FOREST A.ND STREAM 
123 
endeavors he is ably seconded by the other officers of the 
Union. The first gathering in Baltimore in 1874 showed that 
such meetings could become very important agencies in unify- 
ing the riflemen of the whole country. The meeting of 1878 was 
held in connection with the Centennial, at Philadelphia, and 
with the beautiful surroundings of the Park at Union Hill; 
and, favored by the prestige which that range already enjoys 
for first-class work, it is confidently expected that the meeting 
in June next will exhibit something extra fine in its record of 
scores made and riflemen engaged. 
The shooting programme already offered is a liberal one, 
though at this early date it is impossible for the committee to 
positively announce many of the honorary gifts, but report and 
rumor make the prize list in this respect very bounteous, and 
the fulfillment is not likely to fall short of the promise. 
There are on the Union Hill shooting lawn thirty-four tar- 
gets, at 200 yards each. These have heen divided into two 
classes: Association Targets, of which there will be four, and 
the General Prize Targets comprising the remainder. In the 
first-class are the Targets of Honor and the Stich Targets, two 
of each, open only to members of the United Sharpshooters 
Association, and those presenting proper certificates of mem- 
bership in either the German or Swiss Sharpshooters Unions. 
In addition, the President of the United States, the Governors 
of the State of New York and New Jersey, and the Mayor of 
the City of New York may shoot on these targets as honorary 
guests. 
The tickets for the lionor|and stich targets must be taken to- 
gether at $10. The honor target is divided into twenty-five 
rings, three-quarters of an inch apart. The outer rings, one 
to seventeen, counting inward, are upon a white field, while 
the inner rings, eighteen to twenty-five, are upon a black sur- 
face, making a black centre of twelve inches in diameter. 
Each shooter fires three shots, and but three. The greatest 
number of rings in the three shots takes the first prize, the 
next the second prize, and so on. In case of ties, the manner 
of distribution will be left to the decision of the shooters in- 
terested. The targets have been given the fanciful designa- 
tion of “ Columbia’’ and “Germania," and upon them will be 
a83 ; gned for distribution all honorary gifts not specially 
donated to other particular targets, and all contributions of 
the united rifle clubs will be given to this and the stich targets, 
the latter getting $1,000 cash. Capt. Aery has succeeded in 
getting from the intricacies of the Custom-house the valuable 
set of silver sent by the German Sharpshooters’ Union last 
year, and the New York Schutzen Corps has given a prize of 
$500 in gold. 
The stich targets— “ New York ” and “ San Francisco," re- 
spectively by name— arc black fields, twelve inches in diameter, 
upon which will be placed a black bull’s-eye, or carton, six 
inches in diameter, bull’s-eye alone counting. The best bull’s- 
eye shot of each competitor is measured from the centre of 
bull’s-eye to centre of shot. The best shot takes the first 
prize, and so on down the list. In case of ties, the second 
nearest bull’s-eye of each shooter will be taken, and in case of 
further tie by drawing lots. Each competitor will be entitled 
to three shots, and the prize purse of $1,000 will be distributed 
in seventy-five prizes, as follows : 
One of $75, one of $03, one of $50, one of $40, one of $30, 
two of $22, two of $20, five of $18, seven of $14, seven of 
$13, seven of $12, five of $10, seven of $9, 6evenof $8, seven 
of $7, seven of $6, seven of $5. 
The general prize targets are open to all comere, but marks- 
men not members of any of the Union will be required to 
purchase a festival ticket. The list of general prize targets 
includes two man targets, two Creedmoor targets, two goblet 
targets, two public prize targets, and twenty-one bull’s-eye 
targets. . 
