The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-06

washington, IL. u, Jan. o.-SOIu =
time next month arrangements will
be made for holding the national
matches, in which will be gathered
again the best rifle and pistol shots
! in the United States, in or out OF
the military and naval services.
Since the American people turn
led their attention to teaching
themselves to be a nation of crack
| shots, their success has become
more and more apparent. culmin-
ating last year in winning for the
first time in history the interna-
tional trophy in competition with
the finest rife shots in the world.
Hitherto the Swiss teams have won
this trophy for Is successive years,
ever since the competitions were
started.
Not only thai, but the place of
first rife shot of the world is gen.
orally accorded to W. r. Stokes, a
college boy here in Washington,
who led every other rifienan at the
international matches where the
American team was victorious.
Last year the National Matches
were held at Camp Perry, and rec
ords of all sorts went by the board
day after day. Seventy-ive BULLS
eyes were registered at 1000 yards
A hundred and seventy-six were
run off on an 500 yard range
Eighty were made at 900 yards.
In the long-range shooting at the
Camp Perry matches, remarkable
duel resulted between Sergeant J..
w. Adkins, of the Marine corps, Il
youngster just in his athletic
prime, and George r. Farr, of the
state of Washington, who confesses
to So birthdays. The younger man
had to extend himself to such shoot
ing as was never before seen in
order to beat the old civilian. Ser
geant Adkins was shooting with
special equipment supposed to be
better for target work. Mr. Farr
was using government equipment
issued to him that day, which
makes his showing the more re-
markable.
The National Rifle association is
largely responsible for the great
increase in interest in shooting in
the United States, which has borne
abundant fruit in the betterment
of rifle shots generally to such a
point that there is now talk of
making the maximum distance in
long-range rife competition 1900
yards instead Of 1000 yards, as at
present. The ease with which
bull's-eyes were made by some of,
the best shots at the 1000 and 500
yard ranges, with the aid of tele-
scope sights and ever-improving
equipment and knowledge, was as
tonishing. When it is remembered
that 1,760 yards is, a mile, some
idea of the remarkable riflemcn
being developed is obtained
Indoor Shooting.
In order that the winter months
shall not prove a time of idleness
to riflemen, a series of gallery
shooting events are under way
now. Preliminary events were held
up until Dec. "a, which were par
TALLY of the nature of practice, al
though held under match condi-
tions. A series of individual COM
petitions begins Jan. 81, and cham
pionship team matches will run
from Feb. IS 10 March 25. 1t is
the hope of the National Rifle as
ISOLATION that these gallery match
es will prove a training school
for marksmen for the national aud
international matches held every
year Rifle clubs of the civilian,
military, college and school classes
take part in these shooting events.
In these teams, eight men are al
lowed to shoot. The best five tar
gets are allowed to count toward
team records, the balance being dis
regarded.
Several kinds Of matches are
provided. There is team competi-
ton in the prone position. the tar
get being rs feet from the firing
point. The same conditions govern
team shooting in the kneeling posi-
ton, the sitting position, and
standing. In order that galleries
adapted only for shooting at so feet
may not be excluded, arrangements
have been made for duplicating the
matches on such ranges, but teams
shooting at IS feet may not shoot
similar matches at so feet.
In addition to these matches, a
series of interclub championship
matches for civilian rifle clubs
alone were arranged. In these gal