The 30th Annual Volunteer Match and Complaints about Ammunition
The Nottingham Evening Post was carrying regular weekly reports of Volunteer Corps activities.
The edition of June 12th mentioned the annual prize meeting sponsored by the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association, the 30th in the series which began in 1861, and which was being held the following week.
The report also contained details of complaints being made about the quality of the ammunition provided to Volunteers as substantiated by a Devonshire shooter. Mr. (Edward) Stanhope mentioned in the report was the MP for Horncastle, Lincolnshire, and the Secretary of State for War. He had in February been questioned in Parliament about the reduction, from 90 to 75 rounds per man, in the allocation of ammunition issued to Volunteer Corps on the grounds that it was seriously effecting the marksmanship of the best shots in the Volunteers. More on that matter can be read at the page for Feb 1890.
Finally this report gave details of the entries so far received for the Queen's and St. George's Prizes, which were to be shot for at the new location at Bisley.
12th June 1890
The members of the Notts. Rifle Association will hold their annual prize meeting on Wednesday next. This is one of the most important competitions of the year, the chief item being the Bronze medal of the National R.A., the winner of which is entitled to compete for the prize given by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and a sum of £100, at the forthcoming Bisley meeting. There is also a competition open to Yeomanry Cavalry of the county. A new feature of the meeting is a bronze medal given by the National R. A., and a series of money prizes for recruits who have joined since November, 1888. Intending competitors are reminded that the entries close on Tuesday next.
Complaint is being made that the ammunition served out to volunteers is of so bad a quality that companies who have hitherto earned the highest capitation grant now fail to do so in consequence of inferior ammunition. An early opportunity will be taken in the House of Commons of calling the attention of Mr. Stanhope to the matter. The results of careful weighing by a Devonshire volunteer, of the charges of powder contained in 20 cartridges of the same make - 1890 - as that issued for use at the Devon County meeting, are that in the 20 rounds there was a variation of five grains, the details being as follow —
| 1 charge of 83 grains | 4 charges of 86 grains |
| 3 charges of 84 grains | 5 charges of 87 grains |
| 6 charges of 85 grains | 1 charge of 88 grains |
The entries for the Queen's Prize at the N.R.A. meeting already amount to nearly 2,200 from all parts of Great Britain. There have yet, however, to be added the entries of volunteers from India, the Cape of Good Hope, and various parts of her Majesty's possessions. For the St. George's prizes the entries number 2,071, and altogether there is abundant evidence of a successful meeting.
The following week's Volunteer Notes reported on the 30th annual prize meeting sponsored by the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association and featuring the National Rifle Association Bronze Medal and entry to the Prince of Wales's Prize at Bisley. The winner was Quartermaster-Sergeant Jerram who, despite an outer at 500 yards, managed a score of 97 out of 105.
A new feature of the prize competition were special medals and prizes reserved for recent recruits which had been discussed at the preceding Annual General Meeting of the Notts. R.A.. The recruit's competitions attracted a good entry.
19th June 1890
The thirtieth annual prize competition of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association took place at Nottingham yesterday, when, although a gusty wind blew during most of the time that shooting was in progress, there was some high scoring in the principal contests, no fewer than 10 competitors making 90 and upwards at the three ranges. A sum of £31 10s. was given in prizes, and the first prize of £3 10s., together with the bronze medal of the N.R.A. was carried off by the veteran shot, Quartermaster-Sergeant Jerram, who made within eight of the highest possible, and is entitled to compete for the Prince of WaIes's Prize at Bisley this year. Quartermaster Jerram's shot for shot score was as follows :–
| 200 | 500 | 600 | Total |
| 4454555-32 | 525555-32 | 5554455-33 | 97 |
Many volunteers belonging to the county corps took part in the shooting, including Captain Mellish, and they carried off a fair proportion of the prizes. A new feature of the meeting was the competition for recruits who have joined a volunteer corps in the last two years and were not members of any military or Naval service prior to 1888. The county recruits mustered strongly, but the bronze medal and first prize were won by Private J. Woolley, of J Company, R.H.R., who shot exceedingly well earlier in the season, and now becomes entitled to compete for the gold and silver recruits' medals and a special series of prizes offered in connection with the Queen's Prize competition at Bisley. Private Woolley was very closely run by Bandmaster Hindley, who, however, spoiled a good chance by missing his last shot at 600 yards. The yeomanry cavalry competition with Martini-Henry carbines was won by Private W. Lewis, of the Sherwood Rangers. The arrangements for the competition were admirably carried out by the hon. secretaries, Surgeon-Major J. O'C. Hynes and Corporal H. W. Davis. There follows a list of the principal scores and money prizes:–
| 200 | 500 | 600 | Tl. | Prize | |||
| £ | s | d | |||||