The man target represents the upper portion of a man s 
body, twenty inches wide. The whole figure is black, and 
upon it are perpendicular lines half an inch apart, the middle 
line counting twenty, and the outer lines one. Each shooter 
may fire two strings of five rounds each, on an entrance ticket, 
costing $5. The better series is taken except in case of ties, 
when the score of the whole ticket is considered, and if still a 
tie by drawing lots. The targets are designated as “Union 
Hill” and “ Hoboken." The purse will be $1,200, divided 
into eighty prizes, as follows: $100, $90, $80, $70, $00, $50, 
$40 $30, $25, $20, $18. two of $1G two of $15, two of $14, 
three of $13, eight of $11, eight of $10, ten of $9, ten of $8, 
ten of $7, fourteen of $5. „ 
The Creedmoor targets, styled “Creedmoor and “Wimble- 
don" are of the regular third-class type, as per rules of the 
National Rifle Association of America. Bull's-eye eight 
inches counting five ; centre, of twenty-six inches diameter, 
counting four ; inner, of forty-six inches diameter, counting 
three and the outer, over the remainder of the six by four 
feet slab, counting two. The rules of the National Rifle As- 
sociation will be enforced at this target in regard to the rifle, 
loading, manner of shootiDg, etc., and the prizes will be 
awarded according to the regular rules. Each competitor may 
make one entry, at a fee of $2, and the prize list of $200 will 
be distributed as follows : $40, $30, $20, $15, two of $10, 
three of $8, $7, two of $6, three of $5, three of $4, $3, $2. 
The Creedmoor targets will be kept open as bull’s-eye targets, 
ten tickets to be sold at $1, and daily distributions of a liberal 
percentage to take place among those making bull’s-eye hits. 
The goblet targets are named the “ Hudson," “'Ohio,” and 
“Mississippi." They are a black oval, with a vertical 
diameter of seventeen inches, and a cross diameter of eleven 
inches. In the centre of this figure is placed an inner oval, 
nine by three inches. With shooting tickets, at ten shots for 
$1 the inner field counts two, and the outer field one. With 
tickets at five shots for $1 the value of the shots are doubled, 
i. e., inner field four, and outer field two. The premium for 
the first twenty points, made by one shooter, one trade dollar; 
the next twenty points, another trade dollar; for next forty 
points, two trade dollars ; and for one hundred and twenty 
points, one silver goblet. A goblet of double value will be 
given to the first marksman making one hundred and twenty 
* The public prize targets are marked like the target of honor, 
into i twenty-five three-quarter inch rings. Each shooter may 
obtain one entry ticket at $5, and on it fire three strings of 
three shots each, tho best string only to count except in case of 
ties when the whole ticket will be measured, and if still a tie, 
by drawing lots. Upon these tickets, “ Wilhelm Tell ” and 
“Herrmann," will be distributed $1,000, in eighty prizes, os 
follows ■ $80, $70, $80, $50, $40, $35, $30, $25, $20, two 
of $18 two of $15, four of $14, three of $12, eight of $10, 
eight of $9, ten of .$8, ten of $7, ten of $6, and fourteen 
of $5 
The twenty one bull’s-eye targets maybe fired at by all 
comers as above specified at twenty shots per dollar, without 
limit to entries. The target is a circular black field, twelve | tho bull's-eye targets, must enter In tho wsmsr’e hook his 
inches in diameter. In the centre of this is a black bull's- number of his festival ticket, 
eye, 2 2-5th inches diameter, counting three points ; a middle 
disk, 7-5th inches, counting two points, and a sllPt other ways 
in the 12-inch disk counts one. The bull’s-eye disk is re- 
movable, and when hit will be taken oil and reserved for 
measurement for one of the seventy-five prizes of the $ 1,000 
offered on this series of targets ns follows : $75, $03, $50, 
$40, $30, two of $22, two of $20, five of $18, seven of $14, 
seven of $13, seven of $12, five of $10, seven of $9, seven of 
$8, seven of $7, seven of $0, seven of $5. 
Each day a series of bull’s-eye premiums will be distributed 
as follows : For the first and last bull’s-eye, each forenoon 
and afternoon, one trade dollar ; for the most bull’s-eyes per 
day, $6 ; second most, $5 ; third most, $5 ; fourth most, $4 ; 
fifth most,, $4 ; sixth and seventh most. $3 each ; eighth and 
ninth most, $2, and for tenth most, $1. For the first and 
last bull’s-eye made at the meeting, $5 gold. 
