Jan. 28, 1905.11 
1 
There has been a tendency of late years to belittle the import- 
ance oi the off-hand position chiefly because it is not well adapted 
to long-range work, and perhaps in some cases because of the 
amount of practice it necessitates. It has certain prominent ad- 
vantages, however, which, from a military standpoint, demand that 
it receive dtte attention and practice. It is the quickest position 
to assume, and perhaps used more than any other in the battles 
of former times. It can be used with comfort upon occasions 
where the only other alternative would be to sit, kneel or lie 
down in dirty water or mud; and there are occasions, such as 
firing from long grass or a very uneven field, where it is the 
only position from which an enemy could be seen to shoot at. 
While it is only practiced at 200 yards, it is capable of better work 
than is generally supposed at much longer distances; for instance, 
I have seen three bullseyes made in five shots at 100 yards, and a 
score of 48 out of 50 at 500 yards, shooting in this position at the 
regulation targets. 
Shooting at 300 yards may be regarded as distinctly military, 
for this distance is not used in any other branch of the sport. 
The nearest approach to it is the 300-metre distance in vogue 
among a few of the German and Swiss shooting societies in 
Europe; but, so far as I can learn, it is not a popular range, and 
is gradually giving way to those in more general use. But the 
SCO-yard range is important to the military rifleman, for it is here 
that part of his qualification as marksman is earned. 
At 300 yards the sitting and kneeling positions are prescribed in 
the National Rifle Association rules, although some States permit 
the use of the prone position at this distance in class practice. 
The sitting position — though the stout rifleman generally has dif- 
ficulty when he attempts it— is much steadier than the kneeling 
position, once it is acquired; but the kneeling position is more 
easily and quickly taken, and for that reason should be prac- 
ticed. For the kneeling position the right knee should be about 
at right angles to the line of fire, and a boot with a strong, thick 
sole enables the rifleman to adopt what is really a partly sitting 
position, using his right shoe for a seat. Keep the left foot well 
forward, so that the left leg and forearm may form a nearly ver- 
tical column, which is most suitable for steady support. 
The sitting position depends so much on one's physique that 
more can be learned by studying illustrations or the positions 
adopted by skiiiful marksmen, and practicing by snapping the 
empty rifle in various modifications that feel comfortable to the 
rifleman, than by any description I can give. I myself am not 
of stout build, but I never yet have been able to get into a sit- 
ting position in which I could work satisfactorily to me; and yet 
some riflemen take to it as naturally as a duck takes to water. 
There are not many matches in our annual competitions in which 
shooting is done at 300 yards, but it should nevertheless be 
practiced; for lack of familiarity with the necessary positions is 
liable to result in a most mortifying score at a critical time, as 
the bullseye is smaller in proportion to the range than at any 
other distance the rifleman is called upon to shoot. 
The prone position is perhaps the most popular and useful of 
all; certainly so for military rifles. It is permitted at all ranges of 
500 yards and over, and the majority of military riflemen use it 
even at the longest ranges. Therefore, it will well repay the 
novice to devote considerable time and attention to attainiiig a 
good prone position. The body should not lie in a direct: line 
with the target, but the legs should be thrown to the left and 
stretched comfortably apart; most experienced shots lie at an angle 
of about 45 degrees with the line of fire. Also keep your rifle 
and all parts of your body as close to the ground as possible. 
Hold the rifle firmly with the left hand, which should be as far 
forward as comfortable, with the sling str^p loop slipped two- 
thirds of the way toward the shoulder from the elbow. On the 
JCrag, the sling should be fastened for the prone position to the 
rear and middle swivels, an4 the strap carrying the loop should 
pass around the forearm just back of the wrist. The length of 
strfip, which it is necessary to let o\xt in order to do this, will 
vary sgme in individual cases, and new holes will perhaps have to 
be PHt iji the strap for the hook. The average man requires the 
extremity of the ipop for prone shooting to be let out about 23 
inches fropi the middle swivel; biit long or stout arms will require 
greater length, Using the strap is a great help to steadiness 
in this position, although the novice may not at first appreciate it. 
It requires some little practice and some adjustment before all 
the benefits of the sling can be felt. Hold the rifle firmly against 
the muscles of the shoulder, and not against the collar hone. 
