The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-02-07
NEW FEATURES Of
NATIONAL SHOOT
Camp Peery Range Will Be
Open For Preliminary and
Practice Work.
MANY CHANGES IN RULES
DISTANCES, SKIRMISH RUNS AND
TARGETS ARE ALTERED.
MANY CHANGES IN RULES

Washington, Feb. Gas a result of the
recommendations of the National Board
for Promotion of Rifle Practice, which
have been approved by the secretary of
war the national rifle matches at Camp
Perry, O., which will be held next August,
beginning Monday, August p, will pre-
sent many new features of great inter-
est to the shooting profession.
It was agreed that the restrictions in
regard to preliminary shooting on the
range, in force last year, should be re-
scinded. The matches of the Ohio State
Rifle association and the National Rifle
Association of America viii be held prior
to the national matches under arrange
ments to be made between these assO-
Citations and the war department. The
Ohio authorities rendered the use Of Camp
Perry range and equipment. The latter
includes the mess hall, and this year 1t
is expected the mess will be placed under
the direction of regular army officer,
Congress apprOpriating $4,000 for the
messing of the competitors.
Colonel r. X. Evans, who has been
executive officer of the last three ma
rotary Dickinson as executive officer for
1910, and the rules were amended to pro-
vide for two assistant executive officers,
one of them to be from the organized
militia,
Evans Sustained.
The national board sustained the action
of the executive officer in disqualifying
the naval academy team at Camp Perry
last year, but Incorporated in its pro-
ceedings q paragraph from his report in
which Colonel Evans says:
The executive officer aVails himself of
this opportunity to state that there IS
nothing in tbs incident which can re-
fleet in the slightest degree on the honor
or good faith Of the naval academy
team
:,
pllment to the team.
To present any possibility of similar
misunderstanding in the future, the rules
relating to the arms used in the marches
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 ordnance department, without alter
alton or modification of any kind or
character whatsoever. A violation or this
rule in any respect shall diSqualify team
or competitor" A new provision author
ICES the ordnance department to select
star-gauged rifles "Of as high grade as
can be produced" for the use of teams
and individuals in the national matches.
Distances Changed.
A great advance was made in the rules
governing the distances and the shoot
ing in the matches. The S00-yard range
was cut out entirely from the national
team and individual matches. Instead of
the rapid fire being on bull s-eye tar
get, target. ID" will be, substituted for
target "A Target d. carries the fig
ure of a man prone and a shot in the
figure will count five, a shot below the
figure four. and others three and two.
The competitors will be lined up and
fire by odd and even numbers. the for
mer firing first. The pieces will be load
ed and when all are ready a signal Will
be given and the targets will rise and
remain in position for 20 seconds, and
then disappear. AS the targets come up
the competitors will sink to the ground,
with one knee on the ground and an ell
bow on the other knee. The five shots
must be fired or otherwise each uneX-
pended cartridge will count a miss,
and firing may be continued from the
time the target appears until it disap-
pears. ANY competitor having a defec-
tive cartridge, a disabled piece or more
than five hits on his target must fire
again Only "battle-sights" may be used
in rapid fire
Skirmish Runs.
A similar change has been made in the
rules for the skirmish runs. The skir-
mIshers will be assembled at a point more
than GOO yards from the targets. The
magazines will be filled and one cartridge
loaded theTefrOm. Firing will begin at
800 yards and he targets will be run
up and continue in sight for 30 seconds
during which two shots are fired, the cont
DetitOr firing at will. The targets will
then be withdrawn and the competitors
advanced TO 0UU-yard line ana TWO more
shots will be fired, the targets appear
ing and disappearing as before. Three
shots will be fired at the 4G0-yard and
3j0-yard firing points and at the 800 and
AO-yaTd 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 i'm 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 match will be the
more interesting from the standpoint Of
the spectators because Of the changes,
Field GIasse sOnIy.
The USE of permanently affixed microm-
eters, orthoptic eye-pieces, telescope
sights, spirit levels, temporary shades, or
other devices is forbidden, but compel
itors may use field glasses or small tele
scopes such as might reasonably be car
RED as a part of a soldiers equipment.
They may also use a micrometer and
individual score book. The use of SUCH
lubricants as are not injurious to the
rifle will be permitted.
An important change Of a technical
character has been made by the national
board in substituting the word revolver
for the word pistol wherever found in
the rules. This marks the passing Of the
pistol from military shooting The am
munition for the national revolver match
will be selected on the same lines as
that for the rifle matches
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 pTovi-
sion requiring the team making fifth
place to drop two men and the sixth team
to drop one man was stricken out.