THE NEED FOR RIFLE RANGES.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
&a,—Though there have been many letters in the public Press advocating the formation of rifle clubs, I have not yet seen any suggestions for acquiring that most important accessory,—viz., ranges. The difficulty with the modern long-range rifle is the amount of ground required for safety. I have lately seen the system in force in Germany, and it appears eminently suited to the requirements of rifle clubs, and might, I think, be advantageously adopted by Militia and Volunteers in England, if not by Regulars, on the ground of economy of space. I enclose a rough sketch of the range used by the German troops here, both recruits and trained soldiers, for their practices, of which the following is a short description. The range consists of three parallel alleys, 300, 400, and 600 metres long respectively, formed by earth embankments about 15 ft. high, the end butt being about 30 ft. high. The alleys are 16 ft. broad, with small earth banks faced with wood nft. to 3ft. high, and stretching about four-fifths of the way across each alley at intervals of 50 yards from the butt, the object of these being to catch badly aimed low bullets and prevent ricochets. The markers' huts are enclosed in the ends of the embankments. The canvas targets are run in and out from the huts on trolleys worked by a small windlass, the marking being done by pushing out through the side wall of the hut Plates with numbers showing the value of each hit. The ranges are short, 600 metres being the maximum length, but any man who is proficient at this distance can easily become so at longer ones ; graduated targets will teach him the use of his long-distance sights. Allow- ing 20 ft. for the base of each embankment, and 16 ft. for each alley-way, the total space required would be about 64° by 40 yards, and, of course, leas width if only two instead
of three alleys were required. Ranges such as I have described might be made in the neighbourhood of most large towns and public schools at a moderate cost, requiring, as they do, so little ground. I think their safety might perhaps be increased by a system of overhead screens, but in this place, where the ranges are surrounded by woods and roads to which the public have free access at all times, no accident from stray bullets, as far as I can learn, has ever occurred. Knowing the interest you take in the formation of rifle clubs. I send you this short description in the hope that it may be [Unquestionably we should adopt the plan of making safety long ranges in the suburbs of all large towns. Our plan of hunting for ranges made safe by Nature greatly restricts our ranges and banishes them to the thinly populated country districts. The ranges should be brought to the people, not the people taken by train to the ranges.—En. Spectator.1
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