With the now obsolete .45 caliber, as one became bruised from 
the recoil, there was strong temptation to "distribute the agony," 
as one rifleman expressed it, by applying the butt to a dift'erent 
part at each shot. This leads to irregular shooting. With the .30 
calibers, the recoil is not severe enough to cause trouble of this 
kind, and the rifleman should be careful to hojd the weapon 
exactly alike for each shot. 
The great point in acquiring a perfect prone position is to find 
one that is Iqw and comfortable, so that one does not have to 
shift about continually. Other details which condone to comfort 
are the finding of a soft spot on which to rest the elbows, avoid- 
ing any slippery material like a rubber blanket. A very little slip 
pf the elbow is sufficient to score a clean miss. Equally to be 
avoided as elbow rests are the rough rope mats in use on some 
ranges— the elbows will get sore enough at first without rasping 
them on a rongh surface. Then again, much unnecessary reach- 
ing and moving about can be avoided if the rifleman will, before 
lying down, so dispose of his outfit that everything is within 
easy reach. Try to find an arrangement that is convenient, and 
then always follow it systematically. 
The various back positions are permitted at ranges of 800 yards 
and over. They are undoubtedly the steadiest of all, and most of 
the long-range match rifles are shot in that way. The Krag can 
also be shot in this •\yay, but if used with military sights the rear 
sight is too far away from the eye for comfort. With target 
sights, it is all right. A particularly comfortable and steady posi- 
tion for the military rifle is that known as the Texas g^ip. The 
old .45 caliber Springfield is well adapted to this position, and in 
it can be manipulated with an astonishing degree of accuracy and 
rapidity. The Krag, however, does not fit the Texas grip position 
so well. Its bolt handle is in the way, and it does not seem to 
shoot as accurately this way as it does in the prone position — 
probably because of interference with the flip of the barrel. Nev- 
ertheless, some riflemen use this position by preference, even with 
the Krag. Besides being steadier, it brings the left arm into such 
a position that it acts as a pillow for the head, relieving all 
strain upon muscles of the neck, so noticeable in the long-range 
back position. It also causes the sling strap to take up all of the 
recoil, transferring it to the thigh, where recoil is unnoticeable. 
In searching for a comfortable back position, it is well to 
acquire the habit of keeping one's toes well out of the line of fire. 
It may sound absurd, but is nevertheless a fact, that several rifle- 
men have managed to shoot off one or more toes from failure to 
observe this precaution, and with the shorter weapon now in 
general use such accidents are more likely to iiappea. . 
West Sonora (O.) Rifle Club. 
Tkfi following scores were made at the shoot of the West 
Sonora, O., Rifle Club on Jan. 14, ten members taking part. The 
matches were all shot at 100yds., offhand, open sights. Target 
om. center counting four shots, possible 48. Money prizes. 
C. W. Matthews was high man for the day, scoring a total of 255 
in 24 shots, possible 288. Chalmsr Tice second with 253. S. Hoff- 
man third with 247, and R. Tice fourth with 243. The scores: 
Match No. 1: 
C W Matthews... 12 11 12 10— 45 L Bruner ...10 10 1110-41 
Chalmer Tice 11 12 11 11—45 J Piles 12 ti 11 11—40 
R Tice 12 10 12 9—43 S HoSman 11 11 10 3—34 
J McGriff 8 12 1110—41 Clarence Tice ....9 12 4 8—33 
J Trissel 1 102 8 11—41 L Heina 6 12 10 4—32 
Shoot-off of tie for first money: C. W. Matthews 12, C. Tice 
11. Matthews first, C. Tice second, R. Tice third, J. McGriff 
fourth. 
Match No. 2: i, . i ' . 1 liii 
C W Matthews.. 12 12 12 8^4 R Tice 10 12 10 9— 41 
J Piles 12 11 10 10—43 J McGriff 9 8 10 10—38 
Chalmer Tice .... 9 12 10 11—42 Clarence Tice .... 7 10 li. ,9—37 
S Hoffman 9 12 11 9—41 L Bruner ..8 2 11 8—29 
L Heina 11 7 10 10-38 J Trissel 11 0 10 (i— 27 
L. Heina first, C. W. Matthews second, R. Tice third, Clarence 
Tice fourth. 
iMatch No. 3: 
L Heina IC 12 11 12—45 J McGriff 11 11 7 12—41 
C W Matthews... 10 10 12 11-^3 Chalmer Tice ....10 7 10 10—37 
Tice 12 11 12 7—42 J Piles 11 12 4 9—36 
Clarence Tice 8 11 12 11-42 L Bruner 12 10 4 9—35 
S Hoffman 111111 8—41. J Trissel 11 9 4 11—35 
L. Heina first, C. W. Matthews second, R. Tice third, Clarence 
Tice fourth. 
