Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-04
At CAMP I!| PERRY 4 ! Y
Rifle Matches viii Pre-
sent Many New Features.
Advance Made in Rules Gov
ernlng Distances and Shooting.
Disappearing Targets to Be Used
First Time In National Matches.

bulUV ~ O0thSU~s s"SsOssOOs
washington, D. c., Feb. 3.-As re-
suit of the recommendations Of the Ma
tional Board for Promotion of Rifle
Practice. which have been approved by
the Secretary of War, the national rifle
matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, which
will be held next August. beginning
Monday, August %, will present many
new features of great interest to the
shooting profession. The national
Board met in Washington in January
with nineteen of the twenty-one mem
bers present 1t was agreed that the
restrictions in regard to preliminary
shooting on the range, in force last
year, should be rescinded. The match
es of the Ohio State Rifle Association
and the National Rifle Association of
America will be held prior to the Ma
tional Matches under arrangements to
be made between these associations
and the War Department The Ohio
authorities rendered the use of Camp
Perry Range and equipment and the
board gave a vote of thanks to the
governor for the same. The equip
ment includes the mess hall and this
year it is expected the mess will be
placed under the direction of regu-
lar army officer, Congress appropriate
ing $4,000 for the messing of the COM
petitors.
Col. r. K. Evans, who has been ex-
ecutive officer of the last three Ma
tional Matches has been selected by
Secretary Dickinson as executive Of
ficer for 1910 and the rules were
amended to provide for two assistant
officers one of them to be from the
Organized Militia To prevent any
possibility of a misunderstanding in
the future the rules relating to the
arms used in the matches were revised
so as to provide that the trigger pull
must always be at least three pounds.
Rifle to be used as issued by the Ord
nance Department, without alteration
or modification of any kind or charac
ter whatsoever. A violation of this rule
in any respect shall disqualify a team
Or competitor" A new provision au-
thorizes the Ordnance Department to
select star-guaged rifles "of as high
grade as can be produced" for the use
tional Matches All the ammunition
companies have been invited to sub
NIT bids for furnishing 100000 rounds
of 80 Caliber and a competitive test
will be had and the ammunition which
is the best will be selected for the
matches. The Ordnance Department
will compete with the private COM
panies as last year. The allowance for
preliminary practice was slightly in
creased. A great advance was made
in the rules governing the distances
and the shooting in the matches. The
800 yard range was cut out entirely
from the National team and individual
matches. Instead of the rapid fire be-
ing on d bulls-eye target, Target ID
will be substituted for Target "a
Target ID" carries the figure of a mar
prone and a shot in the figure vii
count five. shot below the figure four
and others three and two. The COM
petitors will be lined up and fire by ode
and even numbers. the former firing
first. The pieces will be loaded an(
when all are ready a signal will be
given and the target will rise and re-
main in position for 20 seconds, anG
tlifI tlSdBBCdl taS lIlc toti SSlS Soiie
up the competitors will sink to the
ground, with one knee on the ground
and an elbow on the other knee. The
five shots must be fired or otherwise
each unexpended cartridge will count
as a miss, and firing may be continued
from the time the target appears until
it disappears. Any competitor having
a defective cartridge, disabled piece
or more than five hits on his target
must fire again. Only battle sights
may be used in rapid fire.
a similar change has been made in
tie rules for the skirmish runs. The
point more than six hundred yards
from the targets. The magazines will
be filled and one cartridge loaded
therefrOm. Firing will begin at 500
yards and the targets will be run up
and continue in sight for thirty sec
onds during which two shots are fired
the competitor firing at will. The tar
gets will then be withdrawn and the
competitors advanced to 500 yard line
and two more shots will be fired the
targets appearing and disappearing as
before. Three shots will be fired at
the 400 yard and $50 yard firing point
and at the 800 and 200 yard points five
shots are to be fired. AT all ranges
except 500 yards the battle-sights will
be used AS this will be the first
time that disappearing targets have
been used in the National Matches the
innovation will attract widespread at
tention in this and other countries as
it will furnish an unusually severe
test of craftsmanship.
The classification in the National
Team Match will be the same as last
year but based on the results of 1909
No change was made in the prize list
but the provision requiring the team
fifth place to drop two men
and the sixth team to drop one man
was stricken out.