Some TKatmblefcon throes 661 



score at 1,000 yards in 187715 consecutive bull's- 

 eyes. Dr. S. J. Scott, of the American team which 

 came over to shoot against the Klcho Shield winners 

 in 1880, made 74 out of a possible 75 at 1,000 yards. 

 It is true that the average shooting for the Elcho Shield 

 has considerably improved in the last ten years. In 

 the sixteen years from 1874 to 1889 inclusive, when 

 the same conditions prevailed as now, the score of the 

 winning team was only six times 1,600 and over ; 

 whilst in the eleven years from 1890 to 1900 inclusive 

 there have been eight winning scores over 1,600, 

 amongst them the record score of 1,696 in 1892. In 

 the first-named period there were three winning scores 

 under 1,500; in the second period there have been 

 none. But, on the other hand, whilst Ireland won 

 with 1,638 in 1880, and England with 1,642 in 1881, 

 the winning score of 1,900 was only 1,537. Allowances, 

 of course, must be made for different conditions of 

 light and wind ; but the conditions in these respects were 

 certainly not unfavourable to high scoring in 1900. 



In match-rifle shooting, therefore, I see little if any 

 improvement during the last twenty years, nor do I 

 think that we have any marksmen now superior to 

 the crack shots of the mid-'Seventies and early 'Eighties. 



It is amusing to look back upon the infinite variety 

 of rifles one used to see and handle at Wimbledon. 

 The Enfield, the Snider, the VVhitworth, the Dawes', 

 the Terry, the Lancaster, the Jacobs, the Henry 

 Turner, the Martini-Henry, the Mctford these are 

 some of the names that come up to my memory. 

 The Jacobs I remember as a rifle which I liked well 