Match No. 4: ; , i^^^ 
S Hoffman 12 12 1112—47 R Tice ...10 1110 8-^39 
C W Matthews... 12 10 10 12— 44 Clarence Tice ...5 111112—39 
Chalmer Tice ....10 9 10 1^-41 T Piles 1112 2 10—35 
J McGriff 9 n 10 U-41 J Trissel 10 0 8 11—35 
L Heina ..12 12 6 9—39 L Bruner 7 10 5 9— 31 
S. Hoffman first, C. W. Matthews second, Chalmer Tice third, 
J. McGriff fourth. 
Match No. 5: 
J Piles 12 12 11 12—47 R Tice 10 9 8 10—37 
Chalmer Tice ... .12 12 12 9-45 L Bruner 9 8 10 9—36 
L Heina 10 1112 10—43 Clarence Tice ...12 7 10 6—35 
C W Matthews... 10 10 10 12— 42 T Trissel 3 7 12 11—33 
S Hoffman 9 10 10 12—41 
J. Piles first, Chalmer Tice second, L. Heina third, C. W. 
Matthews fourth. 
Match No. 6: 
Chalmer Tice ....12 U 12 8—43 C W Matthews... 12 4 12 9—37 
S Hoffman 10 11 11 11—43 JTrissel 10 10 8 9—37 
R Tice 10 11 12 8—41 Clarence Tice .... 8 10 7 12—37 
J McGriff 12 10 12 4-38 L Bruner 9 8 7 10—34 
L Heina 9 8 9 12—38 J Piles 3 10 7 11—31 
Chalmer Tice first, S. Hoffman second, R. Tice third, J. Mc- 
Griff fourth. . BoNASA. 
New York Central Corps. 
Scores follow for the monthly practice shoot, held Wednesday 
evening, Jan. 18, all shooting offhand on; the regular i/4in. ring 
target: J. Hess 242, 238, G. Viemeister 238, -2S8, H. D. MuUer 
235, 240, J. N. F. Seibs 231, 237; D. Scharninghausen 232, 232, F. 
Rolfes 233, 229, C. Gerken 235, 224; J., von der Leith 223, 234; W. 
Schillingmann 224, 229; G. Rohde 213, 235; W. Wessel 225, 219; 
;Capt. Ch. Tietjen 212, 222; D. Kuehrmann 221, 210; H. Roffman 
-.214, 216; H. A. Ficke, Jr., 206, 220; A. Ritterhoff 212, 211; H. 
'Brummer 206, 216; F. Baumann 193, 223; G. Dettloff 192, 215; 
H. von der Leith 195, 211; J. Eisinger 212, 190; J. Witten 89. 
Bullseye target: J. N. F. Seibs 451/2, J. Hess 67, C. Gerken 78^, 
A. Ritterhoff 89, F. Bauman 97, S. Viemeister 100, D. Scharning- 
hausen 103, W. Schillingmann 105, H. D. Muller 105, H. von der 
Leith 143, F. Rolfs 150, Capt. C. Tietjen 158, J. Witten 159, H. 
Brummer 165, W. Wessel 173, J. von der Xeith 178, G. Rohde 232, 
H. A. Ficke, Jr., 270. 
Cincinnati Rifle Association. 
Cincinnati, O. — The following scores were made in regular 
competition by members of the Cincinnati Rifle Association, at 
Four-Mile House, Reading road, Jan. 15. Conditions: 20yds., 
offhand, at the 25-ring target. Hasenzahl was declared cham- 
pion for the day, with the good score of 225. Hofer was high 
on the honor target with 71 points. The scores: 
Hasenzahl 225 221 217 215 214 
Fayne 225 218 217 215 213 
Hofer 223 213 204 200 197 
Roberts 218 211 209 206 206 
Coleman 199 190 188 186 ... 
Fieitag 194 194 191 191 190 
Bruna 180 168 
New York Qty Corps. 