On the bull’s-eye targets a senes of festival premiums are 
offered. For the first fifty points made by any shooter, a silver 
festival medal ; for two hundred and fifty points more, a gold 
festival medal ; for every hundred points additional, three 
trade dollars. He who scores the greatest number of points 
in the first six hundred shots shall be declared “ King of the 
Festival," and be awarded the king's gold medal and $50 in 
cash. For the second most points, $50 ; third, $45 ; fourth, 
$40; fifth, $35; sixth, $20; seventh, $15; eighth, $10; 
ninth, $8; tenth, $8 ; eleventh, $6; twelfth, $8 ; thirteenth, 
$5 ; fourteenth, $5 ; fifteenth, $.1 ; sixteenth, $4 ; seven- 
teenth, $4 ; eighteenth, $3 ; nineteenth, $3 ; twentieth, $3. 
The firing will open on Monday, June 17, at 2 p. m., and 
close at 7 p. m. Each succeeding day of the meeting it will 
begin at 8 a. m., and close at 7 r. m., with an intermission 
from 12 to 1 p. m. On Saturday the firing and the meeting 
will close at 3p. m. A cannon shot will announce the several 
hours named. 
The meeting offers a pertcct wilderness of temptation to 
lovers of off-hand shooting, armed with any class of rifles. 
The old style hair-trigger weapons will have plenty of earnest 
patrons, and the modern breech-loader will have opportunities 
to show its asserted superiority. The Creedmoor men may 
meet their friends, if not acquaintances, of the Schutzen 
Bund, and strive in generous rivalry. The Forest and 
Stream and Rod and Gun has exerted its influence to sus- 
tain this competitive system, and in offering a medal for off- 
hand shooting has hoped to bring into the healthful acquaint- 
ance of match-shooting our German and American rifle friends. 
We number thousands of each class among our readers, and 
it is our earnest wish to see the different styles of shooting in- 
telligently tested, side by side, and in this connection a word 
on the old ring target is in place. 
name 
mnh^T W ' ntr . l ' loD l oll! ‘ 6ariy,,t t0 P« n 1,10 Ml. All Uok«.*8 
m, J 8 ‘ delivered to tho waruor boforo shooting. 
«hot a 8l M° tor mn8t 8a,isfy hinmlf ‘he result of his 
tho en ‘ t,ro<1 ! Brr ° re he onco corrected by 
SlowS 0,aim on 11,0 Kronud of error is 
' vl| en deferred to & lator period. 
obamber boforfmi T* , bu put 011 or 11,0 car ‘ riJ «° P»t into tho 
k mml „ • boot , or K“‘*» hmiself ready to tiro : in so doing 
.tai; TdlSStT.'l.Mt r. 's 
Bhootor must leave the stand without del»o r for ? rulK . ’ bo 
as? = 
-i“ t. srss .■sfirhixiiSs.'s r is ,i 
be excluded from the shopting-honso for the rent of the da? 
17 A shooter, who doubts that bis shot was correctly marked 
has the right, on depositing o.is dollar (Si) to dom.uu 
mittee of throe (3) shootora to bo appointed by tho Shooting 
Master and one of whom must bo a member of the Shooting Com- 
mittee, to luspeet the target, ir tho committee lirids the marking 
ro^anes b ° 8b °° 6r f ° rf0lt8 hia dollar for ‘he benefit of the f.,“S 
The Creedmoor target, with its arbitrary divisions, grew out 
of the exigencies of military practice, where a ready means of 
signalling was called for, requiring a correspondingly simple 
system of sub-divisions on the target face ; but the finer dis- 
criminations are lost, nominal tics are frequent, whereas actual 
equalities of merit may be very rare. Tho notion of such 
coarse marking grew up at a time when it was considered fair 
to put any sort of a weapon into soldiers’ hands. That time 
has passed, and the problem now pressing for solution on our 
rifle ranges is the establishment of a system of marking, com- 
bining the utmost simplicity with the greatest accuracy, with- 
out such cumbersome details as to make it slow in operation. 
