sighting the weapon and
trigger pulling is emphasized for the rea-
son that the three positions taken In rifle
shooting standing, sitting and lying, are
all more or less a strain on the muscles,
thus causing a certain amount of tremor
which, for successful shooting, must be
prevented The training of the muscles
is done much better and more enectually
and economically by the use OF dummy
cartridges than the full charges.
Bestowal of Credit.
Credit for much of the success of mill
tary rife shooting during the past few
years is generally conceded to be due the
national board for the promotion of rife
practice. The latter was the outcome
of a concerted movement by handful of
enthusiasts who recognized the decadence
of the art of shooting in America, due 10
the disappearance of game and the fact
that an incentive must be provided in
order to stimulate popular interest In a
sport on which SO much of the nations
welfare indirectly depends.
Basing their plea on the proposition
that soldier on the firing line Is valuable
only in proportion to his ability to hit
that at which he aims, the friends or prac-
tice with the official military rifle OF the
United States secured from Congress leg
islation creating the national ooard,
w
direction of the War Department., con-
ducts yearly rifle competitions under the
auspices of the United States govern
ment which are open to teams and in
dividuals from the army, navy, Marine
Corps and the National Guard, as well
as persons in civil life.
The national board devised plans for
the national marksmen's reserve of one
million men and provides rife ranges
throughout the country, conveniently Sit
uated so as to afford practice for those
directly or indirectly connected with the
military and naval services. and such in
dividuals as wish to attain familiarity with
the use of the national weapon without
incurring additional obligations which
would be entailed by affiliating with the
National Guard. Since its creation in
1903 the national board. ably seconded by
the National Rife Association OF America,
has succeeded in reviving the waning In
terest In this sport. and the annual meet
ings now compare favorably with the
great English competitions at Bisley. At
the last national match held at Sea Girt
every stitch of canvas owned by the Ma
tional Guard of New Jersey was stretched
N accommodate the great throng OF rifle
shots, and the late matches at Camp Pex-