On Thursday evening, Jan. 20, but four members appeared at 
headquarters to take part in the regular practice shoot. While 
but few in number, the competition was keen. Chas. Wagner 
won out over the veteran Charlie Zettler by a margin of three 
points on the ring target, while the result was simply reversed 
on the bullseye target: C. Wagner 241, 242; C. G. Zettler 240, 
241; Jos. Keller 228, 237; A. Wilts 188, 200. 
Bullseye target: C. G. Zettler 35, A. Wiltz 135, C. Wagner 136. 
Harlem Independent Scfauetzen Corps. 
On Friday, Jan. 20, the above society occupied the Zettler 
ranges in Twenty-third street. E. Karl 236, 230; A. Thiebauth 
228, 232; A. Feigert 230, 219; A. Muller 218, 226; G. Thomas 213, 
223; A. Fenninge 216, 214; F. Koch 209, 213; W. Mensch 194, 218; 
P. Zugner 218, 190; J. Fey 199, 181. 
Bullseye target: A. Thiebauth 87, A. Feigert 89, E. Karl 107, 
P. Zugner 118, F. Koch 168, A. Muller 260. 
Italian Rifle Qub. 
At the weekly practice shoot, held Monday, Jan. 16, at head- 
quarters, 159 West Twenty-third street, the following scores were 
recorded, all shooting offhand on the regular %in. ring target: 
Minervini 474, Selvaggi 468, De Felice 467, Gallina 464, Burrani 
448, Raimondi 440, Mastipaque 428, Cassetti 422, Carbyons 421, De 
Stefino 403, Bianchi 235, Muzio 224. 
Providence, (R. I.) Revolver Club, 
Providence, R. I.— We certainly were nicely defeated in our 
first rifle match on the 21st by the Myles Standish Rifle Club, of 
Portland; but all things considered, do not feel crestfallen at the 
result. ^ It was not a surprise, and we are going up against them 
again, if only to be knocked down, but not quite so hard. 
The match was thoroughly enjoyed, all of our men were en- 
thusiastic, and everything passed off smoothly for our first trial. 
We could only shoot one target at a time, but a match calling 
for 100 shots gives us a good easy evening's work. 
The first shot was fired at 8:13 by Mr. Beach, and the supersti- 
tious ones say that the next match will start earlier and with a 
less unlucky figure showing on the watch. 
Arno Argus kept the targets ready, and greatly assisted the 
men by calling each shot. 
The team kept up to its expected average, and with few excep. 
tions, the shots averaged nicely for our class. 
Where is the next club that would like a try with us? ' 
For a revolver club we are at present very much interested in 
indoor rifle shooting, and unless we get defeated too often, this 
branch bids fair to be more popular than we anticipated. 
Scores of teams in rifle match. Miles Standish Rifle Club, of Port- 
land, Me., vs. Providence Revolver Club, shot Jan. 21, 25yds., German 
ring target. Each team on its home range, five-man teams, 20 
shots per man. - Signed targets; totals telegraphed at close of 
match. Each club to select any five men for its team: 
Myles Standish Rifle Club Team. 
Crosby ..122 123 121 123-489 
A,rS c.'^-V--; 124 122 121 122-489 
¥y}<^V^ta«d>sh 121 124 119 120-484 
M k w 1^^' 120 122 120 120-482 
M S Folkins 120 121 118 120-479-2423 
Providence Revolver Club Team. 
L A Jordan 24 24 23 25 24—120 
25 19 20 22 20—106 
23 25 22 25 23—118 
T^' T , 25 25 25 23 23—121—465 
Sterry K. Luther... 24 24 24 20 22-114 
25 21 24 25 23—118 
19 23 25 21 23—111 
AlK»,f n r u 25 24 23 25 24^121—404 
Albert B Coulters 23 23 23 24 23—116 
22 23 23 23 23—114 
21 24 24 23 23—115 
w -a , n A- 24 20 24 24 24-116-461 
W Bert Gardiner 24 23 23 23 20—113 
23 22 24 24 21—114 
19 23 22 25 23—112 
r T r, u 23 23 24 24 23—117—456 
C L Beach 22 21 22 25 20—110 
21 21 24 23 21—110 
24 24 24 21 23—116 
21 22 25 21 22-111-447-2293 
Portland team won by 
HURLBURT. 
Indoor .22 Caliber Rifle League. 
