LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE "SPECTATOR" PRIZE AT BISLEY.
[To TR& EDITOR OB THE "SPECTA.TOR.1 Si,—As several persons have expressed the opinion re the Spectator Competition at Bisley that Volunteers ought not to compete, allow me as a civilian rifleman to say that any- thing so unsportsmanlike as a wish to exclude Volunteers is by no means general among us. The Volunteers—the best of them—shoot better than we civilians, and no wonder. We are new to the game, but when we have had a few years' practice let the Volunteers look to their laurels. It is in the interest of the Volunteers that rifle clubs are mostly wanted; it would be the greatest mistake to discourage these from joining us. As far as my experience goes, the average Volunteer is no better shot than the average civilian; it is only those who have for years been "shooting men" whose competition we beginners have any cause to fear, and in due time we will be even with these. In the Spectator teams which, like ours, were selected by com- petition amongst all members, I should like to know the pro- portion of Volunteers. We sent but two; the other three members of the team and the spare man were all civilians, and our present challenge prize-holder is a civilian. A reform which would be welcome to all would be a better definition of a "tiro." To begin with, as in all other sports, professionals should be excluded. A man whose daily bread is earned by the rifle, and who has unlimited shooting at no expense to himself, is hardly a fair competitor in a " tiro " competition. I would venture to suggest, therefore, that a " tiro " should be one who is not connected with the testing or manufacture of rifles. Then, again, as the definition now stands a man may be the best shot in 'India. or the
Colonies—or in England for the matter of that—but if he has not won 22 at Bisley or Wimbledon he is a "tire." Could not winners at other important meetings be recog- nised ? Since the subject is being freely discussed in the rifle-club Press, I venture to throw out these suggestions, and to hope that no such step as the exclusion of Volunteers as Volunteers should be taken. All must deprecate the jealousy, where it exists, of Volunteers against the rifle clubs. Cases are not wanting where the short-sighted policy on the part of Volunteers has spoilt the formation of good clubs. The rifle.
club movement must vastly increase the efficiency of the Volunteer Forces by teaching their recruits to shoot both before and after enrolment, as well as by cultivating a desire to join these forces. To this end both bodies should work in harmony, and by all means meet as sportsmen in the same friendly competitions.—I am, Sir, &c., BRYAN Hoom, Hon. Sec. Beefold's Rifle Club, Farnham. [We gladly publish our correspondent's timely and well- informed letter, and agree with his sound remarks about Volunteers and rifle clubs. When originally framing the rules for competition for the Spectator Prize at Bisley we were most careful to make Volunteers eligible, and though the demand for their exclusion has been pressed upon us, we have no intention of altering the rules, but shall maintain the full rights of Volunteer members of rifle clubs. A man does not cease to be a civilian by becoming a Volunteer. We want to see as many rifle-drib members as possible join the Volun- teers, and believe that these clubs may and will and ought to become recruiting grounds for the Volunteers. As to the " tiro " definition, we see no reason to alter the rules. A good professional shot is almost certain to become a Bisley winner sooner or later. Again, we cannot agree that those engaged in the manufacture of rifles ought to be excluded. The Birmingham Club team, which won the Spectator
13rize last year, contained, we have no doubt, persons con-
nected with the manufacture of guns, but they showed no proficiency so great as to make competition with them hope- less. The Leatherhead Club was an excellent second. We want as free a competition and as little disqualification as possible. We may take this opportunity to point out that this year there will be a second and a third prize given in the Spectator Rifle-Club Competition.—En. Spectator.]
Previous page
