Salient. The Newspaper of Victoria University College. Vol. 20, No. 8. September 14, 1956

Shooting

Shooting

In a closely-contested competition for the I.C.I. Shield, VUC took seconded place in CUC In the smallbore rifle shooting held on the Christchurch Association range.

CUC and VUC had little between them throughout the I.C.I. competition; at the end of the fifth round they were equal, but the strain proved too great for the less experienced Victoria men in the last round in which Canterbury ran up a six-point lead. Final placings were:
  • CUC 2385.170 (possible 2400.240)
  • VUC 2379.179
  • AUC 2368.149

Brian Bradburn, back with the VUC team after a year with AUC, failed to reach the very high standard expected of him until towards the end, when he shot 200.15 for highest score in the NZU match, and an NZU Blue. Jim Mansell, another experienced shot who returned to the team after a year's absence, improved on his previous creditable performance, also to earn a Blue.

Ian Chatwin, a first-year shot, did extremely well throughout and gained top-equal score of 200.17 on the North-South shoot. Graeme Barnard, formerly of CUC, scoped and coached the team, and it was largely through his efforts that VUC did so well. Denis Middleton, another first-year shot, broke the former Blues standard of 990, dropping only one point in his last four shoots; his transfer to OU next year will be a serious loss to this college's shooting.

VUC was largely responsible for North's win over South in the inter-island shoot, and the entire VUC team was included in the NZU side to shoot against the Canterbury provincial team. Although NZU shot creditably, Canterbury showed why it is regarded as one of New Zealand's premier associations, and in dropping only three points won by 1997.163 to 1984.148.