| Qtr-Master-Sergt Jerram, 1st Notts | 32 | 32 | 33 | 97 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sergt. St. Leo Smith, 1st Notts | 30 | 33 | 33 | 96 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Corpl. J Leavesley, 1st Notts | 33 | 33 | 29 | 95 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Corpl. HW Davis, 1st Notts | 32 | 31 | 30 | 93 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Qtr-Master EA Cuckson,1st Notts | 34 | 31 | 28 | 93 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Prvt. E Spencer, 4th Notts | 28 | 32 | 32 | 92 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Sergt. T Loach, 1st Notts | 30 | 32 | 30 | 92 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Corpl. EG Moore, 1st Notts | 30 | 26 | 34 | 90 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. TE Burrows, 1st Notts | 30 | 30 | 30 | 90 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. JW Smith,1st Notts | 31 | 33 | 26 | 90 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Sergt. J Ashworth, 1st Notts | 30 | 28 | 31 | 89 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Sergt. A Poole, 11st Notts | 28 | 32 | 28 | 88 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. E Wilson, 1st Notts | 29 | 34 | 24 | 87 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Capt. H Mellish, 4th Notts | 30 | 28 | 28 | 86 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sergt. E Draycott, 1st Notts | 28 | 33 | 25 | 86 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Corpl. H Clayton, 4th Notts | 33 | 30 | 23 | 86 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sergt. G Carder, 1st Notts | 31 | 26 | 28 | 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Corpl. J Bell, 4th Notts | 28 | 30 | 27 | 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Prvt. E Jago, 1st Notts | 30 | 32 | 23 | 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sergt. W Comery, 1st Notts | 26 | 30 | 28 | 84 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Prvt. E Marriott, 1st Notts | 30 | 31 | 22 | 83 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Surgeon-Major J O'C Hynes, 1st Notts | 26 | 29 | 27 | 82 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Corpl. SH Page, 1st Notts | 28 | 28 | 26 | 82 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Prvt. WB Caunt, 1st Notts | 24 | 30 | 27 | 81 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Corpl. W Ashby, 1st Notts | 26 | 30 | 25 | 81 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. A Davis, 1st Notts | 26 | 30 | 25 | 81 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Sergt. T Harris, 1st Notts | 29 | 29 | 23 | 81 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. J Woolley, 1st Notts | 26 | 23 | 28 | 77 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bandmaster A Hindley, 1st Notts | 29 | 20 | 25 | 74 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Prvt. G Ward, 4th Notts | 27 | 23 | 21 | 71 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Prvt. W Scott, 4th Notts | 23 | 25 | 18 | 66 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| Prvt. B Bamfield, 1st Notts | 18 | 24 | 23 | 65 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Prvt. ACW Rogers, 1st Notts | 21 | 25 | 19 | 65 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Prvt. S Rushton, 4th Notts | 24 | 25 | 12 | 61 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. W Bailey, 4th Notts | 16 | 15 | 26 | 60 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Prvt. J Davies, 4rh Notts | 26 | 14 | 18 | 58 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Prvt. WE Rowley, 1st Notts | 23 | 19 | 16 | 58 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 200 | 500 | Tl. | £ | s | d | ||
| Prvt. W Lewis, SR | 24 | 30 | 51 | 1 | 5 | 0 | |
| Troop Sgt-Major A Barry, S.N.H. | 26 | 25 | 51 | 0 | 17 | 6 | |
| Corpl. J Lane, S.N.H. | 26 | 25 | 51 | 0 | 17 | 6 | |
| Sergt. WH Slater, S.N.H. | 26 | 21 | 47 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Corpl. H Truman, S.N.H. | 18 | 24 | 42 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Prvt. FG Shaw, S.N.H. | 17 | 21 | 38 | 0 | 7 | 6 | |
| Reg. Sgt-Major Burnaby, S.N.H. | 20 | 18 | 38 | 0 | 7 | 6 | |
| Corpl. JH Carbon, S.N.H. | 19 | 17 | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
The following day a letter from the Hon. Secretary of the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association, Henry W. Davis, was printed. In it Mr. Davis gave details of the target and scoring ring dimensions and values and thanked the newspaper for its coverage of Volunteer shooting.
20th June 1890
Sir,—In reply to the letter of "An Old R.H.R." I shall be obliged if you will publish the following particulars of the dimensions and divisions of the targets as used in volunteer matches &c.. The majority of competitions take place under the same conditions as for the Queen's Prize (Part 1, 1st stage), viz., seven shots each at 200, 500, and 600 yards. At 200 yards the target is 4ft. square, the "Bulls-eye" being 8in. diameter, "inner" 16in., "magpie" 24in., "outer" remainder of target. At 500 and 600 yards the target is 6ft. square, the "bull's-eye" 2ft. diameter, "inner" 3ft., "magpie" 4ft., and "outer" remainder of target. The value of a "bulls-eye" is five points, "inner" four, "magpie" three, and "outer" two.
While writing, permit me to thank you on behalf of a large number of volunteers for the encouragement given to rifle shooting by the weekly publication of your "Volunteer Notes", which are most eagerly read by all shooting men. —I am, sir, &c.,
HENRY W. DAVIS,
Hon. Sec. Notts. Rifle Association.
Nottingham, June 19th, 1890.
Transcripts from Nottingham Evening Post 12, 19 & 20/06/1890
British Library Newspaper Archive