The Detroit times., 1910-08-15
NATIONAL RIFLE
MATCH BEGINS
Pick of Americas Crack Shots Make
Lake Erie Welkin Roar-Scores
of Medals Hung Up.
BY c. L. GILMAN.

CAMP PERRY, o., Aug f6:-F4f-
teen hundred crack shots, from army,
navy, national guard and civil life.
are out cunning here for scores OF
medals, trophies and cups. The frst
pullets whizzed over the range to-
day, opening the national rifle match
of 1910.
Until August they will bang away
at targets, individually and by teams,
at various distances and positions.
under many different conditions and
with a variety of weapons. When II
| IL all over some fine records for keen
eyesight and Workmanship will be re-
corded, and fresh impetus given to
patriotic rivalry in this great war
game.
One of the most interesting
matches, new this year, and designed
to reproduce war conditions and pick
the best fighting shots" is the Evans
skirmish match. Lucky for you, Gen.
tie Sportsman, that you are not out
here Neutrality-suspicious. for, like as
not, you'd be "deader than door
nail" before you had ''slirmed" i've
minutes worth.
Not that this great national rife
match is such fatal affair, OF the
list of caualities SO shocking-but, all
the same, just stear clear OF skir-
mish match IL II comes your way in
the twilight. This Is how they do II:
Two teams, each with captain
and eight men, start out with 40
cartridges to the man, to see which
can completely decimate the other.
Man after man drops down and the
carnage goes on until only solitary
survivor IL left to tell the tale and
count the score. Then the dead
men pick themselves up and cart
themselves off the field-to save am
bulance hire.
OF course the men aren't really
dead, or wounded. but that's the way
they are chalked up in the official
score. What they really do Is to Are
alternately at targets which are shown
and withdrawn at irregular intervals,
the firing being done from various,
uncertain distances. When one side
scores hit his opponent in the other
team drops dead" The pleasant pas
time goes on until one team Is all
dead, or dead-busted Of cartridges.
Sounds like lido playing dead"
does II not?
England offers one OF the chief
prizes--the Wimbledon cup, present
ed by the National Rife association
of Great Britain to ditto of United
States, and for 80 years the symbol OF
individual supremacy with the rifle at
1000 yards On this cup are engrav-
ed the names of past winners, ming
ling in American democracy officer
and private. regular and guardsman,
soldier and civilian.
First Sergeant Victor II. CZegke, OF
the U. s. marine corps, won this cup
| last year because only two of his 20
shots struck outside the bulls-eye. It
was a triumph for the American army
rife, for II Is permissible TO use the
finest products of the private makers
in this match, but Czegka sho the
rifle with which every soldier is arm
ed
But the national shoot does not
place a premium on specialized excel
lence alone. Maj. William b. Martin,
of the New Jersey National Guard,
has been hailed for year as the
unquestioned champion all-around
shot with the military rifle at all
ranges and all styles OF shooting. His
was the highest aggregate score in
the national individual and presidents
matches of 1909 The terms OF these
two contests are the same. They con-
sist OF one skirmish run in which 20
shots are fired at black silhouette
OF a soldier in the prone position as
tho contestant Is halted by bugle sig
nal as he charges forward; 10 shots
fired in 80 seconds at 200 yards: and
10 deliberate shots each at 200, 600,
500 and 1000 yards. In the two
matches combined IL Is possible
for contestant TO score an aggregate
total OF ZOO Maj. Martin fell only
Ia points short OF this-and beat his
nearest competitor, Midshipman A.
ID. Denny, by only two points.
In the national team match, teams
OF IL men from each OF the various
branches and from the several states
shoot course similar TO that OF the
presidents match for the national
champiopship.
i Last year the navy team won first
1place In Class A Of this match with
4 r.. !. 4. I. i. y