The ring target seems to offer a means for exact measurement 
and a careful comparison of shots. Whether it will work well 
at the long ranges and under the severe usage of the heavy 
practice, such as that held at Creedmoor, remains to be seen; 
but the problem is solvable, and none will deny that some 
change can be made to advantage in our present copy of the 
Wimbledon system. 
For the convenience of our readers and riflemen gene- 
rally, we add a list of the general rules and regulations which 
will govern the Union matches : 
1. Only off-hand shooting is allowed ; no shooter is permitted 
to reBt any part of his body against or upon any support. 
2. No shooter is allowed to place the butt or the rifle, when 
aiming, under the coat, vest or suspender. 
3. Any fire-arm is allowed, which carrios not less than thirty 
round balls to the pound. 
4. Spectacles ana simple glasses in the rear sight (globe sight;, 
or upon the stook of the rifle may bo used, but must be produced 
for inspection by the Shooting Committee, when demauded: 
5. Only simple supports or gun-holders are permitted. 
6. Offences against those rules, when committed in shooting at 
the Association targets, will be punished by the loss of the shoot- 
ing ticket, at the other targets with the loss of the Bhot, and, when 
repeatod, with a fine of one dollar (SI) in each caso. 
7. Auy one shooting for and ia the name of another person, 
shall lose all claims to prizes, premiums and entry money, and 
shall be exolnded from the shooting-house during the festival. 
8. On buying the ticket, every shooter must see that his name 
and surname, place of residence, name of the rifle club of which 
he is a member, and the number of his festival ticket are correctly 
^O^Every shooter on entering any stand of the bull’s-eye targets 
shall deliver to tho Warner, before shooting, his ticket an.l mark ; 
the warnor registers with a punch the number of points shot, just 
below the registration of the shot. Every shoe t^r, after having 
made twenty shots on his tioket, is required to give suoh ticket to 
the secretary of the bull’s-eye targets for registering purpose. 
Any shooter neglecting suoh registering baa to boar his own loss. 
10 Every ehooter, after having hit the 2 2-5th inch bull s-eye on 
benofit of the fund 
18 Every shot counts which goes off on the stand aftor the rifle 
has been brought to the ehouldor. nuo 
19. If the rifle misses fire, tho shooter can make hlmsolf ready 
a second time; on missing again ho must romove tho oap or 
extract the cartridge anil leave tho stand, the ticket being rotiirnod 
t0 on ,m A ; ..°2 £ 0mm8 bBckho mU8t Pto'-'e bis ntlo last in the row. 
20. All differences concerning tho shooting are settled by the- 
Shooting Committee ; nobody is allowed to enter il.e target stand 
whilo the shooting is going on, without the permission of the 
shooting-master’ and thou only in company of two mombors of 
the Shoqtmg Committee. 
21. Burning out of tho barrol aud exploding of caps must bo 
done on tho shooting stand; uobody ia allovrod to tiro a shot ex- 
cept daring shooting time. 
22. It is prohibited andor all oircumstancos to offer or furnish 
the markers, warners or secretaries, refreshments whilo in sorvtoe 
or to enter into a conversation with them. 
23. Any attempt to bribe auy marker, warnor or othor servant 
or to forge a shooting tioket, will bo punished both by expulsion 
from the Union, thoroby losing all claims on prizes, premiums or 
entries, and dishonorable expulsion from the Shooting Park. 
24- Nobody is allowed to have more than one pound (l Jb ) 0 f 
powder on the loading table, whiob must bo kept in some closed 
receptacle; larger quantities must be deposited in tho magazine 
25. Nobody is allowod to use moro than ouo rifle on targets of 
the same class. 
26. Smoking in the shooting-house and shooting outside tho 
range ia forbidden under penalty of one dollar (81). 
