Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

Derby Daily Telegraph, Monday, 5 September 1904

Volunteer Sergeants at Ilkeston. — A team of the Derby Volunteer sergeants visited Ilkeston on Saturday last to shoot a rifle match with a team of the Ilkeston Volunteer and Civilian Rifle Club. Teams consisted of ten men each, and the lowest scores to be counted out in each; ten shots and one sighter were allowed at a miniature Bisley target, the distance being 25 yards, and the position lying. A member of each team shot together, and for some time there were not many points difference, but eventually Ilkeston drew away and won rather easily by 50 points. As far as I can make out the Derby team were handicapped in the matter of rifles, the general opinion being that they were not as accurate as they might have been. Still, that does not detract from the Ilkeston victory. The Ilkeston club is a most flourishing one , having a membership of nearly 100 to select teams from, and that good rifle shot, Colour-Sergeant MacKenzie, is the skipper. MacKenzie expressed the pleasure it gave him to welcome the Derby sergeants to their range. Colour-Sergeant Oldknow acknowledged the welcome, and hoped at no distant date the defeat of that afternoon would be revenged. The scores were:—

ILKESTON
Sergeant F. MacKenzie	45
W.B. Shorthose	45
Lance-Corporal D. Cox	44
S. Henson	42
A. Shorthose	42
Colour-Sergeant H. MacKenzie	42
A. Cawthorne	41
W.C. Wilkinson	41
Total	342
Two scores of 37 and 36 counted out.
DERBY SERGEANTS
Colour-Sergeant Oldknow	40
Sergeant D. Holland	39
Sergeant Gibson	39
Sergeant Chester	36
Sergeant Tinker	35
Armourer-Sergeant Oldknow	35
Sergeant Caunt	34
Sergeant Huggins	34
Total	292
Two scores of 32 and 30 counted out.

Derby Daily Telegraph, Monday, 5 September 1904

Robin Hood Rifles. — The Mason Long Range Competition was shot for on the Trent Range on 29th August. This formed the 4th and last competition of the series, consisting of two sighters and ten shots at 800 yards, the aggregate of the three best shots out of the four counting for the prizes, the first three being £5, £3, and £2. The winner of the fourth shoot was Sergeant-Instructor M. Watts, with a total of 48. The winners of the prizes were Corporal G.F. Blakeley 137, Corporal J. Lane 136, Sergeant-Instructor M. Watts 136.

The Duke of St. Alban's Cup and gold championship jewel, awarded for the highest grand aggregate in the Battalion Aggregate Competition, was won by Captain P.M. Payne, the Robin Hoods' instructor of musketry, his scores at 200, 500, and 600 yards being 95, 94, and 99, and 92 at 200 and 500 yards 67, at 800 yards with 10 shots and four competitions 38, 40, 48, and 45; grand total 618. Major J. Ashworth's, last year's winner, total was 615, and Quartermaster-Sergeant W. Comery 614.

In the Jesse Boot Challenge Bowl Competition, for teams of 12, and the 10 highest scores to count, an old Derby Volunteer, Sergt. J.G. Briggs, made thing very lively by putting on a "possible" at 200 yards and 33 and 31 at 500 and 600 yards, giving the grand total of 99, thus tieing with Capt. P.M. Payne with 99.

Nottingham Evening Post, Friday, 9 September 1904

RIFLE SHOOTING AT LOWDHAM

Some of the members of the Lowdham and District Rifle Club competed at the Epperstone Range yesterday for the National Rifle Association's bronze badge. Conditions, ten shots at each distance, 200, 500, 600 yards. The leading scores were as follows:—

	200	500	600	Total.
J.D. Pearson	43	41	35	119
C.C. Reed	38	38	39	115
J.C. Belton	45	45	23	113
C.E. Brookes	36	46	21	103

Nottingham Evening Post, Monday, 26 September 1904

RIFLE SHOOTING
LONDON v. ROBIN HOOD RIFLES

The annual match between the Queen's Westminster Rifles (13th Middlesex) and the Robin Hoods (1st V.B. Notts.) took place on Saturday, on the ranges of the last-named regiment near Trent Junction. The teams were 20 strong , representing the shooting strength of each regiment, and the number of rounds, distances, and targets were in accordance with the King's Prize, Part I. Colonel Stevenson was in command of the London team, and the Nottingham men were under Captain Payne. The result of the match was a victory for the Queen's Westminster Rifles by 32 points, their total being 1,810 against 1,778 made by the Robin Hoods. After the match the teams dined together at the Nottingham Masonic Hall. The scores of the winning team were:—

Bugler Halls	102
Armourer-Sergeant Fulton	96
Private Price	96
Private Hamm	96
Private Jackman	95
Private Shepperd	92
Sergeant Goble	92
Private Mansfield	91
Sergeant Tyrrell	91
Lieutenant Whitcombe	91
Private Smyth	89
Cyclist Fulton	88
Private Stocker	88
Sergeant Poole	88
Private Gill	87
Sergeant Davis	86
Sergeant Church	86
Quartermaster-Sergeant Pridmore	86
Sergeant-Major Phillips	86
Private Templer	84
Total	1,810

Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday, 26 October 1904

NOTTS. CIVILIAN RIFLE CLUB

The final competition for this season of this club took place on the Trent range. The weather conditions were only moderate. The following cards were returned:—

	200	500	600	H'cp.	Tl.
Mr. M.I. Preston	22	27	22	22	93
Mr. W. Ashby	33	27	32	owes 3	89
Mr. A.E. Sutton	32	29	28	0	89
Dr. R. Heelis	25	23	21	17	86
Dr. J.W. Travell	27	27	21	7	82
Mr. J.T. Radford	25	28	Retired.