The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-08-15
NATIONAL RIFLE
MATCH BEGINS
Pick OF Americas Crack Shots Make
Lake Erie wellin Roar-Soores
Of Medals Hung Up.
BY c. L. GILMAN.

BY c. L. GILMAN.
CAMP PERRY. o., Aug. 15.-F1f-
teen hundred crack shots, from army,
navy, national guard and civil life,
are out cunning hero for scores OF
medals, trophies and cups. The first
pullets whixzed over the range to-
day, opening the national rife match
of 1910.
Until August 2 they will bang away
at targets. individually and by teams.
at various distances and positions.
under many different conditions and
with variety Of weapons. When 1t
Ia all over some fine records for keen
eyeaight and Workmanship will be re-
corded, and fresh impetus given to
patriotic rivalry in this great war
game.
Ono of the most interesting
matches, new this year, and designed
to reproduce war conditions and pick
tho best lighting Shots" In the Evans
skirmish match. Lucky for you, Gen.
Ito Suortsman. that you are not out
hero shooting theshoots, for, like a.
not, you'd be "deader than a door
nail" before you had skinned" i've
minutes worth.
match Ia such q fatal affair, or the
list Of caualities 10 shocking-but, all
the same, just stear clear OF q skir-
mish match II II comes your way In
tho twilight This is how they do It:
Two teams, each with q 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 a solitary
survivor is left to tell the tale and
count the score. Then the dead"
men pick themselves up and cart
themselves on tho 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 IRE
alternately at targets which are shown
and withdrawn at irregular intervals,
the firing being done from various,
uncertain distances. When one side
scores q hit his opponent In the other
team drops dead" The pleasant pas
time goes on until one team In all
dead, or dead-busted of cartridges.
Sounds like "Fido playing dead"
does II not?
England offers one of the chief
|prixes--the Wimbledon cup, present
| cd by the National Rifle association
LOT Great Britain to ditto Of United
Estates, and for IS years the symbol OF
|individual supremacy with the rffle at
d 900 yards. On this cup are engrav-
led the names of past winners, ming
hing lin American democracy officer
and private, regular and guardsman,
soldier and civilian.
First Sergeant Victor III. Cxegke. OF
the u. 8. marine corps, won this cup
Last year because only two OF his 20
shots struck outside the bulls-eye- It
was q triumph for the American army
HE. for II Is permissible to use the
hnest products Of the private makers
Ia this match, but Cxegka shot the
HE with which every soldier Is arm
bd,
But the national shoot does not
nIace n premium on specialized excel
ence alone. Mai. William b. Martin,
n the New Jersey National Guard,
has been hailed for a year as the
nouestioned champion all-around
hot with the military rife at all
anree and all styles Of shooting. His
ms the highest aggregate score In
he national individual and presidents
patches Of 1909. The terms OF these
vo contests are the same. They con-
lat of one skirmish run In which 20
bots are fired at black silhouette
a soldier In the prone position as
he contestant Ia halted by bugle sig.
ri as he charges forward: 10 shots
red in 80 seconds at 200 yards; and
deliberate shots each at 200, 600,
90 and 1000 yards. In the two
vo matches combined 1t is possible
br a contestant to score an aggregate
btal of TOO. Maj. Martin fell only
points short OF this-and beat his
earest competitor, Midshipman A.
Denny, by only two points.
In the national team match. teams
IL men from each Of the various
ranches and from the several states
boot q course similar to that OF the
residents match for the national
championship.
Last year the navy team won first
lace In Class A Of this match with
score of 3,S01 out OF a possible 1900.
he regular infantry was second, with
score of 3,762, and the Massachu-
tits National Guard a close third,
ffh A total OF 1927.