27. The Shooting Master shall appoint six (6) shooters belong- 
ing to othor rifle clubs, as additional members of tbo Shooting 
Committee. ° 
28 The measurement of tho best bull's-eye shot Is to bo dono 
by a proper gauge.. 
29. Nobody is allowod to shoot on tho main targets without a 
member of the Shooting Committee being present. 
30. At tho distribution of prizes, parties claiming a prize must 
produoe the shooting tioket, and Burronder tno coupon of it tie a 
reoeipt. 
31. In all cases the decision of the Shooting Commltteo is final. 
« > — 
The First Wimbledon Contest — In overhauling some old- 
files of English papers, I have stumbled upon the accounts of 
the first rifle contest at Wimbledon. They are quile interest- 
ing in themselves, and furnish opportunity for comparison 
with later progress aud new methods. Tho date was Monday 
July 2, 1860. and the occasion was made memorable by the 
presence of Queen Victoria, who fired the first shot from a 
Whitworth rifle, which had been trained on at a distance of 
400 yards, scoring a bull’s-eye. The Queen also made a little 
speech, and tho Prince Consort made nnother, in which ho 
touched the key-note of the whole matter of rifle practice 
using these words : “ I appreciate the value and importance 
of encouraging the volunteers in their endeavors to acquire 
that skill in the use of their weapon on which their whole 
efficiency depends." The English government and people 
have never faltered in supporting this sentiment, and ihe re- 
sult is a volunteer force in constant readiness to meet any 
emergency. With the exception of New York, no State ia 
the Union has yet realized what was so clear to tin- English, 
nearly twenty years ago. The coutests continued for a whole 
week, and one match was carried over into the succeeding 
week. There were twenty targets, and the contestants in- 
cluded twenty Swiss. The targets at short-range wore six 
feet by three, with an eight-inch bull’s-eye ; those at long 
range, six feet square, with a bull’s-eye two feet square. The 
buli’s-eye counted three, centre two, and outer one. Posi- 
tions are not stated, except that ut long-range the shooting 
was with a rest. There was no restriction as to trigger pull) 
but Ibe military used the long Enfield rifle, being about four 
pounds pull. In the all-comers' match, the only breech- 
loaders mentioned were those of Westley Richards. Some, if 
not all the Swiss, had shaded front sights and used a hair 
trigger. The shooting seems to have been most inferior to 
that of late years, but it must lie borne in mind that the tar- 
gets were smaller, and the method of scoring very much 
against high scores. 
At 200 yards, 5 rounds, possible 15, seven prizes, the first 
prize was taken by a Swiss with u score of 12: the fourth 
fifth, sixth and seventh were also taken by Swiss. 
At 300 yards, 5 rounds, possible 15, seven prizes, the first 
was taken by a volunteer with a score of 9 ; the third and 
fifth were taken by Swiss. 
At 500 yards, 5 rounds, possible 15, seven prizes, the first 
was won by a volunteer with a score of 7. In another match 
at same distance, for Swiss only, the winning score was 9. 
In a third match the winning score was 7. 
At 600 yards, 5 rounds, possible 15, the winning score was 0. 
At 1,000 yards, with a rest, 5 rounds, possible 15, the first 
prize, £50, given by the Duke of Wellington, was taken on a 
score of 3 by Lieut. Archibald; and the second prize was 
taken by a Swiss on the sume score. 
At 800 and 1,000 yards, 5 rounds each, possible 30, the first 
prize was taken by a Swiss with a score of 10. 
At 800, 900 and 1,000 yard', 10 rounds each, possible 90 
the first prize, £100, presented by the Prince Consort, wa9 
taken by Lieut. Lacy on a score of 22 ; the third prize was 
won by a Swiss on a score of 18. At same distances the 
Queen’s prize of £250 wus won by a volunteer with a score 
of 24. , 
The postponed match was for a prize of £30, offered by 
Miss Burdctt Coutts, and was at 400 yards, rounds 10, possi- 
ble 30. Pour men tied at 13, and it was finally won by a 
Swiss who scored four in the next two shots, making his to'tal 
17 out of a possible 36. 
