190 ARTILLERY AND MUSKETRY FIRE. 
beyond 2500 yards there can be no doubt: but to kill you must first 
- hit, and hitting is a very different matter; but still the small-bore 
magazine rifle of the present day is a very superior weapon to those 
which were employed in the great wars of ’70 and ’71, and the tactical 
questions involved deserve and receive most serious attention. 
In the recent manoeuvres in France the extreme ranges at which 
artillery engaged were much commented on, and were attributed to a 
change in tactics following the introduction of the new pattern rifles. 
Generally the tactics were somewhat unfavourably criticised. ° 
Criticism however is best left to those to whom experience gives a 
right to judge, and in this paper I merely propose to give the results 
of some practice under peace conditions, and to draw any conclusions 
from them which they appear to deserve, leaving the reader to apply 
any devisor he pleases to the average results under favourable peace 
conditions, so as to reduce them to what might be expected on active 
service. 
There is no doubt that under favourable conditions the long range 
fire of the old pattern rifle has now and then been very effective in 
action, whilst that of the new rifle under peace conditions compares 
not unfavourably with the effect of an equal weight of ammunition 
fired from guns, up to a range of a mile or thereabouts—until the 
eternal factors of time and space are taken into account—when the 
advantage is seen to be with the gun and will probably remain so fora 
long time to come. 
By time is meant the length of time, be it hours or minutes, which 
is necessary to attain a given effect, say, the destruction of ten per 
cent. of the target fired at; by space, the frontage on which the firing 
party, whether artillery or infantry, stand, as the extent of frontage in 
the firmg line of battle, occupied by troops engaged in preparing the 
attack or covering it, must be of great importauce when large bodies 
meets. 
Infantry field firimg was carried out at Glenbeigh this year in con- 
nection with the annual gun practice there under the command of 
Colonel Holley, the object was to see what effect might be expected 
from musketry fire at long ranges under favourable peace. conditions, 
and more especially at artillery targets. 
Therewas noidea of comparison between the two arms, though on one 
day artillery and infantry fired at the same targets in succession ; this 
was due to the short time troops remained in camp and so both arms 
necessary practised every day, and as on one occasion the targets were 
suitable. both arms: made use of them. 
In the table of statistics attached, details will be found of each 
series: fired. Series 1 to 8 inclusive were fired at service targets, 1 and 
3-at-guns with detachments in action exposed to frontal and enfilade 
fire, 2 and 4 at infantry targets placed in position by officers of a 
course then in camp. ‘The firing line and supports were represented 
by kneeling and standing dummies placed on the crest and reverse 
slope of a ridge of sand hills; the reserves were represented by 
screens placed about 150 yards in rear and defiladed from view. 
Series 5. to 8 were fired at purely artillery targets representing a 
