SHOOTING At the beginning of this term very few of us had used the No. 8 rifle. This was unfortunate as the "Country Life" rules were changed so that we had to use it. After the initial suspicion of a new, unproved rifle was overcome, we realised that its double trigger pressure and smooth bolt action were a vast improvement over the Mossberg, but there was some difficulty encountered in trying to group on a target. It was discovered that the team consisted of two types : those who could see the foresight but not the target, and those who could see the target but not the foresight. We looked for the cause, finding the aperture of the back sight was too great, but were helpless as the sights were specified by 'Country Life" to be as issued. Three of the rifles were found to be useless without an arrnourer's help since they were not sighted truly and the back sight possesses no latteral adjustment. We could only do one thing, and that was to practice. We had just three weeks to the first match and throughout that time we considered it good shooting if an individual topped 70. However, we persevered and found new points of aim and techniques in aiming, and the first Finch groups began to appear. Almost in dispair, we had our last practice before the first match. Miraculously, so it seemed, we had suddenly improved, and we managed to better 600 in the match. On the whole, we can be fairly satisfied with the progress made this term. We accepted this season as one of training and discovery, and have succeeded in that fairly well. Our only disappointment was that we could not devote enough time to the "Country Life" landscape targets since we just had to be thoroughly at home with the No. 8. In the "Country Life" competition our lack of practice on the landscape was only too apparent, spoiling a good effort on the straight shoot through. The matches and results for this term are :St. Peter's (601) v. Felsted (615). Lost. v. St. Bartholomew's (614). Lost. St. Peter's (598) v. Rossall (565). Won. St. Peter's (589) v. Ampleforth (677). Lost. St. Peter's (606) v. Leeds G.S. (594). Won. St. Peter's 1(606) v. George Watson's (586). Won. St. Peter's (620) v. King Edward's St. Peter's (643) v. Sutton Valence (677). Lost. St. Peter's (616) v. Denstone
J. Lewis was re-awarded his Shooting Colours, and Shooting Colours were awarded to J. 0. R. Penman, W. R. Ibberson, C. J. Griffiths and T. A. Foy for the 1952-53 season. 43
