RIFLE CLUBS.
(To viz EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR:41 Sin,—If the rifle club movement serves no other purpose, it may at least show how shooting can be learnt at the minimum cost in ammunition, and your correspondent Mr. Ellis de Vesian's remarks in the Spectator of September 27th are an interesting contribution to this end. The making of a good rifle-shot by the expenditure of full Service ammunition is a costly business in any case; and where the learner shows no natural aptitude the waste of good cordite must be pitiful In course of time, perhaps the War Office may condescend to learn from the rifle clubs that even the most unpromising beginner may become a good shot by practising upon a 300-yard Morris-tube range, and at a very small cost, provided of course that his sight is not defective. I have heard those who should have known better expressing doubt of the fact that a Morris-tube is effective at 300 yards. I wish these disbelievers would put the question to a fair test. I can only say that here our best shots make scores up to 34 at that distance, and aggregates up to 92 upon • the 100, 200, and 300 yards,— seven shots at each upon National Rifle Association regulation targets. Last week our Challenge Prize was won by a working plumber, who made an average score of 30 at each of the six ranges from 50 to 300 yards. That such steady shooting can be made with the Morris-tube proves that it is of real value as a practice weapon, particularly in view of the small cost of the ammunition,-21 2s. Gd. per 1,000, as against 25 for the full Service.* Further, the difficulty of finding ranges where the Service ammunition can be safely used is very great, whereas a 300-yard Morris-tube range could be constructed within easy reach of any town or village. Like your correspondent, I have abundant evidence to show that riflemen who have learnt to shoot well at ranges up to 300 yards with the Morris-tube have little trouble in putting what they have learnt into practice with the full Service charge. It is with the Morris-tube or with some equally cheap form of miniature shooting that clubs composed of working men must be content to do most of their practice, for such men cannot be expected to fire away three or four shillingsworth of ammunition for an afternoon's amusement except upon great and rare occasions. The miniature ranges at Bisley are poked away in a draughty corner amongst the trees where no man can calculate upon the vagaries of wind, hence the prizes are to the marksmen who can choose the calmest moments to fill their cards. The interests of miniature shooting would be best served by a few squadded competitions, shot off at 200 yards at the proper match target and in the open, where questions of wind allowance can be properly grappled with, and where marksmen could not lie in wait to put on the " possibles " in the calm of evening. Hoping that these remarks meet the desire expressed in the concluding para- graph of Mr. Ellis de Vesian's letter.—I am, Sir, &c., BRYAN Hoog, Farnham. Hon. Sec. Beefolds Rifle Club.
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