Year: 1874

AAc AAAAHN on&tCA y Cnuer the AUSPICES Oh


the Amateur Rifle Club, tor the Pur-


pose of Selecting an American Team.


IL Is greatly to be regretted that the call the
Amateur Rine Club issued alter their acceptance
OF the Irish challenge, is not meeting with more
hearty response 1t seems as il the leading spirits
OF this association are to have ali the work
their own shoulders. They have invited American
born marksmen from all parts OF the country TO
come forward and contest the honor OF partcipat-
ing In the now not far on International
match; yet none oil the States seem to take
any interest In this truly important matter.
1t cannot be possible that there are not even large
numbers of gentlemen in almost every State
throughout the Union who might be able to
enter the lists now open to American rihemen.
But II the Amateur Rifle Club are to do all the
work certainly they should have the honor which
will naturally accrue from the bold stand which
they have taken. apart from the chances OF a VIC
tory. The best score made week ago yesterday
vas that OF General Dakin, who achieved tho fine
record Of l59 points. ON Saturday last MIR. ballard
headed the score with l55 points, and yesterday
Captain Bodine was at the top OF the list with the
reasonable good showing OF lab points, out OF
possible 2OO. This shows q falling OF OF IL points
as compared with the first match.


There are several ways to account Tor this. One
good reason may be lOund IN tle extremely heavy
charges OF powder used. Inc men OF the Amateur
CLUB, and, indeed, others VINO shoot wnat are
called sporting rides, use powder enough TO diso-
cate their shoulders without improving IN results





charges. From so 10 100 grains OF hne-graned
rife powder are employed to carry cyllndro-coul-
cal Gall over distance OF 900 yards when the
same work might De done with seventy grains or
a reasonably good article. 1he cry Is, that the
quicker Dal travels over its trajectory The better
lor the markSman. This Is true TO q limited de-
gree only. Let q man consult "GibbOn's Artlller-
lsts' Manual" 'BentOns Ordnance and Gunnery,"
the works OF Sir Howard Douglas, Majors Griffin
and Straltn, or any other eminent authority on
the subject, and 1t WIN be found that guns
OF certain makes can chamber and burn
a given quantity OF powder and
no mOle the surplus being pushed out or the muZ-
Ze, unigniIed, after the ball. IL Is also well known
used 1t only influences the initial velocity OF the
prOJecJile iOr but a lew hundred yards after leav-
ing the piece, when the velocity comes down to q
good medium OF, say 400 ieer per second, which
might be obtained with much lighter charge.
The amount oil powder employed behind prOjec-
tile has nothing to do with the curvature or Its
trajectory. This depends npon the make OF the
arn such as the rlfiing OF the bore and the form
OF the ball. But 1T would take more space than
can be now devoted TO TINS Interesting subject TO
men to disjo,nt their limbs from the heavy recoil
of enormous charges, when just as good shooting
can be done with much less powder and hardly
any fatigue.


1t was observed yesterday, and on other occa-
SiOns, thar IN order to deaden the shock OF tine
recoil, nearly all the men shooting used pads or
cushions in one way or another. They also mad
the tangent scales OF their rines either wound
round Win handkerchief or provided with
leather strip to protect the sight, Cushions or
lie upon in order TO steady the aim Gentlemen
should practise without any or these accessories,
Tor assuredly they will not be allowed In the COM
ing international match-a circumstance that
now commence to accustom themselves to do
without these things.