Pittsburg, Pa.— The annual tournament of the Iroquois Rifle 
Club, held in this city, Jan. 16 to 20, was conducted at the club's 
indoor range. The champion contest was won by Mr. Louis P. 
Ittel, of Pittsburg. The conditions restricted ammunition to .22 
cartridges. Any sights were allowable. 
In the continuous match Messrs. H. M. Pope and L. P. Ittel 
tied for first place with scores of 299. Dr. A. A. Stillman was 
second with 298. The scores of the indoor championship follow: 
L. P. Ittel 2459, A. A. Stillman 2441, W. A. Tewes 2440, H. M. 
Pope 2440, C. A. Frank 2435, F. C. Ross 2432, R. Gute 2423 Owen 
Smith 2421, M. Dorrler 2420, L. C. Buss 2419, E. C. Reed 2418, 
A. J. Huebner 2413, J. W. Hessian 2412, Peter Paulsen 2408, R. f! 
Phillips 2403, George Williams 2394, A. F. Landensack 2394, h! 
M. Thomas 2385, R. R. Bennett 2384, Rodney Pierce 2380. 
A meeting of the League was held on the evening of Jan. 18. 
Officers were elected as follows: President, Henry SperHng; 
Vice-President, R. R. Bennett; Secretary, Treasurer and Corres- 
ponding Secretary, Karl W. Zoeller. All these officers are resi- 
dents of Pittsburg. 
Board of Directors: Henry L. Born and L. P. Ittel, of Pitts- 
burg; William Wylie, Washington, Pa.; H. Mossberger, Wilkins- 
burg; Frank H. Chandler, Shelburn Falls, Mass.; W. A. Tewes, 
Jersey City; Owen Smith, Hoboken, and W. B. Jarvis, Grand 
Rapids, Mich. 
Jersey City or Grand Rapids will be the next place in which the 
championship will be held, but a definite selection is at present 
in abeyance. 
Leever's Powder Mill Blows Up. 
Goshen, O., Jan. 20.— Special.— Sam Leever's powder mill blew 
up to-day. Leever was drying a batch of powder in his factory— 
a 10 by 10 affair— when a spark from the stove dropped in and 
Sam dropped out, with hair badly singed, but otherwise not seri- 
ously damaged. However, the loss on the investment may break 
his heart. It is "Stransky's patent," and the investment may be 
summed up as follows: "Formula," 25 cents; material for 10 
pounds of powder, 50 cents; building, $3 (no insurance); total 
loss, $3.75. His partner, Frank Holmes, will bear his share of the • 
loss. 
Later advices concerning this violent explosion, are to the effect 
that Stransky powder is composed of chlorate of potash, flour, 
sugar, etc.— strictly for hand loading. 
Zettler Rifle Club. 
Providence, R. I., Revolver CItjb. 
Scores shot in regular practice on the armory range, Provi- 
dence, R. I., Jan. 19, 1905: S. K. Luther 241, 233, 242; L. A. 
Jordan 241, 220; A. B. Coulters 231, 237, 236; C. L. Beach 221, 231, 
225, 229; W. B. Gardiner 230, 221, 219, 222; W. F. Eddy 224. 
Revolver, 20yds., Standard American target: W. F. Eddy 71; 
Arno Argus 66, 59, 63, 66. 
At Portsmouth.— W. Almy: 20yds., 91, 88; 50yds., 89, 88, 89; 
Bradford Norman, 20yds., 89. 
HURLBURT. 
Massachusetts Rifle Club. 
German ring target: J. Busfield 221, A. Neider 210, M. Alden 
209. 
Standard target: C. A. Coombs 85, I. James 81, W. A. Chester 
78, F. Carter 75, M. T. Day 74, J. B. Hobbs 73. 
Scores follow for the regular practice shoot Tuesday evening, 
Jan. 17: A. Hubalek 2453, L. P. Hansen 2421, C. Zettler, Jr., 
1211, G. Schlicht 2414, C. G. Zettler 2393, A. Begerow 2364, H. 
Fenwirth 2359, F. J. Herpers 2347, B. Zettler 1183, George Ludwig 
1171, L. Maurer 1165, Geo. J. Bernius 2244. 
Rifle Notes. 
There is a movement on foot toward the formation of an up-to- 
date rifle club in Washington, D. C. All parties interested should 
communicate with Dr. W. M. Kemball, 1107 G street, N. W., 
Washington, D. C. 
